Latest News

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

Latest News

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.

Please note that places are limited, and we can only accept one class per school for each date.

18 November 2024 (BBC)

The closure of two undergraduate courses at a university is "demoralising" to staff, a union has said.

Northumbria University said it had proposed cutting two joint degrees from next September - business with Spanish, and business with French.

University and College Union (UCU) official Jon Bryan said the move flew in the face of "commitments" made by the university's head a few weeks ago about "no planned programme closures".

The university said students would be able to keep studying foreign languages as part of their degrees as part of its wider programme.

Read more...

15 November 2024 (Queen's College Oxford)

At an event on ‘Making the Case for German’ last week, led by a coalition of partners committed to promoting language learning, I (Dr Charlotte Ryland, Supernumerary Fellow and Founding Director of The Queen’s Translation Exchange) had lots of great conversations with some of my favourite people from my favourite profession – languages teachers in schools. These conversations are always a highlight, both because it’s such a pleasure to speak to fellow linguists, and because the insights from teachers into their experience of the languages classroom and curriculum, and how these interact with our Creative Translation programmes, are so helpful as we develop our work. Despite a vibrant community of motivated and committed teachers, our impression from these discussions is that an increasingly limited school curriculum has put languages in crisis.

[..] Conversations like this with teachers led us to found the Anthea Bell Prize, and those conversations have remained central to our programmes as they’ve expanded. The latest development in our work is entirely collaborative in this way. Find out more and how you, as a language teacher, can get involved in the project.

Read more...

15 November 2024 (The Guardian)

Axel Scheffler, the illustrator behind the international children’s bestseller The Gruffalo, has launched a book to help primary school pupils learn German.

Wuschel auf der Erde: A New Adventure in Learning German tells the story of a friendly alien called Wuschel arriving on Earth from a distant planet with a mission to learn German. Through Scheffler’s distinctive illustrations, children are introduced to their first German words, such as die Maus (mouse) and der Spielplatz (playground), in a fun and interactive way.

The book is written by Christiane Günther and Andrea Schweizer.

Commissioned by the Goethe-Institut, 2,000 books have already been sent to schools in England. The German cultural institute has developed lesson plans and audio teaching aids to be used alongside the book and will offer language courses for children incorporating Wuschel.

Read more...

15 November 2024 (Institut français)

Between September and November, the Institut français d’Ecosse has been organising free online teachers’ training workshops.

Aware that the days and times did not necessarily suit timetables from teachers across Scotland and wishing to reach out to most teachers teaching French in primary and secondary schools, we invite you to complete a short survey aiming at identifying the best day/time to conduct such trainings.

The survey will take you a few minutes to complete.

Please kindly complete the survey before 25 November 2024.

The data collected will be stored and used for internal purposes only. 

Thanking you in advance for your input!

14 November 2024 (The Herald)

A new show which tells the story of Scottish culture, history and identity as well as exploring the myths of the country will go on tour next year.

Through the Shortbread Tin will open at Corn Exchange in Melrose on April 2, 2025 and head on a tour that sees it performed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ullapool, Stornoway, Portree, Dornie, Cumbernauld, Oban, Helensburgh, Lerwick and Inverness over the course of a month.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Read more...

12 November 2024 (The Herald)

A new digital-first Gaelic language production will be launched in Scotland after a joint agreement between BBC Alba and BBC Scotland.

The first-of-its-kind co-commissioning project commits £800k over two years, funded by MG ALBA and the BBC, and aims to identify and develop projects that resonate with all Scottish audiences.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Read more...

12 November 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut offers a range of opportunities for teachers and learners of German. Follow the relevant link below to find out more about their latest initiatives:

  • Book Launch "Wuschel auf der Erde" - Based around the new story book illustrated by Axel Scheffler, younger learners are introduced to their first words of German through the adventures of the alien Wuschel and his friends. Includes comprehensive teaching materials for specialist and non-specialist teachers.
  • Football camp with FC Augsburg - Aged 15-17 in February 2025 and passionate about German and football? Apply now to participate in a one-week football camp with the FC Augsburg, Germany, with likeminded young people from all across the UK and Northwestern Europe!
  • “Exchange2Change” - A creative exchange programme for young people aged 14-17 who would like to develop a creative project with young people from Germany. The programme is directed at young people who do not learn German yet.
  • “Unternehmen Deutsch” (Enterprise German) competition - A competition for secondary school classes and university students to get to know German companies in their region and develop a business idea themselves, with fantastic prizes for the best entries. 

12 November 2024 (The Language Show)

If you missed last weekend's virtual event don't worry, everything is now available on catch up!

  • recordings of nearly 80 sessions
  • nearly 90 amazing speakers
  • 50 talks for teachers
  • talks for professionals
  • talks for learners

All this for £12. Visit the Language Show website to obtain your on-demand ticket.

Read more...

12 November 2024 (Education Scotland)

Senior leaders, teachers in schools and local authority officers can use this Education Scotland case study to reflect on and review the Gaelic Medium Education (GME) secondary curriculum within their schools. Challenge questions form part of this resource which can be considered in support of planning for improvement.

In preparing this case study, a range of sources were used such as, interviews with staff and senior leaders at the Nicolson Institute.

