West Midlands

A two phase awareness-raising event for year 8 pupils and their families.  This event aims to highlight the theme of languages for work and possible routes for language learners to follow. 

Aston University's School of Languages and Social Sciences is working with Routes into Languages West Midlands to offer a series of Cultural Days for Year 8 & Year 9 pupils.

This fun and inspiring German Cultural Day is free of charge and will provide pupils with an opportunity to enhance their current language studies and improve their intercultural awareness.

Please note that places are limited and early booking is advisable.

For further information about these events please contact Jasmin Simms at j.simms1@aston.ac.uk

Do you need help motivating your pupils and encouraging them to continue studying languages at GCSE, A level and beyond?  If so, then our STAR Ambassadors are on hand to help out.

Routes into Languages West Midlands has a team of enthusiastic STAR Ambassadors keen to sure their passion for languages and encourage others to see the benefits of learning languages.  Our team includes current languages undergraduates at the University of Birmingham and Aston University as well as Erasmus students from France, Germany and Spain currently on study exchange placements at these Universities as part of their English Language studies.  They are on hand to give 'Why study languages' presentations as well as share their own experiences of studying languages in higher education.  New to the STAR programme this year, our students are also able to develop language taster and cultural sessions to inspire and enthuse your pupils.

Our STAR Ambassadors can adapt sessions to suit your requirements both in terms of content and duration and are happy to work with pupils of all ages.  For more information, or to book a visit from our STAR Ambassadors please get in touch by sending an email to Routes@aston.ac.uk or by calling Angela Morris on 0121 204 3872

The Routes into Languages Year 7 National Foreign Language Spelling Bee is now in its second year.  Register your Year 7 pupils now for their chance to compete in the competition at www.flpellingbee.co.uk

For further information about how the competition works please visit www.flspellingbee.co.uk

The West Midlands Regional Final will take place at Aston University on Monday 26th March 2012 and the National Final will take place at Anglia Ruskin Univeristy, Cambridge  tbc on 6th July 2012.

Please note that it is essential you register your school at www.flspellingbee.co.uk in order to take part in the competition.

Need help promoting languages at your Warwickshire school? Then contact the University of Warwick, part of the West Midlands Consortium!

We can help spread the word that languages are exciting, fun and important by supporting options days, language days and careers events. Members of the consortium can visit your school to attend your event, give presentations or simply give advice about language learning. We can also bring current undergraduate students to talk to your students about their reasons for studying languages and what it's really like.

Our calendar is filling up so please contact us soon if you would like us to visit your school.

Language Roadshows are offered by University of Warwick and feature an interactive language workshop combined with various life-skills activities (e.g. French and football, Spanish and Art, Italian and fashion) and/or language taster sessions focussing on particular languages and cultures.

Student volunteers and University language tutors will run these events at your school to stimulating interest in different languages and cultures.

Language Roadshows are available to schools and colleges in Warwickshire and the West Midlands

9.30am - 3.00pm

Lunch & refreshments provided

This day links sports and languages and consists of a Japanese Masterclass and a Martial Arts session.  Each group will do one sesison in the morning and one in the afternoon.  The language session will include a focus on culture, food and language (including origami and calligraphy).  The Martial Arts session will include some basic Martial Arts training with a focus on culture.

9.30am - 12.30pm

Drinks are provided

This session uses marketing and language skills as students are asked to develop an information booklet for F1 Racing Teams which uses the target language.  This session is particularly attractive to boys and introduces a whole new aspect of language learning.

Japanese Taster Day 1.00pm - 4.00pm

This taster session will focus on Japanese culture, food and language and will inlcude origami and calligraphy.

Drinks will be provided

9.30am - 2.30pm

Lunch and refreshments are included.

This session is an introduction to stop motion animation where pupils work in small groups to create models to be animated.  They are taught how to use the software and get the chance to create their own storyboard and short film.  As this will be a language based session, pupils will be encouraged to use snippets of foreign language in the film and create an MFL themed scenario.  This session has proved extremely popular and schools receive a DVD of the animations after the event.