Primary
6 December 2019 (TESS)
From making imaginary pizzas to becoming interior designers for a doll’s house, learning through play isn’t just for the youngest pupils, argue two Glasgow teachers. They tell Emma Seith how they are using it to support children who speak English as an additional language – and to connect with colleagues around the world.
Have you heard the tale about play-based learning, a viral Facebook page and one of Scotland’s most diverse communities? It involves two young teachers in Glasgow, who have gained thousands of followers around the world for their imaginative use of play in the classroom.
The magic happens at Holy Cross Primary in the Govanhill area, which serves a truly multicultural community. Holy Cross has a significant Romanian and Slovakian pupil population, and there are a large number of children with Pakistani heritage, many of whom speak Urdu and Punjabi. Overall, 80 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language – something that proved challenging for Rebecca Meighan and Claire Scally when they were both teaching P1.
So, what are they doing that has struck such a chord with teachers around the world?
Meighan and Scally quickly realised that before they could push on with reading and writing skills, they needed to first build up their pupils’ English vocabulary. But they didn’t want to simply show pictures – they wanted pupils to be able to “see and touch and feel these objects”. The solution was to enable them to acquire language in a more natural way: to let them play.
“When we got to teaching phonics, initial sounds and word blends, we were finding it really difficult because the children were coming either with little English or no English at all,” explains Scally. “You always start with the letter S – the ‘sss’ sound – but when we were trying to get them to think of words that start with the letter S, they were just looking at us blankly.”
Meighan and Scally decided to change tack. After brainstorming words with the sound they wanted children to learn that week, they set up play activities related to that sound. For instance, with the “V” sound, one activity was to make a volcano erupt (with lava produced by combining vinegar and baking soda). The children were also given the chance to role-play being a vet; one of the suggested activities was taking a pet dog for a vaccination.
The plan achieved the desired result: instead of looking blank when they were asked to give examples of words featuring the sound they were working on, the children were able to reel off a list. And, importantly, they remembered these words because they had been immersed in a world (albeit an imaginary one) where they were relevant.
“We knew that if we gave children the chance to interact with these objects – to do and not just see – they would remember them and gain some more language from that,” explains Meighan.
Meighan and Scally set up The Power of Play Facebook page to collaborate with teachers outside their school (bit.ly/PowerPlayGla). They quickly discovered that teachers across the UK – as well as from Finland, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – were on similar journeys and wanted to introduce more play into their classrooms.
At the time of writing, the page had attracted more than 17,000 followers and 16,000-plus likes. Some of Meighan and Scally’s posts, meanwhile, have attracted hundreds of comments.
Many Facebook commenters ask them where they get their resources from, including the miniature apples decorating their cardboard apple trees, brightly painted numbers with googly eyes and “bones” (dog biscuits) used for Halloween activities.
What they have created is a community of teachers helping each other. The ideas that go down well, they say, are the ones that are relatively easy to do, and which feature resources that can be adapted and used again.
(Note - subscription required to access full article)
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4 December 2019 (Scottish Education Awards)
The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.
The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.
Among the wide range of categories are the awards for Gaelic Education and the Internationalism and Languages award.
Nominations are now invited.
Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for further information and to submit your nomination by 14 February 2020.
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4 December 2019 (Institut français)
Do you think you could sing or rap in French? Do you have the skills to make a video clip for your song? If so, this competition is for you!
The competition is open to any student or groups of students in full time education in the national-curriculum primary and secondary schools of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Channel Islands, in 3 age-group categories: 7-11, 12-15, and 16-18.
Entries should be original compositions around 3 minutes long and must be performed in French.
Visit the competition website for more information and submit entries by 3 April 2020.
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3 December 2019 (Greenock Telegraph)
It's a case of mind your languages for Greenock school pupils who impressed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as they put on a superb show at the Scottish Parliament.
Whinhill Primary were invited to bring their culture and diversity showcase to Holyrood and blew everyone away with a special performance.
The Greenock school uses performing arts to bring languages to life and the children were able to express themselves in Gaelic, German and Tamil.
Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan arranged for them to come to parliament and said they proved great ambassadors.
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29 November 2019 (SCILT)
The SCILT professional learning menu for 2019-20 is available for booking. Authorities, clusters or schools may be interested in booking one or more from our range of workshops for primary, secondary and BGE.
Remember all of our professional learning sessions are free to book by teachers and local authorities. You find a date and a venue and get in touch with us.
Details of the workshops available and how to submit a request are on the professional learning pages of our website.
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29 November 2019 (SCILT)
Are you looking for ways to bring the festive season to your languages classroom?
SCILT have compiled a range of online resources for use with your pupils, from songs and games to lesson plans and festive facts. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and around the world!
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28 November 2019 (Queens University Belfast)
This competition invites you to consider the linguistic ‘ingredients’ that make up place-names, and capture elements of these as they exist today in a photo
- Entries welcome from individuals and schools
- Cash prizes for both categories
- Easy to enter, email some details and the photo to townlands@qub.ac.uk
- Closes 31st Dec
- Funded by the ‘Language Acts and World Making project
Visit the website for more information.
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20 November 2019 (Education Scotland)
The November 2019 edition of Education Scotland's newsletter for Gaelic Medium Education is now available to view online.
Topics in this issue include:
- National Improvement Hub resources to support GME in the curriculum
- Music and wellbeing resources
- Professional learning and leadership opportunities
- Early years support
- Sharing effective practice to support improvement
Read more...
20 November 2019 (SEET)
Have you registered your school yet for either of the competitions run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET)?
The Euroquiz project is open to all P6 pupils across Scotland and sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats commence January 2020.
Our World is a film making project for S3-S6 pupils asking them to use modern languages to express thoughts on topics such as migration and sustainable tourism through the media of film. Deadline for storyboard submissions is 3 December 2019.
More information about each project and how to register can be found on the attached document or visit the SEET website.
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19 November 2019 (Turn It On)
The ‘Hour of Code™’ is an initiative by Computer Science Education Week and Code.org to introduce millions of students to one hour of computer science and computer programming and this year will be celebrated in Computer Science Education Week, 9th – 15th December 2019. Try a one-hour tutorial designed for all ages in over 45 languages. Join millions of students and teachers in over 180 countries starting with an Hour of Code.
Now in its fourth year there are even more resources out there for schools to use free of charge. The Hour of Code initiative is a really good opportunity for schools that are not that confident in following the computing curriculum to try it out with students for just one hour as well as some good activities for those that are already teaching it.
On the Hour of Code website there are activities created by many partners for a variety of subjects so that you can bring an hour of code into any lesson, for students, and teachers, of any ability.
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RZSS China Mobile Library - What's on offer?
7 November 2019 (RZSS)
The RZSS China Mobile Library is available throughout Scotland free of charge. Choose from the 'panda pack package' which includes panda expert visits with free panda packs of resources or Chinese Endangered Species outreach sessions. More information can be found on the attached pdf flyer. Please include all the details requested in your email if you wish to book.
RZSS Science Specialist Confucius Classroom - What's on offer?
7 November 2019 (RZSS)
RZSS Specialist Confucius Classroom has limited free places for two sessions at Edinburgh Zoo.
- Our P3-P4 'It makes Panda Sense' session is available to book from October through to December.
- Our P5-P7 'China's animals and habitats will be available from January to April but bookings are being taken now. The P5-P7 session is in our new amazing immersive space!
Please read the attached pdf flyer for more information and please include all the details requested in your email if you wish to book.
Spanish stamp competition
7 November 2019 (RZSS)
RZSS and partner StampIT have launched a great new Spanish competition. It's a fantastic activity which covers many curriculum objectives all starting with just one postage stamp. Tell the story of a Spanish stamp. Full details about the competition and how to enter are on the attached pdf leaflet. This activity links to the RZSS & StampIT Spanish language pack (but you don't need the pack to enter).
The competition will continue to run each year, therefore there is no time limit for entries. Entries will be entered as appropriate to the current year competition, so schools can just send in when complete. All age levels can enter in primary and secondary.
5 November 2019 (British Council)
International Education Week takes place 18-22 November 2019, and British Council has a range of ways to help your school #BeInternational.
International partnerships have changed the lives of pupils in thousands of schools. Pupils who have learnt new languages, developed their understanding of different cultures, and discovered more about the global issues that affect us all. Here are some of the ways you can participate in International Education Week 2019:
- Take the #BeInternational languages quiz
- Enter our Unexpected Voices speechwriting competition
- Partner with a school in Europe through eTwinning
- Partner with a school outside Europe with Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning
- Download The Great Languages Challenge and get your students to design their own challenges for their classmates or peers in their partner school overseas.
- Apply for funding to take your students on an international exchange
- Get recognised for your international work through the International School Award .
- Share your international activity with us using the hashtag #BeInternational
Visit the British Council website to find out more.
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3 November 2019 (Grampian Online)
Entries are being sought for an annual Scots language writing competition.
The Keith branch of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland are looking for entries for the Charles Murray Writing Competition, which encourages the passing down of the Scots language from generation to generation.
The competition was launched to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Murray, an Alford-born poet, and is now into its sixth year.
Work entered into the competition can be prose or poetry and can be written about anything – but has to be in Scots. The competition is open to anyone, of any age, but must be written by two or more people of different generations – for example mother and daughter or grandfather and grandson.
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28 October 2019 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut currently has the following opportunities for schools teaching German. Click on the relevant link for more information:
Visit the main Goethe-Institut website for more information about the organisation and the full range of activities offered.
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28 October 2019 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Ecosse has launched their annual Concours de la Francophonie for schools, which aims to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.
All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.
Entries can be submitted in four categories: P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6.
The submission deadline is 20 January 2020.
This school competition is sponsored by TOTAL E&P, the Franco Scottish Society and is organised in partnership with the Alliance française de Glasgow, SALT, SCILT and the University of Edinburgh.
Visit the Institut français website for more information and to discover previous competition winners.
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Get ready for Hallowe'en!
25 October 2019 (Various)
A selection of spooktastic activities to celebrate Hallowe’en in the languages classroom:
22 October 2019 (British Council)
There’s a new opportunity for Connecting Classrooms partnership schools – the do your :bit competition!
do your :bit is a coding competition, which encourages children and teenagers to combine creativity and technology in solutions for the Global Goals, using BBC micro:bit handheld computers.
The partnership resource has been produced to help schools collaborate on the do your :bit design challenge and enter the competition. Completing this unit together will give pupils opportunities to develop core skills in digital literacy, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, communication and collaboration, and citizenship.
Visit the British Council Connecting Classrooms website to find out more about the competition and how to get involved.
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22 October 2019 (ECNS)
Architects have begun construction on the Chinese outpost of a top-ranked Scottish school that will offer bilingual education to elementary and high school students.
Fettes Guangzhou is a collaborative venture between Chinese education company Bright Scholar and Edinburgh-based Fettes College, opened in 1870, which counts former United Kingdom prime minister Tony Blair among its alumni.
Set to open in September next year, Fettes Guangzhou will be the brand's first international campus.
The school will be dual-curricular, offering up to 2,000 students aspects of both the British and Chinese education systems. Fettes Guangzhou will teach boys and girls and take full boarders as well as day students.
"Fettes Guangzhou will be a true reflection of Fettes College internationally, fully adopt our ethos, provide an outstanding academic education, focus on sector-leading pastoral care and introduce a wealth of co-curricular activities to broaden the horizons of all of its students," said Bruce Dingwall, who is deputy chair of the Fettes Trust.
Situated on the northern outskirts of Edinburgh, Fettes College was named Scotland's top independent secondary school in 2018 by The Sunday Times School Guide, which uses results from General Certificate of Secondary Education, A-Level, and International Baccalaureate exams to determine its rankings.
Several high-profile individuals have attended Fettes, including 2015's Nobel Prize in Economics winner Angus Deaton, Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, and sinologist Roderick Mac-Farquhar, who served as director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.
Bright Scholar is China's largest operator of international and bilingual schools, and the company has made a string of investments in British education in recent years.
Read more...
17 October 2019 (French Film Festival)
The 27th French Film Festival takes place throughout the UK during November and December 2019.
Visit the Festival website to discover screenings near you. Educational packs are available to accompany the following films:
- La Famille Bélier
- Gus petit oiseau, grand voyage
- Une colonie
Read more...
15 October 2019 (Creative Multilingualism)
Many of our students are already multilingual, but our classrooms often don’t reflect this. In our action research project, we were amazed by the transformation that occurred when we invited students to use their home languages in class.
Imagine walking into any science or humanities-based lesson in a UK school or elsewhere in which all of the students are engaged in the same task yet using different languages. For most of us that would probably be an unusual sight. Yet we have to ask ourselves why. Why does this seem such an unlikely scenario when our schools commonly serve a multicultural and multilingual student body with home languages that are not English? If we are to promote multilingualism and encourage students to learn languages other than English, shouldn’t we also value and welcome all the languages that already exist in our school communities?
Think of the wealth of knowledge and intercultural exchange as well as language learning opportunities that students from different backgrounds can bring to the classroom. Also, when charged with the education of children whose primary home language is not English, we need to consider how we can facilitate and encourage our students’ development in their home language too. Multiple longitudinal studies by UNESCO have consistently revealed that a student’s academic proficiency in their home language plays a significant role in their success in additional language learning and across the whole curriculum.
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11 October 2019 (Scottish Government)
The Scottish Government is to provide £2 million of capital support towards a fourth Gaelic primary school in Glasgow.
The new school, likely to be in the north-east of the city, is being built to meet demand for Gaelic medium education.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced the investment as he formally opened the 116th Royal National Mod in Glasgow.
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9 October 2019 (Stornoway Gazette)
A new Gaelic language play about climate change is nearing the end of a successful six week national tour of Gaelic medium primary schools.
An Rabhadh (The Warning), performed by Artair Donald and Katie Hammond, highlights the concerns regarding climate change and points to the positive changes that can be made to reduce waste and our carbon footprint.
The tour, which started at the end of August, will visit 47 schools across Scotland, taking in the central belt, Perthshire, Aberdeen, Argyllshire, Skye and Lochalsh and the Western Isles.
The final leg will include visits to schools in the Highland Council area, East Kilbride and the Isle of Tiree.
Aimed at upper primary pupils, the play has been produced through Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s Gaelic language theatre-in-education project Meanbh-chuileag and was written and directed by Angus Macleod, Drama Officer with Fèisean nan Gàidheal. He explained: “The play features two environmentally-friendly aliens who are on a mission to rescue Earth in the year 2119.
“Unfortunately they find that reversing the effects of environmental damage is not possible but a time-travelling gizmo enables a journey back to 2019 to warn the planet’s occupants before it’s too late.”
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8 October 2019 (Discovery Film Festival)
This year's Discovery Film Festival takes place from 19 October to 3 November. Now in its sixteenth year, the festival brings another selection of the best films for young audiences from around the world. With several native language films on offer, and a programme for schools, language learners have a great opportunity to test their listening and comprehension skills.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Urdu
7 October 2019 (Light Bulb Languages)
Write Away! is a magazine celebrating the writing that primary children do in their language lessons.
All primary schools across the UK are now invited to enter submissions for the next issue. The closing date is 23.59 on Friday 29 November 2019.
Visit the Light Bulb Languages website for full submission guidelines and to read previous editions of the magazine.
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4 October 2019 (London Connected Learning Centre)
London Connected Learning Centre’s Peter Lillington reports back from last week’s UK eTwinning Conference.
If you’re a UK educator of 3-19 year olds and you haven’t yet heard of eTwinning – get up to speed and get in quick (and certainly before 31 October). eTwinning is a free online community for schools in Europe and some neighbouring countries, which allows you to find partners and collaborate on projects within a secure network and potentially access Erasmus+ funding.
This fantastic initiative is supported in the UK by the British Council and of the 670,000 registrations on the platform, more than 27,000 are teachers from the UK. Take a look to get a flavour of some of the projects that show the power of online international collaboration between schools: from coding, robotics, Lego and laughter to challenging perceptions on migration, language learning, history and inclusion.
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3 October 2019 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut is again able to offer a number of grants to teachers for training in Germany. The offer is aiming at German teachers just embarking on their career, as well as at teachers expanding their commitments to GCSE and A-level. Those who train German language teachers are also able to benefit from the variety of courses.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to apply.
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3 October 2019 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's latest Modern Languages Newsletter is now available online. This edition includes an update on 1+2 policy on the delivery of L3 in the secondary context.
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3 October 2019 (Into Film)
The Into Film Festival is a free, annual, nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds.
Taking place from 6-22 November 2019 in various locations across the country, film titles will include premieres and the latest blockbusters alongside old favourites, documentaries, animations, short films, modern foreign language titles and much more, all mapped against curricula from across the four UK nations, and supported by the Festival's various educational resources.
Visit the website to discover screenings near you.
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3 October 2019 (Oxford German Network)
The Oxford German Olympiad competition 2020 is now open!
The 2020 theme is Natur und Technik.
There are four age categories with different competition tasks for each, which can be found on the competition webpage. There is also a category for group/class submissions as well as a Discover German - Taster Competition for those with no prior knowledge of the language.
Visit the website for full details. Submission deadline is 13 March 2020.
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3 October 2019 (Teachwire)
Writing is often the skill that is left alone by the teachers of MFL beginners: “They’ll get mixed up with English… we have to focus on speaking… it’s too hard.”
However, learners will start to write in the new language whether we want them to or not, on any scrap of paper they can find, while we’re teaching.
They like to note down words to help them with speaking activities, for example. Primary language learners enjoy writing – it’s seen as “proper work” – and being able to write successfully in another language gives them a great sense of achievement.
What is writing all about in language learning? We want learners to:
- Make intelligible marks on a piece of paper or other surface, and have the confidence to form those marks correctly
- Put the marks together in a way that forms words, sentences and texts, according to the rules and conventions of the languages they’re studying
- Give meaning to the words and use them to communicate
So, when children write in the foreign language, we want them to form the individual shapes and letters correctly, to be attentive to accuracy and spell correctly, and to understand structure and grammar and in order to create sentences that communicate.
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1 October 2019 (UK-German Connection)
The UK-German Bears project is a free two-week bilateral programme, which puts pupils not only in touch with Alex, the teddy bear from Germany, but also with a German school class. The German class hosts Ben, the British teddy bear, at the same time as the UK school hosts Alex, making this a fun, interactive way for primary children to learn about each other’s language and culture!
If you'd like to host the Bears, dates are still available in the 2019-20 academic session.
Visit the website for more information and to register interest.
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30 September 2019 (Consejería de Educación)
Looking for a partner school in Spain in the 2019-20 academic year? The Spanish Embassy Education Office in the UK and Ireland can help. They will only promote the links between schools. Any actions decided upon by the schools will be their exclusive responsibility.
Visit the website to find out more and to make an enquiry.
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30 September 2019 (British Council)
The British Council report sampled 10 primary schools across Wales, surveying both headteachers, staff and pupils, and interviewed stakeholders from the four regional consortia. By surveying schools who had already used both traditional and innovative methods of including languages in the school’s curriculum the report looks ahead and is able to analyse the benefits of embedding international languages, discussing the differing approaches and make recommendations for other schools based on best practice.
The report outlines some of the innovative methods teachers are using to integrate international languages into the classroom.
The headteachers surveyed in the report saw international languages provision as representing the international ethos and aspirations of their school and supporting children to become ‘global citizens’.
Pupils themselves recognised this; “We like languages because you can go to other countries and meet people, travel the world, do good jobs”.
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24 September 2019 (Alliance Française)
The autumn term has now started at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. Below is information on some of the upcoming events and activities this session. Click on the appropriate link for more information:
To find out more about the full range of courses and activities on offer, visit the Alliance Française website.
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24 September 2019 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has published their latest Gaelic education newsletter. This edition includes information on the following:
- New educational resources
- Leadership programmes
- Sharing effective practice - workshops and resources
- Professional learning opportunities
- Links to information and resources from partners supporting Gaelic in the curriculum
Access the newsletter online.
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19 September 2019 (UK-German Connection)
Apply for funding of up to £10,000 for a Christmas trip to a partner school in Germany this year!
These visits offer primary pupils the chance to get a taste of Germany at Christmas time, meet their German peers and get involved in some seasonal cultural activity. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to brush up their German and develop their skills as young leaders.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
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19 September 2019 (Maths Week Scotland)
As part of Maths Week Scotland, pupils of all ages can participate in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition, which requires students to respond to one of the questions in either Gaelic or Scots.
The competition is inspired by 'Mathématiques sans frontières'. North Lanarkshire Council, the University of the West of Scotland and Heriot Watt University work together to encourage young language learners to apply their knowledge in a Maths setting.
This stimulating and light-hearted competition for secondary schools combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in both their Maths and Language Learning. The first question requires an explanation in a foreign language.
Teachers look out for the e-mail inviting you to take part in 'Mathématiques sans frontières' in January 2020.
Meanwhile get your classes involved this Maths Week in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition. Entry deadline 18 October 2019.
Visit the website for more information.
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17 September 2019 (Erasmus+)
With multilingualism being a key ingredient in making your CV stand out from the crowd, language skills are in high demand.
As well as boosting employability, learning a language also helps people to become more culturally aware, and can even improve cognitive skills in observation, memory and creativity.
In the UK less than half of the working age population can speak a foreign language. The BBC reported earlier this year that foreign language learning was at its lowest level in UK secondary schools since the turn of the millennium.
However, the Erasmus+ programme, which supports language learning in schools, is making a difference by providing funding to UK schools to run vital international activities.
Ahead of the European Day of Languages on 26 September, let’s take a look at the UK language landscape and how Erasmus+ is helping school staff and pupils to reignite their love of languages.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
CPD,
Cultural Diversity,
Funding,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
11 September 2019 (Creative Multilingualism)
All the World is Our Stage: primary pupils never lost in translanguaging, a multilingual performance showcasing heritage and school languages, has brought pupils and teachers from Whinhill Primary School together with actress-singer, Rebecca Cameron, and creative language learning social enterprise, The Language Hub.
Warm and welcome feelings and emotions engulfed me the first time I set foot in Whinhill. Bilingual signs in English and Gaelic adorn the school, leaving no wall silent, and as you venture inside, the building also speaks through imagery and words in French. What a pleasure to the eye, and a delicacy for the soul!
The school currently offers Gaelic and French under the 1+2 language approach to language learning, and hosts a Gaelic Medium Education (GME) unit allowing pupils to learn through the medium of Scottish Gaelic.
The multilingual realities of our pupils is not always acknowledged, or even recognised, in the school context. English as the societal and school language can stifle pupils’ heritage languages. This project sought to combat that by raising awareness about multilingualism and celebrating linguistic diversity through the performing arts.
Visit the website to read the full article, which contains links to the resources used in the project.
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9 September 2019 (UK-German Connection)
As the new school year gets underway, find out about the latest selection of initiatives from UK-German Connection in their autumn newsletter.
This edition includes information about the following opportunities:
- Host a Teacher from Germany in 2020
- Youth Seminars in Germany
- Magical Christmas trips
- UK-German bears - Alex and Ben
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
German,
Cultural Diversity,
Funding,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Study Abroad,
News from language & education organisations
5 September 2019 (UK-German Connection)
There are just over two weeks left to register for this free CPD opportunity to host a teacher from Germany for 1, 2 or 3 weeks in spring/summer 2020.
What are the benefits?
- Choose your own timings - it's flexible and fully funded!
- Enhance the intercultural dimension in your school community
- Share best practice on an international level
- Boost speaking confidence in your classrooms
- Create a connection with a German school
Deadline: 20 September 2019 to host in spring/summer 2020.
Visit the UK-German Connection website to find out more and to apply.
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27 August 2019 (British Council)
Would you like to set up a student exchange visit but don't yet have a partner school?
For schools looking for a partner school, we still have a few spaces available on our seminar in Germany in the Autumn term 2019, designed to allow schools to set up a partnership and plan your exchange.
All arrangements will be made by the British Council and travel, accommodation and meal costs will be covered.
Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply by 13 September 2019. Be quick, spaces are extremely limited!
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cross-Sector Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Funding,
Partnership Working,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
27 August 2010 (MEITS)
Since the 1960s, the implementation of primary languages learning in England has been subject to a number of false starts and has tended to be localised, vulnerable to change and variable in quality (Burstall 1974; Wade and Marshall 2009; Cable et al. 2010). For the first time in the history of language learning, the review of the National Curriculum in 2012 set out to include the teaching of a foreign language to children aged 7 to 11 as a statutory requirement. The new foreign language programme of study (2013) stipulated that children should make substantial progress in one language, either a modern language or an ancient language such as Latin or Greek. The choice of which language to teach was left to individual schools.
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22 August 2019 (SCILT)
SCILT requires a Professional Development Officer to advise and support primary schools across Scotland with language learning and teaching. This is an exciting opportunity to work at national level and drive forward Scotland’s agenda for languages at a strategic level.
The Professional Development Officer will be responsible for developing and delivering a broad range of support measures for teachers of languages. This would include, for example, leading professional learning, managing projects, assuming responsibility for national awards/competitions and other language related events.
It is expected that the postholder will support practitioners in turning policy into practice to create a positive impact on learners. This will be based on identification of practitioners’ needs, with particular reference to the aims of the National Improvement Framework, the 1+2 languages policy and Developing the Young Workforce. The postholder would need extensive experience of leading recent modern language initiatives in a primary school context. Established expertise in creative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment is essential.
Ideally, the post holder will have experience of external partnership working with the aim of developing interesting contexts for learning and intercultural awareness. The successful candidate will be competent in the use of digital technologies and will have the ability to work not only on her/his own initiative but also as part of a team. Excellent organisational, ICT and communication skills are essential, as is an ability to be flexible and responsive to our stakeholders’ needs.
Visit the University of Strathclyde's vacancy portal for further information and to apply. Closing date: 3 September 2019.
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19 August 2019 (RZSS)
The China Mobile Library panda packs are now available online and free! Although the expert visits and outreach have been free of charge since November 2018, the resources in the panda packs used to be either on loan or available to purchase. They are now available online to all - beyondthepanda.org.uk under the China Mobile Library section.
Associated expert visits and outreach sessions are still free and include different materials and resources which are only available on booking. These enhance the learning from the panda packs. Free teaching training sessions can also be booked. See the attached document for more information and visit the website.
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15 August 2019 (Discovery Film Festival)
Discovery is Scotland's International Film Festival for children and young people. Taking place from 19 October to 3 November 2019, the Festival is in its sixteenth year and brings another selection of the best films for young audiences from around the world. With several native language films on offer, language learners have a great opportunity to test their listening and comprehension skills.
Teachers visit the Festival website to take a look at the programme for schools. The programme contains information about associated CPD sessions taking place during August and September which you can attend prior to your school visit.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
CPD,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
14 August 2019 (European Schoolnet Academy)
Are you keen on bringing innovation to your classroom but don't know where to start? Why not get involved with Code Week this October? Teachers from all subject areas with no prior experience of coding are invited to join the EU Code Week - Deep Dive MOOC run by the European Schoolnet Academy. The five-week course begins on 16 September 2019. Enrol and discover how you can incorporate coding into your subject lessons.
Visit the website for more information.
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13 August 2019 (Into Film)
The Into Film Awards is the best place to showcase young filmmaking talent, with categories designed to highlight the large pool of young creatives in the UK. Setting out to discover and honour the most talented filmmakers, reviewers, Into Film Clubs and educators, we encourage children and young people aged 5-19 from all backgrounds and with all abilities to get involved.
The 6th annual Into Film Awards will take place in March 2020, and this year sees some exciting new changes. Entering the Awards now not only gives you the chance to be nominated and join us at our star-studded ceremony in London, but this year, every single verified submission will also be entered into a prize draw to win £1,000 worth of filmmaking equipment for the filmmakers, film clubs or schools!
Visit the Into Film website for more information about the award categories and submit your entry by 6 December 2019.
The site also contains a wide range of films and teaching materials, including a selection for the languages classroom.
Read more...
9 August 2019 (TES)
One head explains how a partnership with a school in Palestine has helped pupils to gain a new perspective on the world.
In the 21 years that I have worked at Lockerbie Primary School, we have developed our international curriculum to help change the perception of what most people think of when they hear Lockerbie – the air tragedy in 1988 – and instead showcase our town to the world in a more positive light and help broaden pupils’ horizons, too.
We’ve done this in numerous ways, from the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, which provides funding to schools for international activities, to working on a number of British Council eTwinning projects, most notably Hands of the World, which brings children of the world together through music and Makaton.
But the international connection that has sparked the most joy over the years has been our link with the Al Shurooq School for Blind Children in Palestine.
The partnership began in 2005 after a series of emails between me and Al Shurooq’s founder, Helen Shehadeh. Our local minister, who met her on a visit to Bethlehem, introduced me to her.
By the end of the year, as pupils, parents and members of the wider school community looked on, I was using my mobile phone and a microphone to talk to Helen during our Christmas assembly. Two of our P7 pupils, aged 11, then spoke with two pupils from Al Shurooq about their respective schools and how they celebrate the festive season, before wishing each other a “happy and peaceful Christmas”. It was one of the most moving moments in my whole career.
Around five years ago we moved on to focused, whole-school joint curricular projects after Ruba Aburdeinah was appointed as the new director at Al Shurooq.
These mini-projects have primarily centred on the United Nations’ International Day of Peace in September. Every year each of my 12 primary classes, plus our nursery classes and Learning Centre for children aged 2-18 with complex and continuing needs, exchanges work on the theme of peace with a different partner school from around the world. Last year, we exchanged items with schools in 15 different countries, with our Learning Centre pupils making “peace postcards” to send to Al Shurooq.
Music has proved to be a unifying force, too, with students using the World Voice Songbook to learn about each other’s cultures through traditional songs in each other’s language.
We have also enhanced pupils’ understanding of life in Palestine through the Culture in a Box project. This eTwinning initiative asks pupils to choose 10 items they think best represent their culture and explain why. These items then go into a shoebox, which is exchanged with boxes from schools in other countries.
Refugee Week is also an important focus for us, once again prompted by our connection with Al Shurooq. This year we took part in Refugee Week’s Ration Challenge, which asked people to eat and drink the same as a Syrian refugee living in a camp in Jordan for a week. Our class teachers also led themed activities throughout the week and we invited parents and the wider community to attend a Time for Reflection assembly.
(Note - subscription required to access full article).
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8 August 2019 (TES/British Council)
We believe every young person should have intercultural and international experience. As the UK’s cultural relations organisation, the British Council creates opportunities for schools and teachers in the UK and worldwide to connect and work together to share ideas and practices.
Our range of international education programmes can help develop teaching skills with funded professional development, connect schools across the globe and bring language learning to life.
TES and the British Council have joined forces to explore different ways to bring the world into the classroom and open the door to a host of international learning opportunities.
Visit the TES and British Council websites to access a wide range of resources and information.
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8 August 2019 (eTwinning)
British Council is giving away free classroom resources to UK teachers to help kick start an international project. Culture in a Box is a ready-made, easy-to-run project, making it easy for your class to exchange aspects of UK culture with that of another school in one (or more) eTwinning countries. The resource is designed to help you to kick start an international project with pre-prepared, cross-curricular activities spanning key stages one to five.
Register on the eTwinning platform before 15 September 2019. The 'Culture in a Box' ready-made resource will then be posted to your school in September.
Visit the website for more information.
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New for 2019-20! SCILT series of professional learning webinars
24 May 2019 (SCILT)
New for session 2019/20, a series of SCILT professional learning webinars.
These webinars offer an alternative to our face-to-face workshops. Practitioners may wish to get together to participate in the live streaming of events which will include opportunities for online discussion. Alternatively, the recorded version can be used as a stimulus for collegiate discussion, in-service days or as part of individual practitioners’ professional development.
Registration will be advertised via the weekly SCILT e-bulletin and on the National Modern Languages Hub prior to these publicised dates.
- Glow login will be required
- Recordings will be available to watch again on National ML Hub under the Anytime Learning tab
Keep an eye on our e-bulletin and social media channels for details of how to register for these webinars in the new session.
OU/SCILT primary languages course
31 May 2019 (SCILT/OU)
We are happy to announce that registration is now open for the OU/SCILT primary languages course, which will be running again from October 2019. In light of positive feedback and popularity of the first year of the course, we are now also delighted to offer a second year, post-beginners’ course. The latter would be suitable for those who have successfully completed year 1 and wish to continue their studies, or for those who are looking to begin studying at a more advanced level.
- The courses will run from October 2019 to July 2020, and will develop language and pedagogy skills; language learning is provided by the Open University and pedagogy is provided by SCILT. The courses are aligned to the Scottish curriculum and support the 1+2 languages approach.
- Both courses are delivered online with two opportunities to attend face-to-face day schools.
- Learning is very flexible and participants can study at a time and place of their choosing.
- Each course carries a fee of £252, reflecting the input and student support for the language and pedagogy strands from both organisations.
Funding may be sponsored through your school or Local Authority who can register on your behalf. Initial registration information must be submitted to the OU by Monday 17 June 2019 and LAs should contact Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.
Students also have the option to fund the fee themselves. In this case, an interested teacher should contact the OU directly at Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.
Here is some further information:
Beginners level
- will be offered in a choice of four languages - French, German, Spanish and Mandarin plus study of primary pedagogy with direct application in the classroom.
- takes students to the end of the equivalent to level A1 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages.
- allows students to gain 15 university credits for the language study.
- also gives students the option to gain GTCS recognition for the pedagogy study; all students will receive a certificate on successful completion from SCILT.
- study hours will be approximately five hours per week, including time spent on the direct application of the new skills in the classroom.
Post-beginners level
- teachers who have started studying one language in the beginners level of the course would need to continue studying the same language at post-beginners level.
- teachers who already have some basic knowledge in one of the four languages can directly enrol on the post-beginners level course to further develop their skills in that language and learn about primary languages pedagogy (without having to have studied beginners level).
- will follow the same format as the beginners level course and will be offered in the same four languages (French, German, Mandarin and Spanish).
- will teach primary languages pedagogy in more depth and cover:
- the skills of writing and reading,
- IDL with a special focus on outdoor learning as well as links with other key subject areas through CLIL,
- learning and teaching of languages in multilingual contexts/communities.
- will have the same:
- number of study hours,
- assessment structure,
- accreditation with 15 university credits,
- optional GTCS recognition for the pedagogy strand, as above ;
- in their language study, students will reach the equivalent of the end of level A2 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages (end of post-beginner level).
- after completing both courses, students would then be in a good position to go on to study one of the standard language courses at the OU should they want to improve their knowledge of the language even further.
Course codes are as follows:
|
Beginners level
|
LXT192 French
|
LXT193 German
|
LXT197 Mandarin
|
LXT194 Spanish
|
|
Post-beginners level
|
LXT191 (language choice will come as a second step once students have registered)
|
OU/SCILT primary languages course
31 May 2019 (SCILT/OU)
We are happy to announce that registration is now open for the OU/SCILT primary languages course, which will be running again from October 2019. In light of positive feedback and popularity of the first year of the course, we are now also delighted to offer a second year, post-beginners’ course. The latter would be suitable for those who have successfully completed year 1 and wish to continue their studies, or for those who are looking to begin studying at a more advanced level.
