WIREDGOV

A new course to help parents and families learn Welsh with their children has been launched at the Royal Welsh Show yesterday.

The specially tailored Welsh for Families course will be run by Welsh for Adults Centres and its development was funded by the Welsh Government.

The course is aimed at parents and extended family who want to learn Welsh so they can interact with their children who are receiving Welsh-medium education or who are learning Welsh as a second language at school or nursery, with the emphasis firmly on fun and enjoyment.

Supporting materials for the course include a board game, homework book and a CD so parents can learn Welsh with their children through playing, singing and helping with homework.

The 120-hour course is suitable for those who have no or very little Welsh and would usually be taught for two hours a week over two years but a more intensive version is available. The course will be popular at schools and teachers or school governors should contact their local Welsh for Adults Centre if they are interested in running a course for parents at their school.

Helen Prosser from Welsh for Adults Centres, who was at the launch today, said: “Being able to speak Welsh so they can help their children learn and help out with school work is the number one individual reasons given by adults looking to learn Welsh.”

This course has been specially developed with that in mind and it has been designed with an emphasis on fun and enjoyment. The course has been developed by the WJEC and can be completed over two-years or on a more intense schedule.”

The Minister with responsibility for the Welsh language, Leighton Andrews, said:

“The Welsh Government wants to support people who want to learn the language and to use it with their children who are going through Welsh medium education or who are learning Welsh as a second language. This course supports our Welsh Medium Education Strategy by providing opportunities for children to use Welsh at home and supports whole families in developing a skill together.”

The Welsh Government provided funding of £99,374 to develop the course.

Further information about the Welsh for Families course is available from your local Welsh for Adults Centre or at www.welshforadults.org