About kOUIvna

kOUIvna grew out of a long-standing passion for teaching languages in primary schools and a belief that children should have meaningful opportunities to experience success in language learning from an early age.

It has been shaped by years of classroom practice, curriculum work and a commitment to making modern foreign languages more accessible, more structured and more workable for schools.

What is kOUIvna?

kOUIvna is a Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) programme designed specifically for Irish primary schools. It provides a structured and practical pathway for introducing and developing MFL in a way that is manageable within the realities of school life.

The programme brings together ready-to-use classroom materials, clear progression, regular revisiting and practical support for teachers. Its aim is to help schools make foreign language learning part of everyday classroom practice in a way that is both sustainable and meaningful.

Why it was created

kOUIvna was developed in response to a clear challenge. While there is growing encouragement for schools to introduce modern foreign languages, many teachers do not have the time, resources or confidence to build a coherent programme from scratch.

Too often, language teaching at primary level depends on disconnected activities, isolated resources or the presence of a specialist teacher. kOUIvna was created to offer something more structured: a connected programme that supports continuity, progression and regular exposure over time.

About the team

kOUIvna was created by Rachel Frawley, a language teacher with more than 15 years’ experience teaching French at primary level, including through the Modern Primary Languages Support Initiative (MPLSI) and Say Yes to Languages (SYTL), alongside experience in secondary teaching and software development.

Rachel taught French at secondary level during the implementation of the new Junior Cycle, an experience that helped shape her understanding of curriculum-based language progression and learning outcomes.

Before moving into education, Rachel worked in IT and software development, a background that continues to inform the design and technical development of kOUIvna.

kOUIvna is developed in collaboration with Adrian Frawley, a primary school teacher who contributes a classroom teacher’s perspective, alongside support in business development and strategic planning.

Together, the project combines classroom practice, curriculum awareness, educational design and technical development.

We would also like to acknowledge and thank the many principals and teachers who have contributed through feedback, pilot experiences, professional discussion and informal conversations about teaching and learning over the years. Their insights, encouragement and shared experience have helped shape kOUIvna in important ways.

Supported by practice and feedback

The programme has also been shaped through successful pilot experiences and sustained classroom use in Irish primary schools, which have helped inform and refine both the classroom approach and the wider development of the programme.

The development of kOUIvna continues to be informed by classroom use, feedback from teachers and families, and ongoing dialogue with educators interested in the implementation of MFL in primary schools.

What makes it different

kOUIvna is not simply a collection of activities or digital tools. It is designed as a coherent programme, where classroom teaching, progression, revisiting and pupil support work together.

• It is built for the Irish primary school context.
• It provides clear progression across lessons, terms and years.
• It supports non-specialist teachers through structure and practical materials.
• It combines different elements of provision into one connected system.
• It is designed to help schools implement MFL in a way that is realistic and sustainable.

We are also proud to support the local economy by producing the learning journals in Ireland, as part of a wider commitment to quality, sustainability and supporting local enterprise where possible.

What we believe

We believe all children can learn a language and that modern foreign languages can create opportunities for all pupils to do well. For many children, it can offer a fresh starting point — a subject in which they begin on new ground, develop confidence and discover success.

We also believe that meaningful language learning at primary level can support pupils beyond primary school, helping to ease transition to second level and laying stronger foundations for future language learning.

kOUIvna is built on the belief that children learn languages through regular exposure, meaningful use and revisiting over time.

We also believe that teachers need clarity, structure and practical support, not extra overload. Language learning at primary level should be accessible, manageable and enjoyable for both pupils and teachers.

Looking ahead

kOUIvna is currently focused on supporting Irish primary schools, beginning with French and Spanish. Further development will continue over time in response to classroom use, teacher feedback and school interest.

Looking ahead, we hope to expand the team over time to support the development of additional languages beyond French and Spanish, helping to ensure linguistic accuracy, meaningful cultural awareness and stronger subject expertise across languages.

The overall goal is clear: to help make modern foreign languages workable, sustainable and accessible in Irish primary classrooms.