Having learnt some Cornish phrases in their classes over the previous six week, the children were eager to put the language to good use whilst collecting holly berry stickers and earning their celebratory Cakey Tea at the end of the trail.
Go Cornish has been working with Liskeard Town Council and teachers in the Liskeard area for two years, delivering an award-winning Cornish language programme based around the ‘Tales from Porth’ resource materials. On the surface, these are six short story books written in English, with key vocabulary in Cornish. However, behind them is a wide array of learning materials which can be delivered by teachers who aren’t Cornish speakers themselves. Each book focuses on a character with a Cornish catch phrase, and is accompanied by an interactive learning resource with visuals and audio embedded.
“The Go Cornish programme delivered to teachers on the ‘Tales from Porth’ resources was a really useful, practical set of evenings from which activities could be directly used in class. The session Pol Hodge did with the school was fun, interactive and inspired the children to want to learn more. The resources are great help to teachers and staff with any level of Cornish language knowledge. They play a key role in introducing children to the language, whilst giving them a knowledge of local history and their Cornish heritage. Perhaps most importantly – the children love it!”
– Mr Stephens, Coads Green Primary School
Programme practitioners, Will Coleman (ex Deputy Head and Literacy Consultant) and Pol Hodge (Language Bard with a PGCE), help teachers to unpack these resource materials through a series of six evening CPD sessions whilst delivering one demonstration lesson for each participating school. The programme then culminates in a weekend Family Language Trail, where local artists work with the schools to create window displays that can be spotted around town. Children are asked questions in Cornish at each station, tying in with the Tales from Porth language programme, which they answer to collect stickers along the way.
“Ni a wor an dowlen dhe oberi. Pan dheuth fleghes dyworth skolyow kevrennek dhe’n Lergh Yeth, aga Hernewek yw marthys!”
“We know the programme works. When children from participating schools turn up to the Language Trail, their Cornish is fantastic!”
– Pol Hodge, Cornish Language Officer of Go Cornish
“Pes da on ni gans gorthyp dhe dowlen an yeth Go Cornish – a-dro dhe 100 den neb a wrug tro war Lergh an vledhen ma.
Agan govenek yw rag pobel yowynk dhe wul kevren yeth an le ma gans didhan, nesans dalghus ha kevewiek dhe vewnans. Dre gavos negysyow teythyek, skolyow, artydhyon ha teyluyow, yth esen ni ow kul fordhow rag an yeth dhe vos war stretys ha Kernewek hag ytho bos klewys gans nebes teythyogyon rag an kynsa prys.”
“We are so pleased with the response to Go Cornish’s language programme – around 100 people did the rounds on the Trail this year.
Our hope is that young people come to associate the language of this place with a fun, inclusive and celebratory approach to life. By involving local businesses, schools, artists and families, we are making ways for the language to be out on the streets and Cornish to be heard by some locals for the very first time.”
– Will Coleman, Director of Golden Tree
If you are based in the Penzance area and would like your children to participate in the Tales from Porth: Cornish Language Learning Programme, you can encourage your local school to sign up for evening CPD sessions in January and February 2019.
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