Annual Report 2025 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 49
Goal 1 - Moving Forward
PPLI will continue to focus on strengthening system-wide capacity for quality language education
through targeted professional learning, strategic partnerships and sustainable pathways for teacher
development.
PPLI will continue to work with embassies and international partners to expand language upskilling and
continuing professional development opportunities for teachers. In parallel, support will remain available
for teachers who are qualioed in a language but are not currently teaching it, and for those completing
the onal requirements for Teaching Council registration. Looking ahead, pathways for Initial Teacher
Education and bridging programmes—particularly for lesser taught and new curricular languages—will
require continued exploration in collaboration with higher education and policy partners.
As the Department of Education and Youth continues to increase participation in the Foreign Language
Assistant (FLA) scheme, PPLI will maintain its focus on ensuring quality, consistency and impact through
provision of resources and professional supports. PPLI will also work with the Department to explore
innovative approaches to supporting schools in remote or rural areas to access FLA provision.
In addition, opportunities to further leverage the complementary English Language Assistant (ELA)
scheme as a mechanism for developing future language teaching capacity will be examined, informed
by emerging evidence of its role in supporting language proociency, intercultural competence and entry
into the teaching profession.
Student and teacher mobility will remain a key priority. Erasmus+ funding provides a sustainable
framework for embedding international exchange and mobility within school planning, bringing
languages to life through authentic use and cultural immersion. PPLI will continue its strategic shift from
direct grant provision towards supporting schools and teachers to engage conodently with Erasmus+
opportunities, ensuring long term viability and alignment with European best practice.
Strong participation in Communities of Practice demonstrates the value teachers place on professional
networks. PPLI will continue to respond to teacher feedback by facilitating language specioc and
thematic communities, while working with stakeholders to reinforce the role of networks in professional
learning. Exploring mechanisms that support these communities to become increasingly self sustaining
will remain a focus.
PPLI will continue to showcase exemplars of good practice across all languages and to develop and
disseminate high quality resources and tutorials, particularly in the area of digital technologies. As
artiocial intelligence becomes an increasingly signiocant feature of the teaching and learning landscape,
PPLI is committed to supporting teachers to engage with AI in ethical, pedagogically sound and
meaningful ways that enhance language learning.
The expansion of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) represents a signiocant opportunity
for the system. Extending CLIL into earlier years of post-primary education, and into the context of
primary language provision, offers the potential to accelerate language learning through meaningful,
content rich engagement. CLIL also supports equity and inclusion by enabling English as an Additional
Language (EAL) learners to access the curriculum more effectively, contributing to improved outcomes
and reduced educational inequalities.
Finally, the strong culture of collaboration that characterised 2025 will continue to underpin PPLI9s work.
Sustained and deepening engagement with stakeholders across policy, curriculum, professional learning
and international networks will remain essential to sharing good practice, ensuring coherence and
identifying emerging priorities for the continued development of language education in Ireland.
49
