About Us

The Post-Primary Languages Initiative

Brief History: The Post-Primary Languages Initiative was set up in September 2000 to diversify, enhance and expand the teaching of languages in second-level schools in Ireland. To diversify so that a wider choice of languages would be available to students; to enhance by strengthening the position of these languages and offering support to teachers in the form of materials and in-service; and to expand them so that they would be more available to more students in more schools.

The initial languages targeted by the initiative were Spanish, Italian and Japanese, and Russian was added a few years later.

Present Context: The Languages Initiative continues under the National Development Plan 2007 - 2013. We can no longer provide teacher hours in schools offering Spanish and Italian, however, we can provide some grant assistance, and we are currently supporting the production of a new Italian textbook. We will also be providing for resources, languages upskilling and CPD via a new website and there are a couple of particular initiatives in relation to Spanish (see below).

In relation to Japanese we are planning for the future in order to ensure its sustainability, and developing a strategy to have it regularised in the general curriculum as a mainstream subject in accordance with its official status as a curricular subject.  Part of this strategy includes supporting Japanese only in schools which actively encourage Transition Year students to take the subject on to Leaving Certificate and timetable it in the regular curriculum.

In relation to Russian, we are currently conducting an evaluation of the subject as a TY module and a feasibility study on the introduction of Russian as a Leaving Certificate subject for non-native speakers of Russian.

We see our role now as widening to encourage, promote and support the learning of all languages at post-primary level, and to develop policy and structures for the introduction of other new languages based on research of best practice and on the experience of the initiative in relation to the existing languages.

Current Activities

• Supporting the learning and teaching of languages at post-primary level by providing access via this web platform to relevant resources and materials and offering opportunities for communication and discussion via forums for students and teachers, opportunities for language upskilling and links to innovative and creative teaching methodology for teachers, and information for school managers and parents.
• Planning for the future in relation to Japanese in order to ensure its sustainability and developing a strategy to have it regularised in the general curriculum as a mainstream subject in accordance with its official status as a curricular subject.
• Developing policy on the introduction of new languages based on research of best practice and on the experience of the initiative in introducing Japanese and Russian.
• Feasability study on the introduction of Russian as a Leaving Certificate subject for non-native speakers of Russian.
• Production of Senior Cycle textbook for Italian.
• Co-ordination of language upskilling courses for teachers of Spanish and Italian.
• Administration and organisation of Japanese and Russian programmes in schools.
• Support, encouragement, in-service training, language upskilling and provision of materials for Japanese teachers via the Japanese Language Advisor, Dr Yuriko Kayamoto, sent by the Japan Foundation, and for Russian teachers via workshops and grant assistance for relevant CPD.

Message from the National Co-ordinator:

I am delighted to work in an area that combines so much of my professional experience. I began as a second level teacher in the sciences but I later did post-graduate studies in Applied Linguistics, EFL and Japanese, and taught these at second and third level.  I have also worked in curriculum development, ICT in the classroom, and teacher training, and ran a business for a number of years doing cross-cultural training, and language consulting.

I would be very happy to hear from any of you in relation to any of the work that we do or could potentially do in the future!  I would be particularly happy if you would like to contribute any articles or resources or information that could go up on our new website, if you would like to avail of our online upskilling in Spanish, or if you would like a contribution to the new authentikinteractive website.  My address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it