Teacher Training in Oracy and Vocabulary Development in Primary Schools in Wales.

Vocabulary and oracy confidence are essential for children to develop and apply language across contexts, yet research on these areas for primary teaching and Welsh-English bilingualism appears minimal (Oracy APPG 2021; Jones 2017). This research therefore centres teacher development, exploring key linguistic components for effective bilingual vocabulary and oracy teaching toward informing guidance materials.
Investigations centre lexical semantics (word meanings), metacognition (recognising thought processes) and oracy (speaking and listening), identifying key interconnections between lexical semantics, morphology, syntax, etymology and phonology for vocabulary teaching, oracy skill development and dialogic practice across the curriculum (Alexander 2018; Breadmore et al. 2019; Mercer and Manion 2018; WG 2020). This aligns with Welsh Government and English-Speaking Union prioritisations by promoting explicit oracy and vocabulary teaching strategies and confidence (ESU 2016).
Research Question: What guidance do Wales 'Primary school teachers need to develop pupils' vocabulary and oracy confidence in English and Welsh across the curriculum?
Sub-questions:
1. What current knowledge and metacognition do teachers have of vocabulary, relating to breadth and depth, including: morphology, etymology, semantics, and syntax?
2. How are English and Welsh teaching time balanced toward increasing oral confidence and vocabulary repertoires?
3. How are word meanings and applications taught in English and Welsh?
d) Which strategies are applied to explicitly teach and assess vocabulary and oracy?
Toward answering these, methodology includes:
Teacher surveys using Likert scales and open questions on teacher confidence and understanding of linguistic terminology and Welsh/English teaching(Dornyei 2010)(N=40).
Semi-structured teacher focus groups on planning, confidence and development needs(N=24).
Observations of English and Welsh teaching (N=6)(Copland and Creese 2015).
Creating and piloting guidance materials in schools. Teacher fidelity and anonymous child case studies will be sought to determine effectiveness post-study, alongside repeated surveys and focus groups (Dobinson and Dockrell 2021).
The study should gain foundational insights toward future research needs, and positive links with schools.

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