Latest News

A selection of language-related news. Does not claim to be comprehensive or represent the views of SCILT.

Latest News

19 December 2024 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

In 2021, to mark the 100th birthday of Jacqueline Munro-Lafon, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT came together to create an essay prize competition to commemorate her life and work. The competition is currently run by the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and the Alliance Française, Glasgow, with the co-operation of SCILT. The judging criteria for this prize mirror elements of the writing marking guidelines for AH French, offering pupils an opportunity to showcase their French writing skills in a national forum with a first-place prize of £500, sponsored by the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, and two runner-up prizes of £100, sponsored by SCILT.

Eligibility:

  • For learners of French at Advanced Higher level.
  • This competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

Requirements:

  • The essay will be in French.
  • Between 350 and 500 words in length.
  • The essay will be reviewed and proofed once by you/the learner’s teacher before the final revision of the essay is submitted. This proof-reading and feedback, seen as a learning exercise, would be limited to drawing your learner’s attention to where improvements can be made in accuracy of language and style.

Timeline:

  • Registration will be open for schools from Monday 6 January 2025.
  • Registration will close on Friday 26 January 2025.
  • All necessary information, including this round’s essay topic and supporting material will be sent to registered schools on Thursday 30 January.
  • The deadline for submitting essays will be Friday 21 March 2025.

Read more...

18 December 2024 (Schools Week)

Thousands of secondary pupils are facing “significant disruption” after the government scrapped its state school Latin programme mid-year as it seeks to plug a fiscal black hole.

In a letter seen by Schools Week, the Department for Education has informed schools it is terminating its Latin Excellence Programme (LEP) in February.

The £4 million scheme was supposed to run until 2026, but government has enacted a break clause to end it earlier. The scheme provided a centre of excellence to create resources for partner schools, and also funded teacher salaries and trips to Rome.

Read more...

18 December 2024 (Yahoo News)

Pupils at a school in Cornwall have been learning British Sign Language (BSL) as part of their Christmas nativity play.

"All of the staff, the children, they've immersed themselves in learning sign language," said Janine Clemence, a teaching assistant in year four at St Michael's Primary School in Helston.

"To see the children signing like they do it just makes my heart melt, it's wonderful."

British Sign Language (BSL) is not currently part of the national curriculum but schools can choose to teach it.

Read more...

10 December 2024 (BBC)

The BBC has released new images and more details on its most expensive Gaelic TV drama.

An t-Eilean (The Island), which cost more than £1m per episode to make, is a four-part thriller from BBC Alba centred around a murder investigation.

The show is the BBC's first Gaelic language crime drama and is due to air early next year on BBC Alba, BBC iPlayer and BBC Four.

Read more...

10 December 2024 (Renfrewshire 24)

If we are to protect the Gaelic and Scots languages, then we must give them equal respect with English under the law, says Local Green MSP Ross Greer.

Mr Greer has lodged amendments to protect and support Gaelic and Scots as part of the Scottish Languages Bill, which will be considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee on Wednesday.

If passed, Mr Greer’s amendments will write into law the principle that Gaelic and Scots be given equal respect to English and define what is meant by their ‘official status’ as languages of Scotland.

An additional amendment from Mr Greer would apply further duties under the 2005 Gaelic Language Act to colleges, universities, ScotRail and Scottish Water.

A total of 97 amendments have been lodged for the bill, of which 46 have been lodged by Mr Greer.

Read more...

10 December 2024 (British Council)

Established in 1905, the British Council’s English Language Assistants (ELA) programme is a major UK mobility initiative that offers paid teaching placements abroad, providing the perfect opportunity to travel, teach and gain invaluable experiences along the way, including enhancing or developing language skills!

Applications to be an English Language Assistant in 2025-26 are now open! 

Visit the British Council website for more information about the programme and application process.

Application deadline is 1pm on Thursday 30 January 2025.

Read more...

10 December 2024 (Scottish Mathematical Council)

The Scottish Mathematical Council would like to welcome you to participate in the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition Mathématiques sans Frontières. We are hopeful that we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages. For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

Please find attached a training test for Mathématiques Sans Frontières and one entry form for the competition proper. S4/GCSE classes should attempt questions 1-10 and S5/A-level classes questions 1-13.  A whole class should attempt the test with questions divided up between groups to ensure that the questions can be completed in the allotted time of 90 minutes. Question 1 will require an explanation in a foreign language. We hope that this encourages cross-curricular working and teamwork. 

The competition proper will be held on Thursday 13 March 2025. All schools competing will receive a certificate. The winning entry will receive a prize. Previous prizes have including visits from science communicators, maths puzzle events, donations to charities, and incredible badges showing off our love of mathematics! 

