Minister Byrne launches new resources to support the delivery of P.E. through Irish

The Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne TD, has today (12 September 2024) launched a suite of resources developed by An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelsclaíochta (COGG) to support the delivery of P.E. through Irish in English Medium primary schools.

The new PE through Irish resources have been developed by COGG using the learning from a three-year pilot project for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and are freely available to all schools on COGGs website here .

Minister Byrne said: "I am delighted to launch these new resources today and invite all primary schools to use these innovative and exciting resources to support the teaching and learning of Irish through P.E. in their school. The PE through Irish initiative offers a new and original approach to enhancing children's learning in Irish by fostering a more engaging and enjoyable learning experience".

Over the last three years, the Department of Education together with COGG and Oide have been working with a growing number of primary and post primary schools to embed the CLIL approach to language learning. These PE through Irish resources are a first step for schools on the CLIL journey.

COGG has designed this resource package to help junior and senior infant teachers in integrating Irish language instruction with Athletics in PE class. Next year, additional resources will be developed to support teachers in delivering PE through Irish for first and second class as junior and senior infants progress through the schools. This will ensure that pupils gradually deepen their engagement with and enjoyment of learning Irish.

Notes for the Editor:

The Department of Education together with COGG, Oide and other key stakeholders commenced a three year pilot Irish CLIL project in 2019 which was completed in summer 2024 (delayed owing to COVID). Two parallel CLIL projects were undertaken, one led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for Irish at Early Learning and Care level and one by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) in collaboration with Maynooth University for Modern Foreign Languages.

The Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach provides for the delivery of aspects of the curriculum through a language that is not the medium of instruction in the school. While CLIL is not the same as immersion, it offers flexibility and opportunities for a more focused approach to target language (Irish in this instance) learning and teaching in English-medium schools. CLIL aims to teach the curriculum through another language with an even 50/50 focus on subject content and on language.

The CLIL Pilot project was informed by research as outlined here and was overseen by a CLIL Steering Group comprising representatives from third level and Irish language bodies.

Over the three year period 56 primary schools and 5 post primary schools engaged with the Irish CLIL pilot project. Sustained training and support was provided by Oide. At primary level, CLIL supported strands of P.E. and Maths while at post primary level, CLIL supported a range of subjects including Geography, Maths, Home Economics, PE, Science and Religious Education.

Following an Expression of Interest process, an additional 101 primary schools and 13 post primary schools have indicated their interest in participating in CLIL in 2024/25.

A wide range of CLIL resources have been developed as part of the CLIL pilot project which are available on a dedicated CLIL webpage here

CLIL aims to:

• Increase the exposure of learners to Irish by extending the use of Irish as a medium of communication and instruction in real contexts beyond discreet Irish language lessons

• Support the development of learners' higher order cognitive and creative competences

• Exploit and integrate opportunities for language acquisition and content learning in other curricular areas

• Expand the pedagogical repertoire of teachers of Irish and other subjects

• Extend and promote the benefits of bilingualism beyond the Irish-medium sector.

The benefits of CLIL to pupils include:

• Improvements in their motivation and knowledge in both the Irish language and the subject

• Improvements in their cognitive skills such as higher-order and critical thinking

• Developing their cultural awareness and knowledge

• Developing their learning and communication strategies

The benefits of CLIL for teachers include:

• Increased professional development opportunities where training will increase their understanding of the CLIL approach, the pedagogical principles underpinning CLIL, along with other language teaching pedagogies

• Opportunities for increased levels of collaboration with colleagues from within their own setting/ school, as well as practitioners/ teachers from other settings and schools.

• Higher motivation levels around learning Irish amongst learners in their classrooms