Welsh Language in the College - Pembrokeshire College

TWO LANGUAGES – TWICE THE CHOICE

Welsh-Medium and Bilingual Provision

Here at Pembrokeshire College we are committed to preparing our learners for the workplace in Wales and beyond.

We will therefore encourage and support you to use and develop your Welsh skills while studying with us. In doing so, you will maintain your Welsh and become more confident in using the language in both a vocational and social context.

To reflect this commitment, the College has developed a Bilingual Provision Development Strategy 2023–2026, which provides a comprehensive overview of our Welsh language and bilingual curriculum provision, as well as our extra-curricular Welsh language and culture opportunities.

The College is continuously developing its bilingual provision. Here is what we can currently offer you in Welsh:

Application, interview and enrolment process
Opportunities within the induction programme
WEST initial assessments
Communication and Numeracy Essential Skills
The tutorial programme and tutorials
Complete course assessment / assignments or elements of the course
Oral / practical / written assessments
GCSE Re-sit Maths
Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification
A-Level Welsh Second Language
Work experience placements
Using Welsh in classroom activities
Welsh skills development sessions to support employability

There are opportunities for learners who are confident and fluent in the language as well as opportunities for those who are less confident or are learning. By continuing to study your course entirely or partly through the medium of Welsh, you will develop your skills in two languages – Welsh and English – which will open doors for you when you leave the College.

Remember:

to tell us that you speak Welsh so that we can support you and provide you with a variety of Welsh opportunities
that you can win a financial award for completing work in Welsh

Contact us:

If you would like more information about the Welsh-medium and Welsh language provision, opportunities and support available at Pembrokeshire College, please contact the Welsh Language Development Team
01437 753 435
01437 753 121
cymraeg@pembrokeshire.ac.uk
Monday to Friday: 08:30 to 16:00
Follow us on Facebook: Cymraeg - Coleg Sir Benfro

Welsh Support Available

What support is available for learners and apprentices?

If you don’t feel confident enough to study a course entirely through the medium of Welsh, why not study part of it through the medium of Welsh?

Support is available for learners and apprentices who study courses partly through the medium of Welsh in order to help them improve their oral and written language skills.

Welsh and bilingual learning materials and resources
Lists of bilingual terms and vocabulary
One-to-one support from Bilingual Support Tutors
Learning support and pastoral support
Support to improve Welsh skills
Cysill Welsh spell-checker on college computers
Terminology dictionaries
Apps to help with studying

What Welsh Enrichment Opportunities are there?

We have a variety of Welsh Language enrichment options available for you including:

Welsh language opportunities in the college’s Freshers Fair
Join the Clwb Cymraeg
Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol events and activities eg. webinars and workshops
Being a Welsh Language Ambassador
Join the Urdd and compete in Urdd competitions
Cross-college Welsh language and culture celebration events eg. Shwmae Day, Santes Dwynwen’s Day, Welsh Music Day, St David’s Day, Urdd National Eisteddfod and sporting events
Workshops and guest speakers promoting bilingualism
Educational visits
The Urdd and Menter Iaith Sir Benfro activities

The Welsh Language Development Team will be happy to support you to participate in the college’s Welsh language opportunities.

What is Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenediaethol?

The Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol works very closely with universities and Further Education colleges in Wales in order to develop Welsh-medium courses and resources for learners. The Coleg Cymraeg creates training and study opportunities in the Welsh language and inspires learners and apprentices to use their Welsh skills. We are grateful to the Coleg Cymraeg for the investment, guidance and support it provides. You can read more about the work of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

What does a Welsh Language Ambassador do?

Every year, learners have the opportunity to apply to be a Welsh Language Ambassador. The main aim of this role is to support the college to promote the Welsh language in specific areas and to help create opportunities for learners to use their Welsh whilst they study here. It also provides Ambassadors with increased opportunities to take part in more activities through the medium of Welsh.