Schools who would like to register for the competition are kindly requested to complete the proforma attached and return by Friday 31 January 2025, or simply register via the SMC website. We will send out the actual test as a PDF file by e-mail on the Friday prior to the test. We would therefore kindly ask you to ensure that the e-mail address provided is legible or, preferably, typed. It would also be beneficial to provide an alternative e-mail address, which may help prevent firewall issues. 

You can view previous papers and other competition information via the SMC website but please don’t hesitate in reaching out with any queries. 

Read more...


Related Files

10 December 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Fokus Film Festival offers a diverse and captivating selection of recent German films, covering a wide range of themes and genres. All films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles.

The festival will take place from 21 January (opening) to 20 February 2025. During these four weeks, you are invited to watch films as part of our festival across Scotland.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for programme details.

Read more...

10 December 2024 (Institut français)

Do your students need a boost in preparing for French AH? They could join the Institut français’ online 8-hour workshop.

The workshop aims to help prepare for the Advanced Higher in French in the 4 skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The workshop will be delivered by an experienced and qualified French native-speaking teacher, familiar with Scottish national exams.

When?

Fridays, from 1.30 to 3.30 pm.

17, 24, 31 January and 7 February.

How?

Online with Zoom.

To register for the online course, please visit the Institut français website.

Read more...

7 December 2024 (Scottish Daily Express)

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf was left humiliated in meetings with the French and German Consul General after they brought up a huge drop in pupils learning their languages. Critics highlighted that this was another damning indictment on the SNP's failing education system.

Recent figures published by the Scottish Government show a big decrease in the number of pupils taking a language at Higher, with this falling by a quarter between 2019 and 2023. Schools are also struggling to recruit teachers in language departments, as shown by the number of French teachers in Scottish schools, decreasing from 1,070 in 2008 to 613 in 2023 – the worst on record.

Read more...

5 December 2024 (CIOL)

To highlight the importance of language learning, Duolingo is challenging Westminster MPs and peers to learn a language in 2025 and compete to be the first ever Westminster Language champion. Starting on January 1st and running to the end of March, the three best performing individuals will win a share of £20,000 for a charity of their choosing, with the winner crowned Duolingo's Language Champion for 2025 at an event in Parliament in April.

Read more...

5 December 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

Calling all young German learners in Scotland: Are you ready to show off your creativity and passion for learning German?

The competition is open to groups of pupils or entire classes from P6 to S6 in Scotland. The challenge to submit a creative video with a focus on your tips for learning German!

Teachers have until 7 February to submit entries.

Full details on the Goethe-Institut website.

Read more...

3 December 2024 (Japan Foundation)

The Japan Foundation invites students to share their thoughts and viewpoints, as well as show their creativity and have fun challenging themselves by entering this contest and using their Japanese!

JaLaChamp, or Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK, is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese. There are two categories - the speech category, where students give a speech on a theme of their choice, and the video category where students are asked to create an original video either by individual or part of a group.

Students can choose the category/division they apply for according to their age and level of Japanese.

  • Application deadline for Speech Category: Tuesday, 4 February 2025 at 15:00
  • Application deadline for Video Category: Tuesday, 4 March 2025 at 15:00

Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and to apply.

Read more...

3 December 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to offer all primary and secondary state schools the opportunity to have a Chinese language assistant teacher in their school/cluster free of charge in 2025-26!

Your teacher could help deliver L3 Mandarin to primary and secondary BGE classes, lead IDL projects such as Eco Learning Partners organise live-link ups with Chinese schools, team teach with Virtual Exchange Teachers (VETs) team teach with your own staff, work with small groups for speaking activities, support senior phase learners with preparation for NQs alongside the Discovering China programme. This exciting opportunity could complement or supplement any existing Mandarin provision you have. Having a Mandarin language assistant teacher could revolutionise your L3 provision next year.

For more information contact karen.liddle@strath.ac.uk

3 December 2024 (Open Book)

Come along to Open Book’s monthly Scots creative writing programme, a free series of creative writing sessions which take place via Zoom, and which are led by trained facilitator, author Alan McClure. These sessions are designed as a gentle introduction to writing in Scots and are open at anyone who’d like to give it a try in a friendly and welcoming setting. Beginner and more experienced writers are all welcome.

The next two sessions will take place on:

  • Monday 9 December, 11-12:30pm
  • Monday 13 January, 11-12:30pm

Sessions can be booked now via Eventbrite, and participants will be sent the Zoom link in advance of the sessions by email. 

Read more...

3 December 2024 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse is happy to be part Languages Week Scotland!

Now in its seventh year, Languages Week Scotland 2025 on the theme “Our multilingual futures” will take place from 3 to 8 February at the Institut français d’Écosse.

