Primary pupils 'Say Yes to Languages'
The successful module facilitates primary schools to introduce a Modern Foreign Language or Irish Sign Language (ISL) to their third to sixth class pupils.
Say Yes to Languages has grown considerably over the past three years, with over 1,300 schools and their pupils taking part.
Languages selected by schools have continued to diversify and grow over the three years. The range of languages has included Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Irish Sign Language, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tamil and Ukrainian.
Aims of the Module
The aims of the module are 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 2024/25 module runs within the normal school timetable, for a total of ten hours per classroom, over a period of ten weeks. The weekly hour lessons can be taken as one, or a combination of shorter classes across the week to make up the hour. Grants of €500 per classroom, up to a maximum of €2000 per school will be made available to participating schools, as outlined in Circular 042/2024
For 2024/2025, schools which have previously participated in Say Yes to Languages and aim to use a teacher on staff, will need to nominate a teacher to partake in a language upskilling course as a requirement of eligibility. A portion of the grant supplied will be available to support this.
Teachers & Tutors
Where feasible, schools are encouraged to nominate a teacher on staff to deliver the module. Where no member of staff is available to deliver the module, schools may engage visiting teachers/tutors or members of the wider school community. Training for all teachers/tutors is provided by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI), with additional resources and supports made available to all participating schools.
Application
Schools are now invited to apply for the 2024/2025 school year and can do so by completing the application form available here. Applications close at 5pm Wednesday 15th of May. Successful schools will be notified by Friday 14th June.