- The courses will run from October 2019 to July 2020, and will develop language and pedagogy skills; language learning is provided by the Open University and pedagogy is provided by SCILT. The courses are aligned to the Scottish curriculum and support the 1+2 languages approach.
- Both courses are delivered online with two opportunities to attend face-to-face day schools.
- Learning is very flexible and participants can study at a time and place of their choosing.
- Each course carries a fee of £252, reflecting the input and student support for the language and pedagogy strands from both organisations.
Funding may be sponsored through your school or Local Authority who can register on your behalf. Initial registration information must be submitted to the OU by Monday 17 June 2019 and LAs should contact Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.
Students also have the option to fund the fee themselves. In this case, an interested teacher should contact the OU directly at Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.
Here is some further information:
Beginners level
- will be offered in a choice of four languages - French, German, Spanish and Mandarin plus study of primary pedagogy with direct application in the classroom.
- takes students to the end of the equivalent to level A1 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages.
- allows students to gain 15 university credits for the language study.
- also gives students the option to gain GTCS recognition for the pedagogy study; all students will receive a certificate on successful completion from SCILT.
- study hours will be approximately five hours per week, including time spent on the direct application of the new skills in the classroom.
Post-beginners level
- teachers who have started studying one language in the beginners level of the course would need to continue studying the same language at post-beginners level.
- teachers who already have some basic knowledge in one of the four languages can directly enrol on the post-beginners level course to further develop their skills in that language and learn about primary languages pedagogy (without having to have studied beginners level).
- will follow the same format as the beginners level course and will be offered in the same four languages (French, German, Mandarin and Spanish).
- will teach primary languages pedagogy in more depth and cover:
- the skills of writing and reading,
- IDL with a special focus on outdoor learning as well as links with other key subject areas through CLIL,
- learning and teaching of languages in multilingual contexts/communities.
- will have the same:
- number of study hours,
- assessment structure,
- accreditation with 15 university credits,
- optional GTCS recognition for the pedagogy strand, as above ;
- in their language study, students will reach the equivalent of the end of level A2 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages (end of post-beginner level).
- after completing both courses, students would then be in a good position to go on to study one of the standard language courses at the OU should they want to improve their knowledge of the language even further.
Course codes are as follows:
|
Beginners level
|
LXT192 French
|
LXT193 German
|
LXT197 Mandarin
|
LXT194 Spanish
|
|
Post-beginners level
|
LXT191 (language choice will come as a second step once students have registered)
|
Posted in:
Primary,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
CPD,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Qualifications,
Teacher Education,
SCILT news
28 May 2019 (Light Bulb Languages)
Write Away! is an exciting new project from Light Bulb Languages.
It's a magazine celebrating the writing that primary children do in their language lessons.
Open to all primary schools across the UK, submissions are now invited for issue 2. Closing date is 23.59 on Friday 27 September 2019.
Visit the Light Bulb Languages website for full submission guidelines.
Read more...
6 November 2018 (The Herald)
The number of students from Scotland learning a modern language at university has fallen by more than 500 in the past five years.
New figures show 3,400 students chose languages at a Scottish university in 2016/17 compared to nearly 4,000 in 2012/13.
The decline, which shows numbers are falling for German, French, Russian and Spanish, has sparked fears Scotland will become increasingly isolated in the world, particularly following Brexit.
This summer, opposition politicians called on the Scottish Government to launch an inquiry into the decline in the number of pupils studying modern languages at school.
The drop has been blamed partly on curriculum reforms which mean pupils experience a broader education in the first three years of secondary.
That means exam subjects are chosen a year later than previously with a shorter time to prepare - resulting in some subjects getting squeezed out.
Professor Vicente Perez de Leon, Head of the School of Modern Languages at Glasgow University, said the school squeeze was hitting university recruitment.
And he argued language learning at school should be protected and resourced to ensure numbers increase.
“Languages are something that can open possibilities for employment abroad or having better jobs here,” he said.
“They can open minds and allow students to make connections with new people, new cultures and new literature. It should be a priority within the curriculum.”
Dr Dan Tierney, an independent languages expert, said the decline was also fuelled by the closure of some university departments.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
All Languages,
Scotland,
1+2,
Language Learning - Benefits,
Language Learning - Decline,
Language Teaching,
Brexit
29 October 2018 (British Council)
Teachers and school leaders in the UK and across the world are being encouraged to bring the world into their classrooms to celebrate International Education Week (IEW).
Each year, the British Council encourages schools to celebrate International Education Week to promote the benefits of international collaboration, languages and cultural exchange. During International Education Week, 12-16 November, The British Council is focusing on global communication and particularly language learning, believing these skills are more important now than ever. That is why this year’s theme is ‘Be International’.
Visit the British Council International Education Week website to find out more about how your students can take part in the Great Schools Online challenge and to access the IEW teaching resources.
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La Jolie Ronde free trials
29 October 2018 (La Jolie Ronde)
FREE TRIALS available of La Jolie Ronde's two award winning French and Spanish resources and classes.
La Jolie Ronde Languages For Children is a leading early language learning organisation offering a proven method of teaching young children French and Spanish. La Jolie Ronde’s award winning programmes are unique, modern and of the highest quality. FREE TRIALS on their resources are available as follows:
P1-P3 - Little Languages Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE
Little Languages is a unique resource for introducing languages to P1-P3. It provides the perfect solution for introducing some of the different languages and cultures from around the world. To support the non-specialist and as a guide to aid the expert language teacher, Little Languages enables you to start teaching straightaway!
Activities demonstrated in French and Spanish:
- Additional vocabulary & songs in Italian, Chinese, Hindi and African Shona
- Includes fun, play-based activities including IWB material
- Real life DVD clips featuring children from around the world
Product contains detailed lesson plans in a sturdy ring binder & software featuring:
- Lesson plans
- Resources
- IWB activities and games
- Colourful classroom wall frieze (5 x 2m lengths)
- DVD clips
- Also includes French and Spanish traditional and original songs plus songs from other languages
P4-P7 - French and Spanish Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE
La Jolie Ronde’s award winning resource contains everything you need to help plan and implement your policy for teaching a language in one go. The resource is a flexible four-year programme providing support to teachers with no previous experience of teaching languages and a guide for the more experienced, who can modify to suit. One of the biggest benefits of the resource is that everything is already pre-prepared and planned, so you can literally start teaching straightaway!
- Perfect for the non-specialist or an aid for the more experienced languages teacher
- Split into two schemes – for years P4-P5 and P6-P7
- Plenty of material to fill two years and four years
- Pre-prepared lessons, divided into short sessions for flexibility
- Comprehensive and detailed lesson notes
FREE French or Spanish Class
Years of development, dedication and experience in the sector of early language learning, La Jolie Ronde has become the market leader, committed to offering the best possible start to young learners. Through their loyal network of over 560 tutors, who teach in over 1,660 centres, they currently teach in the region of 20,500 children. To find your nearest French or Spanish class and book your FREE TASTER CLASS, visit La Jolie Ronde website.
For your FREE RESOURCE OR CLASS TRIALS simply email your request to La Jolie Ronde quoting SCILT - email schools@lajolieronde.co.uk
28 October 2018 (School Education Gateway)
Join this course to learn about eTwinning and how it can help you design a project-based learning experience for your students in cooperation with colleagues across Europe and beyond. During the course, you will learn about the principles of project-based learning and how to start a project in the eTwinning community.
Throughout the activities, we will look at the entire life cycle of a project, starting with the initial idea, including finding a partner and negotiations to design a common project, and ending with the implementation and evaluation of the project. We will include principles of project work and collaboration, as well as the educational use of various ICT tools that facilitate project work. We will also look at the social aspect of collaborative projects, showing eTwinning not only as a platform in which to implement educational projects, but also as a meeting place between colleagues, an environment where we can share ideas and participate in various professional development activities.
Visit the website for more information and to enrol on the free course, commencing 5 November 2018.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Learning,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
25 October 2018 (SEET)
SEET is delighted to announce that registration is now open for Euroquiz 2018-19!
Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in every local authority from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May.
See the attached flyer to find out more about how your school can get involved and visit the website to watch the Euroquiz Highlights Film for a taste of the Euroquiz journey, including interviews with previous participants and teachers.
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Posted in:
Primary,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations
25 October 2018 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection offers a number of grants for joint activities between schools and youth groups in the UK and Germany.
The next deadline is approaching, so if you have any projects taking place in 2018-19 for which you'd like funding, visit the UK-German Connection website for more information and apply by 31 October 2018.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
German,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Funding,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
24 October 2018 (The Scotsman)
A new study suggests more pupils could learn Chinese and Urdu as part of a shake up in learning foreign languages.
The independent think tank, Reform Scotland, has published a report calling for a fresh approach to be taken towards the education of languages in Scottish schools.
The report indicates a practical model of learning should be introduced to help adapt to changing demand.
The number of Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) entries in “traditionally taught” languages has decreased over the last 20 years, with entries for higher grade French down by 18.2% and entries for German at the same level reduced by 58.4%.
In contrast, entries for higher Spanish exams increased by 219.8% increased over the same period, while Chinese entries have increased by 17.8% in the past two years.
Reform Scotland argue this highlights a changing global economy, with Asia seen as a growing economic market.
The report also calls for an end to distinctions between “community” and “modern” languages so that learning reflects the increasing number of communities in Scotland speaking languages such as Polish, Arabic and Urdu.
Reform Scotland Director Chris Deerin said: “If we want to see genuine growth in language skills in Scotland, rather than just paying lip service to the idea, we need to rethink our approach.
“There is a danger the languages currently on offer within the education system are not keeping up with Scottish or global society.
“We need to think much more freely - as many other countries do - about how best to equip ourselves to thrive in the modern global economy. Brexit, the shift of power from West to East, and Scotland’s pressing need to secure greater economic growth, all demand fresh ideas.”
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
1+2,
Community Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Policy,
Language Teaching,
Scottish Government,
Languages in the press,
Brexit
23 October 2018 (ALL)
In September, we received some fantastic news from the British Council – ALL is part of a successful KA2 ERASMUS +application and along with our partners has been awarded funding for the ELAPSE project.
ELAPSE (Embedding Languages Across Primary and Secondary Education) aims to develop primary and secondary language teachers’ awareness of CLIL and soft CLIL methodology transnationally and build teachers’ confidence and expertise to adopt a cross-curricular approach to the planning and delivery of language lessons. It will involve the creation of a good practice guide as well as resources for teachers of English, French, German and Spanish as additional languages while focusing on Literacy, Numeracy, STEM subjects and Health and Wellbeing. There will also be an online course and training opportunities for teachers in participating countries.
Read more...
Get ready for Hallowe'en!
23 October 2018 (Various)
It's that time of year again and to help celebrate Hallowe'en in the languages classroom we've compiled a range of spooky resources! Click on the relevant link below for more information:
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Resources,
Scots
23 October 2018 (eTwinning)
We are pleased to announce the schools awarded the European Quality Label 2018! A total of 1204 projects received the Quality Label for their outstanding work. See the list of the distinguished schools, teachers' name and the project that got them their Quality Label.
Congratulations to all the Scottish schools on the list who have been recognised with an award!
If you'd like to get involved with eTwinning and collaborative projects with schools overseas, visit the website to find out how you can get involved and be rewarded with a Quality Label for your school.
Read more...
16 October 2018 (British Council)
This year, pupils from Kinlochbervie in the Scottish Highlands took part in our Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme by partnering with Sachangwan Secondary School and Nguzu River Primary in Kenya.
The distance between the schools, which we are reliably told by Kinlochbervie students is exactly 4623 miles as the crow flies, didn’t stop students speaking, giving tours of their schools and teaching each other about their culture.
Via letters, and a video directed by S1 pupils, Kinlochbervie students told their Kenyan peers about otters, lochs, shinty, fishing and snow. In a video response, the Sachangwan students showed off their impressive school grounds, sang, and planted trees in honour of the partnership. There were dance performances on both sides and in footage yet unseen by British Council Scotland, the Kenyan students learned to ceilidh dance.
However the partnership didn’t stop at school tours and dancing. The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme , delivered by the British Council in partnership with the Department of International Development, provides teachers with the resources and training to teach internationally. As part of this, partnered schools work together on a project focusing on one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Kinlochbervie and Sachangwan students chose to focus on gender equality, exploring the issue as part of their Modern Studies (High School) and Citizenship (Primary School) courses. In the summer, P5-S2 pupils hosted an event in Kinlochbervie to celebrate their work on the project. The event featured live performances from the Scottish pupils and video performances by Kenyan pupils around the gender equality theme.
Read more...
12 October 2018 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is a week-long celebration of books and reading that takes place every November. This year's event is taking place from Monday 19 – Sunday 25 November 2018.
There are a range of events, some with specific appeal to Gaelic and Scots readers. Visit the website to find out more on these and other ways you can get involved. Why not host a foreign language reading club or book sale?
Read more...
11 October 2018 (British Council)
Every day at British Council Scotland we hear about how international learning benefits Scottish schools, teachers and pupils. Making this happen is a core part of our work, and we are keen to spread the message far and wide.
Last month, we visited John Paul II Primary School in Castlemilk, where a partnership with a school in Spain has had a powerful effect on pupils. We also heard from our partners at Glasgow City Council, which is a leading example of good practice when it comes to local authorities creating international and intercultural opportunities for their schools.
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Posted in:
Primary,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Europe,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Promoting Languages,
Technology,
News from language & education organisations
10 October 2018 (The Scotsman)
The city council will press ahead with proposals to open new primary and secondary Gaelic schools despite a “problematic” shortage of teachers who speak the language.
The authority hopes to open a new primary school in 2023 where pupils are taught through the medium of Gaelic - while a secondary school could follow by 2024. A host of short-term improvements will also be taken forward.
The council is facing a growing demand for Gaelic education but council officers admit that at the Bun-Sgoil Taobh na Pairce primary school, “as the school has grown, the recruitment of sufficient Gaelic-speaking teachers has proven to be problematic.”
Conservative education spokesman, Cllr Callum Laidlaw, said: “Clearly, there’s a demand for it in Edinburgh for primary expansion. There’s a problem with the citywide catchment area for the current primary school with transport, which is provided by the council. If we move forward with any expansion of primary GME, I would like to see that geographic problem tackled by building it in the south west of the city.
“As it stands, the plan demonstrates ambition rather than reality. There’s a significant recruitment challenge the council has to address first before it moves forward. We need to focus on delivering the six priority high schools in the Wave 4 funding before we commit to the GME secondary school.”
The primary school in Bonnington now has 20 Gaelic-speaking teachers. At James Gillespie’s High School, the city’s Gaelic Medium Education (GME) secondary school, a recruitment drive has helped fill vacancies – but fewer lessons than expected have been taught in Gaelic.
Read more...
9 October 2018 (French Film Festival)
The 26th French Film Festival takes place during November throughout the UK.
School screenings are supported by free Learning Resources prepared by Institut français d’Écosse and Edinburgh Filmhouse. These resources have been designed in accordance with the Modern Languages outcomes and experiences for the Curriculum for Excellence.
Visit the website for full programme details, booking information and to download the accompanying learning resources.
Read more...
8 October 2018 (British Council)
The International School Award (ISA) can help with your vision for school improvement. If you are writing your School Improvement Plan, and you’re looking for something new that has a proven track record of making a difference, then the International School Award could be what you are looking for.
It works in all profiles of schools: primary and secondary, inner-city and rural, thriving and struggling. Everyone has something to gain.
Experienced head teachers like Kevin McCabe, now Director of Improvement at Drb Ignite Multi-Academy Trust, testify to the ISA’s effectiveness as a tool to change the culture of your school. It does this by opening up the classroom to the world, giving the students the motivation they need to change the way they work and enriching the curriculum with cross-curriculum work.
Visit the website for more information and to register interest. Action plans should be submitted by 18 November 2018.
Read more...
2 October 2018 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut is offering German teachers grants for courses in Germany. The programme includes courses on methodology and didactics, "Landeskunde" as well as specialised language courses for teachers.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and apply now for a course in 2019.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
German,
CPD,
Funding,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Promoting Languages,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
27 September 2018 (Global Treasure Apps)
Global Treasure Apps allow schools to publish their own local walking tour content. These tours could be of a local tourist attraction or of the local area. The school could choose to develop the content in L2 or L3, providing students with a practical, hands-on approach to language learning.
Global Treasure Apps workshops are on the school crowd funding site Rocket Fund. Rocket Fund are currently offering a £100 funding boost to the first 50 projects launched before 5th October.
Visit the site to find out about a project at Edinburgh Castle where digital and language students at Edinburgh College worked together to produce a digital treasure trail.
Read more...
21 September 2018 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française offers a range of courses and activities for French language learners. Click on the relevant link below to find out more about upcoming events:
Visit the main Alliance Française website for more information about the organisation and their initiatives.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
19 September 2018 (British Council)
Connecting Classrooms is back, and we have some exciting updates for the new school year.
If you are thinking about taking your school on an international journey this year, it’s time to take a look at how you can join the new Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme.
You can apply for Connecting Classrooms opportunities either as an individual school, or part of a cluster, which will be overseen by a lead school.
Becoming a lead school provides a host of benefits, including access to grants to develop your cluster, the opportunity to deliver CPD to other schools in your area and cover support for your co-ordinator’s time.
Visit the website for more information and apply by 28 October to be included in the first round of grant awards.
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18 September 2018 (Into Film)
Submissions to the 2019 Into Film Awards are now open!
The Into Film Awards is the best place to showcase young filmmaking talent, with categories designed to highlight the large pool of young creatives in the UK. Set out to find the most talented filmmakers, reviewers, Into Film Clubs and educators, we encourage children and young people aged 5-19 from all backgrounds and with all abilities to get involved.
A great place to start is by entering the 'Film of the Month' competition. These entries are also eligible for submission to the Into Film Awards. Why not get your students to create a short film in the language they are learning?
You have until 14 December 2018 to get your entries in and there are resources and guides on the website to help you.
Read more...
18 September 2018 (Into Film)
The Into Film Festival is a free, annual, nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds.
This year's festival takes place from 7-23 November with UK-wide events and screenings. There are some foreign language options included in the 'Visions of Europe' selection of the programme.
Visit the website for more information and to find events near you.
Read more...
17 September 2018 (Erasmus+)
Interested in funding for international pupil exchanges, staff overseas teaching/training placements and partnerships with schools across Europe?
Erasmus+ and eTwinning offer fantastic opportunities for UK schools to connect with schools across Europe.
Taking place in September to November 2018, we are running free sessions in cities across the UK for school staff interested in beginning or enhancing international collaboration. There's an event in Glasgow on 30 October.
Whilst the twilight session offers a particular focus for schools, there is also a daytime information session more specifically for organisations who are new to the Erasmus+ programme and are considering submitting an Erasmus+ application in 2019.
Read more...
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17 September 2018 (Department of Education and Skills (Ireland))
(Applies to Ireland) The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton T.D. today (17th September 2018) launched a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of foreign languages and announced new funding for teacher upskilling and school language exchanges.
The campaign is aimed at school principals, teachers, guidance counsellors, parents, students and higher level institutions. Embassies, cultural services and bodies such as IBEC and Enterprise Ireland (EI) are also involved in supporting the campaign to raise awareness of the importance of learning foreign languages. The campaign will be supported by a new website (www.languagesconnect.ie) which will act as a one stop shop for schools, parents and students on language learning.
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14 September 2018 (SCILT)
Today we're launching the 2018-19 Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition in Scotland.
All students who are learning a language at school, college or university, or who speak a native language at home, can get involved in celebrating their linguistic and cultural diversity through creative poetry writing as there are options to enter in either the Mother Tongue or Other Tongue category. All entries must be the students' own, original work.
For more information about this year's competition and previous events, visit our MTOT website and register to take part! The closing date for registrations is 26 October 2018.
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SCILT news
13 September 2018 (SISF)
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) takes place 19-31 October. Across Scotland, schools and communities are encouraged to take part in an initiative that celebrates the art of storytelling under the theme Growing Stories. The Local Campaign, running from Monday 17 September – Friday 30 November, aims to highlight how stories help communities connect, grow together and play a vital part in preserving heritage and cultures for new generations.
To celebrate, audiences are invited to book a storyteller for a local event, strike-up new community activity and engagement with storytelling.
Visit the Scottish International Storytelling Festival website for more information and suggested ways to take part.
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13 September 2018 (Kidscreen)
BBC Studios has inked a deal with Scottish channel BBC ALBA to bring content from CBeebies and CBBC into Scotland starting on September 17. The Gaelic-language channel is run by Gaelic media service MG ALBA, in partnership with the BBC.
Preschool channel CBeebies will run on ALBA for an hour every evening, ending with a nightly bedtime story, and followed by an hour of Gaelic CBBC content.
The partnership effectively quadruples the amount of original Gaelic children’s content on BBC ALBA, where the CBeebies and CBBC branded blocks will have a similar look and feel to their English-language versions, but with some new talent presenting in the Gaelic children’s zones alongside existing BBC personalities.
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13 September 2018 (UK-German Connection)
Make this a year to remember for your school; welcome a German teacher, take part in our funded Christmas trips to Germany and support your Language Assistant to become a Cultural Exchange Ambassador!
Find out about these initiatives and more in the UK-German Connection 'Back to School' newsletter.
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News from language & education organisations
12 September 2018 (ECML)
ECML are hosting professionals in early years’ education at a workshop on “Inspiring language learning and teaching in the early years – Why it matters and what it looks like for children aged 3-12 years” in Graz, Austria on 12-13 September 2018.
The project is designed to help professionals harness opportunities inherent in linguistically diverse classrooms and use them for the benefit of all pupils. Those involved in early-years education, at whatever level, can in particular find evidence here of good practice and a variety of teaching and learning tools to develop learners’ language competence.
Visit the ECML website for more details and developments.
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10 September 2018 (UK-German Connection)
Welcome a teacher from Germany to any department in your school for 1, 2 or 3 weeks in 2019 to give your pupils a real-life learning context for German language and culture.
What are the benefits?
- Choose your own timings - it's flexible and free!
- Enhance the intercultural dimension in your school community
- Share best practice on an international level
- Boost speaking confidence in your classrooms
- Create a connection with a German school
"The guest teacher's input into our curriculum was excellent. She came equipped with resources and lessons, which she delivered to our classes, helping to boost the numbers opting for German."
To find out how you can take part, please visit the UK-German Connection website and apply by 21 September 2018 to host in spring or summer.
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10 September 2018 (Education Scotland)
e-Sgoil is an interactive, real-time teaching facility which uses Glow, Office 365 and Vscene to support the teaching of Gaelic and through Gaelic in any school in Scotland. It supports the curriculum for 1+2, Gaelic Learner and Gaelic Medium Education. A short promotional video is available on the Education Scotland learning blog.
Read more...
Maths Week Scotland - Mathématiques sans frontières / Maths wi nae borders
7 September 2018 (North Lanarkshire Council)
As part of Maths Week Scotland, pupils of all ages can participate in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition, which requires students to respond to one of the questions in either Gaelic or Scots.
The new competition is inspired by 'Mathématiques sans frontières'. North Lanarkshire Council, the University of the West of Scotland and Heriot Watt University work together to encourage young language learners to apply their knowledge in a Maths setting.
This stimulating and light-hearted competition for secondary schools combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in both their Maths and Language Learning. S4 classes attempt 10 questions and S5 classes 13 questions. Ideally a whole class should tackle groups of questions in order to complete the test within the 60 minutes allowed.
The first question require an explanation in a foreign language. It is hoped that this competition will encourage cross-curricular working and teamwork.
This year 42 teams from 27 schools took part in 'Mathématiques sans Frontières', the winning team in S4 was Girvan Academy and the S5 winners and overall winning school was Grange Academy.
Look out for the e-mail invitation inviting you to take part in January 2019.
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Scots
CLPL for Beyond the Panda
5 September 2018 (RZSS)
Would you like to find out more about 'Beyond the Panda' and what it offers to assist Mandarin language learning? As the first science specialist Confucius Classroom in the world, we would like to invite you to a FREE session for teachers at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo on Tuesday 6 November 2018.
Find out answers to these questions and more:
- What is a 'panda box'?
- How can our programme mix science with language?
- What else does the programme offer?
- What does a science specialist Confucius Classroom mean?
Two CLPL sessions available 10.30-12.30 and 3.00-5.00 on Tuesday 6 November. Booking essential as limited to 20 teachers per session. Open to Primary and Secondary teachers.
Meet Sandie Robb, the RZSS language specialist along with Hù Wáng, our Confucius Classroom teacher.
Contact srobb@rzss.org.uk or 07963 070654 to book a place.
4 September 2018 (Holyrood)
A new Gaelic primary - the fifth school dedicated to the language in Scotland – has been officially opened in Skye.
Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh in Portree is the third Gaelic medium school in the Highland Council area.
It opened to its 133 primary and 47 nursery pupils in April this year, with Education Secretary John Swinney attending a special opening ceremony on Monday.
He said: “It is a pleasure to be involved in supporting Highland Council to realise their vision for the Gaelic language.
“We are seeing growing demand from parents for access to Gaelic medium education across the country which clearly demonstrates that the Scottish Government’s commitments to supporting the language are a having a positive result.
“I commend Highland Council for their actions and look forward to working with them on future projects.”
Gaelic medium education is available in 14 out of 32 Scottish local authorities to all children and young people.
Read more...
The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF)
27 August 2018 (Consejería de Educación)
The fifth Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) will run from 4 -13 October 2018. Primary and secondary schools are invited to take part in its School Programme.
Also, to link with the Year of Young People, special workshops and screenings have been prepared that will explore Spanish language, cinema and youth.
More information and how to book places can be found on the attached invitation letters.
24 August 2018 (SCILT)
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is celebrated across Europe on the 26th of September every year. It aims to promote the rich linguistic diversity of Europe and raise awareness of the importance of lifelong language learning for everyone.
SCILT is helping schools across Scotland to celebrate by distributing materials developed by the ECML. These resources are free to order and act as excellent prizes and rewards.
Visit our European Day of Languages 2018 webpage for information on how to order packs, for ideas on how to celebrate, and to find out how your school could feature in our EDL 2018 blog.
Read more...
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SCILT news
21 August 2018 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to take part in a Magical Christmas Trip this year and build on or set up a partnership with a school in Germany?
These visits offer primary pupils the chance to get a taste of Germany at Christmas time, meet their German peers and get involved in some seasonal intercultural activity. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to brush up on their German and practice their skills as young leaders.
There are two options for getting involved:
- apply to take part in a visit to Berlin run by UK-German Connection to set up a link to a school in Berlin
- apply for funding and organisational support to run your own Christmas visit to an existing partner school anywhere in Germany.
Application deadline: 18 September 2018.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
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20 August 2018 (Glasgow Science Centre)
Due to popular demand, Glasgow Science Centre is running a second Deaf Science Club starting on Saturday 8 September 2018.
The fortnightly science club has been created for Deaf, BSL users and those hard of hearing.
Budding scientists aged 6–14 years old can explore the Universe in the Planetarium, see a live science show full of spectacular demonstrations and get hands-on in workshops.
Read more...
20 August 2018 (Japan Foundation)
If your school is interested in introducing Japanese into the curriculum, supporting Japanese at GCSE or A-Level or starting a Japanese Club, you could be eligible for funding.
Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education in the UK.
Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and apply by 22 September 2018.
Read more...
17 August 2018 (TESS)
French causes particular concern, but ‘more pupils than ever learning languages’ in Scotland
Read more...
16 August 2018 (Institut français)
The Institut français d’Ecosse launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.
All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French. Entry deadline: January 2019.
Visit the Institut français d’Ecosse website for more information.
Read more...
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16 August 2018 (Institut français)
Paris, c'est parti!
This is the Autumn theme for the new Institut français d'Ecosse After School Club!
The programme, aimed at children from P1 to P7, is the fruit of a collaboration between French Drama company Theatre Sans Accents, the puppet theatre company Le Petit Monde and the institute.
So needless to say, fun and creativity will be at the fore front of all the activities!
For more information, please visit the Institut français d'Ecosse website and click on the 'Autumn Classes 2018' PDF for details.
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Concours de la francophonie 2018 - final report
17 July 2018 (Institut français d'Ecosse)
The Concours de la francophonie was launched in 2016 by the Institut français d'Ecosse to support and encourage teachers and learners in primary and secondary schools and to showcase the vitality of French learning in Scottish schools in the context of the 1+2 policy.
To enter the competition schools sent in a short film of a class activity in French.
See the attached document for full details of the 2018 competition, winners and photographs.
19 June 2018 (SCDE)
The Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE) Languages Group, which represents all language strands within the Schools of Education across Scottish Universities, has created a National Framework for Languages (NFfL) and associated digital resource to support teacher educators and teachers at all stages of their careers, with the aim of transforming the 1 + 2 Languages Policy in Scotland into purposeful classroom pedagogies promoting plurilingualism and pluriliteracies.
The NFfL is based on four overarching principles: plurilingualism, diversity, policy and legislation and transformative practice, and reflects the strands of the Professional Standards established by GTCS. For each of these strands the NFfL has identified a series of statements which encourage practitioners to consider a broad and inclusive understanding of the role of language in and for learning. These statements are linked to the associated digital resources: a reflective tool and digital resource bank.
The reflective tool includes a personal biography based on
Pepelino and the
European Language Portfolio as well as a series of reflective questions. These reflective questions are directly linked to the statements of the NFfL and aim to support teachers in evaluating their own practices.
The digital resource bank was created after a systematic review of the international literature covering formal language learning across all ages and stages, the increasingly complex demands of plurilingual and pluricultural classrooms and the need to develop a shared understanding of the role of languages for learning, which addresses the fundamental role played by languages (including the learners’ first language) in developing global citizens.
The NFfL and accompanying digital resources are now being piloted and can be accessed on the National Framework for Languages (NFfL) website.
Further information can be obtained from Ingeborg Birnie (
Ingeborg.birnie@strath.ac.uk).
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12 June 2018 (UK-German Connection)
Opportunity for UK schools to boost their intercultural dimension by welcoming a teacher from Germany to any department for one, two or three weeks this school year.
This free programme provides pupils with a real-life learning context for German language and culture and offers teachers the chance to share best practice on an international level.
Hosting can take place at any time during the school year.
Application deadlines - 26 July for autumn 2018 hosting slots and 21 September to host in spring/summer 2019.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
Read more...
8 June 2018 (Scottish Book Trust)
Can you write a story in just 50 words? Each month we’ll provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.
The competition includes four categories, Adult Writers, All-age Gaelic Writers, Young Writers 5-11 and Young Writer 12-18. The entries will be judged by a panel and the four winning stories will be published on our website two weeks after the closing date.
Entries for our June competition are currently open. The prompt is to 'write a story set on a beach'. Submit your story by Tuesday 3 July 2018 at noon.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information.
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7 June 2018 (Stephen Spender Trust)
The "Polish Spotlight" is a new strand of the Stephen Spender Prize for 2018, with entries in three categories: 18-and-under, 14-and-under and 10-and-under. You do not have to be fluent in Polish to enter the prize: it is open to all those interested in trying their hand at translation. To enter translate any Polish poem into English.
Resources for teachers to introduce poetry translation as a classroom activity, and suggestions of Polish poems for translation, are available on the Stephen Spender Trust website.
Entries should be submitted by 5 October 2018.
Read more...
7 June 2018 (TES)
Hundreds of primary school teachers will have the chance to learn and teach new languages within seven months, under a scheme being expanded after a successful trial.
The distance-learning programme - the first of its kind in the UK – sees primary teachers study either French, Spanish, German or Mandarin and develop the skills to teach the language in the primary classroom at the same time.
After a pilot involving 54 teachers from 49 Scottish schools across nine local authorities in 2017-18, next year the scheme will be available throughout Scotland. Welsh and Northern Irish schools are also expected to sign up.
Teachers taking part will spend about five hours a week from October to June - around 150 hours in total - but they will start teaching the languages to pupils before completing the course.
The scheme, run by The Open University and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, will be launched in Edinburgh today.
Read more...
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Languages in the press
Press Release: Teachers to learn to teach languages in the classroom
7 June 2018 (SCILT/OU)
An innovative scheme teaching primary teachers languages and how to teach those languages to pupils is being expanded across Scotland for the first time. The first of its kind in the UK, the distance learning programme will see primary teachers study French, Spanish, German or Mandarin and develop the skills to teach the language in the classroom at the same time.
Launching across Scotland today (Thursday 7 June) at an event in Edinburgh where guests will hear from pupils and teachers, the programme is now available to primary school teachers in all local authorities following a successful pilot which featured 54 teachers from 49 schools across nine local authorities in 2017/18. The programme is a partnership between The Open University and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages based at the University of Strathclyde.
Designed to support the Scottish Government’s ‘1+2’ language policy, which aims to enable all pupils to learn two additional languages from primary level onwards, the programme will link up with the cultural organisations of France, Spain, Germany and China to facilitate immersive summer schools for participating teachers. At the same time, schools will also have the opportunity to make connections with schools in the countries whose language pupils are learning.
Dr Sylvia Warnecke, lecturer in languages and programme lead at The Open University, said:
“The key thing about this programme is its flexibility, meaning that teachers in every part of Scotland – whether urban or rural – will be able to learn together and share their experiences and ideas, helping each other to bring the language they’re learning to life in the classroom.
“We’ve already had teachers from the pilot project tell us that their pupils love it and are really engaged. They have been instrumental in starting after school language clubs and making links with schools in other countries. It’s exciting that all teachers, schools and pupils in every part of Scotland now have the chance to learn together through this programme.”
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, said:
“We see this as an important collaboration between our two universities, local authorities and teachers. The course is focused on developing teachers’ confidence so they are able to create exciting and motivating lessons for their pupils. In this way we can make sure that languages feature as an integral part of the Scottish curriculum and that youngsters are given their full entitlement to language learning.
“The teachers’ commitment to developing their skills is humbling. Their willingness to embrace their own learning in order to benefit their pupils’ experience highlights the professionalism and dedication that is the mark of the teaching profession.”
Gwen McCrossan, Principal Teacher for 1+2 Languages, Argyll & Bute, said:
“This course is ideal for the geographical situation of Argyll & Bute. We are delighted to be able to take part, as it provides a quality learning experience for teachers who would otherwise find it difficult to access language training. The course is also unique because it is tailor-made for primary school.”
The pilot project has been shortlisted in the partnership category in this year’s Herald Higher Education Awards. Such is the interest in the programme following its pilot phase and ahead of its wider rollout, it is expected that teachers from Wales and Northern Ireland will join the next presentation starting in October 2018.
A short video featuring teachers who participated in the pilot talking about their experience of the programme is available on YouTube.
Further information on how to sign-up for next year's course is available on SCILT's website
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SCILT news
7 June 2018 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's latest briefing on Gaelic Education is now available on their website.
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6 June 2018 (eTwinning)
This term, why not apply to go on a short, fully-funded workshop in another European country?
Applications are now open for teachers of pupils aged 3-19 across a range of subject areas to attend a fully-funded 2-3 day professional development workshop in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, France and Greece.