Come to discover the diversity and richness of languages in Scotland with activities for all ages! There will be conferences, a film screening and a reading for children.

Join us 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! Event to be held in English, French and Scots.

Come and meet Tania Czajka and her Parisian garden friends as they embark on a charming bilingual adventure in the cold French winter. Tania will perform a short puppet show.

Keep an eye on our website!

Read more...

28 November 2024 (Argyll & Bute Council)

Suitable for P4-7 classes. French and Gaelic are now provided at two levels. Please sign up here.

Teachers learn alongside their pupils in real time and are supported to lead the learning in their own class. The lesson structure alternates between short bursts of direct teaching from the online teacher, followed by the class teachers leading their own class in a game. This format allows the learning to remain active and fully engage the learners. These courses provide on the job professional learning and help teachers make the time for languages in the curriculum.

Each lesson lasts approximately 40 minutes and will take place via GLOW Microsoft Teams. All resources will be available to download in advance of the session and will be stored in the GLOW Team.

Read more...

21 November 2024 (CISS)

CISS is delighted to announce a poster competition to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Snake. The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland, with a deadline for entries on Thursday 16 January 2025.

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Entries should include references to the following criteria and will be judged against these:

  • Snakes
  • Mandarin Chinese language and characters
  • The year 2025
  • New Years
  • Colours and creativity!

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, with the poster being used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card.  

Please submit a high-quality photo or scan of each entry via the submission form.

Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2025 Year of the Snake flyer showing previous years' poster entries and outlining competition rules and deadline of 16 January 2025.

19 November 2024 (SCILT)

Primary teachers, would you like the opportunity to collaborate with the Multilingualism through Art (MtA) team in the new year? Please read on for more information!

For those who don’t know us, the MtA team is made up of a small group of colleagues (4) from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde and SCILT. Our work mainly focuses on multilingualism and multilingual approaches towards language learning, notably using art and creative methodologies. In the new year, we are planning to deliver 3 live online lessons that will explore multilingualism and language learning through an art-based lens. In order to plan these lessons, which will take place between January and March, we are looking to work alongside teachers of primary, more specifically, those working with learners from P5 – P7 to collaborate with. The idea is that the MtA team will work with the class teacher to plan and design a lesson that adopts a multilingual approach to language learning with an art focus. Following on from the planning process, the MtA team will join the class online and team-teach with the class teacher to deliver the lesson. This lesson can be drawn from the Multilingualism through Art resource pack or we can discuss any other ideas that you may have. Ultimately, we aim to co-create a lesson with the teacher to best meet the needs of their learners.

You can select one from the following dates and please note, each lesson will take place on Microsoft Teams from 1.30 pm – 2.30pm.

  •  Thursday 23 January
  •  Thursday 27 February
  •  Thursday 20 March

We intend to meet with all teachers taking part during the week beginning 6 January to begin the discussion and planning process.

If you would like to get involved in this exciting opportunity, consider which date works best for you and register your interest here.

Please note that places are limited, and we can only accept one class per school for each date. You will be notified if you have secured a place week beginning 9 December 2024.

8 November 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT invites you to use your knowledge of German and the German-speaking world to show what German means to you!

  • Design a poster, including as much German language as you can, to show what the German-speaking world means to you. 
  • Use the title Das bedeutet Deutsch für mich! 
  • Individual or group entries are welcome. Group entries: use the title Das bedeutet Deutsch für uns!
  • Judging categories: P1-4, P5-7, S1-3, S4-6.  
  • Each category includes a “German learners” and “German background” category: 
  • Submissions from children and young people who have learned German in school should submit their posters in the “German learners” category. Please note that this competition is open to all learners regardless of level of German. This includes those with no prior learning. 
  • Those with a home or family background of German, or other experience of learning German outwith mainstream school, should submit their posters in the “German background” category. 
  • Some young people are likely to fall into both categories – in this case, please select the category that best suits their situation. 
  • The closing date is Friday 28th February 2025
  • Entries should be emailed by teachers in the form of a photograph to scilt@strath.ac.uk with German Poster Competition in the email subject line. 
  • A signed Submission and Consent Form should also be sent at the same time for each entry. It is perfectly acceptable to upload a photograph of this form; it is not necessary to scan the document. 
  • In order to assist judging, please ensure that the sections of the Submission Form indicating level of German learning and where the inspiration for the poster came from are completed. 
  • Each entry should state the school name, pupil name and age category in its file name. 
  • Winners will be notified and announced before Easter 2025. 

We look forward to seeing your entries! 

