Latest News

23 April 2026 (Institut français)

Created by the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages (EDL) has been celebrated every year on 26 September since 2001, in partnership with the European Commission.

The 2026 edition of the European Day of Languages in Scotland will be held at the Institut français d'Écosse in Edinburgh, with the following events taking place:

A professional conference (Tuesday, 22 September 2026 @5pm)

An update on the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC), a systematic review led by Education Scotland to evolve the national curriculum. More information and registration.

Event for pupils in S2 and S3 (Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September 2026)

Interactive Activities: Dynamic "language corners" featuring up to 8 different countries, including Czech, Italian, French, German, Irish, Polish, Romanian, and Spanish.

Contact for more information Charlotte HYVERNAUD education.ifecosse@institut-francais.org.uk 

The events take place at the Institut français d'Écosse, West Parliament Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1RN. Entrance on George IV Bridge.

23 April 2026 (Goethe-Institut)

A collaboration between the Goethe-Institut Glasgow, Institut français d'Écosse, and Alliance Française Glasgow, you are invited to join us for Earth Month 2026, comprised of two weeks of expert discussions, workshops and creative perspectives.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website to find out more.

Read more...

23 April 2026 (Goethe-Institut)

As part of the Kensington Treaty between Germany and the UK and supported by the Auswärtiges Amt and Freunde des Goethe Institut UK, the programme brings together young people aged 14–17 from the UK and Germany who are passionate about football and society, digital media production, and cultural exchange.

Participants will:

• connect through football and team activities
• collaborate on a creative digital media project
• take part in a virtual kick-off phase and
• the exchange programme from 7 June till 17 June 2026 in Mönchengladbach and London

Young people can visit the Goethe-Institut website to apply now! Deadline extended until 26 April.

Read more...

21 April 2026 (UK-German Connection)

UK-German Connection offers a range of programmes and initiatives to help foster and maintain partnerships between schools in the UK and Germany.

Follow the appropriate link below to discover some of their latest offerings:

• Host a Teacher from Germany 2026-27 - UK schools (primary, secondary, SEN and FE colleges) can register now to host a teacher from Germany for 1-3 weeks at no cost!
• Professional Enrichment Programme - Funded opportunity for qualified UK teachers of any subject and school type to visit a German school for one or two weeks.
• Funding - A range of grants for joint activities between schools and youth groups in the UK and Germany.

Further information about all the organisation's upcoming initiatives can be found on their website.

Read more...

21 April 2026 (SCILT)

The deadline for entries for Francofoot and Calciamo, our popular football-themed resources and national competitions for S2 and S3 learners, is coming soon, on Friday 8 May!

These competitions, in French and Italian, are a fun and interactive way for students to develop their language skills while gearing up for Scotland’s exciting World Cup campaign.

Our competition webpage has been updated with lots of helpful information, including:

• Highlights from last year’s event
• Examples of student entries
• A quick-start guide to help you plan and organise participation
• Full details of how to enter

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at scilt@strath.ac.uk

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21 April 2026 (The Stephen Spender Prize)

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual competition for poetry in translation that celebrates the creativity of young people across the UK and Ireland – and their teachers!

The Prize has categories for schools, teachers and individual young people, which welcome translations from all languages, as well as a special ‘Spotlight‘ strand that each year focuses on a different widely spoken language. Our Spotlight language for 2026 is Polish.

The Stephen Spender Prize 2026 will launch on 1 May but teachers can find out more and register now on the website.

The deadline for entries is 31 July 2026.

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18 April 2026 (BBC)

When Hugo signed up for a project to help him decide if he wanted to study French at GCSE, he had no idea it would lead him to learn Mandarin.

The Year 10 pupil is one of a growing number who are helping turn around years of decline in language uptake thanks to a more novel approach to learning, courtesy of the Cardiff University-led modern foreign languages (MFL) mentoring.

Project head Lucy Jenkins said it "takes the language learning out of language" by exposing pupils to ideas to make them think about the reasons for learning another language, rather than the traditional vocabulary and grammar.