These events are designed to facilitate new eTwinning projects through partner-finding and project planning activities. Workshop themes and subject areas are varied, spanning ICT, Maths, and sustainable development.
Find out about, request a free workshop in the UK or register for one or more of the available opportunities on the eTwinning website. Application deadline: 18 June 2018.
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5 June 2018 (Radio Edutalk)
Listen to Gillian Campbell-Thow talk about ‘Language Learning in Scottish Education’ broadcast on Radio Edutalk on 5 June 2018.
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18 May 2018 (SALT)
Entries are now being accepted for the #SALT18 competition!
Primary, secondary and senior phase students are invited to produce a promotional video, poster or presentation in the language of their choice.
Find out more on the SALT website. Entry deadline is 7 September 2018.
Read more...
10 May 2018 (National Library of Scotland)
A competition opens today (10 May) which invites young people to show in film what Scotland means to them. The competition has been organised by the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Youth Film Festival as part of the Year of Young People.
Anyone under 19 years of age can submit a one-minute film on any theme, in any language and in any genre.
Visit the National Library of Scotland website for more information.
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7 May 2018 (Evening Express)
An Aberdeen primary school has announced its new hub for promoting the teaching of Mandarin.
Danestone School launched its Confucius Classroom, which will be a central location for all Aberdeen-based primary schools teaching the language to pupils.
It aims to boost skills in children in line with Scotland’s 1+2 languages policy, which allows every child the opportunity to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue by 2020.
The hub concept promotes joint planning of cultural activities, sharing ideas and resources to stimulate the learning and teaching of Chinese language and culture. The launch event included children singing in Mandarin, and a mixture of Scottish music and dance.
Read more...
2 May 2018 (Fèisean nan Gàidheal)
Fèisean nan Gàidheal have launched a new initiative through their Fèisgoil project to help increase Gaelic language skills by creating and strengthening inter-generational links.
With support from the Scottish Government, Fèisean nan Gàidheal is now seeking assistance from Gaelic speakers to establish Beairteas.
What is it?
Beairteas is an intergenerational programme to match community-based fluent Gaelic speakers with schools and community groups. Their richness of language, specialist knowledge of Gaelic culture and many other subjects about which they could speak in Gaelic, would provide a valuable resource for pupils. This would complement the sterling work being done by teachers in Gaelic education.
Why?
Gaelic education is very successful and an essential component in growing a new generation of Gaelic speakers. Teachers work extremely hard to immerse children in the language and deliver a range of subjects through the medium of Gaelic.
Gaelic speakers involved in almost any walk of life have a tremendous amount to offer Gaelic education. The Curriculum for Excellence encourages work and engagement with people in communities.
Beairteas aims to complement schoolwork, offering opportunities for children to communicate in Gaelic with people other than their teachers. Engaging them with Gaelic speakers with specialist knowledge of the work they do or have done, as well as any interesting pastimes in which they may have been involved, will strengthen the language skills of the young people giving them a breadth of vocabulary they may not pick up through their daily schoolwork.
You may be a police officer, involved in the health service, community work or a trade. You may have specialist knowledge of Gaelic songs, history, traditional stories, war, sport or working in other countries. You may be involved in fishing, crofting, gardening, photography, weaving, cooking or almost anything in which you could engage young people through the medium of Gaelic.
Would you be willing to be involved?
If you would enjoy working with young people and are passionate about the revitalisation of Gaelic, Fèisean nan Gàidheal would like to hear from you. Work will be paid, but dependent on schools engaging with the Beairteas scheme. If you have any questions, please call Eilidh Mackenzie, Fèisgoil Manager on 01463 225559 or e-mail any queries to beairteas@feisean.org.
More information is available on the organisation's website.
Read more...
1 May 2018 (Shetland News)
The Chinese ambassador to the UK was in Yell on Tuesday (1 May) to launch Shetland's second Confucius Classroom Hub.
Mid Yell Junior High School is now part of the Confucius programme, which aims to teach Scottish youngsters about Chinese culture and Mandarin language, after Sandwick Junior High School joined in 2016.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming and his wife Hu Pinghua visited Yell alongside minister-counselor for education Wang Yongli and representatives of the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools.
They met councillors and staff from Shetland Islands Council, as well as Mid Yell pupils who entertained the guests with traditional Shetland music and songs - as well as Chinese songs and dance.
Read more...
Related Links
Good Evening Shetland (BBC Shetland, 1 May 2018) Listen to the news item about the new Confucius Hub from 00:48 onwards.
Confucius Classroom Hub launched at Mid Yell JHS (Shetland Islands Council, 1 May 2018)
30 April 2018 (Goethe-Institut)
The German Foreign Office is looking for children and teens who love writing and who would like to publish their own texts: Along the lines of “A world for you and me” young authors from around the world are invited to depict their fantasies, hopes and dreams.
Children and teens up to 19 years old can participate. Entries can be short stories, essays, poems or songs consisting of no more than 3000 characters (including spaces) and can be written in either German or English.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for further information. Entry deadline is 15 July 2018.
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24 April 2018 (Education Scotland)
National Digital Learning Week is an annual Education Scotland event where teachers and learners from all schools in Scotland are encouraged to take part in digital learning and teaching activities.
There are loads of ways to get involved in #NDLW18; the sky is the limit!
To help get things started Education Scotland are launching 2 main activities:
- An exclusive National Digital Story telling activity for 30 schools across Scotland with famous children’s author Lari Don.
- A digital story telling activity schools can enjoy in their local setting.
Why not use the local opportunity to create a digital story with your pupils in the language they are learning?
Find out more on the Education Scotland Glow blog.
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23 April 2018 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française Glasgow is pleased to announce it will be running special French workshops for children aged 5-10 in late June / early July.
This is an ideal opportunity for children of all levels to find out more about French language and culture through fun activities such as arts & crafts, songs, games, etc.
Visit the website for further information.
Read more...
20 April 2018 (SCILT)
The celebration event for this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition took place on Saturday 17 March at the University of Strathclyde.
Visit the SCILT website to see the full list of winners and to view the anthology of winning poems. You can also find photos from the event and read some of the feedback received from pupils, parents and teachers.
Read more...
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18 April 2018 (RZSS)
Spanish Days are being replaced with Spanish sessions at Edinburgh Zoo.
Suitable for P4-P7 and S1-S2, schools can now book their own date and time to suit.
Costs as per education rates at Edinburgh Zoo - £7 per pupil, with 1 adult per 7 children free of charge (Primary) and 1 adult per 10 children free of charge (Secondary). See how to book on the website.
Please use the booking form and choose 'Science in the Language Class - Spanish'.
Free resources are available to download to help your visit.
Spanish Packs are available at £50+VAT and £6 post and packing - details also on the website.
For further information or to purchase a pack contact Sandie Robb.
Read more...
17 April 2018 (University of Liverpool)
A new 500-word short story competition – with entries judged by best-selling author Philip Pullman – is being launched ahead of the 2018 Liverpool Literary Festival.
The China Stories competition is looking for submissions across a broad range of categories. Winners will see their work published in a special anthology and take part in a writing session with the Royal Society of Literature, as well as receiving vouchers to spend as they wish.
Stories can be about anything, but to coincide with Liverpool’s China Dream season all entries should have a Chinese theme.
Entries are invited from primary and secondary students and should be submitted by 20 July 2018.
Further information can be found on the University of Liverpool website.
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Language Leaders - training week in Cavilam
16 April 2018 (Institut français)
For the third year, the Institut français is offering grants to six Language Leaders of Scotland to attend a one week training course in France.
The course will take place at the Cavilam Alliance française de Vichy from 30 July to 3 August 2018.
The Cavilam is an international centre of excellence for French teachers and teachers' trainers which welcomes teachers from all over the world.
This course is open to all practitioners with a leading role on your 1+2 strategy: in a school, a cluster, or at the council or regional level.
Further information regarding the grants, programme, accommodation/transport and how to apply can be found in the attached documents. Please note that the Institut français covers only the course fee.
The application deadline is 11 May 2018.
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16 April 2018 (Press and Journal)
Pupils from Portree will today attend different primary schools for the first time as a new Gaelic School opens its doors.
The school becomes the fifth dedicated Gaelic specific school across Scotland – and the third in the Highland region – to offer pupils the opportunity to be educated in the form of Gaelic medium education.
The construction phase of the £8.7million project began in September 2016 and concluded this month as parents and friends of the school will gather at the end of this week to celebrate the schools opening with a family ceilidh.
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10 April 2018 (UK-German Connection)
Together is a creative arts project, which invites young people to produce poetry, art, or songs on the themes of hope and unity, inspired by the shared history between the UK and Germany to mark the WW1 Centenary.
Open to all young people aged 9-16 working in groups or individually, projects should be on the theme of hope and unity, inspired by the First World War.
Poetry and songs can be in English, German, Gaelic or Welsh. Art work can be in any medium.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information. Entry deadline is Friday 15 June 2018.
Read more...
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5 April 2018 (Dumbarton Reporter)
Budding linguists at St Mary’s Primary School in Alexandria celebrated their language skills with a French learning day.
Pupils were put into mixed groups of P1-3 and P4-7 and spent the day taking part in various activities including games, STEM tasks and letting their creative sides loose with some art.
The children also welcomed their parents into school for an afternoon to involve them in the fun and to show off their newly-acquired language skills.
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4 April 2018 (The Language Magician)
THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN online game was launched at Language World UK on 23 March 2018, and the game with many of its resources are already available on the website – free for teachers to access thanks to Erasmus+ funding.
THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN is an online game that draws in Primary children of all ages and challenges their language skills - in French, German, Italian, Spanish or English. It’s a game they like to play again so that they can do better, and it is also a tool for teachers to capture data about how their pupils do.
A final conference of the project is to be held in London on 19 May 2018, by which time all the accompanying project resources will be available.
To find out more about the game and conference see the attached flyer or visit the LANGUAGE MAGICIAN website.
Read more...
3 April 2018 (Japan Foundation)
Japan Foundation (JF) London is now accepting grant applications for UK based Japan related projects taking place in 2018-19 through our local support programmes.
Grants of up to £3,000 are available to schools seeking to promote the introduction of Japanese into the curriculum (or onto the main school timetable) at primary and secondary levels, supporting Japanese qualifications in school or introducing the language as an extra-curricular activity.
For more information and to apply by 4 May 2018, see the online information sheet and application form.
Read more...
3 April 2018 (ECML)
The latest edition of the ECML's Language Gazette is now available on their website. The newsletter includes updates on the organisation's projects along with new initiatives, events and resources of interest to the language teaching community across Europe.
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2 April 2018 (Falkirk Herald)
The multilingual talents of budding poets from Graeme High and Moray Primary were celebrated in the 2018 Mother Tongue Other Tongue awards.
Graeme High pupil Danai Nikitea was crowned the winner of the Mother Tongue category during a prestigious ceremony at University of Strathclyde on March 17.
While Kole Murray from Moray Primary and Harely Ewen and Simi Singh, both from Graeme High, were Highly Commended in the Other Tongue category.
These students used their language skills to create and share poetry for the ceremony.
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29 March 2018 (Daily Record)
Following an editorial campaign running in the Daily Record, the finalists for this year's Scottish Education Awards have been announced.
Finalists will attend the prestigious awards ceremony at Glasgow's Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow Central on June 6th, where each of the fifteen winners will be announced.
Details of all the finalists can be found in the Daily Record news article online.
Congratulations and good luck to the schools shortlisted in the language-related categories!Read more...
27 March 2018 (British Council eTwinning)
Aimed at teachers of primary and secondary learners aged 4-16, this eTwinning workshop will develop teachers' awareness, confidence and skills in learning about refugee issues, welcoming refugee and migrant children to mainstream classrooms from a social and emotional perspective, and will give a basic introduction to language acquisition and the importance of maintaining and developing mother tongue and home culture.
Visit the website to sign up for the course between 9 - 17 April 2018.
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22 March 2018 (YOYP/National Lottery)
To mark the Year of Young People 2018, a new National Lottery fund has been launched to help young people #SparkAChange in their lives. Grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are available for heritage, community and sports projects which are run by and for young people aged eight to 26. Funding is available for projects which encourage positive mental health for young people and inspire them to lead active lives.
We’re all aware of the positive mental health benefits of language learning, so why not encourage your students to set up a language project, perhaps a community language class or an outdoor language adventure trail? Visit the Lottery Fund website for more information and to apply by one of the two funding deadlines - 30 April 2018 or 18 June 2018.
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22 March 2018 (British Council eTwinning)
This term, why not apply to go on a short, fully-funded workshop in another European country?
Applications are now open for teachers of pupils aged 3-19 across a range of subject areas to attend a fully-funded 2-3 day professional development workshop in Turkey, Latvia, Norway and Armenia. These events are designed to facilitate new eTwinning projects through partner-finding and project planning activities. Workshop themes and subject areas are varied, spanning cultural diversity to SEN and the environment.
Visit the website for more information about each event and submit your application by 31 March 2018.
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21 March 2018 (Goethe-Institut)
The German Embassy is pleased to announce to award the 15th German Teacher Award. The award recognises outstanding achievements by individual teachers of German and pays tribute to the work of German language teachers in primary and secondary schools in the UK.
Teachers will be selected who have made an outstanding and dedicated contribution to German teaching within the curriculum and beyond, e.g. through:
- a record of successful teaching at a school, including innovative language teaching
- successful introduction of German teaching at a school, e.g. in a primary school as a first foreign language or in a secondary school as a new language
- established and successful link activities with Germany, e.g. projects and exchanges, bilingual projects, curriculum projects
- use of German language in subjects other than German
- local or regional outreach activities.
Nominations must be submitted and signed by the head teacher by Monday 7 May 2018.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to download the application form.
Read more...
20 March 2018 (SRF)
The latest news and events from the Scotland-Russia Forum (SRF) can be found in their March 2018 news bulletin. This edition includes information about Russian taster events and materials for schools, so why not take a look and find out how to introduce the language to your pupils?
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OU/SCILT languages course for primary practitioners
15 March 2018 (Open University in Scotland/SCILT)
Due to the success of the initial pilot of the course developed by the OU and SCILT, LXT192/4 Learning to teach languages in primary school (French/Spanish), we are delighted to now be able to extend the offer to all Local Authorities. The course will be offered for the following languages:
French (LXT192), German (LXT193), Spanish (LXT194) and Mandarin (LXT197).
For the
next presentation of this course starting in October 2018,
registration will open on 1 April 2018. The course fee is £240.00 per student.
The course will be available to all primary practitioners but also secondary teachers who teach at primary level. We have produced an FAQ document with further detail about the course for your information.
In order to make the enrolment process as smooth as possible, we advise that in the first instance Development Officers contact Sylvia Warnecke at the Open University (s.warnecke@open.ac.uk ) with a list of the names and email addresses of teachers planning to study this in their Local Authority. We aim to complete enrolment by late June 2018 to allow time for planning staffing and timetabling.
And last but not least, we are planning to offer teachers, who enrol on the course, a summer school experience which will offer immersion in the language to boost confidence and provide ample opportunities to learn more about the cultures in which the language they are studying is spoken. The summer school is not part of the course, it is optional and can be booked separately. More information on this will be published in due course.
Policy makers, local councils, local authorities, MSPs and Consulates may also be interested in an event celebrating last years' pilot course, Primary school teachers learning to teach languages - A celebration, being held in Edinburgh on 7 June 2018.
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12 March 2018 (British Council)
Language Assistants provide an interactive language resource for your classroom. We recruit our assistants directly from their home countries, meaning their language and resources are always up-to-date and, importantly, authentic.
Native speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese and Irish, they help pupils to build their confidence, develop conversational skills, boost motivation for learning, and better understand other cultures. Feedback from schools with a Language Assistant noted an improvement in pupils’ listening and speaking skills.
Not only that, many teachers have found that having a native speaker to talk to and share teaching ideas with can reinvigorate both their teaching practice and their own love for language learning.
So, with applications now open for the 2018/2019 academic year, there hasn’t been a better time to ensure your classroom has access to the best language learning resource around – a native speaker.
Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply for your language assistant by 31 March 2018. Please note that the deadline for Chinese Language Assistants is 1 June 2018.
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New competition launched - LinguaChef 2018!
13 February 2018 (SCILT / City of Glasgow College)
We are thrilled to announce that we are working in partnership with City of Glasgow College to host a pilot version of a new SCILT competition called LinguaChef. The competition brings together two of our favourite topics – languages and food! As well as practising linguistic and culinary skills, pupils will work on their wider social, literacy, numeracy and financial skills.
Pupils from P1 – S6 are invited to work in teams of four to submit a recipe for an international dish symbolic of a country where either a
language they are learning in school or a
language that pupils use at home is spoken. So we are expecting to see some exciting recipes from France, Spain, Germany, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Poland, Russia, the Middle East or even as far as China or Japan. We are also encouraging pupils to be creative, for example they could incorporate a bit of Scottish ‘fusion’ into their recipe to give it a twist.
Three semi-finalists from each age category will be selected based on their submitted recipes and they will then be invited to the grand finale with a chance to prepare, cook and present their dish in the professional kitchens at City of Glasgow College. An overall winner from each category will be chosen to win a prize for themselves and their school. Their recipes will also feature in the first ever SCILT cook book.
There are four age categories:
|
o P1-P3
|
Primary categories to present a SWEET dish that could be a cake, biscuit, pudding or dessert for example
|
|
o P4-P7
|
|
o S1-S3
|
Secondary categories to present a SAVOURY dish that would be eaten as a main course
|
|
o S4-S6
|
Recipes should include an introduction/explanation of the dish, a list of ingredients and the method. It can be submitted as a video clip (3 mins max) or as a PPT including photos of steps involved and the final dish, and possibly a voice-over too if pupils would like to add audio. Younger primary pupils in particular may find a video clip easier to submit as it does not require writing although if they choose to submit a PPT version we understand they may require some adult help with this.
A costings sheet will also be provided to help pupils with their financial education skills and to stay within budget.
Key dates and deadlines
Friday 9th March - Deadline for teachers to register interest using the online form
Friday 27th April - Submit entries via email to SCILT
Early May (tbc) - Judging of videos/PPTs to select semi-finalists
Friday 22nd June - Grand Finale at City of Glasgow College
After registration closes on 9th March, teachers will receive a further email with detailed guidelines, exemplar entries, costings sheets and an entry form. However, if you have any queries in the meantime then please contact Angela de Britos by email (angela.de-britos@strath.ac.uk ).
Register now via the online form.
8 January 2018 (Japan Foundation London)
Japan Foundation London is delighted to announce that the Nihongo Cup Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary Schools in the UK is open for applications!
Nihongo Cup, the Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School students, is accepting applications across three categories: Key Stage 3, Pre-GCSE Key Stage 4/5, and Post GCSE Key Stage 4 and 5.
Finalists will be invited to perform their speech at Conway Hall in front of a panel of judges and VIPs from the field of Japanese language education and Japan-UK relations, for the chance to win some fantastic prizes – including a trip to Japan!
Applications will close on 23rd March 2018 (Friday) and finals day will take place on 16 June 2018 (Saturday). Finals will take place at Conway Hall in London.
Read more...
7 December 2017 (Goethe-Institut)
Christmas time in Germany is special and possibly a little different from the UK’s traditions during the festive season. The film Christmas time in Germany explains mostly in pictures, what usually happens in Germany in December and can be used in your lessons. Teachers can print out the entry form for their pupils (versions with questions in English or German depending on what level is needed are downloadable). Pupils are supposed to watch the film at home again and answer the questions on the entry form in order to receive a small gift. They should add a greeting for Felix and Franzi in German. Teachers can either send their pupils’ entry forms to the Goethe-Institut in one batch or pupils send us their entries individually. We will send small presents via the schools to everyone doing his homework.
Read more...
CLPL for primary teachers in 2018
21 November 2017 (Alliance Française Glasgow )
Alliance Française is running a new programme of CLPL workshops in French for Primary School teachers in 2018.
- 10 topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers.
- Suitable as a follow-up to one of our Beginners 1 classes or for French teachers in Primary schools.
- 4.15-5.45pm between 6th February and 23rd April included. Days of the week will vary; a detailed programme is available below.
- The cost to attend 10 workshops is £75/teacher.
- Option to enrol in less than 10 CPDs, please contact us for more information.
- Certificates of attendance will be given once the programme is completed.
- Places are limited so booking early is highly recommended.
If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française as soon as possible:
Alliance Française Glasgow - 3 Park Circus, G3 6AX Glasgow
0141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk
- Tuesday 6th February 2018: Phonetics / La phonétique
- Thursday 15th February: Daily life in a Primary School / La vie quotidienne dans une école primaire
- Thursday 22nd February: Songs from France and the Francophone world / Les chansons françaises/francophones
- Thursday 1st March: Conducting an activity in French (PE, maths, arts, etc.) / Le français comme langue d’enseignement
- Tuesday 6th March: Celebrations & calendar / Les fêtes et le calendrier
- Tuesday 13th March: Resources and activities for year-round festive events / Ressources et activités pour les fêtes
- Monday 19th March: Indoors and outdoors games / Les jeux d’intérieur et d’extérieur
- Monday 26th March: Films, Cartoons & TV5 Monde / Les films, dessins animés & TV5 Monde
- Monday 16th April: Storytelling in French / Raconter des histoires
- Monday 23rd April: French regions & their delicacies / Les régions de France & leurs spécialités
6 November 2017 (Le Petit Monde)
Le Petit Monde, the puppet theatre company specialised in introducing Artistic Director Tania Czajka's native French language to young children since 2008, is currently working on a picture book based on its puppet characters.
Like all Tania's shows, the story is bilingual, features lots of healthy foods and, crucially, can be understood by all non French speakers.
Accompanied by an illustrated glossary, an audio version and a Teaching Pack, it will make a great resource for Early Years French lessons.
Tania and her team are currently crowdfunding to get Lapin is Hungry published.
Schools can pledge in exchange of signed copies, shows, workshops and other goodies!
For more information on how to support this unique project, please visit the link below or contact Tania directly.
Read more...
23 October 2017 (Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig)
A second language can be learned more easily when it is taught through music, was the message given out at the Royal National Mod in Lochaber earlier this month.
Jackie Mullen, a consultant trainer for the Go! Gaelic programme being run by Gaelic educational resources organisation Stòrlann, has seen first hand how effective music is as a learning tool. The Go! Gaelic programme includes a comprehensive programme of online resources that are used in primary schools across the country to teach some Gaelic to children who are in English Medium Education.
Visit the website or see the attached press release for more information.
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17 October 2017 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection offers a number of initiatives and opportunities for partnerships between schools in Germany and the UK. Click on the relevant link below to find out more about their latest initiatives:
- School Partnership Bursaries - Special **school partnership bursaries of £1,000** are currently available to help keep you UK-German partnership alive and help cover any costs arising from recent changes to safeguarding regulations. All you need to do is answer a few short questions about your partnership activities this year and your plans for next year by **7 November 2017**.
- Young Europeans Award - Are your pupils interested in European issues? Encourage them to enter the competition and win a trip to Warsaw! With the UK (and UK-German Connection) as a partner for 2017-18, pupils are invited to team up with young people from Germany, Poland and France and enter with a project on the theme 'To be or not to be... a European.’
To find out more about other activities the organisation provides, you can also visit the UK-German Connection website.
Read more...
17 October 2017 (Open University/SCILT)
Primary school teachers are being given the confidence to teach languages to their pupils through a new project run by The Open University (OU) in Scotland and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages.
Fifty one teachers from schools across nine local authorities are participating in ‘Learning to teach Languages in Primary School’ which will see them learn French or Spanish as well as how to teach the language in class.
The project aims to support the Scottish Government’s “1+2” Language Policy, which has the objective that every pupil will learn two modern foreign languages alongside their mother tongue from primary school onwards.
Read more...
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16 October 2017 (ECML)
With over 40 official languages in the member states of the Council of Europe and more than 70 regional and minority languages officially recognized in addition to a number of languages spoken by migrants, it is important that Europe’s language diversity is recognized and acknowledged.
The reality for many European citizens is that in the course of their lives they will need to develop proficiency, not only in their native language, but in a variety of languages. Demands of study, work, travel, relocation and personal development will also mean that skills in new languages will need to be added to their existing repertoire. Therefore, learning the skills required to learn languages is of paramount importance. Furthermore, language learning and identity construction are closely interlinked.
Recognizing the importance of languages in the lives of Europeans and the benefits that early language learning provides, the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) has launched a two-year project "Inspiring language learning and teaching in the early years – Why it matters and what it looks like for children age 3-12".
The project is focused on early language learning, from 3 to 12 years of age. The innate curiosity and enthusiasm that children bring to learning during this initial period in their formal education makes it the ideal time to introduce, nurture and motivate learners in the area of additional language learning. Strong foundations, built at this stage in children’s development, will facilitate language learning throughout life and openness to, as well as respect for different cultures, values and traditions.
Find out more on the ECML website.
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12 October 2017 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française Glasgow is now offering special training designed for Primary School teachers to help them (re-)validate their professional development and accreditation.
Our team can travel to your school for a twilight to teach a 10-hour programme (2hrs per week over 5 weeks) suited for beginners/false beginners.
As well as working on your pronunciation and vocabulary skills, this course will provide you with "ready to teach" ideas and materials which can also be transferred to other languages in the 1+2 context.
Visit the Alliance Française website for further details.
Read more...
10 October 2017 (eTwinning)
This term, why not apply to go on a short workshop in another European country?
Applications are now open for teachers from Early Years to Upper Secondary to attend a 2-3 day professional development workshop in Ireland and Spain. These events are designed to facilitate new eTwinning projects through partner-finding and project planning activities. Workshop themes and subject areas are varied, spanning e-safety to computational thinking, MFL, history and culture.
Visit the website to find out more and apply by 16/19 October 2017 respectively.
Read more...
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9 October 2017 (SEET)
Euroquiz, the annual project for P6 pupils in Scotland, is once again open for those wishing to participate in 2018.
The project, which sees team of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world, includes coverage of foreign languages, history, geography, sport, culture and European affairs.
Heats take place in every local authority from January to March 2018, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May 2018.
Visit the Scottish European Education Trust (SEET) website for more information about Euroquiz and how to register your school to take part.
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7 October 2017 (Financial Times)
As a girl growing up in an English-speaking household in Singapore, Prema Gurunathan grudgingly studied Mandarin. Now a mother in west London, she is taking no chances with her own son.
When he turned one Ms Gurunathan insisted their household in Hammersmith speak Mandarin for half of each week. She recruited an au pair from east Asia (she prefers not to say exactly where, for fear of tipping off the competition). And last month, she and her husband enrolled the three-and-a-half year-old at Kensington Wade in London, Britain’s first primary school to offer full Mandarin immersion for its pupils.
“It’s intellectual, it’s cultural and it’s ‘future-proofing’, if you will,” said Ms Gurunathan, a self-confessed “tiger mom” and policy wonk, explaining her school choice. “And it’s fun.”
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27 September 2017 (Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig)
An interdisciplinary resource which aims to provide Gaelic Medium Education teachers with a ‘one stop shop’ of topic-specific material for the classroom was launched at the national An t-Alltan conference for GME practitioners held in Aviemore last week.
An Dàrna Cogadh was developed by Gaelic educational resources organisation Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig in response to Gaelic Medium Education practitioners’ requests for a comprehensive teaching package, based online, on the subject of World War Two.
The online resource brings together many informative Gaelic texts and books— some created especially for this project — with a rich variety of other material from the wider world, including web, print and video. It is designed to support teachers delivering this subject in the primary sector.
Visit the website to access the resource and for more information see the attached press release.
Read more...
22 September 2017 (SCILT/CISS)
Today sees the launch of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition and we're delighted to announce the addition of a category for students in further and higher education, enabling all Scottish educational establishments to participate.
Whether pupils are learning a language at school, college or university, or whether they speak a native language at home, everyone can get involved in celebrating their linguistic and cultural diversity through creative poetry writing as there are options to enter in either the Mother Tongue or Other Tongue category. Even if you've taken part in the competition before, please note and read the new rules and criteria as only original work will be considered.
For more information about this year's competition and previous events, visit our MTOT website and register to take part! Closing date for registrations is 27 October 2017.
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22 September 2017 (SCILT)
Keith Grammar School promotes an inclusive policy where the school and local community are encouraged to work together to provide young people with academic and vocational opportunities. Strong links with local businesses and employers contribute to high numbers of young people moving into positive destinations after leaving school. This Case Study looks at how teachers across sectors (early years through to S6) have worked creatively and collaboratively to ensure that their learners are afforded their full entitlement to learning two languages.
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20 September 2017 (Education Scotland)
2017 is the year of History, Heritage & Archaeology . To celebrate, Education Scotland are launching a Creative Writing competition at the Scottish Learning Festival on 20 September. Learners of any and all ages are invited to enter to win Scots Language books for their school. Learners should write a poem or short story of not more than 750 words in length. The story or poem must be written in Scots language – though can be in any dialect of Scots, as broad or unique as the writer would like.
Log onto Glow and join the Scots blether to be kept up to date on all information on the competition. Go to the
Visit Scotland website for more info on the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.
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20 September 2017 (Glasgow Live)
Glasgow is officially home to a world leader in the teaching of Chinese language and culture.
The Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools (CISS) has been appointed a Model Confucius Institute by the global headquarters, Hanban.
The centre, based at the University of Strathclyde, is one of only 40 facilities out of 500 across the globe to be given the status.
Bosses have also announced the institute, which is open to people from all over the country, is set for a move to a new HQ at the university's Ramshorn Theatre.
The Grade A-Listed building is being given a £2 million refurbishment - which includes a substantial investment by Hanban - to develop it as a publicly-accessible hub for learning and cultural exchange.
The new premises will have the capacity to host performances, conferences and exhibitions.
A plaque marking the new status of the institute was unveiled at a conference attended by Scottish Higher Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville.
Liu Xiaoming, China’s Ambassador to the UK, was also a keynote speaker at the event, held to mark the fifth anniversary of the foundation of the Institute.
Strathclyde Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald said: “As a leading international university, we are extremely proud of our academic links around the globe and our diverse student and staff community.
“This prestigious accolade for our Confucius Institute reflects the important role it plays in improving understanding of Chinese language and culture across Scotland, and we congratulate everyone involved on their fantastic achievement.
“I’m particularly pleased that the Institute’s move to its new headquarters on campus will enable even more schools, businesses and community groups to benefit from increased educational and economic opportunities, with a further 10 Confucius Classroom Hubs being announced today.”
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Languages in the press
19 September 2017 (UK-German Connection)
There's still time to apply to take part in a Magical Christmas Trip to Germany this year!
These visits offer primary pupils the chance to get a taste of Germany at Christmas time, meet their German peers and get involved in some seasonal intercultural activity. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to brush up on their German and practice their skills as young leaders.
There are two options for getting involved: either by applying to take part in a visit to Berlin run by UK-German Connection or by applying for funding to run your own Christmas visit to a partner school anywhere in Germany.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information and to apply by 26 September 2017.
Read more...
18 September 2017 (Language Perfect)
The 2017 Language Perfect Northern Championships dates have been announced!
Join schools from the northern hemisphere 7-14 November for a week of online competition, and celebration of language learning!
Visit the website to find out about how the competition works and register to take part.
Read more...
15 September 2017 (eTwinning)
eTwinning offers a platform for teachers to communicate, collaborate, share and develop projects with like-minded colleagues across Europe.
Visit the website to find out more about eTwinning and how being part of the community can benefit you and your pupils.
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News from language & education organisations
15 September 2017 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to have authentic German cultural input in your school? Through the Host a Teacher from Germany programme, your school can host a German teacher for two or three weeks during the academic year, at no cost.
All schools and FE colleges from the whole of the UK can take part. The UK coordinating teacher does not need to be a teacher of German, and German does not need to be on the school’s curriculum; visiting teachers are either teachers of English or have good knowledge of the English language.
There's still time to apply. Closing deadline is 21 September 2017.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
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15 September 2017 (Languagenut)
Languagenut is a professional teaching tool that offers teaching resources across 21 modern foreign languages.
It is the perfect tool to support the 1+2 approach to language learning, as all audio files are recorded by native speakers. With a range of games, songs and stories, Languagenut supports the four key skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
In addition, Languagenut offers special integrated tools which allow teachers both create their own classes and content, and also set and track homework, generate certificates and evaluate students’ progress in real time. These timesaving tools help teachers to deliver more personalised teaching and customise lessons to fit each individual.
Accessible at school and at home, Languagenut helps to bridge the gap between classroom and home learning.
We’ve collaborated with SCILT to give Scottish schools free exclusive access to Languagenut for 45 days! Visit the website to register.
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13 September 2017 (ECML)
The aim of the new ECML think tanks is to create a network of expertise from across ECML member states and beyond which can advise the ECML secretariat on how to address a range of key priorities in language education.
The first step in the think tank process is the development of an online questionnaire for each theme which is then disseminated as widely as possible so that a picture of the current state-of-play emerges, revealing both success stories as well as challenges.
You are invited to share your views and experiences on language learning pathways in the online survey by midnight (CET), Sunday 1 October 2017, and you might be selected to participate in the think tank meeting in January 2018.
Visit the ECML website to find out more about the think tanks.
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13 September 2017 (Goethe-Institut)
Every year the Goethe-Institut offers an attractive range of residential training and language courses for teachers of German: for primary and secondary teachers, for teachers in further education and teacher trainers:
- Language Courses
- Landeskunde
- Methodology/Teaching Strategies
Deadline for applications: 15 October 2017.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information. Teachers from Scotland, please apply to Goethe-Institut Glasgow.
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News from language & education organisations
7 September 2017 (ALL)
Do you know an inspirational primary or secondary teacher?
The Association for Language Learning (ALL) are now looking for nominations in the two categories for the 2018 awards – which are now open to teachers throughout the UK.
The award scheme aims to support and promote language teaching, recognise the efforts and achievements of language teachers, encourage and disseminate exciting, motivating practice among language teachers and raise the profile of language teaching as a career.
Visit the ALL website for more information about each award and how to make a nomination.
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7 September 2017 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française Glasgow is running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between October and December 2017.
This course is suitable for complete beginners.
- 20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French.
- The course will take take place on Thursdays 3.45 - 5.45 pm between 5 October and 14 December 2017.
Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol.
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7 September 2017 (SALT)
Offered by Smalltalk Languages, this course is aimed at nursery/primary staff who are currently introducing French/Spanish as part of their curriculum for excellence/1+2 languages programme or intend to do so. Suitable for both complete beginners and people with prior knowledge of the language, the main focus of the course will be on language learning and practical methodology.
On the day participants will look at language from the children’s perspective. They will be shown how to build both their own and the children’s confidence in language skills while learning the importance of adapting and manipulating language for maximum effect.
Visit the SALT website for available dates and locations.
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6 September 2017 (Education Scotland)
The latest edition of Education Scotland's Gaelic e-bulletin is now available.
Read more...
