Increasing employment
prospects of History and
Classics students in Wales
a case study from Swansea University
Dr Evelien Bracke
1) Literacy through Latin
1) Background and Context
2) Project details
3) Results and challenges
4) Developments and applications
2) CADW work placements
History and Classics in the 21st century
• Classics: 28 universities offer Classics and/or
Ancient History - Need to justify ourselves.
What do you do with a Classics degree?
• History: employment figures of our department
lower than university average – History is
priority area for the College of A&H
 Literacy through Latin and CADW work
placement projects
Literacy in Wales: Figures
• 2009 PISA (Programme for International Student
Assessment) Report: Wales 38/66 reading skills of 15year olds. (England scored 26th)
• Estyn report 2012: 40% start secondary school with
reading skills below their age; 20% of pupils
functionally illiterate.
• GCSE results 2012: educational gap Wales-UK widens.
• 2012 FSB survey: 82% of small businesses in Wales:
school leavers don’t have adequate numeracy and
literacy skills to start their career.
 Welsh Government: ‘National Literacy and Numeracy
Framework’ with £7.7m support package:
opportunities and issues…
Literacy through Latin/Greek
• In collaboration with The Iris Project, CILT
Cymru, SWW Reaching Wider
• Impact of Latin on literacy well documented
(e.g. R. Sparks, L. Ganschow, and K. Fluharty, ‘An exploratory study of the effects of Latin
on the native language skills and foreign language aptitude of students with and without
learning disabilities’, CJ 91.2 (1995), 167-9)
• Pilot project in 2011-2012: 8 student volunteers
taught Latin to 65 year 5/6 pupils at Brynmill
Primary School
• 2013-2014: 26 students
teach approx. 200 pupils
in 3 local primary and
secondary schools
Practicalities
• CRB-checked (now DBS)
• Training by CILT Cymru, RW, Iris Project, Department
– Pedagogy: MFL v reading/grammar approaches
– Key Stage 2 literacy: V(isual)A(uditive)R(eading &
writing)K(inaesthetic)
– Total Body Response; Direct Approach
• General framework in place: which grammar to be taught
and how
• Theme agreed with school
• Students write (bi-)weekly lesson plans/make own
resources
– Dropbox/Facebook group/mobile phone
– Website: http://ltlresources.weebly.com/
• Approved by me/meeting with me
• Feedback from teachers, students, pupils
Module
• ‘Teaching Literacy through Latin’
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Formalisation of learning experience
Weekly teaching
Workshops, seminars, proactive teaching approach
Assessment:
• 2 lesson plans
• Monitoring of teaching
• Self-reflective report  portfolio
• Issue: not for joint honours students
Results
• Aims:
– Improve English (and Welsh) literacy (and numeracy) of
pupils
– Increase student employability
• Success: great pupil/teacher/student volunteer
feedback, continued funding
• Students in employment since leaving:
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PGCE in Classics
Museum
Graduate programme
TEFL teacher in South Korea
• Year 6 pupils doing Latin OCR exam
• National LTL project: European
Language Label 2013 award nomination
Teacher Training: SMU and CILT Cymru
Students at work
Student Feedback
- “The experience has solidified my ambition to become a teacher and has
given me invaluable teacher training experience which can only increase my
employability. There are several practical skills that I have been able to
improve upon whilst a part of the project, such as time management in
relation to the class organization, working effectively within a group in
preparing the lesson plans and transmission of these plans to a class in an
interesting and effective manner.” Jack Mullins, MA level
- “Being part of the Literacy through Latin project has been an amazing
experience. It's so rewarding to know that you are helping pupils to improve
their skills and knowledge. It has taught me so much about myself and my
own abilities too and has helped in my own learning as well.” Vicci Stokes,
level 2
- “I have really enjoyed the Literacy through Latin project, as it has allowed
me to share my understanding of Latin with young enthusiastic children! I
have had to teach confidently in front of a class as well as dedicate much
time and thought into working with my fellow teachers to create a fun and
educational lesson plan for each lesson. I believe that the project has
improved my English grammar, as you must make Latin as clear as possible
to the children, lest they misunderstand.” Jenny Blake, level 3
Pupil Feedback
- I loved every single lesson
- I liked the mock test because I like being challenged and learning new
things
- I liked learning the Christmas songs in Latin
- The Latin class I found most exciting was the lesson where we looked
at the first Harry Potter book in Latin, English and Welsh.
- I liked the last lesson before Easter because of the song and the Easter
egg hunt.
- We had to write fairy tales in English but add Latin words that we
know in English and we watched videos.
- I liked the songs because I now know ‘Reach for the stars’ in Latin.
- Learning about the verbs: past tense and the future tense.
-All of the Latin songs were very helpful to remember the words and all
we were focusing on; I enjoy all lessons.
- When we made coins. It was fun, I learnt a lot.
- I have told my friends, close family and distant family about Latin. I tell
them about how fun it is and I compare it to other languages with my
sister who is learning Spanish and French.
Challenges
- Awareness of and prejudice against Latin
- ‘Why are you asking our pupils to write?
Writing is not a skill we focus on in years 3
and 4.’ (feedback from one school)
- Logistics: school communication
- occasional student communication problems
- Funding: travel costs, materials,
administrative help
CADW work placements
- New project with CADW for students
wishing to gain experience in heritage sector
- Modules: level 2 on heritage resource
creation; level 3 on teaching at key stage 2
(year 3 and 4: Roman cultural and
archaeological heritage; again with focus on
literacy)
- Volunteering
- Long-term development of more researchbased modules: e.g. MA module on cultural
heritage of Classics in Wales
Why school work placements?
• Employment prospects for students: results
already visible; building up our experience in
helping students
• Community engagement: reaching children =
reaching families and communities
• Enhances learning at all levels: ‘teaching is
learning twice’
• Building up literacy in a nation with high CF
levels (good for pupils and students)
• Low budget: travel costs, DBS, materials
Questions?
e.bracke@swansea.ac.uk