Sport, performance and culture, body language and even gestures are all used in the course and, until a few years ago, no language was taught at all.

Read more...

15 April 2026 (CISS)

Each year, CISS facilitates scholarships for school leavers to study Mandarin for nine months at Tianjin Normal University in China. This year's group of 21 scholars left for China in September 2025 and are now more than halfway through their time in Tianjin.

For March our scholar blogs covered a range of topics, including studying, a tour of Tianjin, and interviews with staff and students at TNU. 

Why not share these blogs and vlogs with your learners, and show them where language learning could take them in their future? Watch and read March's updates on the CISS website via the link below. 

Read more...

15 April 2026 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) helps schools and businesses to build partnerships through languages in order to develop young people’s learning about the world of work, the value of language skills, and global and intercultural competencies.

Our most recent verification date in November 2025 saw two awards issued for the original SLEA, and two awarded for the SLEA - Multilingual.  Find a list of award winners, and links to details of their projects, below.

Scottish Languages Employability Award - our original award, established in 2019, recognises partnerships that develop core employability skills:

• George Heriot's School
• Mintlaw Academy

SLEA Multilingual - this award celebrates schools that adopt inclusive practices in order to prepare learners to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world:

• Holyrood Secondary
• Mintlaw Academy

The next SLEA verification date for all branches of the SLEA - Original; Multilingual; Local; and Green - is Friday 15 May 2026. Visit the SLEA webpage via the link below for details on how to apply.

Read more...

15 April 2026 (British Council)

The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of the National Agency for Erasmus+.

In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would join the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014–20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK’s cultural relations activities.

Read more...

14 April 2026 (Goethe-Institut)

Are you interested in learning about new technologies? Are you curious to find out what your career in the emerging field of quantum research and applications could look like? Do you want to improve your German or find out more about studying in Germany? If so our programme for secondary students and teachers, Karriere Quantum, could be for you!

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to apply for a place in one of the innovative one-week camps! All revolve around quantum technologies and the German language.

The next camp takes place this July in Riga, Latvia. Apply by 3 May.

Read more...

14 April 2026 (BBC)

The millennia-old language of Gumbaynggirr was critically endangered. Now, a series of tourism initiatives are helping to bring it back from the brink of disappearance.

[..] Before Britain began colonising Australian in 1788, the continent was home to more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations, with more than 800 dialects between them. Gumbaynggirr, whose origins are believed to stretch back thousands of years, is one of them.

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14 April 2026 (The Herald)

With working parents juggling childcare over the Easter break, many are already thinking ahead to the lengthy summer holidays and the familiar challenge – balancing their work commitments with keeping teenagers meaningfully engaged for six long weeks.

But beyond the immediate logistics for parents lies a bigger question for employers and the economy alike: are we preparing young people with the skills the future workforce will require?

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Related items:

Article on Pressreader

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14 April 2026 (British Council)

Secondary schools are invited to take part in EpiK, an international project linked to the European Year of the Normans.

The project is open to senior phase French learners and includes:

• Participation in the Freedom Prize (citizenship and human rights)
• A creative writing project (Encrages) published in a multilingual book
• One pupil joining the international Freedom Prize jury

The project will close with a residential visit to Normandy in June 2027, including cultural visits and the Freedom Prize ceremony in Caen.

One school will be selected (16–18 learners and 2 teachers). Schools cover travel costs; all hosting is funded by the Normandy Region.

More information in the attached PDF.

Deadline extended to end of April.

11 April 2026 (Glasgow Times)

Glasgow Zine Library has secured funding to commission a new Scots language publication.

The library is one of eight recipients of the Scots Language Publication Grant, awarded by the Scottish Book Trust to promote Scots writing and publishing.

While the library houses a collection of more than 4000 zines, it currently holds only a limited number of Scots language works.

The new project will support a writer to develop and publish an original Scots-language zine, which will be added to the library’s physical and digital collections and made freely available to the public.

Read more...

11 April 2026 (The Herald)

A Heriot-Watt professor has spoken about the stress and uncertainty caused by threatened cuts to the university’s Languages and Intercultural Studies (LINCS) department.

