Welsh Language Provision
At Bangor University, we offer students the unique experience of being able to study through the medium of Welsh in a truly bilingual institution and in an area where the Welsh language is spoken by the majority of the population. We run more modules and courses through the medium of Welsh than any other university, and have the highest number of students studying through the medium of Welsh.
Bilingual or Welsh-medium modules are available in every school, and a booklet is published annually for students in the first year which lists all available modules. Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's course finder gives students an indication to what extent they can study their chosen course in Welsh.
Being able to study in their first language allows Welsh-speaking students an enriched experience through nuanced delivery and closer connections. Welsh-medium lectures and seminar groups tend to be smaller in size. This can make students feel more comfortable, give them the confidence to ask questions, and grant them some additional support. For teaching staff, and for those who support learning, communicating through Welsh can give opportunities for enhancement.
Advanced Support For Staff And Students
Canolfan Bedwyr provides specialist support to Welsh-medium students and staff who wish to enhance their higher language skills in specific areas such as academic writing and presenting. A number of undergraduate and post-graduate optional modules are available in this field (credited and unaccredited), as well as informal support groups. In addition to this, students and staff wishing to sit the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Tystysgrif Sgiliau Iaith (Welsh Language Skills Certificate) are given structured support and preparation sessions. For more information, contact Dr Phil Davies.
Learn Welsh
All students and staff can benefit from free Welsh classes while at the University through Canolfan Bedwyr. Whether you want to learn the basics, or have conversational Welsh but want to upskill so that you can teach bilingually with confidence, there is a staff class or conversation session for you. Currently, there are around 120 members of staff who take part in Welsh classes at Bangor University. Developing your Welsh language skills is a great way to demonstrate your continuous professional development, build networks across the University and make you more employable.
Academic Writing In Welsh
The Welsh Sentence Bank: Research Report provides guidance on how to write academic reports, describe methodologies, present results and discuss your work in Welsh. This document provides the building blocks of language to present your work at Bangor University.
Bilingual Pedagogy
Translanguaging is a pedagogical practice that alternates the use of two languages for input and output in the same activity. The learner receives information in one language and works with that information in another language - for example, discussing the works of Shakespeare through the medium of Welsh. Translanguaging In The Classroom looks at how this process organically occurs in bilingual settings, how educators can enhance their teaching practice through translanguaging, and how it can boost student confidence and performance.
While Translanguaging In The Classroom focuses on translanguaging using English and Welsh, with a growing international student body, this practice is increasingly common across Bangor University in other languages too.