6 September 2017 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection offers a number of funded opportunities for schools in the UK to link with schools in Germany as well as providing resources and activities for the classroom and professional learning for teachers.
In their latest newsletter you can find out more about current opportunities, including:
- Deadline reminder: seas and oceans youth seminar
- Host a Teacher in 2018
- Voyage kids: back to school special
- Magical Christmas Trips
- Partnerships Bursaries
- Young Europeans Award
- Looking ahead
Find out more on their website.
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4 September 2017 (The Conversation)
Young children have a lot to fit into each school day. So making the best use of the little time allocated to learning a foreign language is paramount. In England, state primary schools have been required to offer children aged seven to 11 a foreign language since 2014. This seems to chime with the common assumption, supported by research, that the earlier we start learning a foreign language, the better we will eventually be able to speak it.
Yet the situation is quite different when learners have just a few hours’ exposure each week. In these circumstances – unlike full immersion in a second language – younger is not necessarily better. Large-scale classroom-based research in Spain has shown that after the same number of lessons, students who began learning after age 18 achieved greater success in English than students who started at age eight, 11 or 14.
A likely reason for the different effects of starting age in different learning environments is the type of learning mechanism in operation. Primarily, young children learn implicitly – without effort or awareness. By contrast, adolescents and adults can learn explicitly, with the intention to learn and with conscious effort. Implicit learning only works well if there is ample exposure to language input, while explicit learning can work even with little language input. So having just a few hours a week of language lessons at a young age doesn’t meant a child will learn that language successfully.
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1 September 2017 (The Language Hub)
The Language Hub in Glasgow provides regular bilingual story book sessions at Hillhead Library. The sessions are free to attend and, whilst aimed at pre-school children, everyone is welcome.
The next event takes place on 5 September with a Spanish/English reading of 'The Gruffalo'.
Further readings of different stories in a range of languages will take place during the Autumn. For details of all the available sessions from September to November visit the Language Hub's website.
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30 August 2017 (The Scotsman)
A group of primary school children from the east end of Glasgow have become internet sensations after their Gaelic musical version of ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ went viral on YouTube. Views of the film, which features youngsters from Caledonia Primary enacting the story in their school grounds in Baillieston, have climbed to nearly 2.2 million.
The film, made with the help of the Grounds for Learning charity, is just under five minutes long and shows the pupils from P1 and 2 ‘hunting’ for a bear. Dressed in oilskins and wellies, they go splashing through the mud and creeping through concrete tunnels, while they sing the words to Tha Sinn a’ Dol a Shireadh Mathan, a Gaelic version of the kids classic story by Michael Rosen.
Read more...
24 August 2017 (SCILT)
UCMLS, the professional organisation representing languages staff in Scottish universities, is again holding two sets of regional cross-sector meetings during 2017-18, with support from SCILT.
The first round of meetings will be during the week beginning 11 September 2017. We will present our planned events and initiatives for the coming session, including the new Languages Lost & Found events on 18 November.
Language teachers and staff in schools, colleges and universities are warmly invited to attend. For those who live too far to attend in person we are also offering the option of joining us on one of two virtual meetings via Skype.
Please register for your session choice by Friday 1 September 2017.
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18 August 2017 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Ecosse is pleased to launch this year's concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.
All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.
Visit the Institut français website to find out more about the competition and how to enter by 19 December 2017.
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15 August 2017 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut is accepting applications to join the schools' network 'The Smart Choice: German'.
In 2016 the Goethe-Institut set up 19 Digital German Networks in the United Kingdom. It is now looking to build on this success and to identify further networks of secondary and/or primary schools that have the intention to start, facilitate and strengthen the teaching of German.
At least three schools need to build a network. The lead partner can apply for the funding with the Goethe-Institut. It can be a secondary school supporting feeder schools or a cluster of primary schools reaching out to a secondary school teaching German. It can also be three primary schools in one area wanting to make a start with German or already having started with it.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website to find out more and to apply by 30 September 2017.
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15 August 2017 (RZSS)
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Beyond the Panda programme has been further revised and contains some new materials, in particular the new P1-P3 panda boxes.
The programme now has two main parts:
- China Mobile Library - loan of the panda boxes followed by an expert visit
- Outreach workshops - Education Officer led workshops
See the attached brochure for full details of the Beyond the Panda programme.
There's also an opportunity for schools to book a Beyond the Panda special event at Edinburgh Zoo during 'The Giant Lanterns of China' installation between December 2017 and February 2018. The session will include whole class interactive activities and Mandarin language games. See more information and how to book on The Giant Lanterns of China brochure attached.
You can also visit the website for more information about the RZSS and its activities.
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15 August 2017 (SCILT/CISS/Braehead PS)
The children of Braehead Primary have been making languages come alive through a collaborative project with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) at Stirling Castle. This project saw P5 pupils working in groups on a number of different tasks. The end result was a virtual tour of Stirling Castle in Chinese, signage in Chinese, language training for castle tour guides and maps of the castle in Chinese. Learners' literacy skills benefited from the project, and their understanding about the world of work increased.
You can see the film in Chinese, set within the castle walls, on the school’s YouTube channel. The film will be entered for the British Film Festival awards in London in October.
The project had a positive impact on the wider school community. The school has recently launched a Chinese character challenge. This is a whole-school competition where one character a week is introduced on their interactive wall in the dining hall – highly visible to all. At the end of term, pupils and teachers will take part in a quiz based on these characters with Chinese-themed prizes up for the taking! Pupils continue to produce language podcasts in Chinese and other languages. The podcasts can be accessed via the
Braehead Primary Languages Café on the school’s website.
There are six classes at Braehead learning Chinese as L3 from P4 to P6. The P5s are the trailblazers and have been learning the language for nearly two years.
Read the full case study of the project for replicable ideas for your own school context to support partnership working and help your school deliver on Developing the Young Workforce.
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15 August 2017 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Ecosse is enrolling for their autumn classes commencing September 2017.
Classes and workshops are offered for all ages (toddlers to adults), from complete beginners to fluent speakers.
Visit the website for more information and to enrol.
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Concours de la francophonie 2017 - final report
15 August 2017 (Institut français)
The Concours de la francophonie was launched in 2016 by the Institut français d'Ecosse to showcase the vitality of the French language in Scottish schools and to encourage all learners from P1 to S6.
To enter the competition schools sent in a short film of a class activity in French.
See the attached document for full details of the 2017 competition, winners and photographs.
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15 August 2017 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to take part in a Magical Christmas Trip this year and build on or set up a partnership with a school in Germany?
These visits offer primary pupils the chance to get a taste of Germany at Christmas time, meet their German peers and get involved in some seasonal intercultural activity. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to brush up on their German and practice their skills as young leaders.
There are two options for getting involved:
- apply to take part in a visit to Berlin run by UK-German Connection to set up a link to a school in Germany
- apply for funding and organisational support to run your own Christmas visit to an existing partner school anywhere in Germany
To find out more, please visit the UK-German Connection's website and apply by 26 September 2017.
Read more...
15 August 2017 (Theatre sans Accents)
Whether you want to perfect your French or your English, Theatre Sans Accents has the right workshop to suit your needs and your level!
No need to be fluent or an experienced actor, everyone is welcomed in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere!
Bookings are now being taken for Autumn term classes, with early bird discounts available.
Follow the appropriate link below to find out more about classes for adults and children:
For children:
For adults:
You can find out more about Theatre sans Accents and their other activities on the website.
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14 August 2017 (Alliance Française)
French classes for adults and children will start at the Alliance Française in Glasgow on 11 September 2017.
Visit the website for full details and to find out about Open Days where you can visit, meet staff and have your language level assessed to establish the best course for you.
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11 August 2017 (The Times)
A dedicated Gaelic school could open in Edinburgh to cope with rising pupil numbers and soaring demand.
Edinburgh city council expects there to be more pupils than places at James Gillespie’s High School, where Gaelic education is currently provided, as soon as 2021.
The number of new pupils starting this month at Taobh na Pàirce primary, Edinburgh’s only Gaelic primary school, has also been far higher than anticipated.
Read more...
7 August 2017 (TES)
Seven- and eight-year-olds from immigrant families make faster progress than their native-speaking peers, research shows.
Primary pupils who learn in a language other than the one they speak at home start out with poorer listening and reading skills, but “catch up” with native-speaking peers within one school year, researchers have found.
In a paper in the British Educational Research Journal, researchers from Ghent University in Belgium also looked at how pupils' listening and reading comprehension was affected by the proportion of their classmates who spoke a different language at home.
They found that classes with a greater proportion of non-native-speaking students achieved lower than average results at the start of the year, but by the end of the year this link had "disappeared".
Read more...
4 August 2017 (ABC News)
Video report from ABC News on South Australia's Department for Education and Child Development's (DECD) language immersion programmes in schools.
The news story highlights that in just six months students at two schools have immersed themselves in the French and Chinese language.
See the video online on the DECD Facebook page, or read an earlier published news item
'Adelaide schools finding success with bilingual classes in French and Chinese' on the policy (ABC, 23 June 2017).
Read more...
21 June 2017 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's latest Gaelic e-bulletin has just been issued and can be accessed online.
Read more...
Top tips for kids learning a foreign language in Glasgow
13 June 2017 (Glasgow Live)
It's no secret that Glaswegians, and Brits, are guilty of being reluctant to speak foreign languages.
However Glasgow City Council, along with many other local authorities, are under increasing pressure to make foreign language learning one of their top priorities in education - particularly at primary level.
And it appears they have good reason to do so.
Studies show that children who study a language from as young as three years old possess better critical thinking skills and score higher in maths and problem solving.
It can also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimers in later years.
Of course, leaning a language takes time and dedication.
But according to Rose McGinty, principal teacher at Glasgow's first Spanish immersion camp for children, Oso Spanish, there are plenty of ways to make language learning effective and great fun.
11 June 2017 (Preston Street Primary)
Thursday the 8th June was an important date for P6 and not because Theresa May decided to have her snap election that day. P6 at Preston Street Primary managed to secure themselves an opportunity to attend a South American Spanish Day event at Edinburgh Zoo.
To start the day off P6 had a short introduction via a video from Dr. Arnaud Desbiez who manages the RZSS South American projects. This was followed by Sandie Robb explaining a new initiative ‘Science in the Language Class’ which links to RZSS conservation projects to language learning. This led into a fun quiz which covered facts about some South American animals and included Spanish questions on numbers, colours and parts of the body. Afterwards, a gentleman by the name of Xabier San Isidro told us his story of how his love for languages shaped his life.
Read more...
9 June 2017 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection offers a number of opportunities for UK schools to partner with a school in Germany. The following options are currently available. Follow the appropriate link for more information:
Visit the UK-German Connection website to find out more about all their activities.
Read more...
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7 June 2017 (The Telegraph)
There are just two classrooms at Kensington Wade, a shiny new independent prep school opening in west London in September, and at a glance, they look the same. Colourful charts cover the walls, storybooks line the shelves, the odd toy lies around. Peer a little closer, however, and a certain difference becomes clear.
“There isn’t a word of English in here,” the headmistress, Jo Wallace, says as we pause in one of them. It’s true – the charts contain only Chinese symbols, the books are in Mandarin, and laid out are traditional oriental fans, scrolls and artwork. Even the school’s world map, which might normally have Europe at the centre of the picture, instead shows gives Asia and the Pacific the limelight.
“That’s what we mean by this being totally immersive learning,” Wallace says, “the children will switch as soon as they’re in here, and that’s how they’ll begin to think in two ways.”
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5 June 2017 (Japan Foundation)
The Japan Foundation London is looking for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education. You can apply for up to £3,000.
We prioritise projects that fit into one of the three following categories:
- Introducing Japanese into the curriculum at a primary or secondary school
- Supporting GCSE or A-level Japanese courses
- Introducing Japanese extracurricular club or enrichment subject at a primary or secondary school
The next deadline to apply for funding is Friday 16 June 2017.
Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information.
Read more...
2 June 2017 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to have authentic German cultural input in your school? Through the Host a Teacher from Germany programme, your school can host a German teacher for two or three weeks during the academic year, at no cost.
All schools and FE colleges from the whole of the UK can take part. The UK coordinating teacher does not need to be a teacher of German, and German does not need to be on the school’s curriculum; visiting teachers are either teachers of English or have good knowledge of the English language.
Offers from UK schools to host teachers from Germany in 2017-18 are now being accepted. Application deadlines are 10 July 2017 / 21 September 2017.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
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31 May 2017 (EIFF)
The programme for this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) taking place from 21 June to 2 July 2017 has just been published.
The event will showcase films from 46 countries so there are plenty of opportunities to test your language skills!
For more information about what's on offer, visit the EIFF website.
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16 May 2017 (SEET)
Congratulations to the P6 team from Comely Park Primary School, who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s National Euroquiz Final 2017, which took place in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament on 15th May 2017.
Team members Tamsin Gold, Edwin Walker, Robyn Dewar-Young and Jaymie Jones were crowned SEET’s Euroquiz Champions 2017 at the national final. The winners were closely followed by St Leonard’s Primary School team from South Lanarkshire, in a nail-biting final round. Sciennes Primary School from Edinburgh also did incredibly well, winning the prize for third place.
Euroquiz is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust, a non-political charity, which promotes education about language learning, Europe and the wider world amongst Scotland’s young people.
See the attached press release for full details about this year's competition and participating schools.
If your school might like to take part in future competitions, visit the SEET website for more information.
Read more...
Related Links
Third Place in Euroquiz 2017! (Sciennes Primary School, 15 May 2017) - post includes photos and links to the event on Parliament TV.
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15 May 2017 (B small publishing)
The Young Language Learner Awards are back!
B small publishing are inviting children and young people to write a four-page story in a foreign language they are learning (choose from Chinese, English, French, German, Italian or Spanish) to be in with a chance of winning books worth £50.
One winner will be picked from the under 6 category and one winner from the 6 and over entries.
Visit the website for full details and to submit entries by 15 June 2017.
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9 May 2017 (ECML)
The EOL ECML project “Learning environments where modern languages flourish” has already succeeded in recruiting 99 partner schools and teachers in ten different countries; we will continue to accept new partner schools until the end of July 2017.
This European network of project partner schools will not only support one another in developing innovative approaches to establishing language friendly learning environments through an exchange of relevant resources, research and practice, but will have dedicated support from the project team throughout the lifespan of their school projects.
Visit the ECML website for more information and to register to join the EOL network.
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5 May 2017 (SCILT)
We're pleased to announce the SCILT website has been updated and details of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition award celebration held at the SEC, Glasgow in March are now available.
Here you can see photos of our winning performers, read the anthology of winning entries, access press articles and see feedback from pupils, teachers and parents.
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SCILT news
24 April 2017 (UK-German Connection)
Broaden your pupils' horizons and enhance your school's international dimension by linking with a German school. Find out how to set up and develop a partnership with a German school, including practical tips and advice on joint activities, projects and visits to Germany.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
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News from language & education organisations
23 April 2017 (SALT)
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO), the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, is to deliver a new Gaelic teaching degree.
The BA (Hons) Gaelic and Education recently received validation from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and accreditation from the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS ) and the first cohort of students will begin the course in September.
The course will be part of Sabhal Mòr’s degree pathway and will be taught through the medium of Gaelic and will focus on immersion and bilingual teaching practices in schools. This is the first time that SMO has taken the lead role in delivering a teacher training degree, and the course is designed for either secondary teaching (Gaelic as a subject) or Gaelic-medium primary teaching.
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Photo exhibition workshops for primary schools: “Objectif sport”
20 April 2017 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française in Glasgow is organising educational workshops around sport and the French language in May and June. Through games and activities in French, pupils will learn about sport, sporting events and the values attached to them.
The workshops are designed for primary school pupils and their teachers (P3/P6) who visit the photo exhibition and are free of charge.
See the attached flyer for more information and booking instructions.
18 April 2017 (Education Scotland)
The latest edition of Education Scotland's Modern Languages newsletter is now available.
Read more...
12 April 2017 (Daily Record)
St Joseph’s Primary School in Blantyre embraced the Scottish Government’s approach to modern languages learning by celebrating the language and culture of Spain last week.
During a dedicated Spanish week of events aimed at developing learners’ use of the Spanish language pupils learned about the Spanish culture and Spanish-speaking countries worldwide.
Learners participated in a range of stimulating experiences and opportunities which supported them in their journey towards Global Citizenship by enabling them to deepen and extend their knowledge and understanding of Spanish cities, food, music, dance, architecture, sport, famous people, festivals, film and media.
Read more...
30 March 2017 (Japanese for Young Learners project)
This course, organised by the Japanese for Young Learners Projects, aims to introduce teachers to Japanese language and culture for use in the classroom. Teachers will be introduced to Japanese language for beginners and to cultural learning activities such as origami and Japanese food.
The course will include developing literacy in Japanese and an introduction to Japanese reading and writing - easier than you think!
The course is being delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and the Japan Foundation, UK. It takes place over six weeks, commencing Thursday 20 April.
Visit the website to register for this free professional development opportunity and see the press article below relating to the project's pilot in Liberton Primary School, Edinburgh.
Read more...
27 March 2017 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française has a number of upcoming opportunities for French language learners in Glasgow. Follow the relevant link below for more information:
- Spring Break Revision Classes April 2017 (3-7 April) - preparation courses for pupils sitting Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French this year and University students due to sit exams later this year.
- Easter workshop for primary school pupils (3-7 April) - children will learn about French language and culture through fun Easter-themed activities.
- Term D adult courses now enrolling - classes available at all levels from Beginner to Advanced, along with specialised courses such as Conversation, Current Affairs, Grammar and Phonetics. New term commences 18 April 2017.
- New adult classes - Beginners, Lunchtime Conversation Class, Phonetics Class, Grammar Class commencing from 18 April 2017.
For further information about the Alliance Française and their full range of activities, visit their website.
Read more...
27 March 2017 (Edinburgh Evening News)
They already love manga, Pokemon and Nintendo and now schoolchildren in the Capital have been given the chance to learn about the language behind some of their favourite pastimes.
Liberton Primary School has become a language trailblazer thanks to a new scheme designed to introduce youngsters to Japanese from an early age.
The Japanese for Young Learners project has seen two P5 classes give the language a go, as well as learning about the history and culture of the far eastern country.
While Liberton already teaches a number of other languages – such as French, German, Spanish and Mandarin – it is the first Edinburgh primary school in many years to add Japanese to its offering.
Read more...
24 March 2017 (SCILT)
The multilingual talents of budding young poets from across Scotland were celebrated at a prestigious award ceremony in Glasgow. Jackie Kay, Scotland's Makar, presented the prizes.
Primary and secondary students from Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Stirling and West Lothian used their language skills to create and share poetry for this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition. Winners received their prizes on the main Piazza stage at the SEC Glasgow on Saturday 11 March 2017 as part of the wider Languages Show Live Scotland event. Their work is published in an anthology.
Mother Tongue Other Tongue is an exciting project which celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through creative writing and showcases the many languages which are used by children and young people across Scotland, in school and at home. The competition is organised by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, based at University of Strathclyde. Jackie Kay is the patron of the competition.
One teacher said of the event: “Taking part in the Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition was a very worthwhile endeavour. Pupils really enjoyed creating poems in another language and interesting language based discussions were generated. The emphasis on celebrating all languages from across the globe was a great message to share with pupils and they especially enjoyed mixing their own language with the languages they are learning at school. We will definitely be taking part again next year.”
Whilst one of the pupils summed up their feelings: “I feel happy, proud and special.”
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, says: “Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a celebration of the many languages that are spoken and learned by children and young people across Scotland. The collection of their poems weaves a rich tapestry of voices that honours cultural diversity and pays testament to the wealth of Scotland’s many languages and cultures. We were delighted to see such a high calibre of entries this year, submitted in 35 different languages. Our congratulations go to the winners and to all who took part in the competition.”
Mother Tongue invites children who do not speak English as a first language to write a poem, rap or song in their mother tongue and share their inspiration. Other Tongue encourages children learning another language in school to use that language creatively with an original poem, rap or song in that other tongue. Prizes are awarded in both categories.
Mother Tongue Other Tongue supports the Scottish Government initiative, ‘Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 approach’ by allowing pupils to apply their language learning in a creative way. The competition provides children who do not have English as their first language an opportunity to celebrate their mother tongue.
The targets laid out in the Scottish Attainment Challenge are about achieving equity in educational outcomes, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. One of the key drivers is improved literacy. Through reflecting on poetry in their mother tongue and creating poetry in another tongue, learners are developing their literacy skills.
Mother Tongue Other Tongue is supported by the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland, creative writer Juliette Lee and the Scottish Poetry Library.
Details of the winners and the anthology are published on the SCILT website.
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23 March 2017 (Education Scotland)
The Benchmarks in modern languages provide clarity on the national standards expected from first to fourth curricular level.
They draw together and streamline a wide range of previous assessment guidance (including significant aspects of learning, progression frameworks and annotated exemplars) into one key resource to support teachers’ and other practitioners’ professional judgement of children’s and young people’s progress.
The Benchmarks will also support consistency in teachers’ professional judgements and will help teachers to ensure that young people achieve the pace of progress they need right across the Broad General Education.
The
Benchmarks can be accessed on Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub along with
Benchmarks exemplification to support practitioners to use the Benchmarks.
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17 March 2017 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland's March e-bulletin for Gaelic education is now available online.
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16 March 2017 (BBC News)
(Applies to Northern Ireland) Learning a foreign language should be made compulsory in primary schools here, a new report has said.
In Northern Ireland, learning a second language is not a statutory part of the primary school curriculum.
In England and Scotland, by contrast, primary school pupils are expected to learn a foreign language.
The review of primary languages in Northern Ireland has been carried out by researchers from Stranmillis University College. The authors surveyed language learning at over 100 schools.
They found that Spanish and French were most popular in schools where languages were taught. Some pupils also learned German or Mandarin.
However, not all primary schools taught an additional language.
This led the authors to conclude that there was "a lack of equity in provision for children" across the country.
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14 March 2017 (The Herald)
Teachers have warned an ambitious strategy to expand language learning in Scottish primary schools lacks direction.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union said training for school staff was variable and had led to lower confidence levels in some areas.
The criticism centres on the Scottish Government’s flagship 1+2 languages policy under which primary pupils are to be taught at least two modern languages in addition to their mother tongue, starting in the first year of schooling and adding a second foreign language no later than P5.
The government has argued primaries should incorporate as large a pool of languages as possible, including Portuguese, Punjabi, Urdu and Polish.
However, critics say schools and teacher training universities need a much smaller group of languages to focus on to ensure continuity of study and expertise among staff.
In a letter to councils, Andrea Bradley, EIS assistant secretary for education, said information from primary teachers had identified training that was not of a consistently appropriate standard.
She said members had highlighted a “lack of direction” as to which languages would be taught at which stage as well as “variable quality of teachers’ experience of training course delivery”.
She also said there was “inconsistency” in the duration of training courses and therefore inconsistency in “outcomes for our members in terms of their levels of confidence to teach foreign languages”.
She added: “The EIS therefore calls upon all local authorities to work with Scottish Government to address the issues that are raised here, with a view to ensuring coherence of approach and adequate resourcing in order that the worthy aims of the policy can be met.”
The concerns were echoed by Gillian Campbell-Thow, chairwoman of the Scottish Association for Language Teaching.
Read more...
Related Links
SALT's response to EIS (SALT, 15 March 2017)
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Languages in the press
14 March 2017 (Junior Language Challenge)
Calling all Scottish primary schools! The Junior Language Challenge is the UK’s only language challenge for primary schools, introducing children to new, exciting languages and encouraging them to become independent learners, while raising money for charity. The first language this year is French.
There are great prizes to be won, including a family holiday to Africa!
Visit the JLC website to find out more and to register a school or an individual. (Please note there is an entry charge per child with all proceeds going to the educational charity, onebillion).
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13 March 2017 (CISS)
In order to build capacity for L3 in Scottish schools throughout Scotland, CISS has focused on developing a variety of resources. The latest L3 materials can be used to support the introduction of Mandarin as the L3 by using stimulating cultural contexts, whilst carefully building in progression. They are the first of a series of L3 resources which will support non-specialist Chinese teachers – including complete beginners! – as well as specialist Chinese teachers. The resources favour a gentle progression and will help practitioners embed Chinese into their learning context. These resources can be used as stand-alone resources or in conjunction with The Happy Emperor ebooks 1-5.
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11 March 2017 (SALT)
There are four categories in this years competition: Primary & BGE, National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher.
The theme is I love Languages Because and students can submit their entries in any format (PowerPoint, poster, song, poem, etc).
Visit the SALT website for further information and to submit entries by 26 May 2017.
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9 March 2017 (Renfrewshire 24)
Six bilingual pupils from Renfrewshire have scooped up awards at a national poetry competition for their creative writing talents.
Of the 14 awards up for grabs through the ‘Mother Tongue Other Tongue’ competition run by SCILT – Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, six were awarded to pupils from St John Ogilvie Primary School, St James Primary School and Castlehead High School, who had written poetry in their native tongue in order to share their “other voices”.
Renfrewshire EAL (English as an additional language) teachers helped support bilingual pupils to create a collection of poems written in languages such as; Polish, Hungarian, Chinese, Punjabi, Catalan, Arabic, Greek, Filipino, Korean and Dutch.
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Refugees
9 March 2017 (SCEN)
At the meeting of Confucius Institute Directors last year, we all decided that it would be a great help if we shared information about the teaching and learning of Mandarin at all levels in Scotland. We want to map all the opportunities to learn Chinese accurately, and to share it with everyone to help with productive links between schools, colleges, universities and businesses.
We would like to invite primary and secondary school teachers to complete our online survey to help gather this data.
Visit the SCEN website for the survey link. Please complete by 31 March 2017.
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9 March 2017 (The Herald)
Soaring demand for Gaelic education in Scotland’s largest city has led to the need for a third primary school.
Glasgow City Council is recommending a formal consultation on a new school because the two existing primaries are already full with demand expected to grow.
The increasing numbers of primary pupils in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) also means there is a need to ensure enough places are available at secondary.
Read more...
UK-German Connection initiatives for schools
7 March 2017 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German connection have the following opportunities they'd like teachers and schools to be aware of:
- What do you need now? Have your say.
It’s now more important than ever to maintain connections with Europe. With this in mind, we’re reviewing the opportunities and support we offer schools and are asking teachers for their input on what schools currently need in order to keep links with Germany alive. We’ve put together a short questionnaire for you to have your say and would be grateful for your feedback. Complete the survey.
- Plastic Pirates
There’s now another chance for UK and German partner schools to apply for funding to get together in Germany and undertake research on Germany’s rivers and oceans.
1 March 2017 (Articulate Language Camps)
Articulate Language Camps run an International Camp (12-17 year olds) and Launch Camp (6-11 year olds) each summer in Scotland.
The International camp brings together young people aged 12-17 from across Europe and beyond to share their language and culture and provides the opportunity to learn French, Spanish, German, Italian or English.
The Launch camp gives young campers the chance to experience the same languages in a fun and interactive way, learning through digital media projects and outdoor activities.
Find out more in the Articulate Language Camps videos on YouTube where you will also find links to their online brochure and registration form. Follow the relevant link below for more information about each camp:
You can find out more about Articulate Language Camps by visiting their main website.
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28 February 2017 (SCILT / Traidcraft)
#mfltwitterati it’s Fairtrade Fortnight! Please tweet @scottishcilt and @FairtradeUKEd the lesson ideas and resources that you’re using with your learners as a meaningful context for language learning #Fairtrade.
We’ve already found these from @traidcraft, tell us what you think.
- Explore the world of cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire with a range of teaching resources for learners of French at 2nd level, 3rd level and in the Senior Phase.
- Explore a range of resources relating to Apicoop - honey and blueberry producers in Chile. Aimed at 2nd level learners of Spanish materials include a poster, an advert and a game.
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21 February 2017 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection offers a number of opportunities for schools in the UK and Germany to develop and maintain partnerships. In their latest Spring 2017 newsletter they highlight the following:
- With the changing landscape of international relations, we want to make sure we're still offering you the right kind of support to keep your connections with Germany alive.We're currently reviewing the opportunities and services we offer and would like to invite you to tell us what you need now for your schools and pupils. Complete the short survey.
- Deadline reminder of 1 March for applications for the following summer courses in Germany:
For upcoming deadlines for the rest of the school year, download our calendar of opportunities for 2016-17.
For further information about UK-German Connection and their activities, visit their website.
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17 February 2017 (Junior Language Challenge)
The Junior Language Challenge is the UK’s only language challenge for primary schools, inspiring a love of languages at a young age and encouraging children to become independent learners, while raising money for charity.
The JLC 2017 will open on 10 March, but registration starts now - visit the website sign-up pages to register a school or an individual. (Please note there is an entry charge per child with all proceeds going to the
onebillion charity).
Read more...
14 February 2017 (SCILT)
SCILT are delighted to announce that Passeport pour la Francophonie is now live on its website.
This online resource focuses on French-speaking countries around the world. Angus, from Scotland invites you to join him on a journey as he travels to member countries of the Oranisation Internationale de la Francophonie and meets new friends.
Aude from France, Assouan from Egypt, Nyanga from Gabon, Menembe from Madagascar and Takakoto from Polynesia describe their daily lives, as well as the history and geography of the countries.
The website includes:
- Information for primary practitioners about teaching language skills and developing learners’ cultural awareness through interdisciplinary learning.
- Activities and resources for supporting interconnected teaching of languages.
Use together with the European Language Portfolio and pupils can record their achievements and progress in languages.
Please note this resource was developed by Education Scotland in 2012 and given to SCILT to host from 2017 onwards.
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12 February 2017 (Sunday Herald)
Does language learning have a place in the Scottish curriculum? Yes. Are modern languages and their teachers under pressure in secondary schools? Yes. Has there been a better opportunity for promoting language learning in our schools ? No.
Language learning has a vital place in Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) on a learner journey from 3-18 but in a manner that does not see it as the preserve of the secondary school.
It has always baffled me that traditionally in Scotland, given its place in Europe, we started language learning so late in a child’s development.
The earlier we expose children to learning languages, the better their chance is of seeing this as something that is just part of their culture.
From a child development point of view, there’s much research to confirm that children are more receptive educationally and emotionally to language learning from an early age.
They soak it up and acquire language skills at a great pace. We know that bilingualism not only helps the cognitive development of the child but also that children who are in bilingual education such as Gaelic Medium Education also attain and achieve at least as well as, in many cases better, than their monoglot peers. They are fluent in two languages and are learning a third by the age of 11. In addition, there is another plus to early exposure to acquiring additional languages; most parents like it, understand it and support schools that promote it.
The Scottish Government-led 1+2 languages programme is a long-term policy commitment started in 2011 due to run until 2021, aimed at making it normal for all children and young people in Scotland to learn languages from primary one.
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10 February 2017 (Education Scotland)
This translation competition is open to all children and young people in both Gaelic Learner and Gaelic Medium Education.
There are nine English and eight Gaelic posters of Scotland’s scientists available on the National Improvement Hub. One of the Gaelic posters is missing- Alexander Graham Bell.
Children and young people are invited to translate a short biography on Alexander Graham Bell into Gaelic. This is an exciting opportunity to have your work shared nationally and to feature alongside the other eight scientist biographies available on the National Improvement Hub. Your work could support learners of Gaelic across Scotland.
For more information visit the Education Scotland Learning Blog. Entries should be submitted by 3 March 2017.
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10 February 2017 (TESS)
Statutory guidance on Gaelic education has been published, spelling out the process that will allow parents under law to request a Gaelic unit for their child. Another key document has also been published: the public consultation on the National Gaelic Language Plan 2017–2022 runs until 6 May.
Read the full item in TESS online, 10 February 2017, under the 'A week in primary' section (subscription required).
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MTOT 2016-17 winners announced!
10 February 2017 (SCILT)
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate everyone who took part in this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition for schools in Scotland. We had a wonderful variety of entries and appreciated the creative effort that went into the submissions.
Selecting the finalists for this year's anthology was incredibly difficult for the judges. However, after considerable deliberation, we're pleased to now be able to announce the winners in each category along with highly commended entries which will also feature in the MTOT anthology of poems.
Mother Tongue
| Category | Award | Name | School |
| P1 – P3 | Winner | Jan Piwowarczyk (Polish) | St Benedict’s Primary |
| | Highly commended | Kacper Jodelka (Polish) | St John Ogilvie Primary |
| P4 – P6 | Winner | Laith Kabour (Arabic) | St John Ogilvie Primary |
| | Highly commended | Ashley Li (Mandarin) | St James’ Primary |
| | Highly commended | Amira Shaaban and Aidah Abubaker (Swahili) | St Rose of Lima Primary |
| | Highly commended | Caroline Rotimi and Joolade Adekoya (Yoruba) | St Maria Goretti Primary |
| P7 – S1 | Winner | Miriam Espinosa (Catalan) | St James’ Renfrew |
| | Highly commended | Lemuel Pascual (Filipino) | St James’ Renfrew |
| | Highly commended | Noemi Dzurjanikova (Slovak) | St Rose of Lima |
| S2 – S3 | Winner | Stefan Benyak (Hungarian) | Castlehead High |
| | Highly commended | Éva Tallaron (French) | Royal High |
| Senior Phase | Winner | Boglarka Balla (Hungarian) | Graeme High |
| | Highly commended | Ayesha Mujeb (Urdu) | George Heriot’s |
| | Highly commended | Nadya Clarkson (Russian) | George Heriot’s |
Other Tongue
| Category | Award | Name | School |
| P1 – P3 | Winner | Julia Gawel (Scots) | Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary |
| P4 – P6 | Winner(s) | Nathan Watson and Aiden Wardrop (French) | Johnshaven Primary |
| | Highly commended | Jack Shaw (German) | Gartcosh Primary |
| | | Eva Campbell (German) | Gartcosh Primary |
| P7 – S1 | Winner | Rosalind Turnbull (French) | Doune Primary |
| | Highly commended | Samuel Kassm, Theo Wilson, Emma Cullen and Darren Campbell (French, Spanish, Italian, Urdu, Scots) | Battlefield Primary |
| S2 – S3 | Winner | Simi Singh (French) | Graeme High |
| | Highly commended | Ciara Wilkie (French) | St Margaret’s Academy |
| Senior Phase | Winner | Jordanna Bashir (French) | Shawlands Academy |
| | Highly commended | Holly Mincher (Spanish) | St Andrew’s |
| | Highly commended | Rachel Cairns (French) | Graeme High |
Well done to everyone who took part in the competition. It's been a marvellous celebration of the various languages spoken in our communities. You should all be very proud of your work.
To mark participation in the competition, registered schools will shortly be sent a certificate which can be printed out and presented to pupils who took part. The finalists above will be invited in due course to receive theirs at the MTOT celebration event on 11 March.
Thank you all once again and keep writing!
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8 February 2017 (British Council)
Modern Language Assistants bring authentic language and culture to the classroom. In a recent survey of host schools, Heads of Languages reported improved exam results – raising standards in under-performing students and motivating talented students to achieve more. The support of an Assistant is particularly valuable with the on-going focus on languages in the 1+2 initiative, and can particularly help to complement the development of language teaching in primary schools.