Heriot-Watt UCU committee member Marion Winters is an associate professor in translation studies at the institution, which announced plans to cut up to 41 jobs at their Scottish campus last autumn.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

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7 April 2026 (QFI)

QFI is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 Arabic Short Story Contest, an initiative designed to support educators in encouraging their students to strengthen Arabic language skills through creative expression.

The contest invites students aged 11-18 to respond to an open-ended writing prompt, offering an opportunity to develop their language abilities and explore their imagination through storytelling.

This year’s prompt is: A talking animal takes you on a journey. What happens on your adventure?

Visit the QFI website for more information and submit entries by 29 April.

Read more...

6 April 2026 (The Conversation)

A pervasive narrative has taken hold in education: generative AI (genAI) is an unstoppable force, and educators must adapt or be left behind.

Technology companies market AI tools as the ultimate classroom assistants, while popular media warns that essay writing is dead.

Teachers have long been labelled or framed by technology enthusiasts and policymakers as “resistant” and “risk averse.” Discourse about technology in classrooms has amplified notions that teachers either embrace or reject tech.

Yet research with educators is showing that a binary framing of AI innovators versus Luddites obscures what is actually happening in classrooms.

Read more...

2 April 2026 (Consejería de Educación)

Do you have a student currently enrolled in A-level / Advanced Higher Spanish with a brilliant academic record? You can nominate them for the 13th call for “Best Spanish Student Award in the United Kingdom" in collaboration with Junta de Castilla y León.

The prize consists of a 3-day stay in Spain for two people.

Deadline for nominations: 17 May 2026.

Visit the Spanish Embassy Education Office website for more information.

Read more...

26 March 2026 (GCHQ)

The GCHQ Virtual Language Outreach sessions are aimed at Year 8/9s (S2/S3).

In these one-hour long sessions your pupils will hear about the importance of languages, GCHQ and the work our Language Analysts do. After that they will do a scenario challenge in a language they are currently studying, so please ensure you choose the correct language on offer. We will end with a Q&A session.

Visit the website for available dates and to register.

Read more...

26 March 2026 (ALL)

Is one of your students the next Amélie? Or the future Pedro Almodóvar? If so, this competition is for them! We are looking for creative, independent groups of Year 8 and 9 (S2/S3) students to take part in the Association for Language Learning Short Foreign Film Competition. 

Please see the guidance here here for all of the details, the entry form and a powerpoint to launch it with your classes. It can be used however you see fit; for example as a Unit of work in itself or a fun, creative home learning activity to get their imaginations going!

They can be in ANY language which is a wonderful way to celebrate all of the languages we have in our classrooms though if it's in a language other than French, German or Spanish, it must be clearly subtitled.

You will find all of the details in the guidance and entry form here, including the deadline and the 'brief' for their films.

We can't wait to see what your students will create! Entries due by 3 June 2026.

24 March 2026 (Languagenut)

Calling all language lovers! It’s time to rally your students, and climb the leaderboard in the Languagenut Competition!

From Monday 20 April – Tuesday 5 May students will complete activities and assignments on the Languagenut platform to earn points, climb the leaderboard and secure a place in the final Top 30 leaderboard position.

Your students won’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to practice their language learning and be within the chance of winning an Amazon voucher!

Visit the website for more information and register for the competition. Note materials are available on a free trial basis during the competition, thereafter a subscription will be required for full access to the Languagenut platform.

Read more...

17 March 2026 (British Council)

Bring languages to life in your classroom by hosting a Modern Language Assistant (MLA).

The Language Assistants programme is committed to inspiring pupils and teachers to achieve success in language learning. With their authentic language skills and cultural insights, an assistant can inspire Scottish pupils to build their confidence in speaking another language and support them to develop global citizenship. Hosting an assistant at your school can help to deliver the 1+2 approach to language learning, as well as contributing to the wider aims of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Quick Video Webinar for Scottish schools

If you're short on time, watch our short introductory webinar. It gives a quick overview of:

• the benefits MLAs bring to learners
• the different hosting options
• costs and practical considerations

Speak to the Team – Drop in Sessions

If you’d like to chat through your plans or ask questions, join one of our informal drop in sessions on 22 April. Sign up via the link above.

