Latest News

1 July 2025 (The Guardian)

Ministers must make access to language learning a national priority, experts have said, after research showed that children from more deprived areas of England are disproportionately denied the chance to learn a foreign tongue.

This year’s Language Trends report by the British Council surveyed 1,000 primary, secondary and independent schools and found that the proportion of pupils studying a modern language GCSE in less affluent English state schools was 38% lower than in the most affluent and 12% lower than the average.

While 69% of year 10 pupils at the most prosperous state schools are studying a language for GCSE, just 47% of those at the least affluent are.

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25 June 2025 (The Conversation)

As the government is exploring a new EU youth mobility scheme and working towards a renewed association with the Erasmus+ programme, a world of opportunity may be opening up once again for young people in the UK. Studying or working abroad is not just an enriching experience – it’s a powerful step towards building intercultural competence and a successful career in today’s globalised world.

The German-speaking countries are among Europe’s most influential cultural and political forces and have therefore been an attractive destination for young Brits. And learning German could be the gateway to a period of cultural immersion.

Learning a language has many professional, cultural and intellectual benefits. With almost 100 million first-language speakers across several countries, German is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe. Germany is not just Europe’s largest economy but also the third largest economy in the world. Knowing German can give you a competitive edge with employers and even boost your salary prospects.

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19 June 2025 (Open University)

The Open University and Education Scotland are delighted to offer Masters-level CPD to any teacher in Scotland on embedding Scots language as part of language and literacy in education.

This is an important time in both Scottish society and Scottish education for CPD such as this, particularly in light of the Scottish Languages Bill that was passed by the Scottish Government on 17 June 2025, giving the Scots language legal recognition for the first time in Scotland’s history.

Now in its second year, this award-winning course gives teachers the opportunity to study virtually, share reflective work on their own classroom practice with peers, and attend tutorials online alongside fellow professionals from schools across Scotland, with each teacher focusing on the language and literature of their particular part of the country. The course has been designed to suit any learning environment, suitable for teachers in Primary, Secondary, Early Years, FE and ASN. Delivered entirely online, the course shares examples of best practice on using the Scots language in education, with the opportunity built-in for teachers to specifically explore the language and literature most appropriate for their learners wherever they are in Scotland.

It is free to sign up, all places have been funded by the Scottish Government. Click the following link for more information and to fill in an online form to register for a place on the course: OLCreate: Scots language teacher professional learning programme | OLCreate

 Those studying this CPD course will

• learn how to incorporate elements of local language and culture in their own teaching and be given opportunities to practise this in their classrooms
• build confidence in teaching in multilingual classrooms, using a wide variety of education materials to assist with exploring pupil voice, as well as related developmental skills for increased pupil self-confidence, resilience, communication, creativity and morelearn ways to take an interdisciplinary approach to teaching language and culture 
• understand the value of language skills pupils bring to education as key transferable literacy skills that form an important part of their identity
• understand educational benefits of giving local language and culture a prominent place within the classroom
• learn about the educational guidance and academic research available on using minority languages in education
• be given the opportunity to focus on their unique local language and learn about the various dialects of Scots language, such as Doric, Dundonian, Shaetlan, Glaswegian...
• learn about the SQA Awards pupils can gain, as well as planning a progression from earlier in the school experience

19 June 2025 (ECML)

The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) is inviting schools to help celebrate next year's European Day of Languages (EDL) anniversary with three different initiatives on offer:

• The EDL t-shirt competition - design submissions by the end of December
• Design a poster illustrating the 25th anniversary motto of the European Day of Languages “Languages open hearts and minds!” Submission deadline 15 October
• Help to create (and perform) a multilingual anthem for the 25th anniversary of the European Day of Languages! Submission deadline 15 October

Visit the ECML website for full details and get involved!

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25 March 2025 (Civil Service Languages Network)

British Council, GCHQ and the Civil Service Languages Network are working together to promote language learning among pupils in UK schools.

Your S2/S3 pupils, who will be choosing their National Qualifications, and S4/S5 pupils choosing their Highers, are invited to our open, online events – see dates below. There, they will hear from speakers with different roles across government who have used languages in their career, and how either studying a language in school, or speaking a heritage language, has enriched their life and career. Pupils will have the chance to ask the speakers questions (via their teacher) through a Q&A session.

You can see an example of a previous event here: Where will languages take me? | British Council.

The online events are free of charge, and I hope to make recordings available of some of the events. To express interest, and help us keep in touch, please complete the form.

We look forward to welcoming your pupils to our events!

Summer term 2025

S4/S5: Tue June 3rd 2025, 09:15-10:15

S2/S3: Wed June 11th 2025, 09:15-10:15

Autumn term 2025

S4/S5: Wed Oct 15th 2025 09:00-10:00

S4/S5: Tue Nov 11th 2025 09:15-10:15

S2/S3: Thur Nov 20th 2025 09:00-10:00

Spring term 2026

S2/S3: Wed Jan 14th 2026 09:00-10:00

S4/S5: Thur Jan 20th 2026 09:00-10:00

S2/S3: Tue Feb 10th 2026 09:15-10:15