Implications of trilingual education on pre-service training in Wales

This paper will focus on innovations in the Welsh education system in light of the
introduction of a new curriculum in 2022. Language learning is one of the areas facing changes, with international languages, Welsh and English being placed in the Area of Learning and Experience known as Languages, Literacy and Communication. Pupils will have the opportunity to learn an international language from year 5 in primary school. This development is important in the context of the Welsh government’s target of creating one million Welsh / English bilingual speakers by 2050. This target has raised concerns regarding the availability of teachers able to teach through the medium of Welsh and the role of initial teacher training to address this. Comparisons will be drawn with other UK nations teaching a foreign language in primary schools and the challenges that they have faced. The context of the Welsh language, as a minority language within Wales, raises questions regarding the linguistic / cultural competence of teachers able to teach in minority, (immersion or maintenance), settings, (cf. Canadian francophone minority context, Gilbert et al, 2004). The experiences of other trilingual models in Europe will be considered. Implications for preservice training for introducing an international language within the existing varied bilingual setting of primary schools of Wales will be discussed.