Our Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Welsh Language Ambassadors for 2024/25 are:

Elain James, representing Construction
Cerys Witchell, representing the Creative Industries
Mara Cozens Miles, representing Health and Childcare
Hanna Griffiths, representing apprenticeships

You can read the Welsh Language Ambassadors’ blogs on the College’s Cymraeg – Coleg Sir Benfro Facebook page

The College also has three other Welsh Language Ambassadors, and for 2024/25, they are:

Clay Skipper, representing A-Levels
Amy Lee-Miles, representing the Creative Industries
Dewi Evans, representing Life Skills Academy

This is what Amy Lee-Miles had to say about being a Welsh Language Ambassador in the Creative Industries:

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What are the advantages?

There are educational, employability and social benefits of being able to speak two languages:

Gain a better understanding of the subject as you learn, for all intents and purposes, in both languages
Maintain linguistic skills that have already been nurtured in school
Develop cognitive skills
Develop employment skills as there is a demand for bilingual workers in all types of jobs
Provide an excellent foundation for any career
Increase opportunities and choices; it can open doors to all kinds of opportunities in the future
An opportunity to meet new people and be part of two cultures
Provide a bilingual service as a mark of quality
Scholarships for certain courses at the university

Your bilingual skills are extremely valuable and you should take advantage of the support we can provide you to develop those skills further.

The Team

Our Welsh Community

How you can use your Welsh in the College, celebrate cultural events, opportunities and our learners’ successes.

Welsh Community Guide

Dates to look out for:

Shwmae Day - 15 October
Welsh Language Rights Day - 07 December
Santes Dwynwen's Day - 25 January
Welsh Music Day - 10 February
College Eisteddfod
St David's Day - 01 March
Urdd Gobaith Cymru's Message of Peace and Good Will - May

Visit the Cymraeg – Coleg Sir Benfro Facebook page to explore this year’s activities and see how our learners got involved in the College’s ‘Celebrating Wales’ events!

Learners' and apprentices' experiences of studying bilingually

“Although I have now come to the end of my time here at Pembrokeshire College, the experience of learning my trade here has been special. And I’m certain that I would not have enjoyed it so much, or completed my work to the standard I did without the opportunity to be able to study and complete my work through the medium of Welsh and English. For an individual like me who has received my education through the medium of Welsh throughout my life, the sudden change of studying everything in English was challenging. With my Welsh skills stronger than my English skills, and having received all my primary and secondary education through Welsh, it was difficult to learn through another language to some extent. When the college provided me with this great opportunity to study bilingually, I jumped at the chance immediately. I knew that studying and completing work in my mother tongue was going to improve my experience and standard of work enormously and I am very grateful to the college for their efforts in providing me with this opportunity as a learner."

Ifan Phillips Electrical Apprentice

“As a second language learner, I was fortunate to be able to immerse myself in the Welsh language from the start of my studies at college. Alongside my A-levels, I was supported to complete the Baccalaureate bilingually and went on to win an award for this. The college is fortunate to have so many staff who speak Welsh and some who also teach. So, with events like Shwmae Day, it's wonderful to see the Welsh community come together. Learning Welsh at Coleg Sir Benfro has given me many opportunities for example taking part in a Podcast with Nick Yeo, reaching the final round of the Urdd Bobi Jones Medal Competition and opening the College's Atrium bilingually with Education Minister Jeremy Miles. With the support of my lecturers and the college's Welsh staff, I have started my career as a Bilingual Support Tutor at the college, to support other learners with my passion for the Welsh language.”

Lily Meddings

Former A-level Learner

“I decided to undertake the apprenticeship in Welsh as Welsh is my first language and I went to Ysgol Bro Teifi where I did subjects through the medium of Welsh. I find writing in Welsh easier than writing in English and this is why I decided to do the apprenticeship in Welsh. The College has given me much support in order to complete my college work in Welsh.

“I also decided to become a Welsh Language Ambassador because I would like to encourage and promote more apprentices to do their apprenticeship in Welsh. I also encourage my colleagues to use Welsh on the ward even if they do not speak Welsh fluently. Saying words like 'Good morning, how are you?' and 'Thank you' can go a long way with the patient and develops their trust in you and they feel more comfortable in hospital. The elderly feel much more at home when they speak their first language. They understand more and can communicate better."