Alisha’s course tutor was her inspiration to study Welsh at A-level
Philippa was a positive role model for Welsh for me as she was so welcoming and passionate about teaching her subject. She’s so welcoming and positive, that I felt encouraged and motivated to take Welsh.
Alisha Grace is an A-level student who was inspired to study Welsh when she met course tutor Philippa Smith.
Attending an open evening to decide her future plans, Alisha felt instantly at home speaking Welsh with Philippa and says her welcoming demeanour and passion for the language was inspiring.
She is enjoying her studies where she is currently analysing various media such as poems, films, TV, staged play and books and Alisha says that classes have a healthy mix of written and oral tasks with discussions analysing the importance of keeping Welsh relevant to today’s society.
Alisha also says that A-level Welsh is very different to GCSE Welsh, she said: “Welsh A-level is more interactive in the sense of having chats and discussions with peers.
“There is more opportunity to be creative than in GCSE in both written and spoken Welsh and discussions are open where no idea is a bad one and individual feedback is positive and with smaller classes.
“We also improve our linguistic skills and accuracy of grammar in both writing and speaking.
There is more opportunity to be creative than in GCSE in both written and spoken Welsh and discussions are open where no idea is a bad one and individual feedback is positive and with smaller classes.
She had good grades at Welsh GCSE and is passionate about speaking it but she also wants to encourage others to learn. “I went to the Eisteddfod this year,” said Alisha. “I was basically the translator for my family where we celebrated Welsh music and were immersed into a whole new and modern Welsh culture, I really felt that I belonged there.”
Alisha wants to stay in Wales and is looking at a career in performance on stage and on screen, using Welsh or bilingualism to help celebrate the Welsh language and culture.
Reflecting on her decision to study Welsh at A-level, Alisha Grace said: “When I initially attended an open day in 2023, the course tutor, Philippa explained the course to my mother and me.
“It sounded appealing and we had a general conversation about my GCSEs and future plans of being a performer.
“Philippa was immediately using Welsh with me and I felt relaxed and comfortable to converse back, even though I wasn’t fully comfortable at the time to speak Welsh to people I didn’t previously know.
“She’s so welcoming and positive, that I felt encouraged and motivated to take Welsh.
“Philippa was a positive role model for Welsh for me as she was so welcoming and passionate about teaching her subject.
“She has created a safe place for experimenting with the Welsh language and improving on individual vocabulary and grammar without judgement.”
Below pic: Philippa Smith at Urdd Gobaith Cymru Glan-llyn