The application deadline to host a language assistant in 2026-27 is 30 April 2026. Applications to host a Chinese Language Assistant close 1 April 2026.

Read more...

17 March 2026 (SCILT)

Are you looking to broaden your L3 provision? Why not join us in Discovering the World of Arabic! Run in partnership between SCILT and QFI, our 10-week short courses for primary schools run throughout the autumn and spring terms for P5-P7 learners.

For secondary schools, choose between our short 8-week taster course at a time of your choosing, or join the growing number of schools that are signing up for our September to March long course.

All new and returning schools will be eligible for grant funding to resource Arabic learning in your classrooms, with a chance to bid for extra support to really bring the Arabic language and its wealth of cultures to life for your learners!

In order to secure your slot for your weekly live lesson, please follow the relevant link below. Registrations will remain open until the end of April.

• Primary Arabic
• Secondary Arabic
  

12 March 2026 (SCILT)

SCILT are once again running the popular Our World competition for secondary learners that combines language learning with learning for sustainability and filmmaking. Formerly run by SEET and following extensive evaluation processes in 2024-25, we’ve brought it back, but with some changes!

The competition will run throughout the summer term with the deadline for completed storyboards Friday 19 June. This would make a fun summer term project for your learners based on films and the sustainable development goals.

Sign up for our information session on Wednesday 29 April on Eventbrite.

NB: We recommend that all participants attend the information session, even if you have taken part in the competition before, due to the new format.

10 March 2026 (British Council)

Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, German, Irish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Hiring a language assistant helps your students develop their language skills and understand other cultures. Read about the experiences of pupils at Northgate High School and Maria, their Language Assistant from Galicia in Spain.

Then help bring languages to life in your classroom and apply to host a language assistant in 2026-27!

Applications close 30 April (for Chinese Language Assistants the closing date is 1 April 2026).

Read more...

19 February 2026 (British Council)

Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, German, Irish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Hiring a language assistant helps your students develop their language skills and understand other cultures. So bring languages to life in your classroom and apply to host a language assistant in 2026-27!

Applications open 25 February and close 30 April (for Chinese Language Assistants the closing date is 1 April 2026).

Visit the British Council website for more information.

Read more...

5 February 2026 (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 N5s, and S4/S5 students, prior to choosing their Highers/AH, 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 some example videos here:

Rosemary Pennells (British Embassy Tokyo) S2/S3

Nerys Jones (British Embassy Berlin) S4/S5 Government Languages Outreach talk

The online events are free of charge, and if you are unable to attend the events, there are recordings which you can use instead.

To express interest, and help us keep in touch, please complete the form

We look forward to welcoming your pupils to our events!

Spring term 2026:

S2/S3 - Tuesday 10 February, 09:15-10:15

Summer term 2026:

S2/S3 - Monday 29 June, 09:00-10:00

S4/S5 - Wednesday 1 July, 09:00-10:00

Future events are also planned for both age categories during the Autumn term and into 2027. These can also be seen/selected via the expression of interest form.

Read more...

15 January 2026 (SCILT)

SCILT’s 2025-26 menu of professional learning workshops is available to book throughout the year.

Free to book for groups of primary or secondary teachers working in local authority schools. Sessions are designed and facilitated by our friendly and experienced Professional Development Officers.  

Select a workshop from the menu below, or request a bespoke input tailored to your audience – the choice is yours. Choose your workshop theme(s), pick your dates and submit your workshop request. We’ll confirm arrangements with you promptly.  

These workshops offer a chance for groups of colleagues to dive into professional learning that explores engaging language pedagogies and examples of current practice.  

Requests from professional learning leads in schools, clusters, local authorities and SCIS welcomed all year round.

Primary 

• Developing a multilingual ethos in your primary school
• First steps in teaching primary languages
• Next steps in teaching primary languages
• Assessment as learning in primary languages
• Getting outdoors with primary languages

Secondary

• Teaching Sprints – Small change, big impact
• Developing a multilingual and multicultural ethos
• BYOW: Build Your Own Workshop!
• The Big Question

For workshop descriptors, and to book one or more session for the group of teachers that you support, find the link to the professional learning request form below.

