AREA OF LEARNING AND EXPERIENCELanguages, Literacy and Communication
Guidance to help schools and settings develop their own curriculum, enabling learners to develop towards the four purposes.
1. Introduction
The Languages, Literacy and Communication Area of Learning and Experience (Area) addresses fundamental aspects of human communication. It aims to support learning across the whole curriculum and to enable learners to gain knowledge and skills in Welsh, English and international languages as well as in literature.
The four statements that express what matters in this Area should be addressed holistically. This means that different languages should be explored in relation to one another, so too the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also means that learning about and through literature should be seen as contributing to all aspects of learning about languages. The statements support and complement one another and together they contribute to realising the four purposes of the curriculum.
Learning and experience in this Area aims to enable learners to communicate effectively using Welsh, English and international languages. It aims to encourage learners to transfer what they have learned about how languages work in one language to the learning and using of other languages. This multilingual and plurilingual approach is intended to ignite learners’ curiosity and enthusiasm and provide them with a firm foundation for a lifelong interest in the languages of Wales and the languages of the world; and thus to make them ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives.
This readiness to learn is further supported since effective language skills help learners to make sense of concepts across the curriculum, for example by enabling them to articulate their reasoning when solving problems and analysing information. Effective multilingual skills deepen this ability as they enable learners to respond in many more contexts.
Given that a key aspect of effective language learning is the willingness to experiment and take risks in trying out new structures, sounds and patterns, learning and experience in this Area can empower learners to be creative and to persevere when facing challenges. Together, these skills can build learners’ confidence to grasp new opportunities and to adapt to different roles which in turn can develop them as enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work.
In this Area, languages are seen as a key to social cohesion, which can promote better local, national and global understanding. The aim is to encourage learners to engage critically with languages and literature in order to help them develop not only their own sense of identity, but also an understanding of the relationship between their own cultures and communities and those of other people. This understanding can be deepened as learners are afforded opportunities to learn multiple languages. This linguistic knowledge and these skills are needed to participate confidently and empathetically in society, which contributes to developing learners as ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world.
Engaging with this Area also helps learners to become healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society as the skills promoted through languages, literacy and communication are key to enabling learners to express themselves effectively, to be open to other people’s points of view and to develop positive relationships.
