Entire Annual Report (2) - Flipbook - Page 99
PPLI Covid Response Projects
In addition to all the regular projects and activities, which the team had already worked hard to reimagine
and reconfigure in response to the new pandemic context, in 2021 PPLI played its part in responding to the
emergency response to the pandemic by working with 300 postprimary schools to facilitate oral interviews
for Leaving Certificate in Italian, Japanese and Russian, providing 1700 students of the non-curricular
languages with accredited grades for Leaving Certificate, and providing accredited grades for PPLI Saturday
class students. These additional projects increased the workload but provided opportunities for new links
and connections with stakeholders and schools which will be important as we continue the journey of
implementing Languages Connect.
1) During the season of preparing for oral interviews in Modern Foreign Languages as part of Leaving
Certificate 2021, PPLI worked with 37 interviewers and 300 schools, facilitating oral interviews for 441
students of Italian, Japanese and Russian.
2) PPLI assisted the Department of Education by assessing written proficiency tests provided by the
Department of Education in 18 non-curricular languages in order for these students to be able to provide
evidence of their learning in non-curricular languages. The outcomes achieved in the proficiency
assessments were used to support professional judgements leading to the provision of accredited grades
for 1300 students. The work involved liaising with the Embassies, sourcing and training 32 language
assessors to mark the Proficiency Assessments and overseeing the assessment process. Engaging with
these embassies and working with the teachers who were from a variety of contexts and cultural and
linguistic backgrounds, and the opportunity that the training/process provided for the teachers to engage
in professional dialogue and collaboration and to experience new things will doubtless contribute to the
work of PPLI.
Feedback from the teachers after the training sessions
perfect organisation
interesting work
new people heritage language good feeling
activities answer
new things
descriptor
new valuable experience
shared opinion
good spirit
professional approach
ideas
diversity
challenge students
professional advice
sharing experience
new contact
people awareness
useful information sense of process joy
professional criteria
fairness
reassurance
many different language
criteria
experiencecolleagues
responsibility
future
valuable discussion
new ideas
guidelines professional support
collaboration great understanding
team better sense
engagement
confidence
professional discussion
knowledge
multiple perspective
3) PPLI provided 125 accredited grades for its own students that participate in learning languages in
Saturday language classes.
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2021 -
99