The British Council Language Assistants programme draws on over 100 years of experience with overseas education authorities to provide a trusted, high quality service.
Applications are now open! For more information visit the
British Council website.
In 2016 the Erasmus+ UK National Agency awarded nearly €1.2m+ to Scotland’s schools and colleges for Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships, and 70% of Scottish applications for school-only partnerships were successful. The next Erasmus+ funding deadline is 29 March. If you are planning to apply, access our tailored guidance for
school-only applications and
school education applications;
pre-recorded videos; and
telephone support sessions.
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8 February 2017 (SALT / Institut français)
Winners of the 2017 Concours de la francophonie, a competition run by the Institut français d'Ecosse for schools in Scotland, have now been announced!
Visit the SALT website for more information about the winners in each category.
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3 February 2017 (British Council eTwinning)
Interested in eTwinning and partnering with schools across Europe on collaborative projects? Check out the professional development opportunities in the UK and overseas for both primary and secondary sectors.
Visit the British Council eTwinning website for more information.
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26 January 2017 (UK-German Connection)
A reminder that the next deadline for grants for UK-German activities is 31 January 2017.
For an 'at a glance' overview of our grants and details about each programme, please visit the UK-German Connection website.
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24 January 2017 (Language Show Live)
Scotland’s biggest and most prestigious event dedicated to all things language is back at the SECC in Glasgow on the 10th – 11th of March 2017. Officially sponsored by Education Scotland and the Scottish Government this free to attend event is a must for anyone interested in learning or advancing their languages, exploring job opportunities in the language industry, considering teaching or working abroad, enjoying a fantastic range of international cultural performances and much, much more!
10TH MARCH – 9:00AM – 6:00PM GLASGOW SECC
11TH MARCH – 9:00AM – 5:30PM GLASGOW SECC
Sample our extensive free seminar programme, meet over 100 top exhibitors like the European Commission, the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the British Council, meet language professional recruiters, enjoy our fantastic array of cultural performances, free language classes and more.
Find out more and
register for free today.
Our trademark intensive 2 hour Language Plus classes are also now available online at a heavily discounted early bird rate (over 20% off the standard price!) of just £18. These optional add-ons can be purchased at the end of the free registration process and are certain to add a productive language experience to your day!
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24 January 2017 (Daily Record)
Lanarkshire may not be known as a hotbed of Gaelic but a little school are doing their best to reintroduce the language to the wider community.
Gartcosh Primary have been nominated for the Gaelic Education Award at this year’s Scottish Education Awards.
Rachel Neilly is one of four teachers at the village primary who has done the Gaelic Learning in Primary Schools course and teaches the language to primaries five to seven.
All children from primary two upwards learn German but the upper three classes have Gaelic as a third language.
They also learn about the culture in the Highlands and islands as part of their studies.
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19 January 2017 (Scottish Education Awards)
The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education. They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.
There's still time to submit nominations for the Awards, so get your entries in for the Making Languages Come Alive (Primary) and Gaelic Education/Duais Foghlam Gàidhlig.awards before the closing date of 15 February 2017.
Visit the Scottish Education Award website to make your nomination.
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Urdu
19 January 2017 (RZSS)
Conservation charity the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is excited to announce the official launch of its brand new ‘Panda Pass It On’ game for schools. The game, which is part of the conservation organisation’s Beyond the Panda education programme, launched at four schools in all four corners of Scotland on Tuesday 17 January: St. Patrick’s, South Ayrshire; Lasswade High, Midlothian, Portree Primary, Isle of Skye and Forehill Primary, Aberdeen.
With only four copies of the game available, the intention is for schools to keep the fun, learning resource for a week before passing it on to other schools. The panda games will hopefully make their way across Scotland, with each school logging their location through a QR code on the back of the game, which will allow RZSS to follow the games as they travel.
Sandie Robb, Senior Education Officer at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “I’m incredibly excited about the launch of the Panda Pass It On game. It is the first of its kind and is a fun way for children to learn more about China, its history, culture and language as well as their famous animals, the giant pandas. It will be really interesting to track the games as they travel to different schools.”
The game forms an introduction to the Beyond the Panda education programme, which is designed to promote cross-curricular learning, with pupils investigating and discovering more about China. The materials cover Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes in science, topical science, social studies, language and literacy. This is delivered through an outreach programme with fun, interactive games led by an education officer from RZSS, or in the case of the Panda Pass It On game, by itself.
The programme is sponsored by the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh with support from the Scotland China Education Network and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools at the University of Strathclyde.
For more information, please visit the RZSS Beyond the Panda website.
Read more...
18 January 2017 (Glasgow Film)
The programme for Glasgow Film Festival 2017 has just been announced!
More than 310 separate events and screenings of films from 38 countries will show across the city from 15 – 26 February in one of the UK’s biggest film festivals. The event offers several special screenings for schools, which this year includes the following foreign language options:
- Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods (PG) - 6-8 February (French, English subtitles)
- Ma Revolution (N/C 15+) - 3-8 February (French, English subtitles)
- The Olive Tree (N/C 15+) - 7 February (Spanish/German with English subtitles)
- Shorts for Wee Ones (N/C 3+) - 9 February (English, French or dialogue free)
- The Golden Dream (N/C 12+) - 9 February (Spanish & Tzotzil with English subtitles)
- Zip Zap & The Captain's Island (N/C 8+) - 9 February (Spanish)
There are also CPD opportunities for teachers and workshops for pupils. Visit the 'What's on for Schools' page of the GFT website for full details and to book.
Tickets go on sale to Glasgow Film Festival Members at noon on Thursday 19 January and on general sale at 10am on Monday 23 January.
Visit the GFT website for more information.
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17 January 2017 (UKLO)
UKLO is a competition for students who are still at school (or equivalent college) – any age, any ability level – in which they have to solve linguistic data problems. Thanks to our generous academic supporters, it’s completely free to both competitors and schools.
The UK Olympiad also enters at least one team in the International Linguistics Olympiad.
The United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) for 2017 will soon get underway with round 1 taking place from 6-10 February.
If you are interested in finding out more about the competition and registering your school to take part, visit the UKLO website.
Read more...
16 January 2017 (CISS)
The CISS CLPL menu for 2016-17 'Making Chinese work for you!' has been updated.
Visit the CISS website to view the brochure and for information on booking a professional learning session.
Read more...
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CISS news
Japan days for schools
16 January 2017 (RZSS)
Come along to our Japan days at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, held in partnership with the Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies youth StampIT programme.
Experience a day at the park to visit the Japanese macaques along with an educational session using games and activities to learn about Japanese language and culture. Suitable for P6/7 and S1 levels. Entrance to the park is free for these special pilot events but places are limited and booking is essential.
Places available on Wednesday 8 March or Wednesday 15 March 2017. First come, first served. Contact Sandie Robb srobb@rzss.org.uk for further details and booking information.
13 January 2017 (SCILT)
Here at SCILT, our New Year’s Resolution has been to review and refresh the CLPL menu. With your feedback in mind, we have made a few strategic changes that we hope will make a big difference. New on the SCILT website from today – the new and improved CLPL menu.
Read more...
9 January 2017 (Erasmus+)
The next Erasmus+ funding deadline for Key Action 1 School Staff Mobility is 2 February. For UK schools and colleges, the UK National Agency has guidance documentation, and videos on an introduction to Schools Key Action 1 and completing the eForm.
There is also a Q&A webinar at 4-5pm on 19 January.
Read more...
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6 January 2017 (Oxford University)
The Oxford German Olympiad 2017 is open to UK pupils aged from 9 to 18 with a range of different tasks to suit different age groups. There is also an open competition for groups or classes of 4+ participants.
This year's theme is Deutsch(e) jenseits von Deutschland - German(s) beyond Germany.
Visit the Oxford German Olympiad website for more information and to enter by 17 March 2017.
Read more...
2 January 2017 (Culturethèque)
An exciting French writing competition has just been launched by French astronaut, Thomas Pesquet, from the International Space Station.
Young people, up to the age of 25, are invited to write a short piece in French based on le Petit Prince and submit their entries by 28 February 2017.
See Thomas speaking about the competition on the launch video and find out how to enter on the Culturethèque website.
Read more...
13 December 2016 (ALL)
Language Futures is an exciting approach for schools interested in developing languages beyond the classroom.
Initially a KS3 approach, Language Futures is now being adopted by primary schools with a range of primary-focused guidance and resources being developed over 2016-17.
Its core purpose is to generate deep engagement with learning and to encourage learners to take responsibility for their learning both within and beyond the classroom. Increasing motivation and engagement are integral to the approach with learners not only choosing the language they wish to learn, but also exercising choice in elements of what and how to learn. A core feature of the approach is the personalised support offered to pupils by mentors who are volunteers from the local community with an in-depth knowledge and fluency in a particular language, recruited to provide good models of the language.
Visit the ALL website for further information on launching Language Futures in your school.
Read more...
1 December 2016 (TES)
Report also warns that secondary heads do not realise that the primary curriculum has changed and still think that pupils' progress is measured in levels
The emphasis on reading, writing, spelling and grammar at primary school risks narrowing the curriculum, today's Ofsted annual report states.
This means that subjects such as science and modern foreign languages can suffer as a result.
The report says: “The underlying importance of literacy means that reading, writing, spelling and grammar remain of the utmost importance in the primary curriculum.
“However, this clear emphasis, which has been embraced successfully by the vast majority of primary schools, can create a risk that the curriculum becomes narrowed.”
Evidence from inspections shows that science and foreign languages end up suffering, because not enough time is available for in-depth study, the report stated.
Foreign languages were particularly affected. None of the primary schools inspected this year spent more than two hours a week on language study. The majority – more than two thirds – spent less than an hour on foreign languages.
Read more...
29 November 2016 (UK-German Connection)
Do you have a link with a German school? Have your schools engaged in any joint activities in 2016?
Keeping up connections between the UK and Germany is now more important than ever. To help you to keep your school partnership alive, UK-German Connection is offering schools special partnership bursaries of £1,000.
It's easy to apply. Just complete a short online questionnaire by 7 December 2016.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
Read more...
23 November 2016 (FC Barcelona)
Before today’s game between Celtic and Barça, the directors of the two clubs enjoyed a lunch organised by UEFA in a restaurant close to the hotel where the Catalans are staying.
FCB was represented at the event by vice-president Manel Arroyo, the commissioner for Espai Barça Jordi Moix and directors Silvio Elías, Pau Vilanova and Xavier Vilajoana.
And there was an unexpected surprise for them before the meal was served, when the choir from Dalmarnock Primary School performed the Barça anthem!
See the video on the FC Barcelona website.
Read more...
23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)
L’Institut Français d’Écosse and the Alliance Française de Glasgow, in partnership with SCILT, are delighted to launch the 2nd edition of the Concours de la Francophonie which encourages young French learners and their teachers across Scotland to celebrate French language and the international Journée mondiale de la francophonie taking place in March each year..
To participate, you need to submit a short video (max 5mins) in French such as a dialogue, a song a short drama piece, etc. There are four categories:
The four winning teams will be invited to the University of Edinburgh on Friday 17 March 2017 to take part in a special day of workshops in French and the awards ceremony.
For more information and to enter the competition by 14 December visit the Alliance Française or Institut Français website.
Read more...
23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPD workshops in French for Primary school teachers between February and April 2017.
Ten topics will be covered, tailored to the needs of Primary school teachers.
For more information and to enrol, visit the Alliance Française website.
Read more...
16 November 2016 (Oxford German Network)
The Oxford German Olympiad 2017 is now open! This year's theme is Deutsch(e) jenseits von Deutschland - German(s) beyond Germany.
The competition is open to UK pupils aged from 9 to 18 with a range of different tasks to suit different age groups. There is also an open competition for groups or classes of 4+ participants.
Visit the Oxford German Olympiad website for more information. Entry deadline is 17 March 2017.
Read more...
9 November 2016 (UK-German Connection)
The latest funded opportunities from UK-German Connection can be found on their website via the appropriate links below:
For more information about UK-German Connection and their full range of activities, visit their website.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
8 November 2016 (British Council)
A reminder that this year's International Education Week (IEW), taking place from 14-18 November, has a focus on languages.
Find out how you can get involved by visiting the British Council's IEW website.
Read more...
8 November 2016 (LFEE)
The dates for our immersion courses 2017-2018 have just been released. Please visit the LFEE website to find out new dates and further information or see the attached brochure.
Successful applicants receive a grant from the British Council that covers all costs, including flights, accommodation and subsistence, as well as the course fee.
NEW: Immersion follow up
If you have already attended our immersion course in France in the past and wish to attend another course with us, we have created a follow up immersion which will take place in the beautiful city of Avignon in Provence. Please contact us for further information.
Should you wish to participate in our immersion courses in France or Spain from July 2017 to April 2018, please pre-register at
immersions@lfee.net and we will send you further information on how to apply to the Erasmus+ European funding for schools.
Do not hesitate to visit our website and blog for more information and to see what your colleagues have said about their course last summer.
A bientôt!
Read more...
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7 November 2016 (SALT)
After a fantastic response to the 2016 Schools Poster Competition, the winning entries can now be seen on the SALT website.
Read more...
4 November 2016 (Press and Journal)
School pupils in Moray will be transported from the north-east to the Far East with the opening of the region’s first Chinese classroom.
The Confucius base is scheduled to open at Elgin Academy at the end of the month with language and culture lessons for students. Two Chinese-speaking teachers will be based in the classroom, but will take lessons at five other secondary schools and eight primary schools in the region.
The initiative will also open up the opportunity for pupils and staff to take part in courses in the Asian country.
Read more...
4 November 2016 (SCILT)
We are delighted to have Jackie Kay, the national laureate, as patron for this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition for schools in Scotland.
Hear Jackie's message supporting the aims and values of the competition in the video on our MTOT webpage.
Read more...
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SCILT news
3 November 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
Returning to Scottish screens from 25 November 2016 to 28 January 2017, is this nation-wide event featuring 12 innovative, inspiring and challenging films by Germany-based directors. We have selected a wide array of topics and cinematic styles that shed light on current debates and discourses in Germany.
The following screenings are specifically for school groups:
- Fiddlesticks (Quatsch und die Nasenbärenbande) - P4-S3
- I feel like disco (Ich fühl mich Disco) - S4-S6
For full programme details visit the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
3 November 2016 (British Council)
Shakespeare Lives in Schools Day will be marked in schools all over the world by children of all ages on Friday 2 December 2016. We are inviting you and your school to join in a global celebration of Shakespeare in this special 400th anniversary year.
Visit the British Council Schools Online website to discover how you can get involved. Many of the suggested activities could be adapted to the languages classroom or worked on with an overseas partner school.
Read more...
24 October 2016 (SEET)
SEET is very pleased to announce that Euroquiz 2016-17 has now officially launched! We run an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, promoting education about Europe and encouraging the development of foreign language skills and intercultural competencies amongst young people in Scotland.
If you are interested in finding out more about Euroquiz, visit the SEET website where you can watch our promo video, or contact jane@seet.org.uk. Primary schools will receive information via their local authority including a registration form.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
21 October 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut London invites German teachers and their pupils to take part in this competition series requiring language and computer skills alike! The topic this year is Digital D.
Several categories for different levels of language skills are provided. Primary teachers and secondary teachers can choose which competition they think suits their students’ best.
To take part in the competition, visit the website and submit the registration form by 10 November 2016.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
21 October 2016 (Erasmus+)
All the deadlines and information on the types of activities you can apply for are contained in the 2017 Call for Proposals document and the 2017 Programme Guide both of which you can download from the Key Resources page of our website. The Call for Proposals is an overview document containing all the deadlines for 2017, while the Programme Guide contains all the detailed information on how to apply for Erasmus+ funding. You will need to read both documents when planning an application.
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News from language & education organisations
21 October 2016 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Écosse is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of our new Concours de la francophonie to encourage all young French learners and their teachers across Scotland.
The competition is open to primary and secondary pupils and involves producing a short video in French which should be submitted by 14 December 2016.
See the attached flyer for more information about the competition and how to take part. You can also see pictures from the first edition competition on the Institut français website.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
17 October 2016 (Institut français)
This year's French Film Festival takes place from 4 November - 1 December and is the only festival of francophone films in the UK.
There are screenings for primary and secondary school pupils taking place around Scotland during this time.
See the attached flyer for details of the school screenings and contact information for bookings.
Visit the French Film Festival website for the full programme.
Read more...
13 October 2016 (ALL)
The Association for Language Learning (ALL) has a focus on film this fortnight. Visit the website for links to useful film resources and the upcoming film festivals taking place this autumn around the UK. Each festival offers a selection of foreign language film screenings.
- Discovery Film Festival (22 October - 6 November 2016) - Scotland's international film festival for young audiences.
- Into Film Festival (9 - 25 November 2016) - a free nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds.
- French Film Festival (4 November - 1 December 2016) - the only festival of francophone films in the UK.
Visit the ALL website for more information.
Read more...
11 October 2016 (ALL)
Calling all head teachers, heads of department, language coordinators and ALL primary hub leaders! Do you know a very special primary or secondary language teacher?
If you know a teacher who inspires pupils through superb teaching and supports colleagues by sharing their expertise and ideas, then why not nominate them for an Association for Language Learning (ALL) Language Teacher of the Year Award 2017?
Open to teachers throughout the UK.
Visit the ALL website for full details and submit your nomination by Friday 21 October 2016.
Read more...
6 October 2016 (STV News)
For most of her life, it seemed as though Keren Mingole would never have a place to call home.
Forced to escape war-torn country of DR Congo, the 16-year-old has been brought up in Scotland from a very early age. Not only faced with the difficulty of communicating with strangers, Keren also had to learn British Sign Language.
[..] In 2015, an opportunity arose for Keren to explore and draw from her difficult experiences as a child through a multilingual poetry contest.
The Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition explores cultural identity, and allows pupils from P1-S6 to enter creative pieces of work and celebrate the many different languages used in schools throughout the UK.
Pupils from across Scotland are currently participating in the multi-cultural competition, which is officially endorsed by Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Scottish Makar Jackie Kay is also the official patron.
Keren won the 2015 Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition with her poem 'Who am I?' - a composition of her journey from her native home to her current home, Scotland.
Read more...
Related Links
National Poetry Day (STV News, 6 October 2016) See Jackie Kay and one of last year's MTOT winners, Keren Mingole, talk about poetry in their lives (the programme is available on iPlayer until 13/09/16 - watch from 28:50).
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SCILT,
Languages in the press
6 October 2016 (University of Strathclyde)
Now in its 5th year, the Language Ambassadors Programme is offering visits to Secondary or Primary schools (and other formats too). As Language Ambassadors we will talk about our varied experiences as language learners and do our best to encourage your pupils to follow in our footsteps…
Motivation, experiences abroad, transition to First year at university, job prospects, university courses… This is what we can tell them about.
Boost your young learners’ motivation, invite us in!
For more information see the Language Ambassadors website and to organise a visit, simply contact: Cédric Moreau, c.moreau@strath.ac.uk.
Read more...
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6 October 2016 (SCILT)
Today is National Poetry Day and the theme this year is 'Messages'. To mark the occasion we've created our own triolet poem in French on this theme.
You can see the poem on the National Poetry Day webpage of our MTOT website. We hope it will provide some inspiration for those taking part in the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition in Scotland! There are lots of other poetry resources on our website too. So take a look and get creative!
Read more...
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Resources,
SCILT news
28 September 2016 (UK-German Connection)
Give your primary pupils the chance to experience Germany's Christmas culture in a real-life setting! This four-day visit to Berlin will give them the chance to meet German children of the same age and get involved in seasonal intercultural activities.
Two options now available: apply for a visit run by UK-German Connection or receive funding to organise your own!
Read more...
22 September 2016 (The Independent)
Latin and Classics should be taught in every primary school and not limited to the middle and upper classes, a leading academic has said.
Professor Dennis Hayes, an expert from the University of Derby and Chair of the College of Education Research Committee, has warned that Latin and ancient Greek along with modern languages are in danger of becoming “the preserve of public schools”.
Read more...
21 September 2016 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow is running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course specifically designed for primary school teachers between October and December 2016.
The course is suitable for complete beginners and will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm between 5 October and 14 December 2016.
For more information and to enrol, visit the Alliance Française website.
Read more...
19 September 2016 (Chryston High School)
Chryston High School has now been named as the first Scottish school on the Goethe Institut’s Smart Choice: German network.
The network recognises the school’s commitment to German as a foreign language and the support that the school offers to our feeder primary schools.
Part of the project involves setting up a digital network which will allow us to strengthen our partnership with our feeder primary schools while promoting the benefits of learning German.
Read more...
Related Links
The Smart Choice: German - Schools' Network - Goethe-Institut website containing information about the network and how schools can get involved.
9 September 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
‘Deutsch mit Karla & Kai’ is a scheme of work that follows on from the ‘Deutsch mit Felix & Franzi’ programme. It is intended for children who have finished two years of German at primary level, having had around 40 minutes of German per week.
‘Deutsch mit Karla & Kai’ consists of 6 chapters, each of which opens with a video clip. The films introduce the new learning and teaching content in a playful way. The learners will already have a basic knowledge of German. They will therefore be able to access completely new structures and vocabulary in the context of the stories.
Access the resource on the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
9 September 2016 (SCILT)
Once again, we are delighted to be able to offer FREE poetry workshops for primary and secondary teachers at four different venues across Scotland.
Teachers will work with Juliette Lee, a poet and creative writer, for a half-day workshop to develop their own creativity, explore poetry and the impact of language we use. We hope that teachers will leave inspired and able to take back some ideas and examples to work with their own pupils who will then submit their poems/rhymes/raps/songs into the MTOT competition.
Teachers do not have to attend one of the workshops to register their school for the MTOT competition although the workshops are a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in teaching poetry, languages and to gather ideas to take back into the classroom. Due to the creative and interactive nature of these workshops, places are limited to 15 teachers at each venue, therefore we advise you to book your place early.
Details of the workshops are as follows. Click on the appropriate workshop link below to register for the event.
- Saturday 24 September, 10.00 – 12.30; Dundee University, Dundee (deadline for registration Friday 16 September)
- Friday 30 September, 13.30 – 16.00; The Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh (deadline for registration 6pm Monday 26 September)
- Saturday 1 October, 10.00 – 12.30; Inverness College - UHI, Inverness (deadline for registration 6pm Monday 26 September)
- Saturday 8 October, 12.00 – 14.30; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (deadline for registration Friday 30 September) PLEASE NOTE EVENT NOW FULL!
For more information about the competition visit the
MTOT page on our website and
register your school to take part!
Read more...
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SCILT news
5 September 2016 (ALL)
Calling all head teachers, heads of department, language coordinators and ALL primary hub leaders!
Do you know a very special primary or secondary language teacher?
If you know a teacher who inspires pupils through superb teaching and supports colleagues by sharing their expertise and ideas, then why not nominate them for an Association for Language Learning (ALL) Language Teacher of the Year Award 2017?
Now open to teachers throughout the UK.
Visit the ALL website for full details and submit your nomination by Friday 21 October 2016.
Read more...
5 September 2016 (British Council)
The UK is the partner country for this year’s Oceans and Seas focussed Year of Science organised by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). Together with our UK partners the British Council Germany, the UK Science & Innovation Network and UK-German Connection, we invite you to take part in a collaborative Citizen Science Project working on the “Plastic Pirates” project together with your German partner school.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has agreed to bear the travel and accommodation costs incurred by British partner schools who take part in the project.
Would you and your pupils like to become Plastic Pirates? If so, get in touch with your German partner school if they are also taking part in the programme. They should then let the Editorial Office of the Science Year know who will help you organise your research trip to Germany.
Visit the British Council or UK-German Connection websites for more information.
Read more...
2 September 2016 (SCILT)
We're delighted to announce the launch of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition and are thrilled to welcome the new Scots Makar, Jackie Kay, as the competition's patron.
Whether pupils are learning a language at school, or whether they speak a native language at home, everyone can get involved in celebrating their linguistic and cultural diversity through creative poetry writing as there are options to enter in either the Mother Tongue or Other Tongue category.
We are in the process of finalising poetry workshops for teachers, which will take place towards the end of September/beginning of October. Further details will follow soon.
In the meantime, you can find out more about this year's competition and previous events on our MTOT website and register your school to take part!
Read more...
1 September 2016 (Japan Foundation)
Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education in the UK. We prioritise projects that fit into one of the three following categories:
- Introducing Japanese into the school curriculum
- Supporting formal Japanese courses and qualifications
- Japanese clubs
The next funding application deadline is 16 September 2016.
For more information about the programme and how to apply, visit the Japan Foundation website.
Read more...
25 August 2016 (Edinburgh Filmhouse)
The Edinburgh Filmhouse invites primary and secondary teachers to an informal meeting and introduction to their autumn schools programme on Monday 29 August 2016.
On Monday 5 September there will also be a free screening for teachers to watch one of the films from the forthcoming French Film Festival and discuss practical ways it can be used with pupils.
Visit the Filmhouse website for full details of these events and film screenings for schools during the autumn term.
Read more...
Bilingualism workshops
25 August 2016 (SCILT)
SCILT is delighted to be able to offer a series of national workshops in collaboration with Bilingualism Matters and Glasgow City Council’s EAL Service which will showcase the benefits of bilingualism and consider practical strategies teachers can use to promote bilingualism in their classrooms. We will offer ideas on how to engage bilingual learners more and support literacy skills across both languages.
These free workshops are aimed at general class practitioners across Early Years, Primary and Secondary, not specifically for the MFL and languages community so please feel free to distribute to all teachers across your network or Local Authority.
Attached is a flyer with further information about dates, venues and how to book.
Please note there are only a few remaining places on the Aberdeen workshop - all other venues are now full.
18 August 2016 (UK-German Connection)
Plan ahead for the new school year with this at-a-glance overview of UK-German opportunities and deadlines, now available on the UK-German Connection website.
Read more...
16 August 2016 (SCILT)
Renfrew High School is a six-year, non-denominational comprehensive school which serves the burgh of Renfrew. It is situated on the south side of the River Clyde several miles to the west of Glasgow. Its associated primaries are Arkleston Primary School, Kirklandneuk Primary School and Newmains Primary School The school was opened in 1975 and has a capacity of 1287.
In addition to the current provision of French as L2, find out how Renfrew High and its associated primaries are taking a cluster approach to delivering Spanish as an L3.
Read more...
4 August 2016 (Creative Scotland)
Le Petit Monde is a puppet theatre company based in Edinburgh, creating shows that introduce young children and their families to the French language and culture through authentic French-speaking puppets.
We spoke to Artistic Director Tania Czajka about developing her practice and her latest creation - The Wonderful World of Lapin - which appears as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next week.
Read more...
1 August 2016 (RZSS)
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's 'Beyond the Panda' programme for schools has been designed to enable learners to explore a variety of topics within the overall context of giant pandas and China. The programme offers different activities to cater for primary and secondary pupils.
See the attached flyer for more information and how to get involved. Or visit the RZSS website for more information about the organisation and their work.
Read more...
31 July 2016 (TES)
Teaching and learning languages needs to be taken seriously, says one French teacher.
Did foreign language teaching become a statutory part of the primary curriculum back in 2014, or was that just my imagination?
Because, as we reach the end of another school year, I find myself thoroughly disappointed – and here’s why.
Having learned no more French than she did at nursery, my 10-year-old daughter has tried to use her role within the school council to campaign for better French lessons at her school, not just because she is passionate about learning languages, but because all her friends are, too.
“We only get 15 minutes,” they exclaim.
I know that, of course, for many primary schools, language teaching becoming compulsory at key stage 1 and 2 means nothing more than business as usual and many children are benefitting from well structured, fun and engaging lessons.
However, I also know that I am not the only one to be experiencing exasperation at the inadequate and quite often inaccurate provision of modern foreign languages in UK primary schools.
Read more...
7 July 2016 (Education Scotland)
This publication from Education Scotland is a suite of advice, frameworks and resources to support primary teachers to plan for depth and progression in modern language learning experiences. These resources were developed in conjunction with primary practitioners who deliver L2 and L3 experiences.
Visit Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub website for more information.
Read more...
24 June 2016 (SCEL)
Have you completed a practice-based enquiry project recently? If so, you’re probably looking for a chance to share your findings. In which case, you’ll definitely want to sign up to participate in the Enquire Connect Engage events that SCEL is hosting this autumn.
SCEL supported Pedagoo’s EnquiryMeet last November. Inspired by its success, we have taken the concept of a teacher-led forum to connect over practitioner enquiry and we are running with it!
Enquire Connect Engage, or #scelenquire if you prefer, will provide opportunities for practitioners to share:
- the findings from their own small scale practice-based enquiry projects, and
- practical advice on how to go about investigating classroom practice
Visit the SCEL website for information on how to submit your proposal or to register interest in attending.
Read more...
17 June 2016 (SCILT)
SCILT, Scotland's National Centre for Languages and the School of Education, University of Strathclyde hosted an afternoon of seminars led by language practitioners, students and academics on various strands of language learning including bilingualism, motivation and translanguaging.
SCILT has used Storify to summarise the discussions from the day. Visit our Storify page for a flavour of the event.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
Bilingualism,
CPD,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Methodologies,
Motivation,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
SCILT news
16 June 2016 (BBC News)
Children at a Glasgow primary school have been using comics to help them learn French.
Artist Rossie Stone, who is dyslexic, decided to try a different approach to picking up another language and designed the comic strips to be educational and fun.
The move has been popular with teachers and pupils with the project now being rolled out in five schools across Scotland.
BBC Scotland's Catriona Renton has gone back to school to report from Glasgow.
See the video report on the BBC website.
Read more...
The Smart Choice: German schools' network
15 June 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
This opportunity is currently not available.
13 June 2016 (UK-German Connection)
Add an international dimension to your classroom by hosting a teacher from Germany. Schools can now apply to host a teacher from Germany for two or three weeks. Application deadline: 21 September 2016*
* Please note: If you're planning to host a teacher in the autumn term, please make sure that your application reaches UK-German Connection before the end of the summer term.
For more information about the scheme and to apply, visit the UK-German Connection website.
Read more...
10 June 2016 (EIFF)
The following modern language screenings are being offered for schools in Scotland:
- French language primary screening (P4-P7) - The Canterville Ghost
21 June 2016, 10.00 am, Cineworld Fountain Park - Spanish language secondary screening - The Olive Tree
22 June 2016, 10:00 am, Cineworld Fountain Park
Visit the Edinburgh International Film Festival website for more information and to make a booking.
Read more...
10 June 2016 (SCILT / CISS)
It’s Launch Day! The brand new professional learning menus for SCILT and CISS are out now!
The focus of both CLPL menus is on supporting teachers and making connections between languages and other high profile aspects of Scottish education such as the Developing Young Workforce, raising attainment and parental engagement agendas.
As always, our CLPL comes to local authorities for no charge. Nada, zilch, gratis!
There are both sector specific and cross-sector workshop options to choose from. In addition, we are also happy to develop bespoke inputs to match your particular professional learning needs, just get in touch.
Don’t hang about though! Bookings have already started coming in and calendars at SCILT and CISS are filling up fast. Please contact scilt@strath.ac.uk with your request in writing.
P.S. Remember to keep a look out on the bulletin for other professional learning opportunities that will be taking place at SCILT HQ and on Glow during the year. If you don't already receive our weekly e-bulletin, make sure you don't miss out on updates and subscribe now!
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
CPD,
Language Teaching,
Teacher Education,
SCILT news,
CISS news
9 June 2016 (Articulate Language Camps)
Articulate Language Camps are based in Scotland and offer a variety of programmes from school day camps to residential summer camps as well as exam revision and CPD for teachers.
Tuition is offered in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German to learners aged 3-17, with a unique method of teaching through digital media projects, such as animation and podcasting, and adventure activities which take learning into the great outdoors. So, whether campers are taking an archery class in German, singing campfire songs in French or making a film in Spanish, they are having fun while learning in a meaningful way.
New this year is the International Camp in Italian. Find out more from camp leader, Lisa, in this short video 'Una breve introduzione ai nostri programmi' and for further information about Articulate Language Camps and all their programmes, visit the website.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Scotland,
CPD,
Immersion,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Promoting Languages,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
9 June 2016 (SCILT / Education Scotland)
The Scottish Education Awards took place on 8 June in the Glasgow City Hotel. Congratulations to the winning schools in the language categories!
- St Michael's Primary, Dumfries & Galloway - Making Languages Come Alive
- Abercorn School, Glasgow - Gaelic Education
For more information about the awards and the finalists in each category, visit the Scottish Education Awards website.
Read more...
7 June 2016 (ilanguages)
In September 2014 KS2 modern language teaching became compulsory in English primaries for children from the age of 7. Given that the vast majority of primary teachers are not trained or confident linguists this has been a challenge for many schools; especially as the new curriculum requires considerable learner progress in the four years leading up to secondary school.
Juliet Park and Wendy Adeniji, practising teachers and nationally renowned trainers and authors of creative resources decided to develop a scheme of work which would support teachers of all linguistic abilities. Additionally, they wanted to ensure that teachers had a comprehensive set of integrated resources which would work in harmony and be easy to follow.
The resources include pedagogical approaches which were presented at the language show in Glasgow in March such as Kagan co operative learner and Talk4Writing. These approaches raise engagement and also literacy levels and are equally useful to other areas of the curriculum.
The packs also include two effective approaches to teaching French and Spanish phonics, a key element for improving learner confidence in pronunciation and making the sound spelling link. Songs have also been embedded into the scheme from the Aberdeen based company The Language Factory.
To ensure children can get further practice between lessons, an app to support the scheme is being launched in the autumn.
The reaction from teachers using the ilanguages resources has been overwhelming and it is fast becoming the scheme of choice in England.
Helen Walker from Hursthead school says ‘my learners have made double the progress than in the past and I am an experienced teacher’
Richard Williams from High Lane school commented that he is a complete beginner in French but he ‘can rely on the resources do the talking because it’s such a user friendly scheme’.
Teachers can download free starter packs from the ilanguages website.
Juliet and Wendy are now looking to set up regional hubs in Scotland to support teachers in the 1+2 initiative. This will include expert training on the delivery of French and Spanish to regional networks and access to free resources.
If you would like to become a regional hub to support your local network please contact Juliet on julietpark@icloud.com. First come first served!
Find out more about ilanguages and what they can offer to primary and secondary schools on their website.
Read more...
3 June 2016 (UK-German Connection)
Alex and Ben, our UK-German bears, are preparing for their travels again and can't wait to find out who they'll visit next! We can match you up with a German partner school to work with on this fun, interactive three-week project for primary children, which helps them learn about each other's language and culture.
Find out more about the project and available hosting dates on the UK-German Bears website.
UK-German Connection offers a variety of funded activities including professional development opportunities for teachers to visit Germany, the chance to host a German teacher at your school, as well as a Youth Ambassadors programme for young people interested in German language and culture. See the calendar of opportunities available on the UK-German Connection website for full details.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
German,
CPD,
Funding,
Language Ambassadors,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Promoting Languages,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
1 June 2016 (Japan Foundation)
Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which promote Japanese language education in the UK. We prioritise projects that fit into one of the three following categories:
- Introducing Japanese into the school curriculum
- Supporting formal Japanese courses and qualifications
- Japanese clubs
The next funding application deadline is 17 June 2016.
