Primary school children in Munster and Leinster were invited to showcase their artistic talents and linguistic skills through an innovative art and language competition, developed by SETU languages lecturer, Dr Chris Mulhall.
It brings so much value to the multilingual classroom and further highlights the importance of inviting culture into the conversation.
Salvo Cacciato, on behalf of PPLI
Inspiration
The Piclingo competition aimed to get pupils, whose schools were participating in the Primary School Languages Sampler Module in 2023-24, to draw a picture of their favourite modern foreign language word or Irish Sign Language (ISL) sign with the winning entrants receiving a €20 book voucher.
Piclingo began on a smaller scale in 2022 and has grown steadily over the past three years to include participating primary schools in Munster and Leinster.
Dr Mulhall said, “2023-24 was the biggest year of the competition attracting close to 1,000 entries in term one and similar numbers in terms two and three from schools across the geographical breadth of the two provinces from Kerry to Louth.”
Despite the widespread popularity of the competition, Dr Mulhall said the inspiration for the competition came from closer to home.
“During the lockdown in 2020, my two children loved drawing pictures when learning a new word in the languages they liked. It helped them to retain the new word they learned by creating an associated image. They were both in primary school then and I thought it was an idea that might have potential,” Dr Mulhall added.
A year later, in 2021, an initiative was launched to introduce a modern foreign language module into primary schools. Chris said, “It was a perfect launchpad to integrate fun and creativity into the pupils’ language learning efforts.”
Chris and his colleague, Erin McNamara Cullen, Course Leader of the Bachelor of Arts, have worked closely to develop awareness of the Primary Schools Modern Languages Sampler and ISL Module among Waterford primary schools, as well as engaging with the schools undertaking the module.
Languages Connect
A crucial development in launching the competition was securing funding support from Languages Connect, which provides prizes for the winning entries.
Delighted to have funded this initiative via HEI funding, Salvo Cacciato, on behalf of PPLI said, “It brings so much value to the multilingual classroom and further highlights the importance of inviting culture into the conversation.”
This competition supports Say Yes to Languages, the primary sampler module, in assisting to make language learning more fun and engaging and allowing the students to create visual representations of what they have learned.
“It has been wonderful to see the growing reach of the competition with more schools taking part each year, as well as new languages and cultures being represented. We hope all the entrants enjoyed participating,” Salvo added.
Resounding success
Numerous primary schools have participated in the primary school sampler module since its inception. Feedback on Language Learning in Primary Schools in Waterford is very positive, with a high participation rate in the scheme.
Over the past three years, pupils at St Mary’s Boys National School in Ferrybank have been given the opportunity to study a range of languages, while also enjoying success in the Piclingo competition.
Noreen Tuohy, a teacher at St Mary’s BNS, stated, “Our eight-week programme in Irish Sign Language, organised and funded by PPLI Languages Connect, has been a resounding success for the third consecutive year at our school. We have previously studied Spanish and Polish. However, it’s not just about learning a language; it’s about embracing diversity, fostering cultural understanding, and empowering our students with valuable skills for life.”
For more information or to get involved see www.languagesconnect.ie
Caption: St Mary’s Boys National School, Ferrybank, Principal, Mr James Robinson and Dr Chris Mulhall, SETU (Waterford), pictured with some of the winning entrants in the Piclingo 2023/24 Modern Foreign Language and Art Competition supported by Languages Connect.