Annual Report 2023 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 165
Goal 3 - Moving Forward
Partnerships, collaborations, and presence at events will continue to be important elements of the awareness
raising effort. As the team grows, capacity for hosting and attending a large variety of stakeholder events has
become possible. Connections established through both the Languages Connect Summit and various other
events will continue to develop and be leveraged to build awareness of the wide range of supports and
resources available.
The Languages Connect name and strong branding has become well established now and will continue to have
impact online, on social media, in schools and at the many events that PPLI organise and attend. The growing
bank of resources and promotional materials will continue to be developed based on feedback and research
into the various target audiences.
Presence and engagement at face-to-face meetings, events, and conferences will continue to be a key part of
the awareness raising effort. Many stakeholder collaborations have been developed and nurtured and will
continue to grow, develop, and create impact for the awareness raising effort.
All communications will continue to promote the benefits of foreign language learning across all education
sectors, for increased career opportunities, for the development of transversal skills and for social cohesion and
integration.
#ThinkLanguages will evolve further with a wider offering available to schools as partnerships develop with
HEIs, primary schools, other government departments and stakeholders who will be further integrated into the
successfully extended week-long national celebration of languages.
An integrated approach to encouraging the uptake of languages will encompass engagement with Senior
Management Teams, Guidance Counsellors and teachers of foreign languages ensuring they have appropriate
resources to share with students. The growing collaboration with HEIs nationwide will give greater access to
student language ambassadors to support awareness raising of language courses and careers.
Significant opportunities are also available for awareness raising amongst primary pupils and their families
through the growth of the Say Yes to Languages Primary Module, now moving into its fourth year. The Languages
Connect Open Night Toolkit and other resources will also be developed and disseminated further to support
uptake of foreign languages at post-primary level.
At this stage a significant body of guidance resources aimed at increasing appreciation of the value of keeping
up a foreign language have been produced. Guidance counsellors have reported that key statistics and
information on improved employment prospects for those with foreign language skills would also be useful.
Moving Languages Connect – Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017 – 2026 forward, more
research will be conducted, and existing research highlighted to include additional hard data on why foreign
language learning is important. In the context of the whole school guidance approach, messaging will include
a focus on the relevance of languages for personal and social development and is also now targeting teachers
of foreign languages.
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2023 -
165