For more information about the programme and how to apply, visit the Japan Foundation website.
Read more...
Donkey Xote for Primary Schools in the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival
31 May 2016 (Consejería de Educación)
After the great success of previous years, Edinburgh University, in collaboration with the Consejería de Educación, is going to launch the third Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) from 6-13 October 2016. We would be glad to share this experience with you. For this reason we are currently planning our programme which also includes an animation film particularly suitable for primary school pupils (P6 and P7).
See the attached flyer for more information.
31 May 2016 (East Lothian Council)
30 minute French story sessions for children aged 4 to 7 years old are being held in different locations across East Lothian during the summer holidays.
Visit East Lothian Council's website for more information.
Read more...
19 May 2016 (BBC News)
Applies to England
Pupils are leaving primary school unprepared for the rigours of science and foreign languages at secondary level, Ofsted's chief inspector says.
Sir Michael Wilshaw said the focus on the "three Rs" had pushed other compulsory subjects "to the margins of the curriculum" in primary schools.
Read more...
9 May 2016 (Radio Lingua)
Radio Lingua is delighted to announce the launch of High Five Spanish which follows a similar model to our French resource. Learners can join Scottish learner Sophie who is learning Spanish, in Spain, with her friends Marina and Miguel.
We’re making the trial version of High Five Spanish available to all schools until 30 June. All existing High Five French schools are ‘pre-approved’ and the Spanish trial will automatically appear on their account. Any other schools should register for the free trial on the Radio Lingua High Five Spanish website and we’ll set up trial accounts for them. The free trial provides access to the first ten lessons of the series including video and audio resources, teachers’ notes, classroom ideas and activity sheets for pupils.
Visit the High Five Spanish website for full details about the resource.
Read more...
6 May 2016 (TESS)
Some 1,000 children gathered in Perth for a musical event celebrating an imaginative approach to the national 1+2 primary school languages policy.
"The Art of Music Ooh La La La" brought P5-7s to the city's concert hall to sing French songs inspired by famous paintings.
Read the full item in TESS online 6 May 2016 edition, page 8, 'A week in primary' section (subscription required).
Read more...
Related Links
Singing days get a French twist in 2016 (Perth & Kinross Council, April 2016)
5 May 2016 (Scottish Book Trust)
Bookbug Week 2016 will take place between 16-22 May and will celebrate ‘Around the world with Bookbug’.
This international theme will inspire children and adults alike to explore songs and rhymes from around the globe. A whole host of fun story, song and rhyme activities for children will be taking place in local libraries and community venues.
Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for a list of dates and venues around Scotland.
Read more...
3 May 2016 (eTwinning)
Want to get started on your eTwinning journey? The following two webinar sessions will help you find out all you need to know.
- Step 1 - Finding your eTwinning partner (17 May, 4.30-5.30pm)
- Step 2 - Starting your eTwinning project (19 May, 4.30-5.30pm)
Visit the webinar website to find out more and sign up for one or both of the sessions.
For more information about eTwinning generally and see example projects, visit the British Council's eTwinning website.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Europe,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
Twinning,
News from language & education organisations
30 April 2016 (SALT)
The SALT schools competition 2016 is open to all students studying a modern language in a Scottish primary or secondary school.
This year’s topic is Friendship and Solidarity and pupils are invited to submit a poster, Powerpoint presentation, or a short video (maximum 3 mins) containing foreign language expressions related to the topic.
Entry deadline is 2 September 2016.
Visit the SALT website for more information and a poster to download for your classroom.
Read more...
29 April 2016 (Colours of the Alphabet)
Liz Lochhead will be launching the Scottish preview tour of 'Colours of the Alphabet' at the GFT on 11 May and taking part in a post screening discussion on the relationship between language and childhood with director Alastair Cole and producer Nick Higgins.
The launch event will mark the opening night of a run of 11 screenings and discussions across Scotland during which the filmmakers and guest contributors will discuss the issue of mother-tongue education and the impact of teaching additional languages in primary schools.
Visit the website for a full list of dates and venues and to secure your tickets. Places are limited.
Read more...
29 April 2016 (SCILT)
The celebration event for MTOT 2015-16 saw 20 award winners receive their prizes on the main Piazza stage at the SECC on Saturday 12 March 2016 as part of the wider Language Show Live Scotland event.
Pupils took the opportunity to perform their poems and rhymes to the audience, showcasing the many languages used by children and young people both in school and at home. The event drew in a huge crowd, with passers-by stopping to also see and hear their work.
Find out more about the day on our MTOT Celebration Event webpage, where you can also find links to the list of winners, pupil videos and recitals, the anthology, press articles and photos from the event.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for their support and participation, which helped make the competition and celebration such a success. We hope to run MTOT again next year, so make sure you sign up to our e-bulletin for updates, or follow us on our social media sites Twitter or Facebook.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Community Languages,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Language Learning,
Language Skills,
Minority Languages,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
28 April 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
One of the main aims of this Erasmus+ project is to develop an assessment tool to be used in primary schools called THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN. The game will be fun for the children, build on their language and IT-skills and provide information on their progression. It will support teachers by giving them a tool to assess their pupils’ abilities using non-threatening testing methods and hopefully also increase the enjoyment of learning a foreign language at this age.
The project is still under development, but visit the Goethe-Institut website to find out more.
Read more...
25 April 2016 (SCILT)
Speaking your language is a new blog showcasing current classroom practice. The first post from Dalmarnock Primary School highlights the importance of:
- having lots of staff who have undertaken language upskilling,
- celebrating the cultural diversity of the school community, and
- learning about the culture(s) as well as the language
Read their entry on our new blog now.
Read more...
8 April 2016 (TESS)
Entries to Mother Tongue Other Tongue were submitted in 36 languages.
(Read the item in TESS online, page 8, under the 'a week in primary' feature - subscription required)
Read more...
31 March 2016 (Daily Record)
Stonehouse Primary and Nursery pupils have created and published their own booked called A Daunner Roon Stonehoose.
The book was written in Scots to celebrate the history and continued use of the Scots dialect.
Published by Whitewater Publishing with the support of publisher, Mary Thomson, every child in the nursery and school have contributed to the poems and stories in the book.
Each piece in the book describes life in Stonehouse, from playing in the park to going to school to popping out to the Post Office!
Read more...
29 March 2016 (Southern Reporter)
The Abbotsford Trust and Burgh Primary School,
Galashiels have been working on a project exploring Sir Walter Scott’s famous home.
Primary 6 pupils have recently visited Abbotsford to try out three different sessions from the Abbotsford Schools Programme.
Pupils explored the historic house and wrote poems based on the treasures that Sir Walter Scott collected, and met Mrs Oakley, a visitor from Scott’s day with lots of weird and wonderful traditional tales to share.
They also discovered Sir Walter’s life and work in the visitor centre exhibition and created drawings of the house and its grotesque clay gargoyles.
Pupils then used what they discovered and learned back in the classroom to create a timeline of Scott’s life, where they also investigated differences between life then and now using a range of primary sources.
Pupils also created interactive games, thought about planning and budgeting for a visit too Abbotsford, identified French vocabulary to describe some of the artefacts in the house and wrote their own evaluation reports reflecting on their visits.
Read more...
25 March 2016 (TESS)
Orkney has already started trial projects on Japanese culture and language in its two secondaries, Kirkwall Grammar and Stromness Academy with plans now to extend provision to its primaries.
Read the item in TESS, page 8, under 'A week in primary'. (Subscription required).
Read more...
Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2015-16 finale!
15 March 2016 (SCILT)
Our Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition came to its finale at the Languages Show Live at the SECC, Glasgow on Saturday 12 March. Pupils, parents and teachers celebrated the children’s creativity at the event which gave the opportunity for the children and young people to perform their poems to the audience.
The event drew in a huge audience, with passers-by stopping to also hear their poetry and see them being presented with trophies and prizes from Atta Yaqub, SFA Equity Officer and actor, and Juana Adcock, bilingual poet and translator. The MTOT 2015/16 anthology was also launched, with children and teachers taking home copies containing their wonderful poems.
With over 400 children participating, the hardest task was to decide upon our winners and highly commended entries from each category. Our award winners are as follows:
| Category | Name | School |
| Mother Tongue | | |
| P1 - 3 (Winner) | Simon Paulicek (Czech) | St Paul’s, Shettleston |
| P1 - 3 (Highly Commended) | Emili Harris (German) | Preston Street Primary |
| P4 – 6 (Winner) | Daniel Homstol (Norwegian) | Bishopton Primary |
| P4 – 6 (Highly Commended) | Milmante Dzisevic (Russian) | St Fergus Primary |
| P4 – 6 (Highly Commended) | Andras Poszmik (Hungarian) | St Anne’s Primary |
| P7 – S1 (Winner) | Weronika Jargielo (Polish) | Douglas Academy |
| P7 – S1 (Highly Commended) | Blanka Szopa (Polish) | St Paul’s Primary |
| P7 – S1 (Highly Commended) | Nina Bourdarias (French) | Inveralmond Community High |
| S2 – 3 (Winner) | Keren Mingole (BSL) | St Roch’s Secondary |
| S2 – 3 (Highly Commended) | Solange Becquart (French) | Ellon Academy |
| Senior (Winner) | Lin Meng (Mandarin) | Ellon Academy |
| | | |
| Other Tongue | | |
| P1 – 3 (Winner) | Freya Mole (BSL) | Preston Street Primary |
| P4 - 6 (Winner) | Khadidja Chaher (French) | Netherlee Primary |
| P4 - 6 (Highly Commended | Avelon Mungersdorf (French) | St Ninian’s Primary |
| P7 – S1 (Winner) | Ailbhe Murphy (Gaelic) | Glasgow Gaelic School |
| P7 – S1 (Highly Commended) | Maggie Lawson (French) | Douglas Academy |
| S2 – 3 (Winner) | Gregor Murray (Spanish) | St Margaret’s Academy |
| S2 – 3 (Highly Commended) | Aimee Campbell (French) | Inveralmond CHS |
| Senior (Winner) | Ronan McCart (Spanish) | St Margaret’s Academy |
| Senior (Highly Commended) | Eleanor Pain (Italian) | George Heriot’s School |
Once we have published photographs from the day and the on-line version of the anthology, we will post via the weekly e-bulletin. If you don't already receive the news bulletin you can sign-up to receive this each Friday during term time.
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
UWS Research Project on 1+2
15 March 2016 (UWS)
We are seeking to make contact with primaries who would want to take part into our 1+2 Team Research Project.
We are investigating Primary School practitioners' perception of issues associated with the implementation of the 1+2 Language policy in terms of management (recommendations and related issues), staff engagement, pedagogy and methodologies. Other possible aspects to be considered could be the perceived impact on pupils' engagement and attainment. We have started to work with local primaries but we need more to participate in this project!
If interested, please contact: Laurence.Giraud-Johnstone@uws.ac.uk
Host a primary-trained French Language Assistant - New for 2016-17
11 March 2016 (British Council)
The British Council would like to make as many primary colleagues as possible aware of a brand new opportunity for securing a primary-trained French Language Assistant in 2016-17.
The British Council and the French government have agreed to make it easier for primary schools to benefit from having a French Language Assistant.
- Assistants will be primary-trained (either recently qualified primary teachers in France, or trainee teachers) and there will be sustained support and training for the trainees and for schools from the British Council
- Up to 6 schools can now share a single assistant (up from 3 schools), greatly reducing costs
- The British Council are waiving the £2000 'finders fee' for organising the placement
The attached flyer gives more details. We're really excited about this initiative and we hope colleagues will consider getting involved.
Local authorities/schools would need to apply by early April, so any colleagues who might potentially be interested are invited to get in touch with us (ideally before the Easter break) to explore the various options.
Please contact Claudia Donati at the British Council: claudia.donati@britishcouncil.org or Philip Harding-Esch on philip.harding.esch@gmail.com.
10 March 2016 (Alliance Française)
There are still a few places left on the new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers being run by Alliance Française de Glasgow between March and May 2016:
- This course is suitable for complete beginners
- 20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
- The course will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm commencing 16 March 2016. (Please note this is a week later than originally advertised)
Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol.
Read more...
8 March 2016 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Ecosse supports the learning and teaching of French in Scotland and encourages cross-cultural exchange. The latest opportunities to highlight include:
- La francophonie - from 12 to 20 March 2016 French language and Francophonie is celebrated around the world. The dis moi dix mots website has a variety of activities to take part in online or in class with your pupils.
- 1+2 workshops for primary schools - new French workshops for your primary class: French children books, science experiments or geography... Learn both the language and the pedagogy to conduct these activities in your class. Have a look at the training catalogue online.
- Summer intensive courses - new one-week intensive classes in July and in August. If you are not traveling to France this summer, enjoy our French immersion class in Edinburgh! See the Summer 2016 online brochure for details.
For more information about the Institut français and what they can offer, visit their website.
Read more...
4 March 2016 (TES)
Blending English, Thai and Mandarin Chinese into a seamless experience.
(Read the full article on pages 44-45 of TES online - subscription required).
Read more...
3 March 2016 (Institut français)
The Institut français d’Ecosse, in partnership with SCILT, launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a new national competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.
Winners of this 2016 edition can be seen on the Institut français website.
Read more...
Related Links
Concours de la francophonie (East Lothian Council, 4 March 2016) - winning P1-4 video entry from Cockenzie Primary School.
25 February 2016 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between March and May 2016:
- This course is suitable for complete beginners
- 20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
- The course will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm between 9 March and 25 May 2016.
Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol by Wednesday 2 March.
Read more...
16 February 2016 (Junior Language Challenge)
The Junior Language Challenge 2016 will open to schools and individuals on 11 March and the first language this year will be… Romanian!
The Junior Language Challenge is the UK’s only language challenge for primary schools, inspiring a love of languages at a young age and encouraging children to become independent learners.
Please note there is an entry fee with all proceeds being donated to charity.
Visit the Junior Language Challenge website for more information or see the YouTube video of last year's final.
Read more...
CPD - Task-based language teaching using ICT
16 February 2016 (UWS - PETALL)
This Continuing Professional Development course will allow language teachers to further develop their knowledge of a range of ICT applications and ICT mediated strategies.
This course is appropriate for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary
schools in Scotland.
This course will introduce and explain the principles of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)
with specific reference to the work of Ellis, Willis and Nunan. It will introduce participants to the
EU-funded PETALL project including its background, aims and objectives. Particular focus will be
placed on the samples of good practice that teachers can freely access, download and adapt from
the PETALL project website.
The course will be delivered via two face-to-face sessions on 27 February and 26 March as well as online.
More information is available on the attached flyer.
2 February 2016 (Education Scotland)
Does your school:
- Develops a culture which actively promotes the value of learning languages within the school and wider community?
- Enable pupils to use language skills as a means to communicate in school routines and to learn about other people and other parts of the world?
- Work effectively within its cluster group to implement the 1+2 policy for language learning?
- Shares the benefits of language learning with parents and the extended school community?
- Celebrates achievement in language learning?
The 'Making language come alive' awards is open for nominations from PRIMARY schools across Scotland which can demonstrate the above and the impact this has on learners, the school and the wider community.
Nominations close 12pm 15 February 2016 so there is still time to apply!
The Gaelic Education Awards is also open for nominations.
Read more...
29 January 2016 (Oxford German Network)
The Oxford German Olympiad 2016 is open for submissions from primary and secondary pupils.
This year's theme is 'Deutscher Humor - nichts zum Lachen? You can find the full guidelines and instructions for taking part on the website along with a flyer for your school.
Entries should be submitted online before noon on Friday 4 March 2016.
Read more...
25 January 2016 (Daily Record)
The newly appointed ’Scots Scriever’ visited Kirktonholme Primary school to teach the language.
Hamish MacDonald gave a talk to pupils at the school last week as part of a Scots learning focus during the month of January.
Hamish is the first Scots Scriever - and is the appointed national writer of Scots Language.
Hamish recited his own poems and others that the children had been studying in class and discussed their meanings and sounds.
Children were given a chance to hear ‘The Gruffalo’s Wean,” a book originally written in English but now translated into Scots, as well as a Scots book from the 1500s about an owl.
Read more...
19 January 2016 (Education Scotland)
Pan Tayside has produced a video showcasing the 'PanTayside' approach to implementing the 1+2 languages policy. Dundee City Council, Angus Council and Perth and Kinross Council are working together and sharing expertise in order to create the sustainable delivery of language learning across the three authorities.
See the video on the Education Scotland website.
Read more...
14 January 2016 (CISS)
Plans are once again in action for the SCEN Learning of Chinese Project in East Lothian primary schools. A wide range of schools will be participating in the programme which started in 2012 and which is growing in momentum as the years progress. The programme is supported by Chinese student volunteers from Edinburgh University via EUSA and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools along with research led by Bilingualism matters and evaluative evidence collected, analysed and presented by an Educational Consultant in languages.
You can read more about this project on the CISS website.
Read more...
12 January 2016 (Education Scotland)
How many Scots words do you know? What about your friends and family? When and where do you use these words?
Have you noticed that some people in different parts of Scotland use different Scots words from you?
Here is a chance to share your words with those collected by classes from other parts of the country on the Scots Learners' site (Glow login required).
Find out more on Education Scotland's learning blog.
Read more...
7 January 2016 (UK-German Connection)
The next deadline for grants to fund projects and partnerships between UK and German schools is 31 January 2016.
See the full programme of opportunities available and deadline dates for each.
Some programmes have rolling dates, such as the UK-German Bears Project, a free three-week bilateral programme, which puts pupils not only in touch with Alex, the teddy bear from Germany, but also with a German school class. The German class hosts Ben, the British teddy bear, at the same time as the UK school hosts Alex, making this a fun, interactive way for primary children to learn about each other’s language and culture! The bears come with a wide range of downloadable resources with ideas for short-term bilateral activities, which tie in with primary curriculum topics wherever possible. There are still some hosting dates available for February 2016. If you're interested in taking part, find out more on the Bears Project webpage.
For more information about all the programmes offered by the UK-German Connection, visit their website.
Read more...
18 December 2015 (British Council)
It's World Arabic Language Day so why not learn about the language and culture with this resource from British Council Schools Online?
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17 December 2015 (British Council)
Discover what 2016's Year of the Monkey symbolises using our new pack filled with fun activities for primary pupils based on Chinese culture and traditions. Start preparing for Chinese New Year, explore the mythology behind the Chinese zodiac and uncover what the Year of the Monkey actually means in 2016.
Read more...
15 December 2015 (SCILT)
Last chance to submit entries for this year’s MTOT multilingual poetry competition! You have until midnight 18 December to get your entries in.
Thanks to all those who have participated. We look forward to seeing all the great work which has been produced and will be in touch again in the New Year once judging has taken place.
If you still need to submit your pupils’ entries, follow the guidance in the Teacher's Pack within the RESOURCES tab on our MTOT page. Or see the MTOT blog where you can also find submission guidelines.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Community Languages,
Language Learning,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
15 December 2015 (Institut français)
The Institut français is delighted to present le concours de la francophonie, a new competition for all primary and secondary French learners across Scotland, in partnership with SCILT.
To participate, schools have to submit a video (filmed with tablets, phones or other devices) of a small piece in French: a song, a dialogue, a play etc. So, if you had prepared something with your students for les rencontres théâtrales, you just need to film the performance. This way, all schools across Scotland will be able to take part.
There are four categories:
The competition will be held in two phases, semi-finals at the council level, and finals at the national level. The two best productions of each category will win the following:
- P1/P4 students and schools who may not be able to travel to Edinburgh in a day will win an immersion day in their school, with French native speakers.
- P5 to S6 students who are able to travel will be invited to celebrate la journée mondiale de la francophonie in Edinburgh on 18 March, with French immersion activities and an award ceremony.
Creativity is a key element of this student led competition; dialogues, reportages, interviews and all other forms are possible. In addition, jury will look at the command of the French language, which will be adapted to your students level. Finally, we encourage the participation of all students in the classroom.
More details about the competition will be available in January.
Read more...
9 December 2015 (Alliance française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running 10 CPD workshops for primary school teachers between February and April 2016.
Visit the website for full programme details and to enrol by 29 January 2016.
Read more...
26 November 2015 (One Third Stories)
One Third Stories are keen to get children everywhere excited about speaking foreign languages and are inviting primary pupils to help make a storybook that makes learning a new language simple and fun in their new competition.
Visit the One Third Stories website for more information and to enter your school. Entries can be in French, German or Spanish and must be submitted by 18 December 2015.
Read more...
23 November 2015 (SCEN/SCA)
For 50 years, the SCA has been a society of people in Scotland furthering interest in the culture, history and modern progress of China. Help to celebrate this connection in painting, drawing, calligraphy, poetry, video or sound.
There are 3 entry categories:
The closing date for entries is 25 March 2016. Prize-giving will take place on Friday 27 May 2016, with the Tom Murray Memorial Prize to be awarded to the school with the best standard of entries.
Please register your interest by the end of 2015 with: scacompetition2016@scotchina.org
For more information, visit the SCA website.
Read more...
18 November 2015 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running 10 CPD workshops for Primary School teachers between February-April 2016.
- 10 topics covered over 10 weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
- Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners 1 class or for French teachers in Primary schools
- Thursday, 4.15-5.45pm between 11 February and 28 April included
- The cost to attend these 10 CPDs is £73/teacher. Please note this is a special fee offered by the Alliance Française de Glasgow to promote modern languages
- Option to enrol in less than 10 CPDs, please contact us for more information
- Certificates of attendance will be handed out once the programme is completed
- Places are limited so booking early is highly recommended
If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 29 January 2016. Visit the website for full programme and enrolment details.
Read more...
13 November 2015 (SCILT)
SCILT, the Goethe Institute and LFEE are pleased to announce the launch of a new German e-book aimed at learners from P7 to S2. If your school has taken part in the Goethe Institute’s German Adventure project, or even if it hasn’t, you will be find this interactive book an enjoyable way to develop German language skills while discovering more about the culture of the EU’s most populated country.
Read more...
10 November 2015 (Oxford German Network)
The Oxford German Olympiad 2016 is open for submissions!
This year's theme is 'Deutscher Humor – nichts zum Lachen?' with different tasks applicable to the various age categories being judged.
You can find the full guidelines and instructions for taking part on the Oxford German Olympiad website along with a downloadable flyer for your school.
Entries must be submitted before the deadline at noon on Friday 4 March 2016.
Read more...
10 November 2015 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut London invites German teachers and their pupils to take part in this unique competition series. The topic for this year's competition is Geschenke - Gifts.
Five categories for different levels of language skills are provided. Primary teachers and secondary teachers can choose which competition they think suits their students best.
Please register by sending an email to roma.schultz@london.goethe.org by 13 November 2015.
More information is available on the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
9 November 2015 (SEET)
The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) runs an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe. Subjects covered include history, geography, sport, culture, languages and the European Union.
Heats take place in local authorities from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the national final in May.
Plans for Euroquiz 2016 are now underway and schools are invited to register their interest with their local authority Euroquiz co-ordinator.
Further information about the competition and preparation materials are available on the SEET website.
Read more...
5 November 2015 (Goethe-Institut)
Fokus: Films from Germany is a Scotland-wide event featuring innovative, inspiring and challenging films by Germany-based directors.
We’re delighted to be screening two films to schools: one; Rettet Raffi!, an entertaining comedy about the adventures of a boy and his pet hamster, aimed at young children, and the other one, Who Am I – Kein System Ist Sicher, a gripping thriller set in the world of underground computer hackers aimed at older children.
The festival is jointly organized by Goethe-Institut Glasgow and Filmhouse Edinburgh.
See the ;attached flyers for further information about the screenings and how to book or visit the Goethe-Institut website..
Read more...
3 November 2011 (SCILT)
SCILT have updated the primary classroom resources hosted on the SCILT website for French, German and Gaelic.
These resources are for primary teachers to use in their classrooms and have been developed by SCILT and our partner organisations. Further updates to Spanish and Chinese are to follow.
Read more...
2 November 2015 (Mr P's ICT blog)
As a follow-up to the successful project last year, we will once again be looking to connect classrooms across the world. In the lead up to Christmas, you can deepen your understanding of different Christmas traditions by asking other children from around the world about how they celebrate Christmas in their community.
This is a great IDL opportunity combining global connections with ICT.
Visit the website to register your class for this free project!
Read more...
30 October 2015 (SCILT)
Corseford School in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire supports children and young people with complex health, education, movement and communication needs. They are using inclusive pedagogies and technologies such as alternative and augmentative communication systems to support the teaching and learning of Spanish. One of two schools in the country run by Capability Scotland, Corseford School was the proud recipient of the 'Making Languages Come Alive' category in the Scottish Education Awards 2015.
Read about their experiences and how other schools are implementing the 1+2 languages policy in the Case Studies on the 1+2 section of our website.
Read more...
21 October 2015 (The Language Hub)
The Language Hub in Glasgow is pleased to announce that from Winter 2015 it will be adding weekly and monthly reading sessions to its timetable for different age groups and languages.
Information on the readings scheduled for October and November can be found on the attached files.
The events are free, but donations are welcome.
For more information about the Language Hub visit their website.
Read more...
13 October 2015 (Edinburgh Evening News)
It's the pioneering programme aimed at making language learning as easy as un, deux, trois.
Every pupil in the Capital will receive lessons in at least two foreign languages by the time they leave primary school under radical plans aimed at helping them keep pace with peers across Europe.
City bosses have confirmed they want to introduce the new scheme, called 1+2, by the start of 2017 – three years ahead of a national deadline set for 2020.
Youngsters will be offered classes in core languages including French, Spanish and Mandarin, as well as Gaelic, Scots and “heritage” tongues such as Polish and Farsi.
The Edinburgh roll-out is part of a Scottish Government-led initiative which will see all children learn a second language from P1 and have experience of a third from P5 at the latest.
Parent leaders in the city have hailed the development and said it would help prepare youngsters for the modern world.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
1+2,
All Languages,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
1+2,
Community Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Policy,
Scottish Government,
Languages in the press,
Polish
Last chance to enrole for pnline Spanish course for teachers and PGCE students
2 October 2015 (Consejería de Educación)
The Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Embassy Education Office in the UK offer Spanish Online Courses for Primary and Secondary School Teachers and PGCE students through Aula Virtual de Español Global (AVE Global), an interactive platform specifically designed by the Instituto Cervantes for the teaching and learning of Spanish.
The course is suitable for Primary and Secondary School Teachers and PGCE students with or without previous knowledge of Spanish and will run from October 2015 to March 2016.
See the attached flyer for more details and enrolment information.
1 October 2015 (eTwinning)
Want to start your eTwinning journey? "Follow me" is the theme for the 2015 eTwinning Weeks, which run until 9 October.
During this time you will have the chance to get all the information you need to embark on your eTwinning journey by exploring sample projects and reading testimonials from ambassadors who'll provide valuable tips to help you on your way.
Visit the eTwinning website to find out more.
Read more...
25 September 2015 (British Council)
School's Online is the British Council's international learning programme for schools and teachers.
The programme helps to develop international education in your school by creating meaningful connections with educational institutions on a global scale.
Embedding international learning into your classroom also deepens students' understanding and respect for the world around them.
By registering with Schools Online you will gain access to classroom resources, professional development courses and form relationships with schools across the world.
Visit the British Council's Schools Online website for more information.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Celebrating Languages,
Citizenship,
CPD,
Cross-Sector Working,
Cultural Diversity,
International Education,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
23 September 2015 (SecEd)
The annual Into Film Festival takes place from November 4 to 20, with a host of screenings, workshops and resources available for schools, including foreign language options.
This article previews the event. For further information and to book tickets visit the Into Film Festival website.
Read more...
23 September 2015 (Consejería de Educación)
The second Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival is just round the corner. From 2-10 October 2015 there will be screenings of 16 contemporary films in Spanish at the Filmhouse Edinburgh, plus a number of talks/discussions by experts and directors. A week of wonderful varied cinema. An event worth making time for! Please come and enjoy this with us, and spread the word to all your friends.
See the festival website for full programme details and how to obtain tickets.
Read more...
17 September 2015 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPDs in French for Primary School teachers in 2015/16.
- Ten topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
- Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners 1 class or for French teachers in Primary schools
- Thursdays, 4.15-5.45pm between 29 October 2015 and 24 March 2015
Full programme details are available on the Alliance Française website. If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 23 October.
Read more...
16 September 2015 (University of Edinburgh)
The program Literacy through Latin connects volunteers who know Latin with classrooms in Edinburgh Council primary schools. We use Latin to introduce new lessons on language and culture for P5 and P6 students because we believe that the history and culture of Classics remain valuable in the modern world.
Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence aims to shape successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors. For all of these learning Latin (‘the maths of the humanities’) is incredibly efficient. Short, fun language lessons help students to unlock another side of their creativity. Cultural explorations unfold the significance and memory of the Roman world today.
Autumn 2015 will see the beginning of this program from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh.
Visit their website for more information.
Read more...
4 September 2015 (SCILT)
In taking MTOT to a national level this year, we are delighted to be able to offer FREE poetry workshops for primary and secondary teachers at four different venues across Scotland.
Teachers will work with Juliette Lee, a poet and creative writer, for a half-day workshop to develop their own creativity, explore poetry and the impact of language we use, including our Mother Tongue and also experimenting with poetry in an Other Tongue too. We hope that teachers will leave inspired and able to take back some ideas and examples to work with their own pupils who will then submit their poems/rhymes/raps/songs into the MTOT competition.
Due to high levels of interest for the competition in general, we have decided to leave registration for schools open until Friday 9 October. Teachers do not have to attend one of the workshops to register their school for the MTOT competition although the workshops are a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in teaching poetry, languages and to gather ideas to take back into the classroom.
Spaces are still available at the following workshop:
- Friday 9 October, 13.30 – 16.30 ; Open University, Edinburgh (deadline for registration Friday 2 October)
Register by completing the MTOT workshop registration form on the SCILT website.
For more information about MTOT and to register your school to take part in the competition visit the MTOT 2015-16 page of our website.
Read more...
2 September 2015 (TES)
Major film stars including Carey Mulligan, Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Sheen are backing the Into Film festival this year.
The Into Film festival is the world’s largest film festival for pupils and teachers. Supported by TES, it invites 450,000 primary and secondary children to participate in watching and making films.
The event, which will be held between 4 and 20 November in 520 cinemas around the country, will include preview screenings, film-making workshops and question-and-answer sessions with industry experts. These will all be accompanied by teaching resources.
Tickets are now available for more than 2,700 screenings of more than 150 films, held around the country. This includes a number of foreign language films. Check the
Into Film Festival website for full details and to book.
Read more...
1 September 2015 (SCILT)
Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) 2015-16 has launched in Scotland!
The multilingual poetry competition celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through creative writing. Mother Tongue encourages children who do not speak English as a first language to share a remembered poem from their mother tongue. Other Tongue encourages children learning another language in school to write an original poem in that other tongue.
The competition was successfully piloted in Glasgow last year and we're delighted to now offer all primary and secondary schools in Scotland the chance to participate.
Take a look at our MTOT 2015-16 webpages for full details about this year's competition. You'll also find a section on previous events and testimonials from those who took part, as well as links to the MTOT blog and a host of other useful resources, including the teacher's pack containing the categories, criteria and rules.
During September and October there will be some Saturday workshops available for teachers from schools registered for the competition. There will be a limited number of places which will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so watch for more details about these soon and ensure you don't miss out!
Register your school for MTOT now*! Deadline extended to 9 October 2015.
*Some schools are reporting an issue with accessing the online registration form. If your authority is also blocking the page, we would suggest registering from a home PC or emailing us to be registered manually.
Read more...
1 September 2015 (The Scotsman)
IT’S the city’s most multicultural school, with dozens of different languages spoken by its 300 pupils.
Now a new school song is set to celebrate the diversity of life at Dalry Primary School for the first time.
Read more...
1 September 2015 (Ocado Group)
(Applies to England) The programming language Python has overtaken French as the most popular language taught in primary schools, according to a new survey released today.
Six out of 10 parents want their primary school age children to learn the coding language over French. While 75% of primary school children said they would rather learn how to programme a robot than learn the modern foreign language.
Read more...
27 August 2015 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between October and December 2015.
Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and register using the attached enrolment form.
Read more...
21 August 2015 (SCILT)
Today sees the launch of Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) 2015-16 in Scotland!
The multilingual poetry competition celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through creative writing. Mother Tongue encourages children who do not speak English as a first language to share a remembered poem from their mother tongue. Other Tongue encourages children learning another language in school to write an original poem in that other tongue.
The competition was successfully piloted in Glasgow last year and we're delighted to now offer all primary and secondary schools in Scotland the chance to participate.
Take a look at our MTOT 2015-16 webpages for full details about this year's competition. You'll also find a section on previous events and testimonials from those who took part, as well as links to the MTOT blog and a host of other useful resources, including the teacher's pack containing the categories, criteria and rules.
During September and October there will be some Saturday workshops available for teachers from schools registered for the competition. There will be a limited number of places which will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so watch for more details about these soon and ensure you don't miss out!
Register your school for MTOT now*! Deadline 31 August 2015.
*Some schools are reporting an issue with accessing the online registration form. If your authority is also blocking the page, we would suggest registering from a home PC or emailing us to be registered manually.
Read more...
20 August 2015 (British Council)
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar after Chinese New Year. This year the festival will fall on 27 September.
To tie in with the Festival, the British Council has developed an education pack to help primary schools celebrate the event with lesson plans, an assembly plan, activities and supporting materials.
Download the free pack now from the British Council website.
Read more...
14 August 2015 (UK-German Connection)
Schools can apply for grants for joint projects or activities with a German partner school, anniversary celebrations and preliminary visits for teachers.
The next deadline for grants is 31 October 2015 (the next deadline after this will be 31 January 2016).
Funding deadlines for the various opportunities on offer can be found on the attached document or visit the UK-German Connection website for full details of the opportunities available.
Read more...
11 August 2015 (Goethe-Institut)
Start the new school year with a motivational boost for your pupils. New dates are available to visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow with your class and tackle the 16 challenges on German language and culture.
The game is suitable for pupils P7-S2. Available dates are:
- Monday 24 August 2015 (10:30 - 12:15)
- Monday 31 August 2015 (10:30 - 12:15)
Booking is essential. Visit the Goethe-Institut website for details.
Read more...
14 July 2015 (UK-German Connection)
Would your primary school like to take part in UK-German Connection’s Bears project for three weeks in the next academic year?
Two travelling bears Alex and Ben visit primary schools in the UK and Germany at the same time for three weeks. The bears come with downloadable resources, lesson plans and activities, which allow the children to learn German and about Germany in a fun way.
It's a free programme which puts pupils not only in touch with Alex, the teddy bear from Germany, but also with a German school class. Each participating teacher receives access to a special online Bears area, with songs, interactive games and quizzes. In addition, pupils can record Alex's adventures in the Bears blog and online photo album.
