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STA Lead the Way With Welsh Awareness Training

10th March 2017

STA Wales has successfully developed a new Welsh Awareness training programme designed to help swimming teachers integrate the Welsh language into their swimming lesson programmes.

Leading the way is Russell Sparks, STA’s regional manager for Wales, who delivered his first 2-hour training session in Caldicot this month – teaching 20 swimming teachers how to use common phrases and expressions in swimming teaching. It was based on the #amdani presentation from Welsh language commission and the Mentre Iaith Cymru.

Russell said: This was the first time I’ve delivered training in Welsh! It was great fun and the teachers really did engage. As Caldicot is a ‘border’ town it was good because several teachers had no Welsh at all as they are English.

For the training sessions STA Wales has created specially designed flash cards, which the teachers from the Caldicot course are seen holding here.

The session, which was STA’s first activity with Monmouthshire County Council, covered over 120 new words, taught basic commands and discussed the importance of the Welsh language in modern society. It also included information on how to include incidental Welsh in the swimming lesson.

Russell explains why this training programme is so important: Since the introduction of the Welsh Language Act 2010, and with the majority of school children being educated through its home language, it is greatly important to keep the learning/teaching style consistent and most importantly comprehensible for learners to promote greater development – and aid better communication in the pool.

For further information contact STA Wales.

STA Yn Arwain Y Ffordd Gyda Hyfforddiant Ymwybyddiaeth Cymraegg

Mae STA Cymru wedi llwyddo i ddatblygu rhaglen hyfforddiant Ymwybyddiaeth Gymraeg newydd a gynlluniwyd i helpu athrawon nofio i integreiddio’r iaith Gymraeg i’w rhaglenni gwersi nofio.

Yn arwain y ffordd mae Russell Sparks, rheolwr rhanbarthol STA Cymru, a gyflwynodd ei sesiwn hyfforddi 2-awr gyntaf yn Caldicot y mis hwn – yn addysgu 20 o athrawon nofio sut i ddefnyddio ymadroddion a dywediadau cyffredin wrth addysgu nofio. Roedd yn seiliedig ar y cyflwyniad #amdani gan Gomisiynydd yr Iaith Gymraeg a Mentrau Iaith Cymru

Dywedodd Russell: Hwn oedd y tro cyntaf i mi gyflwyno hyfforddiant yn y Gymraeg! Roedd yn hwyl ac mae’r athrawon wedi cyfrannu’n helaeth. Gan fod Caldicot yn dref ar y ffin roedd yn dda gan nad oedd gan nifer o athrawon unrhyw Gymraeg o gwbl gan eu bod yn Saesneg.

Ar gyfer y sesiynau hyfforddi mae STA Cymru wedi creu cardiau fflach a gynlluniwyd yn arbennig, y mae athrawon cwrs Caldicot iw gweld yn eu dal yma.

Roedd y sesiwn, sef gweithgaredd cyntaf STA gyda Chyngor Sir Fynwy, wedi trafod dros 120 o eiriau newydd, addysgu gorchmynion sylfaenol a thrafod pwysigrwydd yr iaith Gymraeg yn y gymdeithas fodern. Roedd hefyd yn cynnwys gwybodaeth am sut i gynnwys y Gymraeg achlysurol yn y wers nofio.

Mae Russell yn egluro pam bod y rhaglen hyfforddi mor bwysig: Ers cyflwyno Deddf yr Iaith Gymraeg 2010 a chyda mwyafrif y plant ysgol yn cael eu haddysgu trwy eu hiaith gartref, mae’n bwysig iawn cadw’r arddull addysgu/dysgu’n gyson ac yn bwysicaf oll yn ddealladwy i ddysgwyr i hybu mwy o ddatblygu – a chynorthwyo gwell cyfathrebu yn y pwll.

Am wybodaeth bellach cysylltwch â STA Cymru.