By Ana Carrasco
We’re thrilled to report back on the Multilingual Primary Mentoring Pilot Project, an initiative that brought together university students and primary schools to inspire a love of languages and cultures in young learners. Funded by The South Wales Civic Engagement Partnership the project paired students with primary school learners aged between 9-11 years old from the CSC consortia.
Through interactive, face-to-face workshops, mentors and learners explored themes of language, culture, and identity. The sessions aimed to show learners that languages are not just tools for communication but also bridges to understanding and connecting with the world.
The project aligns with the Curriculum for Wales’ focus on introducing International Languages in primary schools. Early exposure to languages has been shown to foster empathy, cross-cultural understanding, and lifelong curiosity – qualities that prepare learners for a globally connected future. The project aimed to lay the groundwork for continued language learning and help address the ongoing decline in GCSE language uptake.
One highlight of the project was observing sessions at some of the participating schools, where learners excitedly discussed global food and languages with their mentor. The learners loved the resources, including audio elements that brought the activities to life, with one learner commenting that the session was “really cool!”.
Teachers also reflected on the broader impact, noting how the project inspired them to adopt new approaches that integrate cultural learning alongside language teaching.
The project also created a sense of community between primary schools and higher education institutions. By connecting young learners with university mentors, the project provided valuable insights into multilingual teaching practices and offered a glimpse of university life, sparking aspirations for the future.
The Multilingual Primary Mentoring Pilot Project has been an inspiring journey, demonstrating the transformative power of language learning. It has left a lasting impression on learners, teachers, and mentors alike, showing that a little curiosity can open up a world of possibilities.
