Launching new resource ‘Dewch i Deithio a Dysgu Sbaeneg Patagonia’

Canolfan Peniarth, one of the leading publishers of Welsh and bilingual books and educational resources in Wales, which is part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, has created innovative resources to teach Patagonian Spanish through the medium of Welsh to primary school children.

The package includes an initial practitioner training session, complete multimedia materials for delivering 7 units of work, and a script for a Spanish performance that learners can perform at the end of the units. Learners are introduced to a variety of simple Spanish patterns and to the rich Welsh culture of Patagonia by Min and Mei – the characters of the popular Welsh language series ‘Dewch i Deithio’, and pupils of Ysgol y Cwm, the Andes.

Katie Strick, a teacher at Ysgol Llanddarog in Carmarthenshire has been using the resource with her class, and the whole school. She said:

“We started to introduce the pack to our class and as they become more confident using the language we started to introduce the language to other children within the school in the assembly. Now, we use the pack outside – with so much emphasis on the outside area, it is easy to take the pack outside of the classroom and complete the activities outside. I was nervous at first because I couldn’t speak any Spanish, but the pack is very comprehensive, and you don’t need any Spanish skills before starting – I learn with the children now!”

She added:

“The children have loved it, they have enjoyed learning Spanish. The songs are appealing, and they’ve been great to learn the vocabulary and how to pronounce the words correctly, they have enjoyed every minute. They use the language from day to day in the school now, we do the register in Spanish, and during lessons they will say Spanish words naturally. Learning a new language has certainly developed their confidence and understanding of the Welsh language as well.”

Mike Winter composed the songs for the pack. As someone who is originally from Patagonia he was over the moon to see the children’s reaction to the songs during his recent visit to Ysgol Llanddarog. He expressed:

“It was fantastic to see the children using these songs and to see that they have learnt them with so much joy. It was extremely rewarding.”

He explained he’s familiar with hearing children in Patagonia speak Welsh, but hearing young children from Wales speaking Spanish Patagonia so enthusiastically was a fantastic experience.

Eluned Owena Grandis, Lecturer in Welsh from the University’s Centre for Welsh Services, and author of the resource pack,said:

“Being in the company of Ysgol Llanddarog learners and hearing them pronounce and sing so well was such a pleasure. There has been a lot of talk recently about the reduction of students studying foreign languages, we in Peniarth were eager to develop children’s interest in languages from an early age, and Min and Mei from the popular series ‘Dewch i Deithio’ was a perfect vehicle to do this in an appealing way through the medium of Welsh. The Spanish lessons, catchy songs and the performance will stay with them forever and will positively affect their decisions later in life.”

Schools don’t have to study Patagonia as a theme to use this pack, it lends itself to a variety of themes, including; Wales across the world, Travel, Seas and Oceans, Adventure and Journey, Belong and many more.

The next training session for teachers will take place on the 7th of October. If you would like to attend, please contact: post@peniarth.cymru