medium of Welsh or English, as well as the proportion of English-medium
students who understood Welsh (if known by the lecturer). In all but two of
the groups observed, the Welsh-medium students were in the minority, with
the proportion varying from 17% to 38%. In one of the groups there were
equal numbers of Welsh-medium and English-medium students. In another
group, the Welsh-medium students were in the majority (60%). In five cases,
the lecturers were aware that some of the English-medium students in their
class understood some Welsh. The proportion of these students varied from
11% to 73% of the English-medium group.
The observation schedule recorded the lecturer’s use of languages when
addressing the whole class and when speaking to the students in small
groups or as individuals. The languages of the resources prepared by the
lecturer were also noted. The students’ use of languages was noted when
addressing the lecturer, during formal presentations and during informal dis-
cussions. Reasons for language switching were also considered.
Interviews with staff members
Interviews were held with nine lecturers in the School of Education and
with the Head of the School of Education. The interviews were semi-
structured and audio-recorded. Purposive sampling was used to select the
participants (Cohen et al., 2000). They were chosen as representatives of the
bilingual teaching staff on each of the courses previously mentioned. They
were asked to discuss their strategy for using two languages in their lectures,
any relevant training they had received and their opinion of the bilingual
sessions. The discussion with the Head of the School centred on staff train-
ing and the reasons behind the bilingual provision.
Below, the project findings are discussed in terms of several key issues:
(i) the lecturers’ approach to bilingual teaching;
(ii) the language balance in the lectures;
(iii) the implications of classroom organization,
(iv) the students’ language choices and the lecturers’ response
(v) student presentations in a bilingual setting;
(vi) simultaneous translation;
(vii) the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the bilingual lectures;
(viii) the attitudes of lecturers and students towards the bilingual
provision;
(ix) lecturers’ training.
The lecturers’ approach to bilingual teaching
Two main teaching models were observed. One model involved short
bilingual presentations by the lecturer, followed by group work sessions for
the students (either in separate Welsh or English-medium groups or in mixed
Bilingualism in Higher Education 183