Access the full resource on the Education Scotland website.

Read more...

12 November 2024 (Le Petit Monde)

The bilingual and accessible English/French picture book Lapin is Hungry by Tania Czajka is now available on TBR Books in: Chinese/French, Arabic/French, German/French and Spanish/French. 

For the FREE AUDIO versions, go to Le Petit Monde Stories.

For discounted large orders, contact TBR Books at contact@calec.org

picture of the Lapin is Hungry book cover showing Lapin dressed in a blue and white striped hat with background image of a hill with French iconic symbols like Eiffel Tower, croissant, baguette at the top

11 November 2024 (Lifelong Education Institute)

This thinkpiece explores the critical importance of incentivising the uptake of foreign language skills in the UK, both in schools and at university, as well as in the working world.

Highlighting the multiple positives and advantages to be gained in the learning of another language, it puts forward thoughts on the establishment of lifelong language pathways. 

Read more...

8 November 2024 (TES)

Applies to England

Language learning in schools has been hit by a series of threats in recent years, including teacher shortages, missed targets for those studying the English Baccalaureate (and thus languages), Brexit, harsh grading and a packed curriculum.

Subject experts hope Labour’s decision to undertake a curriculum and assessment review will provide a “moment” to raise the status of modern foreign languages (MFL) as part of a broad education.

However, there are also concerns that the next set of education reforms could diminish the subject’s position, making a challenging situation even worse.

Read more...

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! 

7 November 2024 (British Council)

International Education Week 2024 takes place from 18 to 22 November.

International education is a precious thing to offer pupils and students, helping them to open their eyes to the world and build bridges to other cultures. Throughout International Education Week we will celebrate the best of what schools are doing and offer you the opportunity to explore what you can do to bring the world into your classroom.

Join us for online events such as Bring the world into your classroom and Reading for pleasure - Live!; check out new resources such as Welcome to Germany and the German-speaking world or search through our Top resources for inspiration; inspire your students with videos by people who use languages in their work; inspire yourself with Stories from the classroom! And don't forget to apply for the International School Award, an official recognition of your achievements that you can share with your community.

Engage and motivate your students and help them discover other languages, countries and cultures. Get involved with International Education Week 2024!

Read more...

UCL (7 November 2024)

One of the aims of the UK government’s current curriculum and assessment review is to ‘break down barriers to education’. Our research within the NCLE Language Hubs programme contributes to this discussion by exploring pupils’ access to languages. We found that policy decisions made at the school level can significantly boost the uptake of languages at GCSE – but this can come at the expense of inclusion. 

Read more...

31 October 2024 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is about to launch a series of two courses aimed at university students.

These will be in the form of workshops, which will take place from Wednesday 20 November to Wednesday 11 December. The two workshops offered are:

  • Translation Workshop - Wednesday, 1:25 pm - 2:55 pm (Level B1/B2)
  • Conversation + Grammar - Wednesday, 3:05 pm - 4:35 pm (Level A2/B1)

The price for the 4 workshops is £60. All information is available on the Alliance Française website.

Read more...

29 October 2024 (SCILT)

In case you missed it, the popular SEET competition for Secondary School learners is being run by SCILT this year and we have just updated our webpage with some extra support materials for anyone interested in taking part. 

Firstly, you can find the recording of an information session for teachers held on 26 September which will tell you all about the project, what’s involved and what’s changed this year. 

Secondly, you’ll find our fabulous learner support video which includes information, tips, activities and video tutorials for learners to find out how to go about preparing their entry. This video can be played in class with learners and used to introduce the project and get them thinking about their entries.

Both of these resources can be found in the Tutorials dropdown on the Our World page.

Finally, for anyone planning on taking part this year, we have a drop-in support session from 4-5pm on 7 November. Sign up to come along and ask any questions you may have about preparing your entry.  

22 October 2024 (eSgoil)

eSgoil, in partnership with Edinburgh University and the Japan Foundation, are offering beginner courses for Japanese Language and Culture.

The courses are aimed at secondary school learners and will be delivered in Microsoft Teams via Glow. They are available at 3 levels: Beginners Level 1, Beginners Level 2 and Beginners Level 3.

Visit the eSgoil website for more information about the courses and dates from November 2024 to January 2025 and to register. Limited places available!

Read more...

22 October 2024 (Into Film)

The Into Film Festival is a free, annual, nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds taking place from 8 to 29 November.

This year's programme includes a screening in Glasgow of Room on the Broom followed by a reading of it in Scots language, a German screening in Aberdeen The Teacher’s Lounge, and for fans of the French comic hero Astérix there's still space at the screening in Hamilton!

Visit the Into Film Festival website for full programme details.

Read more...

22 October 2024 (Oxford German Network)

The 13th Oxford German Olympiad is now open!

This year's topic is: Spiel und Sport

The competition is open to upper primary and secondary learners of German, with further categories for group entries (2-4 participants) as well as the Discover German Taster category for those with no prior experience of studying the language. 

Visit the Oxford German Olympiad website for full competition details and guidelines. Closing date for all entries is Thursday 6 March 2025 at 12 noon.

Read more...

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...

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...


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