Events

Online

We are delighted to announce the first Lingobox Primary Language Learning free webinar of 2025:

Lingobox Learning’s Complete Guide to Primary French

• Tuesday 21 January 2025
• 19.30 - 20.30
• Microsoft Teams (Click here to register now!)

This session will explore Primary French, from Early to Second Level, empowering you with the information and approaches you need to make French stress-free and easy to deliver.

We will share:

• A go-to guide for key language and progression at Early, First and Second Levels
• Planning for maximum learning and minimum stress! 
• Quick and simple ways to embed classroom language at all levels
• Ideas, activities and games which you can pick up and use straight away, back in the classroom! 

All learning activities and language will be relevant for all stages from Early Years to upper primary. And, as ever, we'll have some freebies for all attendees, the session will be recorded, and we'll share this afterwards!

Any questions, please just contact hello@lingoboxlearning.com.  

Visit the website link above to register. Looking forward to seeing you then!

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Online

Based on the Simon Breakspear -Teaching sprints methodology, we will support you to develop and improve your teacher professional practices in a manageable way. In this workshop we will explore how this technique can be applied to planning and improvement for language departments and faculties, making change manageable and achievable.

Aimed at secondary practitioners, this workshop will be delivered by SCILT in conjunction with Education Scotland. This no obligation introductory session will offer teachers the opportunity to sign up for subsequent departmental input.

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Online

Explore how taking a Global Citizenship approach to Modern Languages in the primary school can support learners to develop their knowledge understanding of sustainability. In this online session, teachers will:

• consider what Global Citizenship means to you as a teacher of Modern Languages
• explore ways in which some key themes relating to sustainability can be explored through the primary Modern Languages curriculum
• find out about resources and simple, participatory methods which promote this approach

Visit the website for more information and to register for the free online event.

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Online

SQA is hosting a Scots Language Awards webinar, where we’ll be explaining the assessment standards at SCQF levels 4, 5 and 6.

The webinar is free to join and can contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD). CPD certificates will be available on our event booking system shortly after the event.

Visit the website to register.

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Glasgow

Are you a teacher in Scotland looking to enrich your school’s curriculum through international collaboration? ISPScotland, in partnership with SCILT, invites you to a free professional development event at the Ramshorn in Glasgow on Thursday 23 January 2025, from 16:00 to 18:00 where we'll explore virtual collaborations and how to secure funding for in-person overseas visits. Visit the website or register here to secure your place!

International School Partnerships Scotland also have opportunities for schools to link with partners in Barcelona, Mallorca, Valencia, and Brittany.

These opportunities will be guided and supported throughout with ideas for collaboration and tailored support. There will also be full support with funding applications for school visits to partner schools in 2026.

If you are interested in any of these exciting opportunities to bring the international dimension to your classroom, please email ISPS ISPScotland@outlook.com.

For further details see ISPScotland.

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Glasgow

Thinking about learning French or improving your French language skills? Come along to the Winter Open Day to meet the fantastic team of teachers, learn about available French classes, and take advantage of free level assessments or take a taster class! New term classes start in February with enrolment open now.

Bring the family along as there'll be activities for children and a book fair, featuring a selection of French books for all ages!

Visit the website for more information and to register attendance.

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Online / Hybrid

The Learning Planet Festival takes place from 23 to 25 January and forms part of the annual observance dedicated to education.

The festival welcomes everyone who is passionate about learning and provides them a space to interact, engage and collaborate.

Whilst most of the online sessions will be in French or English, you can host or join in activities and sessions in any language. 

Visit the website for more information. The website is available in English and French.

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Online

Choosing appropriate storybooks to read in class can be challenging as they are not readily available to see before purchase. This session suggests a large number of storybooks on a variety of topics and also covers methodology of reading the stories aloud. Recommendations are mostly suitable to read to children aged 3 to 8 but they can also be used with older ages.

Katherine Miller teaches French at Robert Gordon's College, a 3-18 school in Scotland. She has specialised in Primary French since 2006 and Nursery French since 2011.

Visit the website to register for the free online event.

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Edinburgh

MHSES Initial Teacher Education, in collaboration with Education Scotland and LFEE, warmly invites teachers to join us for a dynamic and interactive conference.

This session is designed as a collaborative exploration where we’ll explore the following themes:

• Theory and practice of embedding language
• Hands on techniques for the classroom
• Expanding horizons: developing relationships with people and language

Visit the website for more information and to register. Note a small fee applies.

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Online

To celebrate the start of National Storytelling Week 2025, the UKLA Storytelling Special Interest Group is offering a CPD event for teachers and other education professionals who want to make oral storytelling part of their classroom practice and encourage children in their own storytelling.

Visit the website to book. Note a small charge applies.

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Online

The next HHCL webinar hosted by ALL on Thursday 6 February 2025 will explore:

• Learning Heritage Languages through Cultural Activities: The ENACT Web App
• Supporting the Well-Being of Heritage Language Learners: Insights and Strategies for Teachers

Plus updates and conversations.

Details of the inputs:

Learning Heritage Languages through Cultural Activities: The ENACT Web App

Müge Satar and Sara Ganassin, Newcastle University, UK

ENACT is a free web app developed at Newcastle University, co-funded by the European Union. The app enables people to learn languages while performing a meaningful real-world task which enables them to experience the culture. Learn Japanese while you’re doing origami! In this presentation, we will introduce the concept of the Cultural Task underlying the app design, and briefly demonstrate the key features of the ENACT app: the interactive player, the author, and the community.

