The Minister for Education Norma Foley TD today announced an extension of the “Say Yes to Languages” primary languages sampler module for a further year and invited primary schools to apply to participate in the module.
Further details on the module are available in the Circular here: https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/88a1a-say-yes-to-languages-language-sampler-module-202223/
Apply: Schools can apply to participate in the module in 2022/23 here. The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 5pm on 11 May 2022.
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The 21/22 “Say Yes to Languages” primary languages sampler module has been rolled out in circa. 500 primary schools in three phases since November 2021. Schools selected 11 languages: French, Spanish, ISL, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Polish, Portuguese, Arabic and Tamil.
The aim of the module is to:
- Generate awareness among pupils of the range of languages used by their peers, including Irish Sign Language, in their schools and communities which may help support greater inclusion and appreciation of diversity in society,
- Encourage uptake of languages at post-primary level,
- Provide opportunities for increased levels of collaboration among the school community with regard to the celebration of languages and cultures,
- Support implementation of Languages Connect, Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017–2026.
The grant available for schools participating in the module in 22/23 will be:
€400 for one classroom
€800 for two classrooms
€1,200 for three classrooms
€1,600 for four or more classrooms
The grant can be used to pay the external teacher/tutor or where the class teacher is delivering the module, it will be used to fund additional resources and/ or to finance other activities that support the aims of the module.
The module will be rolled out for eight consecutive weeks – one hour per week of normal class time.
Training and resources will be provided by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI).
Further information and resources are available on PPLI’s website: here
Details of the module are available in the Circular here: https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/88a1a-say-yes-to-languages-language-sampler-module-202223/
Schools will be selected based on:
Participation is not guaranteed to all applying schools, and the Department/PPLI will establish a panel to evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
- - Submission of a completed application form by the deadline
- - Diversity in the target languages applied for
- - School has internal staff capacity to deliver the module
- - School can provide contact details of teacher/tutor
- - School has previously met the requirements of the programme and provided feedback as requested
- - School can provide details in support of its application to highlight how it will engage in promotion and dissemination of the chosen language
- - School committed to encouraging teacher/tutor and hosting teachers to participate in training
- - School committed to providing feedback and facilitating school visits
- - Commitment to deliver the module within specified timeframes and for the full number of hours
- - Commitment to communicate with PPLI
The Department will seek to ensure that there is a geographical spread of schools and a range of school contexts when finalising the successful applicants. School will be evaluated on the above criteria.
Schools selected to participate in the programme will be notified by 30 June 2022.