If you don't have a partner school for the project, don't worry! UK-German Connection can help you find a partner, also on a short-term project basis.
For more information about the programme visit the UK-German Connection website and if you're interested in hosting, please contact UK-German Connection by using the Bears project
sign-up form:.
Read more...
19 June 2015 (British Academy / SCILT)
British Academy Schools Language Awards (BASLA) 2015
The deadline for applications is now approaching! You have until 30 June to apply for the 2015 Schools Language Awards.
As part of its programme to support and champion the learning of languages, the British Academy is again offering a series of Awards to schools and colleges throughout the UK for the encouragement of excellence in language learning. This year the Awards focus on activity which encourages more students to take language learning to a higher level.
The Awards are intended to encourage schools to find imaginative and effective ways of improving take up and enthusiasm for language learning into S5, S6 and beyond, which build partnerships and address the social imbalance in the profile of language learners at higher levels.
The Awards are open to all secondary schools and colleges and cover all languages other than English, including those learnt as community languages. A total of 15 Awards of £4000 each will be made to schools throughout the UK and at least one Award will go to a winning proposal from Scotland. One outstanding project from across the UK will receive an additional £2000.
Supplementary education
The British Academy are also offering Awards for innovative and exciting projects throughout the UK that encourage larger numbers of supplementary school students to take language learning to a higher level – the sort of level where they can use the language in the workplace and their future careers to benefit others. Schools could win £4,000 or more to put their ideas into action.
The deadline for applications for both awards is Tuesday 30 June 2015. See the attached document or visit the British Academy website for more information and to apply.
Read more...
19 June 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) is an exciting multilingual poetry project which celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through creative writing, and showcases the many languages which are spoken and learned by young people in school and at home. After a very successful pilot of the competition in the Glasgow area last year, SCILT are excited to announce the roll-out of MTOT across the country from August 2015. 2015/16 will build on the success of last year’s initiative and see the competition go nationwide allowing all pupils from P1 – S6 to participate in collaboration with our partner universities.
The winning poems, as well as a wider selection of commendable entries, will be compiled and published in a Mother Tongue Other Tongue anthology. There will be additional prizes, so start thinking now about how you might get involved.
September will see the official launch of the competition with poetry and creative writing workshops for teachers taking place at our HE partner institutions across the country (dates and venues tbc). Registration to take part in the competition and to attend the teachers’ poetry workshop launch events will open in August 2015. More information on how to register and book a place on a workshop will be available to schools early in the new school year.
Why not visit our MTOT 2015-16 webpage where you'll find all the information you need, including links to our poetry resources page, where we have collated a number of downloadable poetry and language materials as well as links to useful websites. You could also read the 2014 winning poems featured in our anthology for some further inspiration and find out about last year's competition and celebration event, or take a look at the MTOT website from Routes into Languages North West and Manchester Metropolitan University to see how the competition ran in England and Wales last year.
Read more...
19 June 2015 (Nethermains Primary)
Mrs Cane’s P4 class at Nethermains Primary School in Falkirk performed an assembly earlier this month to celebrate the Spanish language and culture they had learned across the year. During the year, the language has become increasingly embedded and they have improved their understanding of their own culture and language values. Recently, they confidently presented their learning by way of a fully Spanish speaking assembly, using various songs and drama with the aid of two translators to assist with language barriers.
Read the post and watch a video of the assembly on the Primary Language Learning – Falkirk blog.
Read more...
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival for Schools
15 June 2015 (Consejería de Educación)
After the great success of last year, The Hispanic Studies of Edinburgh University, in collaboration with the Consejería de Educación (Spanish Embassy Education Office), is going to launch the second Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) from 2 - 10 October 2015 and would love to share this experience with schools in Scotland. For this reason, they are currently planning their programme, which also includes three Spanish films with English subtitles, particularly suitable for primary and secondary school pupils.
Please see the attached invitation letters for primary and secondary schools, which also include information on how to book.
Vive le Fringe!
9 June 2015 (Institut français)
For the past five years, the Institut Français has been a venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Under the banner ‘Vive le Fringe’, we have been bringing French companies to the Fringe and presenting an eclectic and ambitious programme of French theatre, circus and children’s shows.
The 2015 programme features three shows dedicated to young audiences for which we’ve been devising post-performance workshops for schools in order to complement the viewing and allow classes to make the most of their visit to the Institut français and to the Fringe. You can find out more details about each show by clicking on the relevant link below.
Out now: CISS and SCILT’s 2015-16 Career Long Professional Learning menu!
5 June 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
The new menu of workshops from SCILT and CISS are now available for bookings from August!
SCILT and CISS aim to provide high quality professional learning opportunities to support the teaching and learning of languages across all sectors and all parts of the country. Authorities, clusters or schools may be interested in booking one or more of the workshops from the SCILT and CISS Professional Learning Programmes for 2015-16.
Whatever your professional learning needs, we will endeavour to meet them. If you have specific requirements we are happy to develop bespoke input and support.
Visit the pages below to view the menus for 2015-16, to read testimonials from previous workshop attendees and for information on how to book a workshop:
Book now for the start of the new session and remember all our services and workshops are absolutely free of charge!
5 June 2015 (Dalmarnock Post blog)
Hola, Bonjour, Kalh mepa, ciao , – only some of the wonderful greetings you’ll hear first thing every morning in our school. At Dalmarnock we believe that learning languages unlocks many doors for our children and we embraced the new Scottish Language Initiative 1+2. Have a look at all the wonderful experiences the children are enjoying!
Read more...
Funding for Japanese Language Education Projects held in the UK
3 June 2015 (Japan Foundation)
Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which will have a significant and wide impact on the promotion of Japanese language education throughout the UK, or in their local area. For example, conferences on Japanese language education, seminars for teachers, projects to produce Japanese language teaching materials, etc. We also welcome projects that introduce Japanese into the curriculum, or bring it into the timetable at Schools or Universities. Priority is given to the following:
- Projects with a wide impact on Japanese language education
Up to £3,000 for projects that contribute widely to the maintenance and strengthening of Japanese language education, e.g. conferences on Japanese language education, seminars for teachers, projects to produce Japanese language teaching materials, projects by organisations working in partnership, which benefit not only the institution applying for the programme, but which have a beneficial effect on others. - Introducing Japanese to schools or universities
- Up to £3,000 for projects that promote the introduction of Japanese into the curriculum (or onto the main school timetable) at primary and secondary schools. Or projects that support the introduction of Japanese language classes at university - as part of our Primary Japanese Campaign, primary schools that would like to introduce Japanese as their main language in the new Key Stage 2 curriculum will be able to maintain their project by re-applying for funding twice for the same project. This means primary schools will be able to apply for up to a total of £9,000 over three years
- Up to £1,000 for projects in primary or secondary schools that introduce Japanese as an extra-curricular activity or enrichment subject, even if this is not within the school timetable. These activities must continue for at least a year to qualify for the grant
The next application deadline for the 2015-16 programme is 19 June 2015.
Further information and how to apply is available on the attached flyer.
28 May 2015 (fiplv)
1 plus 2 aims at giving every primary school pupil the opportunity to learn their own language plus two more. In South Lanarkshire schools language learning is no longer limited to language lessons but can be found throughout the school day from registration to the home time bell. Stars staff and pupils of Neilsland Primary School, St Bride’s (Bothwell) Primary School, St Cuthbert’s Primary School and Stonehouse Primary School. Watch this inspiring video.
Read more...
28 May 2015 (British Council/Education Scotland)
British Council in partnership with Education Scotland has today launched a new online resource to help schools and pre-school centres improve outcomes for pupils and staff through international engagement.
The resource is designed to support schools in their journey of continuous improvement in learning through partnerships with educational establishments in other countries. Working in partnership the aim is to develop learners' skills and attitudes that are necessary to participate effectively in a globalised world.
International engagement involves learning about other countries:
- their cultures
- education systems
- languages
- the global themes of interest to us all
- and by forming a partnership with educational establishments abroad and/or being involved in global learning programmes
The aim of the partnerships are:
- to improve knowledge and skills across curriculum areas
- to challenge stereotypes and prejudices
- and to make learners aware of the possibilities that exist for learning and work outside Scotland
This, by extension, allows learners to understand Scotland and its place in the world. Partnerships allow those involved the opportunity to share ideas in pedagogy and the space to reflect on their own practice; and in so doing, improve the quality of learning and teaching. Partnerships can be developed digitally or can also involve face to face meetings between staff and/or learners.
Find out more about Learners International on the Education Scotland website.
Read more...
26 May 2015 (SALT)
Learners in all Scottish schools are invited to design a poster on the subject of food and healthy eating. You can create your entry using any form of media you prefer as long as it’s written in the language you’re learning. Closing date for entries is 25 June 2015.
For more information visit the SALT website.
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26 May 2015 (The Courier)
French could be the first foreign tongue taught in Perth and Kinross primary schools under plans to ensure children learn a second language.
The Scottish Government has committed to introduce a new norm for language learning based on the European Union’s 1+2 model.
It envisages every child having an opportunity to learn two languages in addition to their first language by 2020.
The first modern language will be introduced from Primary 1, with the second language commencing no later than Primary five.
Following an audit of modern language skills carried out in Perth and Kinross primary schools in November 2013, it was found that French is the most commonly known language among school staff.
Of the 249 identified language skills, nearly two-thirds indicated French as a known language. German was the second most known language, followed by Spanish.
The audit showed that among primary staff 10 languages are spoken to some level, including Mandarin, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian, with some teachers having skills in more than one language.
Read more...
19 May 2015 (EuroTalk)
The Junior Language Challenge is an annual online competition for primary school children in the UK. Entrants should be aged 10 and under on 1 September 2015. If you’re a teacher, you can register a school group, or if you’re a parent you can register your child individually. Registration opens from 19 March with round one closing 19 June 2015. A small entry fee applies which will be donated to Onebillion, a charity that works to bring basic education to children in some of the world’s poorest countries.
For more information and to register for this year’s competition, visit the Junior Language Challenge 2015 website.
Read more...
Getting children interested in Russia - new website and competition!
19 May 2015 (Scotland-Russia Forum)
Find out about Russia – website and competition for 5-12 year olds
The Scotland-Russia Forum (SRF), an independent voluntary organisation based in Edinburgh, has launched a new website and competition to promote Russian in Scottish schools.
Find out about Russia is a new website for children with sections on the Russian language, space, history, science, ballet, food and others. Each section has been written by SRF volunteers, some specialist in their chosen subject, others students and even one school pupil.
To launch the website, SRF have announced a competition for primary school children aged 5-12: children are invited to illustrate a folk tale, to write their own version of other Russian tales, or to suggest activities for the website. There will be prizes for all categories and all age groups – and some of the competitors’ material may be included in the website. The deadline for entries is 1 July 2015.
SRF offer taster language / culture presentations in schools, particularly primary schools, in line with the Scottish Government’s 1+2 policy, which creates the opportunity for Russian to be made available as L3 from P5. The tasters are very popular with children who are always delighted to find they can decipher words in the Russian alphabet.
SRF believes it is important that children growing up in Scotland are aware of Russia’s rich cultural heritage, its huge contribution to space exploration, wonderful folk tales, dramatic history, beautiful language, and other aspects of Russian life. With this knowledge they, and the adults they will become, will be able to make sense of current affairs in Russia and seek to do business there in later life.
For more information contact Jenny Carr from Scotland-Russia Forum, tel: 0131 560 1486.
Related Links
Read about when Jenny Carr from SRF visited Sciennes Primary School to promote the new website and competition.
18 May 2015 (RZSS)
Danestone Primary P7 have designed a giant panda online game. It was created by the help of AVC Media and was part of Edinburgh Zoo's Beyond the Panda Take Action Challenge. Pupils presented the game at the recent SCEN China Day and had an official launch on Friday at their school. It has some language matching games. Take a look and why not play!
Read more...
Digital European Language Portfolio (ELP)
15 May 2015 (SCILT)
For anyone who has been experiencing difficulties using the electronic version of our European Language Portfolio, please note the technical glitch has now been resolved. The ELP is available on the following pages of our website:
12 May 2015 (UK-German Connection)
With a set of resources, a range of interactive online features and a focus on joint Bears activities with a project partner school in Germany, Alex and Ben bring a fun and accessible international dimension to the primary school classroom!
There are new dates now available from Autumn 2015 through to the Summer term 2016 where your school can host Alex the bear.
Visit the UK-German Connection website to find out more and to apply to join the project. There are also links to Alex’s blog and his adventures and discoveries presented on the Voyage Kids website.
Read more...
11 May 2015 (Education Scotland)
This animated video resource aims to support and stimulate young language learners by exemplifying pronunciation in French and allowing them to match the written and spoken word. They also aim to support practitioners by offering a platform that can lead to wider learning opportunities.
Read more...
11 May 2015 (SEET/Scottish Parliament)
Well done to all the teams who took part in this year’s Euroquiz final in the Scottish Parliament, but especially to the winners, Carmondean Primary School from West Lothian.
For more information about the competition, see the attached press release or visit the SEET website.
Read more...
Related Links
Primary school Euroquiz 2015 – winners (Education Scotland blog, 12 May 2015)
7 May 2015 (BAAL)
We are pleased to announce the launch of the ELL Network – newly accepted as an AILA Research Network for the three-year period January 2015-December 2017. With the launch of this international network we hope to raise the profile of research in early languages learning (including foreign, second and minority languages), contributing to the growth of national and regional research groups and stimulating new research on a range of themes in the field. Over the three-year period our principal aims are:
- To create synergies across research areas concerned with young children learning additional languages in school and pre-school contexts worldwide;
- To set out a comprehensive agenda for research in the field of early language learning.
Do visit our Network to learn more. Active researchers in the field of Early Language Learning (ages 3-12 years) are most welcome to join the group, contribute to planned events/publications and help to build our aims.
For any queries please contact Janet Enever - ELL-REN convenor by email at janet.enever@umu.se or by telephone on +46 (0)90 786 56 74.
Read more...
4 May 2015 (Edinburgh International Book Festival)
Tickets are now on sale for the Edinburgh International Book Festival Baillie Gifford Schools Programme, with lots of exciting events running from 24 August to 1 September 2015.
This year the programme has a real focus on languages and internationalism, featuring authors with stories from afar; events about translation and adaptation; and an exploration of the different ways that stories can be told. We’ve also got some language-themed CPD events running throughout the Festival. Find out more through the following links, or visit the website to see the programme and booking details.
CPD events:
- The Gift of Bilingualism
Thursday 20 August, 7.00pm – 8.00pm
How can bilingual families be supported and each mother tongue acknowledged and respected? - Poetic Translation with the Scottish Poetry Library
Thursday 27 August, 5.00pm–6.00pm
Think you can’t translate a poem from one language into another? This event will prove you wrong. Piloted in Edinburgh schools, this is a flexible approach to primary school language learning and creative writing with fun, fast-paced exercises.
Event for primary schools:
Read more...
29 April 2015 (European Schoolnet Academy)
Primary and secondary teachers are welcome to join this exciting MOOC exploring the potential of games-based learning in schools. The course is being run jointly by European Schoolnet and ISFE (The Interactive Software Federation of Europe) and is entirely free. The course will examine the opportunities but also challenges offered by integrating games into our teaching and learning and will provide practical examples of gaming tools and activities to use in your daily teaching practice. We will be learning through a mix of video, interactive activities and discussions as well as sharing of resources.
The first question we will explore is, why use computer games in schools? We will then look at a range of games which do not necessarily have an educational purpose but can be used nicely for thematic learning on topics such as gravity, planets, construction, and many others. However, we will also explore games that have an explicit pedagogical focus and are designed to help students learn anything from Maths to Languages.
The course commences on 18 May 2015 and runs for 6 weeks. Visit the European Schoolnet Academy website for more information and to sign up.
Read more...
28 April 2015 (Into Film)
The Into Film Festival is a free and annual celebration of film and education for schools and young people across the UK.
The Festival, formerly known as the National Youth Film Festival, takes place from 4–20 November 2015. It aims to help educators bring learning to life for 5-19 year olds by inspiring young people to watch, make and understand film in new and creative ways.
There will be a series of foreign language films to choose from (with English subtitles) with dates and locations to be announced closer to the event. In the meantime, teachers can register interest now on the Into Film website and be informed as soon as bookings are possible.
Read more...
1+2 learning events - registration now open!
24 April 2015 (SCILT)
To support the 1+2 language learning model SCILT and Education Scotland are offering the following learning events during May/June for language practitioners in Scotland. Click on the appropriate link for further information and to register your attendance.
Senior phase learning events
L3 learning events
21 April 2015 (Project Trust)
Project Trust’s Global Citizenship Programme sends passionate and enthusiastic Returned Volunteers who have become Global Citizenship Ambassadors into primary and secondary schools to provide interactive educational sessions about global issues they’ve had unique first-hand experience of overseas. Lucy Hughes (Cambodia 2012/13) and Ben Haldane (Namibia 2013/14) ran a session at Kinross High School talking about their experiences of learning another language, presenting alongside our partners SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages).
Read more...
20 April 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland have published a PowerPoint to support the reflection on and engagement with the newly updated Modern Languages Experiences and Outcomes, which now contain First Level Experiences and Outcomes.
Read more...
9 April 2015 (Holyrood Magazine)
Studying a foreign language should be compulsory from the year children start school in order for Scottish firms to compete in the international export market, a business group has urged.
Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic and Russian have been pinpointed by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) as “international languages of business” that must be made mandatory in the education curriculum from primary 1 onwards.
It has called on government to implement the measure by 2020 to ensure Scottish businesses have sufficient cultural and language skills to tap into a number of growing economies.
The demand is among a number of 'business asks', which also include staying in the European Union, set out as part of the Scottish Business Voice Campaign, led by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network.
Read more...
7 April 2015 (Radio Edutalk)
This Radio Edutalk podcast was taken at a recent meeting of the Practitioner Enquiry Network in West Lothian.
Jane Keegan, 1+2 Development Officer and Lynne Jones, Professional Development Officer at SCILT talk about the first phase of a small scale collaborative research project investigating attitudes to learning languages before and after the transition from primary to secondary.
Access the podcast on the Radio Edutalk website.
Read more...
5 April 2015 (The Edinburgh Reporter)
Which country sent the first human into space? Who was Pavlov (and what happened to his dog?) Was Ivan the Terrible really such a baddie? Where can you take a train journey that lasts 8 days (and not because you’re waiting for a connection…)? Where is the ‘Venice of the North’? And which famous author cried when he had to do Maths?
The country is of course Russia, and you can find the answers to all these questions on a new website created by the Scotland-Russia Forum, primarily for children aged 5-12 (though I must say I found it very interesting too). Realising that few schools currently teach the Russian language, the Forum decided to introduce children to aspects of the country’s culture in a new way; the website Find Out About RUSSIA covers topics such as Russian food, space travel, folk stories and the ballet – plus a guide to deciphering the Russian alphabet.
Read more...
31 March 2015 (BBC News)
Tuesday was the final day of funding for the foreign languages programme for primary schools.
The Primary Modern Languages Programme has been scrapped as part of Department of Education's cuts for the new financial year.
Four hundred and thirteen schools in Northern Ireland have had staff come in to teach Spanish, Irish or Polish. Eighty-six teachers are employed under the scheme, most working in a handful of schools for a few hours at a time.
The Department of Education said the decision was regrettable but necessary, given the budget cuts they are facing and the fact that the scheme cost £900,000 a year.
Read more...
30 March 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has published Experiences and Outcomes at First Level for Modern Languages. These new Experiences and Outcomes will allow practitioners delivering Modern Languages as part of the Scottish Government 1+2 languages policy to benchmark learners’ progress in the skills of listening and talking, reading and writing.
Read more...
Related Links
All information on the 1+2 approach to language learning including the new experiences and outcomes can be found in the modern languages section of the Education Scotland website.
Learning events coming soon!
27 March 2015 (SCILT)
Senior phase learning events
Recommendation 16 of the ‘1+2 Report’ states: ‘The Working Group recommends that schools provide all young people with flexible opportunities and encouragement to study more than one modern language to the level of a National Qualification Unit or course, in the senior phase, whether in their own school or through cluster arrangements with other schools.’
Would you like to:
- expand provision in the senior phase?
- boost the number of young people continuing with a language beyond the broad general education?
- hear what others are doing and have an opportunity to discuss possibilities with colleagues?
If so, you may find inspiration at the senior phase learning events in May. Each event will have three different speakers talking about the courses they offer in the senior phase. They will say what they do to attract young people to study languages. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion with colleagues and representatives from SCILT and Education Scotland.
The dates are:
- Saturday May 9 in Aberdeen
- Saturday May 16 in Dunfermline
Venues to be confirmed. Each event will last a morning. The opportunity to register for one or both of these events will be available soon.
L3 learning events
Recommendation 4 of the ‘1+2 Report’ states: ‘The Working Group recommends that a second additional language (L3) be introduced for pupils at a later stage in the primary school. The time for introduction of the L3 language would be…….no later than P5.’
Recommendation 11 states: ‘The Working Group recommends schools develop language learning for L3 during the broad general education, choosing from a range of approaches………’
As one would expect, schools and authorities are at different stages in their preparations for L3. Further guidance on L3 has been produced by Education Scotland and is available on their website and the SCILT website - 'A 1+2 approach to language learning - Further guidance on L3 within the 1+2 policy' under the Guidance tab. A range of approaches to the delivery of L3 in both primary and secondary schools is described in the guidance. Understandably, L3 remains the area where most schools and local authorities are still at the planning stage or are at the early stages of delivery.
There will be two learning events for L3.
- Saturday 30 May in Glasgow - L3 in the primary school
- Saturday 6 June in Stirling - L3 in the secondary school
Venues to be confirmed but both events will last a morning and will take place in the central belt. Each will involve three presentations where speakers describe how they have begun working on L3 in their school or local authority. Much of this work is relatively new and some is at the trialling stage. Each speaker offers a different approach.
There will be dedicated time to ask questions and to engage in discussion with colleagues. Each event will be supported by representatives from SCILT and Education Scotland. The opportunity to register a place for one or both of these events will be available soon.
24 March 2015 (Goethe Institut London)
All primary school teachers of German with their students are invited to take part in Goethe Institut London's special Easter activity. Let your students write an Easter card in German to our two hand puppets Felix and Franzi.
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20 March 2015 (Herald)
Thousands of primary pupils are to benefit from extra funding to teach foreign languages as part of an ambitious strategy for schools.
All pupils are expected to be learning two languages, in addition to their mother tongue, by the time they leave primary under the controversial 1+2 policy.
The plan, which councils are expected to deliver by 2020, brings Scotland into line with many other European countries where learning a second language starts in early primary school and learning three languages is common.
Read more...
19 March 2015 (SCILT)
We have now created a digital version of the European Language Portfolio enabling primary pupils to record their language learning journeys electronically. You can find the ELP on the primary section of the SCILT website.
Read more...
18 March 2015 (UK-German Connection)
Primary schools, would you like to host our UK-German bears? With a set of resources, a range of interactive online features and a focus on joint Bears activities with a project partner school in Germany, Alex and Ben bring a fun and accessible international dimension to the primary school classroom! New dates are now available for 2015-16.
Read more...
18 March 2015 (British Council blog)
A quiet revolution happened in English primary schools last September, representing a historic curriculum change: language-learning was made compulsory for all children between seven and 11. Teresa Tinsley and Kathryn Board, who wrote the new Language Trends survey, examine the effect of the change.
Read more...
13 March 2015 (The Guardian)
No matter what your family’s heritage, parenting has a common lexicon: brush your teeth, look up from that screen or stop bashing your brother can be found in most family phrasebooks.
But what if the language you were born with differs from the one your kids use daily at school, or if you and your partner each have different native languages?
Today almost one in five children in UK primary schools now has a mother tongue other than English. According to Professor Antonella Sorace, director of the Bilingualism Matters centre at Edinburgh University, the demand for information and advice on how to navigate the challenges of bilingual parenting is now “enormous”.
Read more...
12 March 2015 (Articulate Language Camps)
Easter Revision Day
This Easter, we are offering National 5 and Higher pupils the chance to revise for their French exams with the support of qualified language teachers. Pupils can take part in a variety of listening, reading and writing projects to help them prepare for their upcoming SQA assessments. The Revision Day will give them a chance to leave their textbooks for a while, learn in a relaxed and supportive environment and have a little fun with the foreign language.
The revision day camp will take place of Wednesday 8 April. For just £12, pupils can join us from 10am until 5pm at the Glasgow Gaelic School in the city centre. To reserve a place or request an information pack, pupils should call 07791 698945 or email us at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.
Launch Camp
At our two-day residential summer programme for children aged 6-11, young campers get the chance to experience French, Spanish or German or improve their existing language skills in a fun and interactive way. Our camp ‘launches’ campers into the world of language learning through projects, play and songs. From making a film in Spanish and going on a forest scavenger hunt to singing campfire songs in German and taking an archery class in French.
For more information on dates, prices, location and the programme, please visit our website, Articulate Language Camps, or get in touch at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.
International Camp
Our week-long summer programme brings together young people aged 12-17 from all over Europe to share their language and their culture. With options to learn French, Spanish, German or English, campers can teach one another and practise their speaking and listening skills with young native speakers of the languages they are studying. With a variety of digital media project classes and outdoor sport activities, the programme is full of adventure and excitement.
To hear from previous campers or to find out more information about dates, prices, location and the programme, please visit our website, Articulate Language Camps, or get in touch at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.
Read more...
9 March 2015 (TES)
Looking for an interdisciplinary project for your pupils? Martin Crabbe, geography teacher at Glebe School, Bromley and Chair of London Sustainable Schools Network is a champion of encouraging students to show citizenship and collaborate with one another to improve the local environment. Here he tells us why he’s signed up to Global Action Plan’s water education project for 8-14 year olds, to teach his pupils about their use of water and why it matters.
There are many benefits for schools and pupils taking part in the Global Action Water Explorer project, including:
- collaboratng with and learning from other students across the world
- improving wider skills, including ICT, presentation, communication, team working and language skills
- a way to reduce your school's water impact and work towards Eco-School certification
These are just a few of the advantages to be gained. Read on to find out about Glebe School's experiences and follow the link below to access all the information you need to get your school involved in the Water Explorer project.
Read more...
3 March 2015 (British Council)
To celebrate the visit of the President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto to the UK, we have put together some resources to help schools to celebrate Mexico and the Spanish language. These include
- A PowerPoint presentation about Mexico that can be used in an assembly
- A story in Spanish and in English by the Latin American Children’s laureate Francisco Hinojosa (who is from Mexico) El peor senora del mundo/The worst woman in the world
- Two lesson ideas using the story – a writing activity and a Spanish activity
- An art activity based on the work of Mexican artist Diego Rivera
Access the resource pack on the British Council website.
Read more...
27 February 2015 (Education Scotland / SCILT)
Next week, as part of Digital Learning Week, sees the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning launch 1+2 Factor, an exciting new competition which aims to showcase the learning and teaching of languages in schools across Scotland. Individual classes, schools or clusters are invited to use any of the tools within Glow to create a learning space which will help with the implementation of 1 + 2.
On the 1+2 Factor site within GLOW you can find important dates, useful links and documents to help create your learning experiences.
Join us on Glow TV on Wednesday 4th March at 12:30 PM to find out how to get involved in this nationwide event for Scottish education establishments. Register on the #DigiLearnScot - Have You Got the 1+2 Factor? webpage.
So what are you waiting for? Create, Collaborate, Innovate.
Please note, Glow login required to access.
Read more...
25 February 2015 (Education Scotland)
Each year throughout January pupils from Kirktonholme Primary and Nursery in East Kilbride take part in a multi disciplinary programme of learning around Scots language and culture. They have fully embedded the teaching of Scots in a whole-school approach. For more details, view their short film.
Read more...
Online Spanish course for teachers, undergraduate BA students and postgraduate PGDE students
19 February 2015 (Consejería de Educación)
The Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Embassy Education Office in the UK offer Spanish online courses for teachers, undergraduates and PGDE students through Aula Virtual de Español (AVE), an interactive platform specifically designed by the Instituto Cervantes for the teaching and learning of Spanish.
The course is suitable for primary and secondary school teachers, undergraduate BA and PGDE students with or without previous knowledge of Spanish and will run from April to October 2015.
*Please note that this course will not qualify secondary teachers to teach Spanish in a secondary school.
See the attached flyer for more details and enrolment information.
17 February 2015 (British Council Voices)
Is teaching Mandarin Chinese as daunting as it sounds? The British Council's Charlotte Ogilvie hears from a few UK teachers, and shares some useful resources for teaching the language to primary school children.
Read more...
16 February 2015 (The Guardian)
Deutschland ist wunderschön! Our collection of lesson ideas and resources will help you get students excited about learning German.
Read more...
13 February 2015 (Le français en Écosse )
We hope rehearsals are now well under way for the theatre competition in French! If you're not enrolled yet with your class, you can still do so until 20 February. The competition takes place in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen from 24 to 31 March.
Read more...
13 February 2015 (Le français en Écosse )
Attend this monthly workshop for primary teachers at the Institut français!
This new regular programme offers primary teachers a free training session on the first Thursday of the month with tools and resources for their class. The first workshop will show you how to use French children books, songs and games in your primary class (P1-P3). Teachers who attend 4 of these sessions in a school year will receive a 6 hours training certificate from the Institut français.
This is a free event “en français”.
Please sign in before Friday 27 February: education.pm@ifecosse.org.uk
Read more...
13 February 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
We have great pleasure in launching three new exciting Mandarin ebooks. These motivating stories, activities and suggestions will engage younger learners and will develop their literacy and language skills. We really hope you enjoy using them and please let us know how you have incorporated them into your classroom.
Download the three books in the ‘Happy Emperor’ series through the link below.
Read more...
12 February 2015 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for primary school teachers, suitable for complete beginners and teachers who completed our Beginners 1 course or have a false beginners level
- 20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of primary school teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
- Thursdays, 3.45-5.45pm
- 12 March to 28 May 2015 inclusive. (Please note there will be no classes on Thursday 9 and 16 April)
- The cost to attend this course is £80/teacher. Please note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages
- A certificate of attendance will be handed out by the end of the course
- Places are limited so early booking is recommended
If you wish to enrol in this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 6 March.
- Alliance Française de Glasgow - 3 Park Circus, Glasgow, G3 6AX
- Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
- email: admin@afglasgow.org.uk
Or visit the website to download the enrolment form.
Read more...
12 February 2015 (Ellon Times)
Young Ellon storytellers helped local housebuilder Barratt celebrate Burns Night by taking part in a Scots language-themed writing competition.
Ellon Primary School P7 pupils were tasked with writing about celebrating at home, and in memory of Scotland’s national poet. The 29 children told their stories about weddings, birthdays, Christmas and New Year using Scots verse.
The team at Barratt Homes was so impressed they decided to donate £100 of book tokens to the school.
Read more...
4 February 2015 (Evening Express)
Primary school pupils look set to learn three languages by 2020 – and one may be Mandarin.
Under a Scottish Government initiative, councils are to ensure all children learn two languages as well as their mother tongue.
The report – called Language Learning in Scotland: a 1+2 Approach – recommends that by 2020, all pupils should have access to modern language classes from P1.
Training for teachers to provide improved language education is already under way in some North-east council areas. And it has emerged one of the languages pupils could take up in primary school is Mandarin.
Read more...
3 February 2015 (SCILT/UCMLS)
SCILT has worked with UCMLS to collate the opportunities available from Scottish universities to support language teaching and learning in schools across the country. We hope schools will access these opportunities to support the work being done in the classroom.
Read more...
Language linking, global thinking!
27 January 2015 (SCILT)
SCILT is shortly going to be looking for schools interested in taking part in the Language Linking Global Thinking initiative in session 2015/16.
The project links students on their year abroad with primary and secondary schools. Students communicate with a designated class in their partner school during the course of the year to illustrate how enriching it is to spend as year abroad using a language other than English.
While the student is abroad, the partner school keeps in regular contact with the student by emailing, sending postcards and other resources. The two-way correspondence between student and class brings the language alive for pupils and shows them the real relevance of learning a language.
This initiative has been piloted this year in three local authorities, and SCILT is now extending it to schools across Scotland. We will be looking for schools to register their interest in the next few weeks. Please note places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
More information on Language Linking Global Thinking 2014-15.
Some of the students have used blogs to facilitate their contact with the schools. Read the student blogs.
25 January 2015 (The Scotsman)
Nursery and primary school pupils in the Highlands will be the first in Scotland to be taught sign language as part of the new curriculum.
Smithton Primary, on the outskirts of Inverness, will teach youngsters both British Sign Language (BSL) and Makaton – a form of signing for those with special educational needs or communication disorders that is popularly used by Mr Tumble on the CBeebies show Something Special.
The move at the school has been welcomed by the British Deaf Association and the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
It has come about after the Scottish Government’s announcement that all primary age children should have two additional languages as well as their first language.
Read more...
22 January 2015 (LFEE)
See the attached newsletter from Le français en Ecosse (LFEE) for information on the following:
- Erasmus+ guidelines for teachers wishing to apply to LFEE courses in France and Spain 2015-16.
- Primary professional learning opportunities for teachers in Scotland.
- Training for secondary teachers, including spaces available for 3 week course in Lyon and resources on embedding ICT into teaching practice.
You can also visit the LFEE website for more information about the training available for Scottish language teachers.
Read more...
21 January 2014 (UK-German Connection)
Do you need funding for activities with your German partner school? UK-German Connection has grants available for UK-German projects, activities and anniversary celebrations. The next deadline for grants for UK-German activities is 31 January 2015 (the next deadline after this will be 31 May 2015).
Read more...
15 January 2015 (British Council)
Celebrate Chinese New Year, the Year of the Sheep, on 19 February. Introduce pupils to the differences and similarities between the lives, languages and cultures of people in China and the UK with the Year of the Sheep primary education pack, available to download now on the British Council website.
Read more...
13 January 2015 (SCEN)
The original Beyond the Panda programme was launched last year, but this brand new version introduces some new areas and most of all has exciting new games and models unique to RZSS.
The outreach involves numerous skills where the pupils investigate, discover, extract information and provide solutions.
The workshop is for P5-7 where the pupils learn about China and the giant panda while playing educational games: for example, jigsaws comparing habitat and political maps; a giant panda timeline game; a closer look at bamboo and now a section on Chinese characters and simple Mandarin. Sessions are 1.5 hours and maximum number of pupils 36.
For more information and how to book, visit the SCEN website.
Read more...
9 January 2015 (TESS)
My five-year-old daughter and I speak a fair bit of Spanish in the house. On one occasion she couldn’t find exactly the right words to let me know that she was hot, so she just said, “Mama, hace calor [it’s hot],” and wiped her hand over her brow in drama-queen style.
The amateur dramatics were exactly the gesture I use for temperature and weather when I am teaching. I was so pleased that instead of not saying anything, my daughter had worked out that she could convey the same message in a different way.
Read more...
