Yr Efail

1. Driving research and collaboration: supporting educators to develop impactful pedagogical research in Welsh-medium and Welsh-English bilingual teaching, with a focus on fostering meaningful cross-institutional partnerships.
2. Sharing knowledge and raising awareness: providing a platform to share research insights and best practice, while promoting Welsh-medium and bilingual learning across the tertiary sector.
3. Professional development and mentoring: empowering practitioners through professional growth opportunities, including mentoring to support applications for Advance HE fellowships and awards at all levels.
4. Building a thriving community: nurturing a supportive network of Welsh-speaking and bilingual educators, offering advice, encouragement and collegiality.
5. Championing the Welsh language and bilingual education: advocating for and elevating the use of Welsh and bilingual teaching across higher education in Wales and in other bilingual contexts where public policy supports teaching through the minoritised language.
6. Looking beyond Wales: building links with educators working in minoritised and lesser-used languages internationally, and sharing best practice and innovative research ideas.

Our meetings are held in Welsh, with bilingual elements, creating an inclusive environment for Welsh-speaking professionals. Events with simultaneous translation are also intended but will be subject to institutional support,  

Whether you are an experienced educator, a researcher, or a passionate advocate for Welsh-medium and bilingual education, Hwb offers a space to collaborate, grow and inspire.

Let’s shape the future of bilingual pedagogy together.

Myfanwy Davies

Dr Myfanwy Davies is an experienced leader in the fields of policy, strategy and Welsh-medium higher education, and is currently Strategic Adviser (Health and Care) at the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. She has extensive experience of leading complex, multi-institutional projects across higher education, health, and policy development in Wales, alongside an academic background in sociology, social policy and bilingual education. As former Dean of Welsh and former Head of Quality Enhancement at Bangor University, she has made a significant contribution to developing strategic partnerships, enhancing quality, and expanding Welsh-medium and bilingual provision. She led the Welsh-medium and Bilingual Teaching Methods project, funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in 2024-2025. She is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, and a founder and co-chair of Yr Efail. Originally from the Tywi Valley and Llanelli, she has lived in Caernarfon for over fifteen years.

Annette Edwards

Annette supports Academic Staff Development at Aberystwyth University. She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and also serves as deputy TEAL for the Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) awards at Aberystwyth University. She leads impactful professional development for higher education educators, with a strong emphasis on Welsh-English bilingual support. She coordinates Aberystwyth University’s Teaching for Postgraduates programme and supports Welsh-speaking participants on the PGCTHE. Her expertise in bilingual delivery strengthens teaching excellence and academic development across the higher education sector in Wales.

Yr Efail autumn session: Welsh-medium and bilingual pedagogy

We are planning to hold an autumn meeting on the afternoon of 11 September, when members will elect people to new roles, including a vice-chair from a further education background. More details will follow here, on the email list and the AdvanceHE group, but in the meantime, please contact drmyfanwydavies@outlook.com or  aee@aber.ac.uk to hear more and/or to join the mailing list.

The session will include three presentations reporting on the Welsh-medium and Bilingual Teaching Methods project. These will cover the following areas:

• Best practice in promoting tertiary provision through Welsh in Wales, or through a minoritised language in other contexts, with Dr Huw Pritchard and Dr Myfanwy Davies.
• Learning models for less confident students, with Dr Myfanwy Davies and Dr Katharine Young.
• Module design — a model for developing the ideal module for these student groups.

This research was funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To register for the meeting please send an email to aee@aber.ac.uk 

You may also be interested in joining our community group on Advance HE Connect. Simply search for “Hwb addysgeg Cymraeg” and request to join. If you do not already have an Advance HE Connect account, you can register for a free account and search for the group, or email aee@aber.ac.uk to request an invitation.