Year 8 - Making Languages Work

Making Languages Work is a two-phase awareness-raising event at Keele University for Y8 pupils and parents. Our aim is to highlight languages and employability through emphasis on progression routes for language learners.

The first phase is an introductory evening, which will take place on: Tuesday 25th November from 6pm – 8pm on the Keele University Campus

The event will be for Year 8 pupils, their parents and other children in the family and will be an informal introduction to the importance of languages in the world today.

The format of the evening will be:

5:30 p.m. Pupils and family members register in the Chancellor’s Building at Keele University.

Provisional Programme for the evening:       6 p.m. - 8 p.m.:

Welcome & Interactive PowerPoint introduction

Short presentations by a Modern Languages graduate and a local employer

Keynote speaker Steven Fawkes of the Association for Language Learning (ALL)

The second phase will be one day late in the Spring Term: provisionally in the week beginning 30th March. The pupils will attend a series of Languages Workshops. The morning sessions will be in German, Spanish or Italian – no prior knowledge of the language is required – and after lunch there will be some language taster sessions led by a variety of native speakers   (e.g. Japanese, Russian, Romanian, Italian, Basque, Chinese, Portuguese).  

We expect that a member of staff from each participating school would be required, by their school, to be present at these events, but insist that a parent or carer should also accompany each pupil to the November event. 

Siblings are also welcome to attend. Pupils should commit to BOTH events.

There will be a registration fee, mainly so that participants show their commitment. A single fee of £5 per pupil, covering both phases of the event, will be payable when families agree to participate.