Press release
Minister Foley invites schools to express an interest in participating in Say Yes to Languages module in 2023/24
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Education Norma Foley today (11 April) invited primary schools to apply to participate in the Say Yes to Languages module in the 2023/24 school year.
The Say Yes to Languages sampler module introduces primary pupils to a new language, by facilitating schools to introduce either a Modern Foreign Language of their choice or Irish Sign Language (ISL).
Say Yes to Languages is delivered to pupils from third to sixth class and runs for eight hours, over a period of eight weeks.
Participating schools are eligible for a grant from the Department of Education of €400 per classroom, up to a maximum of €1,600 per school.
Having demonstrated great success over the past two years – with almost eight hundred schools taking part – the module is now being offered to schools for a third year.
Minister Foley said:
“Language is one of the key means by which we think, express our thoughts, communicate and connect with others. Through introducing a Modern Foreign Language or Irish Sign Language in their classroom, schools can enrich pupils’ awareness of diverse cultures in our communities, in Ireland and internationally and support pupils’ development, active citizenship, inclusion and future learning and employment opportunities.
“It has been very heartening to see so many primary schools signing up to participate in the Say Yes to Languages module over the past two years and the wide range of languages they have chosen, including Ukrainian. I am delighted to now be inviting schools to apply to take part in 2023 / 2024 and encourage them to avail of this opportunity.
“Learning a Modern Foreign Language will form part of the primary school experience for pupils over the coming years, in line with the newly-published Primary Curriculum Framework. The future inclusion of foreign languages in the primary curriculum will be informed by the delivery of Say Yes to Languages and we look forward to another successful running of the module in 2023/24.”
Further information and application forms are available in Circular 0021/2023, which is available on the department’s website.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on 12 May 2023.
The Say Yes to Languages module sets out to give teachers and pupils a taste of what it means to integrate additional languages alongside English and Irish.
In this context, Say Yes to Languages aims to:
The number of languages chosen by schools has risen from 13 in 2021/22 to 15 in 2022/23: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Irish Sign Language, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Tamil, and Ukrainian.
The tutors teaching the module can be primary and post-primary teachers, but also members of the wider community, including parents.
Schools select a suitable teacher/tutor, and, to help with the task, Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) can share details of over 1,000 potential teachers/tutors who have to date registered their interest in teaching the module.
A dedicated area of the Languages Connect website hosts all content relating to the module over the three terms of the school year, including a list of participating schools. The teaching and learning resources are accessible from the website and are also available in Irish, thanks to collaboration with An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta (COGG). A frequently asked questions area provides clarification for recurrent queries.
Training sessions are provided by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) to all teachers/tutors delivering the module, while information sessions are also facilitated for hosting teachers and other school representatives. Awareness raising packs are also sent out to all participating schools to complement the teaching resources.