Nia celebrates career-changing language course

At the beginning of the summer, Nia Daly from Rhos on Sea was presented with a certificate – for successfully completing a Welsh language development course at Bangor University.

Three years ago, teacher Mrs Daly started the higher-level Welsh Language Sabbatical Scheme course at Canolfan Bedwyr - Bangor University’s Centre for Welsh Language Services, Research and Technology. Since then, her career has gone from strength to strength.

At the time, Nia Daly was Deputy Headteacher at St Asaph VP Church in Wales Infant School. A first language Welsh speaker, she was eager to develop the use of Welsh within the school and assist other teachers who were less confident in the language.

As Nia was used to working through the medium of English, she felt that her Welsh wasn’t up to scratch when it came to writing official documents and reports in Welsh. Nia had studied through the medium of English at school and university, and avoided writing in Welsh for years due to a lack of confidence.

Nia said: “At the beginning of the course I could speak Welsh quite well and my main aim was to improve my ability to write in Welsh. At the end of the course, I knew that I had taken large strides towards achieving my goal. I’m now much more confident and keen to write in Welsh, and my spoken Welsh has also improved.”

Nia Daly is currently Acting Headteacher at Ysgol Eglwysbach, where Welsh is an important part of everyday life. She is also a Peer Inspector for ESTYN, the Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales. In that role she conducts school inspections through the medium of Welsh. According to Nia, it was the Sabbatical Scheme that gave her the skills and the confidence to be able to do this.

“If you had told me three years ago that I would be writing inspection reports in Welsh, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Nia. “The Sabbatical Scheme really did change my career.” The Sabbatical Scheme higher-level course is fully funded by the Welsh Government, and is open to teachers, lecturers and assessors who are fluent Welsh speakers (first and second language). The next course, over 20 days between April and July 2016, is already accepting applicants.

For further details please contact the Sabbatical Scheme team at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University.

Publication date: 15 September 2015