We will then present our research on heritage languages illustrating potentials for learning through a case study. We will end with an update on how we are using the app in local schools (The Around the World Club) and on our in-press Bloomsbury book.

Müge Satar is Reader in Applied Linguistics at Newcastle University.

Sara Ganassin is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Applied Linguistics and Communication at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University.

Supporting the Well-Being of Heritage Language Learners: Insights and Strategies for Teachers

Yue Zhou, University of Nottingham

How can we better support the well-being of heritage language (HL) learners? In this presentation, I will explore what well-being means in HL education and share insights from children and young people about their experiences. Drawing on my research, I will highlight the transformative role of community-led HL schools in addressing the unique emotional and social needs of learners. I will also introduce a practical well-being model and a questionnaire designed to help schools and teachers better understand their students’ well-being. By the end of the session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own well-being and exchange practical strategies for supporting the well-being of both students and teachers in HL education.

Yue Zhou is a Teaching Associate at the University of Nottingham and a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield.

Visit the website to register for the online event.

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Edinburgh

Join the Institut français d'Ecosse for a fascinating exchange of personal experiences, ideas, poetic practices and languages with multilingual and Scotland-based poets Elodie Laügt, Paul Malgrati and Anne Pia!

All three live, think and compose original poetry in English, French and Scots. Through a combination of readings and conversation, we will explore how language-switching can, like poetry itself, establish a creative zone in which to build alternative identities, open new worlds and enable positive encounters with perspectives that differ from our own.

Organised as part of Languages Week Scotland 2025, the event is free to attend.

Visit the website for more information and to book.

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The Ramshorn, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1EX

All learners come to school with their own linguistic repertoire that reflects languages used at home and those learned in school. We also know that parents and carers have the greatest influence on their children’s learning. In this workshop, we will explore ways to create a positive multilingual ethos in class and in school, that highlights the value of both home and taught languages.

The workshop will take place in-person at The Ramshorn, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. We will be in touch closer to the time with joining instructions.

This is a SCILT open access workshop for primary teachers and primary education students in Scotland.

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Edinburgh

Lapin is cold. Very cold. But how can he warm up? Join Tania and her Parisian garden friends as they embark on a charming bilingual adventure in the cold French winter.

To celebrate the publication by CALEC of her second bilingual picture book, Lapin is Cold, author and teaching artist Tania Czajka will perform a short puppet show aimed at children aged 3 to 8 as part of Languages Week Scotland 2025.

Visit the website for more information and to book. The event is free with books available to buy.

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Online

Model UN events are where young people simulate representing a country in the UN General Assembly and negotiate resolutions. 

Engage with China's annual, climate-change themed Model UN will take place on Friday 28 February 2025 at 1000 – 1400 GMT. Enable your pupils, aged 15-18, to join in our high-calibre debate, negotiating with peers from around the world (China, Africa and South America) dialling in across multiple time-zones. They do not need to have studied Mandarin as the event is in English but for those who have we offer the chance to make a short video welcome or to speak live in Mandarin to welcome the Chinese participants. 

The theme is Climate Change and the environment including many of the resolutions being negotiated at COP29 in November 2024.

Six Resolutions:

• Phasing out Fossil Fuels
• Financing transition for developing countries to a low carbon economy
• Compensation to developing countries to counter the effects of Climate Change
• Phasing out Plastics
• Tackling Food Waste
• Sustainable Fashion

Engage with China will be running two workshops before the event for schools new to participating in MUN’s and anyone needing assistance or a refresher.

Visit the website for more information or view the attached flyer and registration form. Please note there is a cost to attend.

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Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) is vital to an engaging primary curriculum, and languages bring a vibrant local and global perspective to any IDL context. Careful planning, meaningful activities and relevant curricular content is key to meaningful cross-curricular learning.

In this workshop experienced primary practitioners will share how they incorporate languages into their IDL practice. You will have access to a curated digital resource signposting up to date materials. The aim of the workshop is to inspire you to include more languages content in the interdisciplinary learning you do with your pupils.

This is a SCILT open access workshop for primary teachers and primary education students in Scotland.

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Online

The final workshop in the Supporting EAL learners series hosted by Kirsten Barrett is aimed at primary school teachers working with EAL students.

• Support across the curriculum - Wednesday 12 March 2025

Visit the website for more information and to register for the online event.

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Kenilworth

Language World is the annual conference and training event of the Association for Language Learning. It is a highlight of the year for teachers of all languages and attracts hundreds of participants each day from across all sectors. Delegates have the opportunity to listen to and be inspired by keynote speakers, attend workshops, reflect and debate as they look together at key areas relevant to their own context.

The theme of Language World 2025 is Weaving a rich tapestry: our languages, our world(s).

The theme centres around cherishing the richness of our multilingual and multicultural world and the diverse, personal, lived experiences of languages educators and all learners.

Registration for the event is now open!

Visit the website for more information and to book your place.

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Edinburgh

This year, SCEN is pleased to host a joint lecture with China Futures Society (CFS) at the University of Edinburgh. Max Browning will present an inspiring talk 'Mandarin Matters: Navigating China's Complexities and Opportunities.'

Max will speak from his experience as a Mandarin student at the University of Edinburgh, his work in establishing the One Scotland organisation, his postgraduate experience in higher education in Beijing, and his current work in the industry based in London.

The talk will be followed by a networking opportunity. People who are associated with SCEN or interested in or involved with China or with language learning will be able to engage face-to-face. Refreshments will be available on arrival and during the networking portion of the evening. 

School and university students are particularly welcome to attend this event.

Visit the website to register. Limited places available!

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