Read more...

5 December 2025 (SCILT)

Bookings are now open for four in person workshops for in- and pre-service primary teachers. Taking place at, or close to SCILT HQ in central Glasgow, each workshop focuses on a different aspect of pedagogy. Our experienced Professional Development Officers and enthusiastic invited speakers support you to develop practice related to the home and taught languages in your context. 

Informed by the latest guidance and examples of current practice.

• 24 February - Developing a multilingual ethos in your primary school
• 18 March - First steps in teaching primary languages
• 23 April - Next steps in teaching primary languages
• 19 May - Getting outdoors with primary languages

Registrations for all workshops are open now via the links above. Please also see attached flyer which can be shared with your networks. 

5 September 2025 (SCILT)

SCILT’s ECT Primary Languages Signpost Sessions are online, free of charge and open to newly or recently qualified primary teachers working in Scottish schools and to student primary teachers studying at Scottish universities.

Our Signpost Sessions are for you if are looking for:

• advice on how to support multilingual pupils and their families
• strategies for teaching additional languages
• the chance to network informally with others at a similar career stage from across the country

Each Signpost Session is themed, informal and will point you in the right direction for free resources, up-to-date guidance and practical teaching ideas. Sign up for as many sessions as you like:

• Wednesday 24 September, 16:00–17:00 - Developing a multilingual ethos in your primary class
• Wednesday 26 November, 16:00–16:45 - First steps in teaching primary languages
• Wednesday 28 January, 16:00 -16:45 - Digital tools for primary languages
• Wednesday 25 March, 16:00–16:45 - Getting outdoors with primary languages
• Wednesday 27 May, 16:00–16:45 - Next steps in teaching primary languages

Registration closes two days before each session, and the online link to join via MS Teams will be sent out one day in advance. These sessions will not be recorded.

Register via the link below. Please also find attached flyer which can be shared with colleagues. 

Read more...

15 August 2025 (SCILT)

Calling all Germanists! Dates for this session’s meetings of the Teachers of German in Scotland (TOGS) network are below and registrations are now open on our eventbrite page.  

• Wednesday 24 September (4.30-5.30pm) 
• Thursday 15 January (4.30-5.30pm) 
• Monday 27 April (4.30-5.30pm) 

TOGS meetings are open to all primary and secondary practitioners who teach – or would like to teach – German in their context. This network offers colleagues a chance to share experiences, practice and ideas to enable German to grow in Scottish schools. Germanists in higher education and cultural institutions are also welcome to attend, so do feel free to come and join us!   

If you have already signed up to our TOGS mailing list, please note that you will automatically receive the link prior to each meeting. 

15 August 2025 (SCILT)

SCILT’s 2025-26 menu of professional learning workshops for groups launches today!

Free to book for groups of primary or secondary teachers working in local authority schools. Sessions are designed and facilitated by our friendly and experienced Professional Development Officers.  

Select a workshop from the menu below, or request a bespoke input tailored to your audience – the choice is yours. Choose your workshop theme(s), pick your dates and submit your workshop request. We’ll confirm arrangements with you promptly.  

These workshops offer a chance for groups of colleagues to dive into professional learning that explores engaging language pedagogies and examples of current practice.  

Requests from professional learning leads in schools, clusters, local authorities and SCIS welcomed all year round…starting now! 

Primary 

• Developing a multilingual ethos in your primary school
• First steps in teaching primary languages
• Next steps in teaching primary languages
• Assessment as learning in primary languages
• Getting outdoors with primary languages

Secondary

• Teaching Sprints – Small change, big impact
• Developing a multilingual and multicultural ethos
• BYOW: Build Your Own Workshop!
• The Big Question

For workshop descriptors, and to book one or more session for the group of teachers that you support, find the link the professional learning request form below.

Read more...

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: Tue Jan 20th 2026 09:00-10:00

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