Overview

We’ve got big ambitions for our language, and our Leading in a Bilingual Country (LIBC) programme is just one of our plans to realise them.  Get together with us and fellow leaders to explore and experiment with how we can develop a culture of bilingualism in our organisations. You don’t need to be able to speak Cymraeg to join us: all we need is an inquisitive mindset, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude.  Our ideal outcome is that we’ll all champion an organisational leadership culture in which the Cymraeg can flourish (You can read more about our ambitions for our language in our Cymraeg 2050 strategy).

As an influential leader, you’ll be part of a learning community that wants to increase the use of Welsh in our organisations so that a truly bilingual culture can thrive.

Our bilingual journey

We’re all on a bilingual journey, as organisations and individuals. And we’re all at different stages of that different journey at different times. Some of us will be just starting out, some will have travelled further. This learning community will be a place where we can learn from each other wherever we’re at.

Your sponsor attended a workshop on 15 June and will have met with you to discuss and work on a baseline assessment about the culture around Cymraeg and bilingualism in your organisation. Please bring your findings with you to your first session on 14 September. This will help us tailor sessions and discussions, so we all get something valuable to take back to our organisations. The baseline assessment will help us have a clear idea of what your starting point is for work you can do in your organisations to develop the leadership culture around bilingualism.

Benefits

You’ll learn about the latest Cymraeg-related developments but this is far more than a one-way information flow. We’ll also explore everyone’s ideas, experiences and hopes around Welsh-English bilingualism and leadership. In our discussions together, we’ll bring to life what benefits and potential challenges may arise as we develop the leadership culture around bilingualism in our organisations.

LIBC will present real life bilingual situations and it will focus on:

• How we can use and/or develop our leadership behaviours to ‘set the tone’ and to show dedication to a positive culture around Cymraeg in our organisations.
• It will examine the personal leadership qualities that will help us to communicate effectively in a Welsh-English environment, whatever our level of Cymraeg.
• Together, we’ll look at practical ideas for ensuring how to ‘do’ Cymraeg 2050 in our organisations and be part of our national ambition to increase the use of our language.

What won’t it cover?

• LIBC won’t provide training in, or interpretation of, any aspect of compliance with Welsh language regulations or law.
• It won’t focus on teaching or learning Welsh in organisations.

Leadership behaviours

This learning programme will help you to develop your leadership behaviours in the following areas:

Target audience

Influential leaders that have been nominated by their organisational sponsor who attended the workshop on 15th June 2023.

Cost

Nothing at all.

How to apply

Places on this cohort of LIBC are limited to nominees from organisations whose sponsors attended the Senior Leaders workshop on 15 June 2023. All nominees have been personally invited.

Programme dates

How much time will it take?

There are three full day events when we will meet in person and two mornings in between when we meet via MS Teams.

There will be some additional material to read or actions to take between sessions. These have been designed with busy schedules in mind

14 September 2023, Session 1: Where are we all at with bilingualism and Cymraeg?

In person, whole day.

• Getting to know each other
• Sharing where we’re at: discussion about the baseline cultural assessment you’ll have done prior to this first session
• You and Cymraeg, and your organisation and Cymraeg: past experiences of and aspirations for our language
• Explore unconscious bias and empathy in relation to English<>Cymraeg bilingualism
• The type of language we use when we speak and write about bilingualism

Learning into action: work between sessions. 

26 October 2023, Session 2: Building the narrative and building a team

Online, 9am-12pm with breaks.

• Putting previous learning into action
• Building the narrative: diagnosing what we need to change
• Bilingualism in practice (our story)
• What else do we need to know more about?
• Developing ambassadors within your organisation: a message to our sponsors

Learning into action: work between sessions.

7 December 2023, Session 3: How will it feel when we get to 2050?

In-person, whole day.

• Tying bilingualism into our own organisational values and vision
• Bilingualism in practice (our story)
• How can technology help us change culture?
• Build on strengths/address challenges raised in last session

Learning into action: work between sessions.

18 January 2024, Session 4: Building support

Online, 9am-12pm with breaks.

• Talking the talk about bilingualism – how’s it going?
• Helpful tools and takeaways for everyday bilingualism
• How individuals and organisations experience bilingualism

Learning into action: work between sessions.

29 February 2024, Session 5: Maintaining momentum

In-person, whole day.

• Today we invite our sponsors to join us to discuss to share the journey to date and to discuss what we can do together (in a community of practice) for bilingualism in the future.