London

• The programme will consist of language classes, sessions exploring Urdu in Literature and History/Music and group projects /presentations with student ambassadors.
• Participants will also receive information about studying languages at university as well as about other language qualifications.  They will work with SOAS student ambassadors throughout the three days, and find out more about higher education.
• As well as raising the students’ motivation to take GCSE Urdu, the programme will also provide the opportunity for them to improve their Urdu language skills (particularly their written skills).  It will also give these students the opportunity to experience the university environment, and to raise the profile of world languages in general.

Please see atatcehd cover letter and student application form.

The SOAS Turkish GCSE Immersion Programme gives Yr 9 & 10 students who are speakers of Turkish the opportunity to develop their spoken and written skills, in the context of Turkish culture. These all-morning sessions will motivate students to continue and deepen their awareness of Turkish, as well as giving them an insight into university life.

The sessions will take place on the following Saturdays: 5th, 12th, 19th May.

To apply, or for more information, please contact Alicia Gigante at ag58@soas.ac.uk.

This interactive day-long masterclass for Yr 11-13 students focuses on the timeline of the Eurozone crisis, the role of Germany and the austerity measures it endorses, the Greek bail-out, and the potential consequences to Greece, Spain and the whole Eurozone. It will discuss European policy by examining solutions put forward by Eurozone countries and academic experts in European politics. The masterclass will be followed by a debate.

No previous experience of German is required, both beginners and more advanced speakers of German will take part in German language sessions focusing on the language of international relations.

The masterclass will take place on 2nd July 2012, 10:00-15:30. For more information, please see click here.

To apply for the masterclass, please complete the application form, available at this link, and send to Renata Albuquerque at ra40@soas.ac.uk

On 9th March 2012, LSE’s Confucius Institute for Business London will be holding a Chinese Taster Day, which will be a great opportunity for students from Year 9 to Year 12 to take part in activities and workshops related to Chinese language and culture, as well as getting a feel for what it’s like to study languages at university.

The Winter School is targeted at Year 10 students. During the Winter School your students will visit 5 of Capital L’s Higher Education Institutions and get a feel for what it is like to study languages at each one of them. There may also be a trip to Brussels, pending confirmation of funding. There are 30 places available in our Winter School and priority will be given to students from a widening participation background.

Corrected Letter of Invitation

The Winter School is free of charge. However, students are expected to attend all five days of the Winter School, with some flexibility for emergencies and unforeseeable events. Please note that in case of late cancellations (made after 25 November) and non attendance without a valid reason, schools will be invoiced for the cost of unused places (£400 per pupil).

Please note that the Parents' evening meeting will tak place on Wednesday 7th December, not on a Thursday as originally stated in the letter of invitation.

Please download the application form from the link below. This is to be completed and signed by both parents and teachers.

Application Form

The deadline for submitting applications is 15 November 2010. Please ensure students have attached a photocopy of their passport before signing their application form.

CAPITAL L RESOURCE FOLDER LAUNCH

Capital L will celebrate the launch of its Resource Folder with a day of workshops and a show case of activities.

The event is aimed at language teachers, borough language coordinators and other professionals involved in promoting language learning at school and college level. It will be an opportunity to experience and learn about a range of Capital L language enrichment activities that have been successfully delivered in the last three years. All activities are supported by comprehensive lesson plans and relevant resources. After the event teachers will be able to adapt the activities at their schools and/or engage with Capital L workshop leaders.

All participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
 

Endangered Languages Week at SOAS

There are approximately 7,000 languages spoken on earth today and half of them are under threat from larger languages and are not being passed on to children. Through films, displays, discussions and workshops Endangered Languages Week 2011 looks at what is being done to document, archive and support endangered languages around the world.

The activities:

1. Endangered Languages Workshops

Through a workshop run by Endangered Languages academic experts, students will be introduced to some of the subfields of the study of language and have their awareness raised of language diversity and language endangerment, both in London and in the wider world.

After a short general introduction delivered by SOAS two lecturers, the students will break into small teams. In their teams, the students will take part in a series of hands-on mini-workshops, hosted by undergrad and postgrad students of linguistics at SOAS, in which they will solve problems or perform small tasks, such as writing their name in a different script, greeting someone in a different language, drawing a family tree of the languages spoken in their own families or completing a quiz on the languages of the world.

The two academics involved will be Dr Sophie Salffner and Dr Candide Simard; experts in their field, and members of the Languages of the Wider World Centre for Excellence, and the Endangered Languages Academic Programme at SOAS respectively.

This unique workshop will engage with students directly and actively to arouse their curiosity about language, using their own experience as a starting point.

2. Tour of SOAS

Students will be taken on a guided tour of the university by current SOAS students, visiting the Library, Student Union common room, and Brunei art gallery. This will be an opportunity for students to ask questions and learn about the experience of studying in higher education and to get a feel for a university environment.

The students

Your students should be in Year 9 and interested in one of the following subjects: languages, geography, history, economics, politics. Students will further develop their awareness of linguistic diversity and endangerment, raising their analytical, critical thinking, and team work skills as well as experiencing life on campus.

Priority should be given to those who would be the first generation in their family to attend University. This is a widening participation event and is intended to “fast forward the tape” and give students a first-class experience of study at University level.

Confirming places

This event is designed to accommodate 30 students. If you would like to bring a group of students to participate in this exciting event please contact me as soon as possible on either jb73@soas.ac.uk or 020 7898 4113.

The above dates are currently provisional.

State secondary schools and supplementary schools in London will be invited to participate in a competition to create a class wall display or an individual's set of 3 still photos + commentary in the target language to give an idea of "Our Area", or "Postcards from London" (in the target language). Details from terry.king@ucl.ac.uk.

Take a look at the competition poster.

This activity is aimed at Years 8 and 9 at state secondary schools and supplementary schools.

Turkish Immersion Saturday Academy at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

The Turkish Immersion Saturday Academy is a project taking place across four consecutive
Saturdays in May:

Saturday 7th May, 10:00 – 12:30

Saturday 14th May, 10:00 – 12:30

Saturday 21st May, 10:00 – 12:30

Saturday 28th May, 10:00 – 12:30

It is being offered to students who are Turkish speakers, in years 9 to 11, and who have been entered for GCSE
Turkish. Priority should be given to those who would be the first generation in their family to attend University, and who are taking exams this year.

Each weekly session will consist of two language lessons by a SOAS academic as well as a
chance to meet current SOAS students and find out more about higher education. Students will
also receive information about studying languages at universities as well as about other language
qualifications; and refreshments will be provided.

The aims of the project are to help prepare students for their GCSE Turkish examinations
(particularly by improving their written skills), to give these students the opportunity to experience
the university environment, and to raise the profile of world languages in general.
 

A three day immersion language programme for Y9-10 speakers of Urdu taking place at The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

The programme will consist of language classes in the morning and group work in the afternoon. The language classes will be specifically designed to help students improve their Urdu language skills. For the afternoon, participants will be given a choice of project titles and work in groups with SOAS student ambassadors to prepare a presentation in whatever format they choose. The presentation will be delivered on the last day.

Students will also receive information about studying languages at university, how languages could enhance their career prospects, and about other language qualifications. SOAS and Capital L will liaise with their secondary schools about alternative language qualifications.

The Urdu community is one of the largest bi-lingual communities in London, yet in many cases, children either don’t have the opportunity to learn to read and write in their home language or feel that there is no benefit in doing so.

This activity will provide them not only with the opportunity to develop their reading and written skills, but also increase their awareness of the benefits and opportunities for studying and obtaining a recognised qualification.