Introduction

Firstly, this chapter sets out to explain the context of bilingual higher education in Wales, detailing the development of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, and will focus on the pedagogical practices used in bilingual secondary and higher education. It will discuss the incentive behind the development of an interdisciplinary module, bringing together two different academic schools in a higher education institution. Though delivered through the medium of a minority language, the advantages of actively engaging in the use of two languages in terms of resources and assessment methods will be considered. Focusing on this module as a case study, the chapter aims to evaluate its effectiveness, and will consider the pedagogical merits of studying a module of its kind in terms of (a) interdisciplinary teaching in a minority language and (b) enhancing opportunities for translanguaging and biliteracy practices. It will also suggest recommendations for the further development of similar models in the future.

Background

Wales is a devolved nation forming a distinct part of the United Kingdom. It is a country with its own unique language, which is among the oldest Celtic languages in Europe. Of a population of 3.1 million people, 562,000 people in Wales are able to speak Welsh (Office for National Statistics, 2011). However, according to the Welsh Language Use in Wales 2013–2015 survey, only 67% of Welsh speakers perceive their written Welsh language skills to be ‘good’ or ‘very good’ (Welsh Government and Welsh Language Commissioner, 2015). Whilst still considered a minority language, it is a main tool of communication for a high percentage of the population.