11 October 2024 (SCILT / eSgoil)

We are delighted to be working together with e-Sgoil and DYW Live again this year to deliver the Languages and Your Career webinar. In this session we will explore how languages can contribute to success in a wide range of jobs and career paths. This webinar aims to introduce secondary learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work. It is an interactive session with input from people who use languages in their work.

The Languages and Your Career workshop will be repeated each month on different days and times from October until January. The series will then end with a Languages Week Scotland special event in February. All dates are now available to book:

Tuesday 29 October 2.00 – 3.00

Wednesday 27 November 10.00 – 11.00

Monday 16 December 11.00 – 12.00

Friday 17 January 10.00 – 11.00

Thursday 6 February 2.00 – 3.00

All sessions will take place in Glow Teams.

For more information and registration details, see the e-Sgoil website.

Read more...

3 October 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Online programme is a fully online offer available to all schools across the country. Our interactive monthly online sessions are led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures. You can read more about the programme on our website. Sign up to bring your classes along to any/all of the sessions listed!

Upcoming sessions are as follows:

Wednesday 30 October:  9.00 – 10.00am

Tuesday 26 November:  2.00 – 3.00pm

Friday 24 January:  10.00 – 11.00am

Wednesday 26 February:  11.00am – 12.00pm

Tuesday 18 March:  2.00 – 3.00pm

All sessions will take place on Microsoft Teams. For more information and to book to bring your class(es) along, visit the Language Ambassadors Online programme webpage.

Read more...

19 September 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

Welcome to Living Languages, a series of conversations organised by Languages@Strathclyde and focussing on the theme of employability.

The Living Languages series is an opportunity to hear from high-profile guests, and early career graduates, from a variety of sectors, talking about the role languages have played, and continue to play, in their professional lives.

For this season, we are very pleased to introduce a very exciting list of guests who will share their experiences of using languages in a professional setting. For each event, the relaxed conversation format will also allow audience participation.

Living Languages 2024-25 Programme

  • Tuesday 1 October, 5.30pmFrom garage to global: building a successful language-based start-up
    In conversation with Mark Pentleton, polyglot and CEO of Coffee Break Languages.
    Tickets ► Eventbrite
     
  • Thursday 31 October, 5.30pmChasing your dreams abroad: playing the game in Paris
    In conversation with Finn Russell, professional rugby player and captain of Scotland.
    Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
     
  • Tuesday 26 November, 5.30pm TBCWhere are they now? Stories from recent graduates
    In conversation with Tom Bell (Producer - Visual Radio – at the BBC), Marjorie Hogarth (Assistant Market Development Manager at Visit Scotland), Daniel Hayes (Sales and Account Manager at My Language Connection) and Kristina Bachtler, HR and Operations Manager at Coffee Break Languages.
    Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
     
  • Monday 3 February, 5.30pmA conversation with Amparo Fortuny, Producer and Filmmaker
    The evening will also feature a screening of one of Amparo's films.
    Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
     
  • Monday 25 February, 5.30pmMultilingualism in Media: Providing a voice to a multicultural community
    In conversation with Rhiannon J Davies, Editor-in-chief, Greater Govanhill magazine
    Tickets available now ► Eventbrite

23 August 2024 (SCILT)

Calling new and recent entrants to primary teaching in Scotland. Undergraduate and postgraduate primary education students at Scottish universities and qualified primary teachers in your first four years post-qualification – we mean you! 

If you have an interest in developing your practice relating to the languages - both home and taught, signed and spoken – represented in your classroom, then you will not want to miss SCILT’s ECT Primary Languages Signpost Sessions. Tailored just for you. 

Our Signpost Sessions will be chock full of: 

  • ideas and 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 stage in their career across the country 

Join us online on MS Teams, after school on the last Wednesday of the month every second month. It’ll be a friendly, informal opportunity to connect and ask questions, to find support and solutions. Whatever you need, we will point you in the right direction. 

  • 25 September 2024, 16.00–17.00. Signpost 1: First steps in teaching languages in primary 

  • 27 November 2024, 16.00–16.45. Signpost 2: Pedagogies for multilingual primary classrooms 

  • 29 January 2025, 16.00–16.45. Signpost 3: Digital tools for primary languages 

  • 26 March 2025, 16.00–16.45. Signpost 4: Target language phonics 

  • 28 May 2025, 16.00–16.45. Signpost 5: Interdisciplinary language learning 

Sign up for as many as you wish.

Please also find attached flyer which can be shared with colleagues. 

We can’t wait to see you there. 

Read more...


Related Files

The latest languages news direct to your inbox - sign up to our weekly bulletin

Sign Up Now
University of Strathclyde Education Scotland British Council Scotland The Scottish Government
SCILT - Scotlands National centre for Languages