National

A report by the British Council found the language learning gap between the North and South of England is widening. The Language Trends Survey 2017 revealed that in summer 2016, 65 per cent of pupils in inner London took a language GCSE compared with just 43 per cent in the North East. Participation rates over the last three years indicate that London is the only region where the percentage of pupils taking languages to GCSE is increasing.

The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) invites nominations for the next winner of the Threlford Memorial Cup – the prestigious award for inspiration and originality in language teaching and learning. The cup is awarded to an individual, organisation or project that has encouraged others in language learning.

Ideal candidates could include, for instance, a teacher who has inspired young minds, a business or organisation that has led a project, or someone who works hard within the local community to keep alive a heritage language and culture.

The award has attracted a variety of outstanding winners in recent years. The current holder is Angeliki Petrits who led the European Master's in Translation project on behalf of the EC. The year before, the award went to the GCHQ Language Outreach Programme for their work inspiring school students to take up languages. And in 2013 Lizzie Fane won for the website thirdyearabroad.com, offering a wealth of information to language students embarking on their year abroad.

Anyone who knows of someone who has gone the extra mile to encourage language learning and would like to put them forward for the cup should download the nomination form from the CIOL website and return it to comms@ciol.org.uk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday 29 July 2016.

The winner will be chosen in September by the Threlford Committee, and the cup will be presented by HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, CIOL's Royal Patron, at an awards evening in central London on Monday 14 November 2016.

Further information from:
Debbie Butler
Communications and Marketing Manager
comms@ciol.org.uk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+44 (0)20 7940 3105

Born Global is an open and free-to-use resource for the languages community: universities, teachers, employers, researchers, and students.

The British Academy has collected data, both quantitative and qualitative, on the complex relationships between language learning and employability.

All the data is published in full on the Born Global evidence page, and each data set is accompanied by a booklet with background information and a summary of key findings. We invite the language community to use our evidence to help make the case for the importance of languages – from teaching at primary school right through to university research.

The Academy has used this evidence in its own report, Born Global: Implications for Higher Education, offering some reflections on the current state of play for languages at university.

For further details, go to: http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Born_Global.cfm

Creat your future !

A new blog from year abroad students from the Student Language Bureau:

http://www.studentlanguagebureau.com/blog.php

We are delighted to offer you and your students an award-winning  FREE online course "Cultural Studies and Modern Languages: An Introduction", which will start on Monday 22nd February 2016.

This MOOC, delivered by 13 of the Bristol University's School of Modern Languages staff, ran for the first time in February 2015 and attracted almost 15,000 learners world wide. It is a free, online introduction to the study of Modern Languages and Cultures, aimed at a sixth-form audience and beyond, and requiring no language other than English to follow it. Students are introduced to a range of foreign cultures via key slogans, texts, monuments, and images over a four week period. 

The course is ideal for anyone thinking of taking courses in Modern Languages, European  / World history or cultural studies at university. Please do advertise widely amongst colleagues / your school or college community, perhaps by including it in your school newsletter so that parents are also aware of this opportunity. You can register by following this link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/cultural-studies

For more information please visit our website: https://www.routesintolanguages.ac.uk/events/cultural-studies-and-modern-languages-free-online-course-0

​The course goes live on Monday 22nd February - hurry up to book your free place! 

This event took place on 28 January 2016 at the BMA, London and showcased exciting Routes into Languages projects from around England.

Keynote speakers were:

• Sir David Bell, Vice Chancellor, University of Reading and Chair, Routes into Languages Steering Group
• Jane Driver, Languages Subject Leader, The Voyager Academy, Peterborough
• Anne Marie Graham, Head of Programme, Outward Student Mobility, Higher Education International Unit, Universities UK
• Jocelyn Wyburd, Director, University of Cambridge Language Centre and Chair, University Council of Modern Languages