Annual Report 2025 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 92
#ThinkLanguages at Primary
As part of eforts to continue supporting the aims of the Say Yes to Languages Primary Module and to
increase the uptake of languages in post-primary education, the opportunity for TY students to bring a piece
of #ThinkLanguages to local primary school pupils was promoted. Guidelines for the preparation and
development of the visits were included, and information was shared in the Community of Practice sessions,
which inspired and encouraged schools to facilitate this. In 2025, a dedicated resource was also created. This
resource, designed speciocally for Transition Year students visiting primary schools, was developed to
support strengthening of the connection between language learning at primary level and the opportunities
available in post-primary, while also empowering TY students to act as positive language ambassadors. It
provided a bank of simple, engaging activity ideas, including language-based games, and interactive
exercises, that TY students could deliver in classrooms, helping them showcase the fun and relevance of
learning new languages.
Several schools, including Presentation Secondary School Thurles, Lucan Community College, and Portlaoise
College embraced the opportunity, with Transition Year students leading fun and interactive language taster
sessions. Through catchy songs, engaging stories and games, primary pupils received an exciting
introduction to the fun of language learning.
#ThinkLanguages Partnerships
Collaboration with partners was again a feature of the festival and a variety of activities were ofered which
enhanced the #ThinkLanguages Week experience. As part of the 8A Career for EU9 strategy, the Department of
Foreign Afairs and Trade (DFAT) sponsored the #ThinkLanguages Competition prizes for a third year. The top
three onalists of the poster competition each received a voucher. The winning Champion Team and their
teachers will travel to Brussels in early 2026 to visit a variety of EU institutions and meet Irish people who
work there, to understand more about where languages have brought them in their careers. This prize was
once again a signiocant incentive for students to get involved in helping to organise #ThinkLanguages
festivals across the country.
#ThinkLanguages at the Cultural Institutes
In 2025, the following cultural institutes joined #ThinkLanguages Week as partners for the orst time, marking
a signiocant expansion of the programme9s partnership network:
•
Goethe Institut Irland
•
Alliance Française Dublin
•
Instituto Cervantes de Dublin
•
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Dublino
They hosted onsite events, delivered workshops, provided guest speakers, and offered online learning
resources. More than 190 students attended in-person events during the week. The inclusion of cultural
institutes introduces a valuable new dimension to the programme, reinforcing the importance of linguistic
diversity and intercultural understanding in today9s world.
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- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2025 -