7 January 2015 (British Council)
Apply for funding for your school partnership now! This is the last grant application round for the current Connecting Classrooms funding offer.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get funding to collaborate directly with international peers. Connecting Classrooms brings challenging global issues to life through meaningful cross-cultural relationships.
The grant supports visits from at least one teacher from each of the schools in your partnership. Make sure you submit your application for funding in 2015 by the deadline of 30 January 2015.
For more information and to apply, visit the British Council Schools Online website.
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6 January 2015 (University of Oxford)
The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University is looking for budding film enthusiasts in Years 7-11 (P7-S4) and 12-13 (S5-S6) to embrace the world of French cinema. To enter the competition, students in each age group are asked to re-write the ending of a film in no more than 1500 words. Work can be done in English or French.
See the University website for more information and how to apply before 27 March 2015.
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16 December 2014 (Institut français)
The Institut français has been organizing les Rencontres Théâtrales for many years. It is a unique experience for your primary and secondary school students to perform in French on a stage. These past years, les rencontres took place in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
In 2015, les Rencontres Théâtrales will take place in Edinburgh on 26 March at Broughton High School. The date for Glasgow will be announced soon.
If you'd like to organise les Rencontres Théâtrales in your council, please contact Thomas Chaurin, Education Attaché for France in Scotland.
For more information about les Rencontres Théâtrales, see the video trailer.
Read more...
SCEN competition
9 December 2014 (SCEN)
A reminder that the closing date for the SCEN competition is drawing near!
Entries for the SCEN Competition, in collaboration with The Scottish Review and its Editor Kenneth Roy, should be a written article (maximum 850 words for senior students, 200 words for primary and S1-S2 students) on the following:
'Why all Scottish students should have the opportunity to learn Chinese'
The winning entry will be published in The Scottish Review!
- Senior Prize (senior phase school pupils; university and college students and young professionals): £250
- Junior Prize (upper primary and lower secondary pupils: £100!
Closing Date: 15 December 2014.
Please send entries electronically to the Convener of SCEN: judithmcclure12a@aol.com
2 December 2014 (RZSS)
Thanks to a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover (China), Sandie Robb, Senior Education Officer for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland got the opportunity recently to visit Chengdu and Ya'an - along with 10 students and 4 staff from Lasswade High School. You can see an excellent video of the trip on the 'Beyond the Panda' new website, which not only includes a wealth of information on the giant panda project but has excellent lesson plans and activities.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland outreach sessions 'Beyond the Panda' and 'Giants' are still available for schools, however they are always revised and redeveloped each year to build on new resources and ideas. Please email Sandie Robb, srobb@rzss.org.uk, for full details.
Read more...
24 November 2014 (Daily Record)
A West Lothian school has won a prestigious accolade for its work in bringing the world into the classroom.
Williamston Primary School in Livingston has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award.
It’s a badge of honour for schools that do outstanding work in international education, such as through links with partner schools overseas. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need to live and work as global citizens.
Read more...
24 November 2014 (Gathered Together/BEMIS)
See the YouTube interview with a parent involved in a bilingual storytelling group at St Albert’s Primary School.
Read more...
24 November 2014 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has developed a new website on the Giant Pandas. The website provides access to relevant, contextualised resources to support learning and teaching about giant pandas through Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes.
The resource features information about the arrival of Scotland’s giant pandas, current information about their life at Edinburgh Zoo, an image gallery, videos and learning journeys for languages, sciences and health and wellbeing.
Language teachers will particularly appreciate the second level learning resources which develop understanding and knowledge of the giant pandas through the medium of the modern language.
A learning journey takes learners through a number of foreign language tasks that will build on their knowledge of pandas and allow them to make comparisons between life in Scotland and life in China.
There are also two activity booklets - one in French and one in German - which contain a variety of challenges linked to cross-curricular themes.
Read more...
18 November 2014 (UK-German Connection)
UK primary schools, would you like a visit from our German bear Alex? With a set of resources, a range of interactive online features and a focus on joint Bears activities with a project partner school in Germany, Alex and Ben bring a fun and accessible international dimension to the primary school classroom!
New dates for 2015 are now available. For more information visit the UK-German Connection website.
Read more...
SCEN Competition
18 November 2014 (SCEN)
We invite entries for the SCEN Competition, in collaboration with The Scottish Review and its Editor Kenneth Roy. The challenge is to write an article (maximum 850 words for senior students, 200 words for primary and S1-S2 students) on the following:
'Why all Scottish students should have the opportunity to learn Chinese'
The winning entry will be published in The Scottish Review!
- Senior Prize (senior phase school pupils; university and college students and young professionals): £250
- Junior Prize (upper primary and lower secondary pupils: £100!
Closing Date: 15 December 2014.
Please send entries electronically to the Convener of SCEN: judithmcclure12a@aol.com
12 November 2014 (SALT)
Dragons in Europe invite you to bring the wonderfully vibrant and inspiring Chinese New Year celebrations to your school.
The rise of China as an economic and global power has led to the rapid spread of Chinese culture and customs round the world and Chinese language skills are now in high demand. Exploring this fascinating culture is a cross-curricula journey. There will be mythical animal tales, traditional activities, Chinese character writing and lots of smiles. Workshops will include some basic language learning, lots of culture and topical gifts for the children to take away.
*Please note there is a charge for the workshops.*
Read more...
12 November 2014 (SCILT)
To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for helping learners to write simple poems in the target language. These are published through our “Creative Bag of Tricks” series on the MTOT blog. The first of our items about short form poetry, “Cinquains”, is available to read now.
This is #6 in the "Creative Bag of Tricks" series. If you've missed any of the previous activities these can still be accessed via the blog archive.
Read more...
11 November 2014 (BBC News)
Children at Falkirk primary schools could be taught two or more foreign languages under new council plans. Falkirk Council has proposed using £300,000 of national funding to offer extra classes in languages including Mandarin and German in all schools.
All pupils would have access to French and Spanish classes from primary one, with extra languages no later than P5.
The authority wants to train primary school teachers so that all pupils are learning additional languages by 2020.
Read more...
Related Links
More lessons in languages (Falkirk Council, 11 November 2014)
11 November 2014 (British Council)
For this year's International Education Week (17 - 21 November) the British Council is running a series of webinars aimed at UK teachers on 'Make the most of your partner school'.
There are a variety of sessions during November and December for both primary and secondary levels partnering with French, German and Spanish schools.
For dates and times of all the sessions on offer and to register for your chosen webinar, visit the registration webpage.
Read more...
Related Links
For other suggestions as to how schools can get involved in this year's IEW, visit the British Council's
International Eduction Week 2014 website or see the
IEW toolkit for schools.
10 November 2014 (Dundee Evening Telegraph)
Bonjour, parlez-vous Francais? Non? Well, no worries — head along to Dundee’s Hillside Primary School and you’ll get French lessons from the children there.
For the past two years, children throughout the school have been learning and speaking French on a daily basis. Now they’ve decided the time is right to show off their language skills to the Tele.
And mighty impressive they were, too, as they discussed names, ages and what they were having for lunch in fairly fluent French.
Read more...
10 November 2014 (Guardian Teacher Network)
Teacher Heather Martin on why integrating Spanish in every aspect of her school – such as assemblies, tutor time, history and geography – is the key to language learning success.
Read more...
6 November 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
Primary teachers of German, along with their students, are invited to send a Christmas Card in German to Felix and Franzi in order to win a great surprise.
Visit the Goethe-Institut London website for more information.
Don’t forget there are also lots of fun ideas and teaching materials for primary learners on the German with Felix and Franzi webpage.
Read more...
6 November 2014 (Consejería de Educación)
A 25-hour course, organised by the Spanish Embassy Education Office in the United Kingdom in collaboration with SALT, Spanish Academy of Language and Translation in Edinburgh, consisting of two parts: a language-focused one and a methodology-related one, dealing with language teaching strategies and methods for primary teachers.
Further information and enrolment details are available on the Spanish Academy of Language & Translation website or see the attached flyers.
Read more...
6 November 2014 (eTwinning)
To join the competition, projects must have been awarded the European Quality Label in any year of the project’s lifespan. Only the partners of a project who have received the European Quality Label can apply for and win a European Prize. All projects must demonstrate that they have been active in the 2013-2014 school year.
Prizes are available for primary through to secondary ages with special category prizes also being awarded in the 2015 competition.
Read more...
East Lothian Early Chinese Learning Project
5 November 2014 (SCILT/CISS)
The Scottish China Educational Network, in partnership with Edinburgh University and CISS has been working in conjunction with primary schools in East Lothian to encourage the early learning of Mandarin.
The project involved native speaking students working in conjunction with class teachers to deliver Mandarin lessons to children at P1. The evaluation, carried out by Fiona Pate HMI, makes for interesting reading and provides a thoughtful and valuable insight into how native speakers can be used to enhance primary language learning.
See the report below.
31 October 2014 (UK-German Connection)
With Germany as the current winners of the World Cup, now has never been a better time to kick-start a programme combining football and learning German! Double Club German is an award-winning educational programme for primary and secondary pupils using Arsenal FC to show pupils that language learning can be fun! Teachers have access to a range of recently updated resources, including detailed, step-for-step teachers' notes, interactive PowerPoint presentations and a brand-new, bright and colourful pupils' workbook.
If you are interested in taking part, please contact Steve Eadon, Double Club Languages Coordinator at languages@arsenal.co.uk - expressions of interest will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Note: if organising Double Club German sessions as an after-school activity is not feasible at your school, it can also be run as an activity in lessons or during the lunch-hour.
Double Club German is a project developed and run in partnership between Arsenal FC, the Goethe-Institut London and UK-German Connection. More information is available on the Arsenal Double Club website.
New resources now include interactive video activities with Arsenal winger and German U19 international, Serge Gnabry. The full set of videos is available to all teachers participating in Double Club: German, however two sample videos are publicly available.
Read more...
31 October 2014 (UK-German Connection)
St. Martin's Day is fast approaching (11 November), and children throughout Germany are looking forward to making lanterns and singing songs at a traditional St. Martin's Day procession. Why not teach your pupils about these fascinating German customs with the voyage kids St. Martin's Day Special?
- Teach your pupils how kids celebrate St. Martin's Day in Germany
- St. Martin's Day memory game. How quickly can your pupils find the pairs?
- Basteln - Make a colourful St. Martin's Day lantern
- Laterne, Laterne & Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne songs – sing along with your pupils! (featuring recordings from UK primary schools)
Access the resources on the UK-German Connection website.
Read more...
28 October 2014 (SCILT)
Celebrate and record language learning in and out of school with the SCILT ELP. This Prezi explains how. Also check out the Prezi alongside highlighting ‘What SCILT can do for you’.
Read more...
28 October 2014 (eTwinning UK)
If you’ve already been involved in eTwinning, enter the competition by 3 November 2014 to tell us how eTwinning has influenced your teaching.
For those yet to experience eTwinning, the site contains information on funding available, professional workshops and resources to help you get started and a video and case studies outlining eTwinning projects and their impact.
Read more...
23 October 2014 (SCILT)
SCILT urgently requires a Professional Development Officer to support primary schools as they continue to develop their strategy for the implementation of the 1+2 languages policy. This is an exciting opportunity to work at national level and drive forward the strategic languages agenda in Scotland.
The Professional Development Officer will be responsible for developing and delivering a broad range of support measures for primary language learning. This would include, for example, leading professional learning workshops and managing projects, national awards/competitions and other promotional events.
For more information and an application form, visit the University of Strathclyde's vacancy webpage.
Read more...
23 October 2014 (University of Strathclyde)
This year again we are offering to visit schools (Secondary or Primary) to talk about our varied experiences as language learners and try to enthuse pupils to follow in our footsteps.
Motivation, experiences abroad, transition to first year at university, job prospects, university courses…this is what we can tell you about.
Boost your young learners’ motivation, invite us in!
For more information visit the Language Ambassadors Programme webpage and to organise a visit contact:
Cédric Moreau, c.moreau@strath.ac.uk.
Read more...
23 October 2014 (Irish Times)
Calls have been made for the Department of Education and Skills to reinstate a modern language programme at primary level that was shut down two years ago.
In a consultation document on its planned strategy on foreign languages, the department said the decision to terminate the Modern Languages in Primary School Initiative had been made “in light of concerns about curriculum overload at primary level”.
Read more...
21 October 2014 (SEET)
The Scottish European Educational Trust runs an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, which sees teams of four pupils working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe. Subjects covered include history, geography, sport, culture, languages and the European Union. Heats take place in local authorities from January to March each year, with the winning team from each authority area competing in the national final, which takes place in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May.
Registration is now open for Euroquiz 2015! For more information about the competition and registration, visit the SEET website.
Read more...
14 October 2014 (Herald)
The growth in the number of children entering Gaelic-medium education in their first primary year is continuing, with a rise of at least 11 per cent to be confirmed for this session.
Read more...
14 October 2014 (Guardian)
Applies to England
Compulsory languages at primary school level may be a positive step, but does it address the bigger picture?
Read more...
9 October 2014 (SCILT)
To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for developing creative writing skills through the “Creative Bag of Tricks” series published on the MTOT blog. The fourth item,
“I am” poems, is available to read now.
Read more...
Glasgow modern languages newsletter - Autumn 2014
9 October 2014 (Glasgow City Council)
Read about the latest language activities and events which have been taking place in Glasgow's schools in the attached Autumn newsletter.
8 October 2014 (National Library of Scotland)
A website to help primary schoolchildren learn Scots is launched today by the National Library of Scotland.
The 'Oor Wullie guide tae Scots language' site uses the famous cartoon character to get six-to 11-year-olds thinking about and using Scots words.
Several schools across Scotland worked with the Library to develop and test the learning activities, which include quizzes, a 'comic maker' and a word search.
Read more...
3 October 2014 (ALL)
The traditional topic of House and Home can be... dry, so the ShelterBox Spanish Challenge takes an age-appropriate look at this theme, encouraging a creative voice for year 8 Spanish students, or even year 9 beginners, through a powerful and engaging theme.
The competition brings together really useful language (vocabulary, grammar and genuine communication) and can be run at any time during the academic year before the final deadline of Wednesday 24th June, 2015. How long you and your students decide to spend on the project is entirely up to you! It really is designed to make your life as easy and effective as possible.
Read more...
3 October 2014 (British Council)
The British Council organised an evening event on 26 September on the European Day of Languages to celebrate language diversity and language learning in UK schools.
‘Every learner a language learner, every teacher a language teacher’ featured case studies from Bordesley Green school in Birmingham and St Austin’s Primary in Liverpool on how they support MFL, CLIL, and EAL learners.
For those who were unable to attend the event, the presentations can now be viewed on YouTube.
Read more...
3 October 2014 (LFEE)
LFEE now has course dates available in 2015 and 2016 for both primary and secondary teachers in either France or Spain.
The courses are fun and motivating and will help you implement the Scottish Government 1+2 language initiative and enhance your Professional Review and Development profile.
Funding for all courses is available through the European Union Erasmus+ Programme (formerly Comenius In-Service Training). Please contact LFEE as soon as possible to pre-register and receive guidelines to help you apply for the Erasmus+ funding. Expected Erasmus+ application deadline: January 2015.
Full course details and how to register are available on the attached brochure or visit the LFEE website.
Along with LFEE we have other partner/cultural organisations who also offer professional learning opportunities both in Scotland and overseas. Details can be accessed via the professional learning page on our website.
Read more...
26 September 2014 (Goethe Institut)
Web links, teaching materials for Secondary and Primary, ideas for cross-curricular projects, films to compliment classroom teaching as well as content for Broad General Education within the context of Modern Language teaching – all this and more is listed as downloads or available online for German learners and practitioners.
Read more...
26 September 2014 (Arsenal Football Club)
Hector Bellerin visited Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Islington to meet children studying Spanish through the Arsenal Double Club ahead of European Day of Languages on Friday.
Read more...
22 September 2014 (Linlithgow Gazette)
A local primary school is celebrating after securing a prestigious award for making pupils aware of foreign cultures.
The International School Award from the British Council is a badge of honour for schools that do outstanding work in international education. Bo’ness Public Primary School pupils worked with children in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Kenya.
They also held an international education day where they learned about other cultures.
Read more...
19 September 2014 (GrowStoryGrow)
Every year, to help celebrate the European Day of Languages, GrowStoryGrow opens up its site allowing children all over the world to experience over a hundred enchanting stories, in several different languages, for free.
This year the GrowStoryGrow is free to use from 22 - 29 September 2014 and to link with this year's centenary of World War 1 there is a very poignant story about Remembrance Day.
Visit the website for further information and to access the materials.
Read more...
16 September 2014 (SCILT)
To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for developing creative writing skills through the
“Creative Bag of Tricks” series published on the MTOT blog. The third item,
“Calligrams”, is available to read now.
Read more...
15 September 2014 (BBC News)
As you approach the front gates it is clear this is not an ordinary school. The pupils do not look twice at the camera or recording equipment; TV and radio crews are here all the time.
In the playground some of the children whisper in English. They know they should not be speaking the language, even though the school is in the very heart of the British Isles.
About 70 pupils attend Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, the world's only Manx-speaking school. The primary school is situated in St John's village in the Isle of Man and the children are taught all their lessons solely in Manx Gaelic.
Read more...
11 September 2014 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPDs in French for Primary School teachers:
- 10 topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
- Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners class or for French teachers in Primary schools
- Thursdays, 4.15-5.45pm between 30th October 2014 and 26th March 2015.
For full programme details, visit the Alliance Française website. Enrolment deadline: 24 October 2014.
Read more...
10 September 2014 (SCILT)
To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for developing creative writing skills through the “Creative Bag of Tricks” series published on the MTOT blog. The second item, “Metaphor”, is available to read now.
Read more...
10 September 2014 (Into Film)
Interactive languages resource using film to teach French in primary. This is a cross-curricular second level resource with CfE links for Technologies, Expressive Arts, Social Studies, as well as Literacy and Languages and comes with teachers' notes, activity sheets and an accompanying Powerpoint.
Read more...
10 September 2014 (University of Reading)
The Final Report and the Executive Summary from the Nuffield Foundation funded research into the teaching of French in primary schools are now available to download. The site also contains resources, presentations and video from the Primary Languages Conference, held at University of Reading, Institute of Education on 5th June 2014.
Read more...
9 September 2014 (British Council)
Learn some new languages and all about the Christmas truce during WW1 with this activity from the Football Remembers pack.
Read more...
9 September 2014 (British Council)
Our primary languages starter pack contains materials to support teaching of languages in UK primary schools.
Read more...
5 September 2014 (University of Strathclyde)
Gaelic language teaching in Scotland's schools is being boosted by a University of Strathclyde training programme. The Gaelic Immersion for Teachers (GIfT) course at Strathclyde offers qualified teachers who have learned Gaelic to intermediate level the chance to become fluent speakers of the language and learn the specialist skills needed for working in Gaelic medium classrooms.
Read more...
Related Links
Teachers to start Gaelic course (Evening Times, 6 September 2014)
8 September 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
Every year the Goethe-Institut offers an attractive range of residential training and language courses for teachers of German (specialists and non-specialists) as well as teacher trainers.
Courses include:
- Language Courses (2 or 4 weeks)
- Landeskunde (1 to 3 weeks)
- Methodology/Teaching Strategies (2 to 4 weeks)
- Courses for Teacher Trainers (1 or 2 weeks)
Scholarships are available from the Goethe-Institut. For full details and to apply by 15 October 2014 visit their website.
Read more...
5 September 2014 (British Council)
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar after Chinese New Year. This year the festival will fall on 8 September. To tie in with the festival, our education pack helps primary schools across the UK explore Chinese culture and language.
Read more...
5 September 2014 (BBC News)
A network of foreign language teaching hubs is to be set up across England to boost the language skills of teachers. It follows fears that many teachers do not have the skills to implement the new curriculum which requires foreign language teaching in primary schools.
Read more...
4 September 2014 (Goethe-Institut London)
The Eurotoolbox consists of 5 specially chosen collections of children's and youth literature from Europe in the original language - German, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian, with between 12 and 15 books in each language.
The exhibition of books is free to borrow for 2-4 weeks at a time and is available from September.
Visit the Eurotoolbox launch webpage for more information about the collections and contact Mariella Riccobono at the Italian Cultural Institute to arrange a booking slot: maria.riccobono.iic@esteri.it
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Language Learning,
Resources,
Portuguese
3 September 2014 (UK-German Connection)
Why not start the new school year by teaching your pupils all about school life in Germany with the 'voyage kids' Back to School special? If you're feeling creative, you could even get started the German way by making 'Schultüten', using our handy step-by-step instructions!
The Back to School Special includes:
- Find out: A typical school day in Germany
- Basteln: Make a Schultüte!
- Memory game: How quickly can your pupils find the matching pairs?
- 'School words' quizzes
If you're busy planning lessons, you might be interested in our calendar of features, which gives you a 'heads up' about forthcoming seasonal and topical specials on voyage kids.
Read more...
3 September 2014 (Huffington Post)
As we dumped a bucket over my daughter's head on Monday, we noticed the only thing that's squeezing the Ice Bucket Challenge out of social media timelines this week...
Across the country, proud parents have been posting pictures of their newly uniformed kids, posing with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, on the morning of their first day at a new school - my son started his today.
And, this time round, the start of the new school year brings with it a potentially life-changing new development: from now on, primary school children over the age of seven will have to learn a foreign language. Zut alors!
Read more...
2 September 2014 (The Guardian)
Lack of co-ordination between primary schools means secondary pupils can start with totally different linguistic skills.
Read more...
1 September 2014 (Japan Foundation)
The Japan Foundation has released two new resources for teaching Japanese - the Japanese Taster Lesson Sample Activity Pack, and the JFL Scheme of Work for Primary Schools. These resources are absolutely free to download and use straight away!
You can find out more about the resources on the Japan Foundation website.
Read more...
1 September 2014 (The Telegraph)
(Relates to England) Primary school children will be given compulsory lessons in computer coding and foreign languages under a new national curriculum introduced for the first time this week.
Read more...
28 August 2014 (UK-German Connection)
UK-German Connection has a number of current and upcoming opportunities for activities with Germany this term:
- Host a teacher from Germany - application deadline 19 September 2014.
- First World War Centenary - call on 020 7824 1570 for information on funding available for thematic UK-German learning activities around the First World War.
- Funding for UK-German activities - the next deadline for grants for UK-German activities is 31 October 2014.
- The Bears Project - teddies, Alex and Ben, bring a fun and accessible international dimension to the primary school classroom!
- FLA Ambassadors network - if you have a language assistant from Germany in your school this year, then do encourage them to apply to be an FLA Ambassador. They can apply for funding to run a small project. Application deadline 20 October 2014.
You can also find an overview of all deadlines for UK-German activity in 2014-15 on the website.
Read more...
22 August 2014 (SCILT)
Each year September 26th marks the European Day of Languages (EDL). It's all about finding ways to get people in schools, colleges and the wider community excited about languages. How you celebrate is up to you!
SCILT has launched the European Day of Languages 2014 webpage where you can finds lots of ideas for how your school can celebrate. You can also order EDL materials for your school like posters, stickers and pens.
Let us know how you celebrate, and you could even feature in our EDL 2014 blog!
Read more...
19 August 2014 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland has published the Primary Language Learning framework for P2-P7. This part of the framework complements the P1 guidance issued in December 2013.
The framework contains advice and support for practitioners who are introducing, or planning to introduce the teaching of a modern language from P1-P7. It contains learning maps to aid planning for teaching the first modern language (L2) as well as an overview of the essential Knowledge about Language required for children to progress in their language learning. There are film clips of primary language teaching, sound files of useful classroom language, progression grids and useful web links to support practitioners in their preparation and delivery of a contextualised modern language experience.
Read more...
Related Links
A link to the Education Scotland guidance materials can also be found on SCILT's
'Essentials for Planning in Primary' webpage.
19 August 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
The motivational game, suitable for P7 to S3 pupils, enables classes to discover German culture and language through a series of interactive challenges. Teachers now have the opportunity to visit the Goethe-Institut with their class and tackle the German Language Adventure.
New bookings are now invited for dates from 20 September onwards.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to see what previous participants have said about the project.
Read more...
19 August 2014 (SCILT)
Schools in Glasgow have been sent an email inviting them to enter the new multilingual poetry competition, Mother Tongue Other Tongue. The competition celebrates the diversity of cultures and languages spoken and learned by young people at school and at home and invites young people to be creative and find their own voice through poetry, lullabies, rap or songs. Full details are available on our website
Read more...
13 August 2014 (SCILT)
New to the 1+2 section of our website is the ‘Planning and materials from pilot schools’ page. Here you will find a selection of plans and resources, many with sound files, that were created and/or used by 4 of the primary schools during their 1+2 pilot project.
All documents and presentations can be downloaded, used and adapted to kickstart or refresh your school’s primary language learning (PLL).
Each pilot project had a different aim and was supported by SCILT and Education Scotland differently, in order to best meet the school’s needs. To find out more details about all ten 1+2 pilot projects read the 1+2 pilot evaluations.
COMING SOON: Key messages from the pilot schools from the 2014 1+2 Learning Events.
Read more...
1 August 2014 (Institut français)
The Institut français d’Ecosse is offering a range of French courses for both teachers and pupils starting in September 2014. Follow the appropriate links below for full details:
Read more...
20 June 2014 (Bilingualism Matters)
If you live in East Lothian, chances are that in a primary school near you is a group of pupils who love nothing better than running around the playground singing “happy Birthday to you” in Chinese.
On 12 June, over 400 primary school pupils, teachers and parents gathered in Musselburgh to celebrate the hugely successful Early Learning of Chinese project . There was singing, traditional Chinese dancing, and even a Chinese version of the hokey-cokey – no mean feat!
Read more...
19 June 2014 (Scottish Parliament)
The European and External Relations Committee will meet on 26 June 2014 and receive a report from Scottish Government on the learning of foreign languages in primary schools.
To read the report, open this PDF Meeting Agenda and scroll down to Annexe C (p16).
Read more...
19 June 2014 (British Council)
We have compiled resources and opportunities from professional development courses to online libraries and free teaching materials. Visit the Schools Online website and select a language or organisation to find out more.
Read more...
Glasgow Modern Languages Summer 2014 Newsletter
19 June 2014 (Glasgow City Council)
Take a look at all the stimulating articles about Glasgow schools' languages projects in the attached newsletter.
12 June 2014 (The Telegraph)
The number of schoolchildren speaking English as a second language has soared by a third in just five years amid fresh concerns that immigration may be putting a strain on the education system.
Official figures show that the number of pupils who speak another language in the home exceeded 1.1 million for the first time this year.
The proportion of non-native speakers in primary schools has now reached almost one-in-five following a year-on-year increase over the last decade.
Read more...
12 June 2014 (Consejería de Educación)
The Regional Government of Castilla y León (Spain), in cooperation with Instituto Español Murallas de Ávila (IEMA), an organisation which promotes Spanish Language and Culture in Ávila, Spain, invites British Primary School teachers of Spanish to participate in one of their Spanish Teacher Training Seminars in the World Heritage City of Ávila, Spain. Scholarships are available.
For more information please contact IEMA School director: Dr. Rainer Rutkowski.
director@iema.com. Telephone 0034-920 222 773 or visit the IEMA website.
Read more...
12 June 2014 (SCILT)
On Wednesday 28th of May, poets and young people from Glasgow schools celebrated the launch of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition at the University of Strathclyde. SCILT is running the pilot competition for Glasgow schools from the start of the 2014-15 session. Take a look at the highlights of the launch event on our website and find out more about the competition and how your school can take part. Invitations to register in MTOT will be issued to schools throughout Glasgow in August so make sure you get involved!
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
10 June 2014 (ALL)
FLAME is an initiative led by the Association for Language Learning to support the integration of language learning with other curriculum subjects. They hope that the initiative will increase the number of primary and secondary schools that combine subject and language teaching, and that in this way help to transform the quality of language learning in schools. It’s called FLAME Plus and includes information about FLAME and links to cross-curricular primary resources.
Read more...
5 June 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut Glasgow has a number of exciting programmes to support teachers in delivering the Scottish Government's initiative of enabling pupils in Scotland to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue by 2020.
Two specially tailored language courses – locally and in Germany - offer a first step for teachers in the PRIMARY sector, who are keen to embrace and contribute to the new developments with confidence. Follow the links below to find out more about each course and to secure your place:
Other support also available to language teachers:
- The German Language Adventure – the popular motivation game for pupils and teachers – will be on offer in the new term throughout Scotland
- Film resources and screenings for all age groups at the Goethe-Institut and your local cinema will sharpen cultural awareness and classroom practice will be enhanced by our resources and CPD seminars
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for a full listing of events, resources and professional development opportunities.
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2 June 2014 (Language Show Live / Speak to the Future)
Strictly 1,000 Words is a national competition for language learners in schools, universities and language enthusiasts everywhere to produce a short video containing no more than 1,000 words in another language. Videos must be no more than 2 minutes long and contain up to 1,000 words in another language.
See the website for entry criteria. Deadline for applications is 11 July 2014.
Read more...
29 May 2014 (TES)
Applies to English curriculum
Between 2 and 6 June, we'll be bringing you Languages Week, celebrating all things MFL and looking at the changes to the national curriculum for primary and secondary and giving you blogs, live chats and resource recommendations to help you make the transition from September.
Ahead of the week, why not have a read of the national curriculum chats that have been led by our languages adviser, Rachel Hawkes over the past few months. You can also head over to our languages forum, where you can join fellow teachers discussing all things MFL.
Read more...
27 May 2014 (The Evening Times)
Parents who sent their son to a Gaelic nursery have slammed city education bosses for denying him a place at Gaelic primary school.
Christine and Iain Agnew are keen to support Scotland's language and so sent son Archie to a Gaelic nursery school in Anniesland. But the four-year-old has now been denied a place at Glasgow Gaelic School.
Christine, 39, said: "My son has been going to a Gaelic nursery for the past two years. "To get into the Gaelic school they say you have to show commitment to the language. Well, I'm not sure how else I could have shown that commitment. We haven't been given a straight answer as to why Archie has been refused a place and I would really like the council to reconsider."
Christine, from Clydebank, said she has lodged an appeal, as have two other mums who are in a similar position. But she believes there should be enough primary provision in the city to accommodate all children who are in the city's Gaelic nurseries.
Read more...
Related Links
Gaelic is part of Scotland's heritage (Evening Times, 29 May 2014)
23 May 2014 (Radio Lingua)
Radio Lingua is delighted to announce that their new resource for primary French learners is now available. High Five French is a collection of video and audio resources featuring Scottish learner Emma and French native speaker Mathilde in a colourful, interactive and engaging format. The resource includes challenge activities, worksheets and teachers' notes with background information, cultural references and classroom ideas. Find out more at the Radio Lingua Schools website.
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20 May 2014 (The Guardian)
(Relates to England) From linking up with local secondaries to international collaborations, primary schools are busy getting the right resources in place.
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19 May 2014 (Portsmouth News)
Bilingual children celebrated their talents by taking part in a unique storytelling project with their parents. Ranvilles Infant School in Fareham organised a project to support children who speak a second language. Children and parents have been working to retell the stories in both English and their first language. A local artist then helped create a storyboard of the two tales, which children across the school helped to design.
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19 May 2014 (Japan Foundation)
The Japan Webpage Contest for Schools will be running again this 2014-15, and will be open for bookings soon!
We know that many schools are teaching Japanese or doing other projects about Japan, and we want to hear more about it. This contest is open to any UK primary or secondary school that is teaching Japanese or doing any kind of project related to Japan. Your school does not need to be teaching Japanese to enter the contest. To enter the contest, all you need to do is make a simple webpage about the work that your school is doing with Japanese or Japan. This could be a blog, a wiki, or a page that's part of your school's website. We hope to start announcing other details, including prizes and dates for the Award Ceremony, very soon! For information about the previous contests, including links to the amazing websites entered, please visit the official Japan Webpage Contest for Schools website.
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19 May 2014 (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)
The Multimedia Unit of the Education and Children’s Services Department of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has developed a new website to support 3-18 Gaelic Medium Education. Resources support Gàidhlig as well as a range of other curricular areas. The website is being continuously updated with new materials to enhance young people’s learning opportunities through the medium of Gaelic. For more information, visit the website or contact evelyn.coull@cne-siar.gov.uk.
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16 May 2014 (Guardian)
Diverse backgrounds are a huge strength, says primary school teacher Alex Lee. But it's important gifted students aren't neglected in the focus on English skills.
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16 May 2014 (SALT)
For this year’s competition you are invited to design a poster, slide presentation or short video with pictures and text on the subject ‘FESTIVALS‘. Entry is open to any individual pupil/student or group of pupils/students in any Scottish school. The use of a language other than English must feature on the entry. The closing date for submissions is 20 June.
Visit the SALT website for full details.
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14 May 2014 (bsmall publishing)
The b small Young Language Learner of the Year Award is open to all children in the UK aged 6 - 11 years and will run throughout the spring and summer terms. Children can enter their stories in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or, for the first time this year, Mandarin.
You can enter in one of two categories according to your age: 6-9 years or 9-11 years. We have included nine year olds in both categories in case you want to enter with your class.
Closing date for entries is 2 June 2014.
Read more...
13 May 2014 (SEET)
Congratulations to the Euroquiz team from Crossford Primary school in Dunfermline who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s National Euroquiz Final, which took place in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament yesterday (12th May 2014).
Team members Lewis Mackintosh, Matthew Twaddle, Ben Knowles and Blair Kerr came out on top with their fingers on the buzzers. They won against Crown Primary School, who were defending last year’s Highland title, in a close run final round. Allan’s Primary School in Stirling also did excellently, coming in at third place.
Download the attached press release for more information or visit the SEET website where you can view a recording of the event.
Read more...
Related Links
Photos from the Euroquiz 2014 final (Scottish Parliament, 13 May 2014)
12 May 2014 (eTwinning)
Diana Linford, French teacher at Eastburn Junior and Infant School and Steeton Primary School, not only gained a national Quality Label but scooped the ‘Creative Language Learning’ prize at the 2013 eTwinning Conference in the UK.
Her eTwinning project used Skype in the primary classroom to enable effective communications between pupils at Eastburn (near Keighley, Yorkshire) and l’Ecole de Vouillers (Champagne-Ardennes, France).
Diana Linford gives us her account of how she created such an innovative project with Magali Grapton from her French partner school.
Read more...
9 May 2014 (British Council)
An education pack from the British Council is launching today to commemorate the truce. The pack contains accounts from soldiers from Germany, France, Belgium and India who were there in 1914 and wrote about what they had seen.
There is a section of the pack with resources in French and German that can be used to support MFL teaching, as well as video material in those languages
The pack acts as preparation for a mass participation call to action in December 2014 when clubs at every level of the game in the UK (and beyond we hope) will play matches to commemorate the Truce.
We hope that schools will select from these activities, adapt the suggestions and resources for their own use and for use with partner schools, and join in this special Centenary event.
Read more...
8 May 2014 (SEET)
The Euroquiz final will take place on 12 May 2014 in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament. 31 teams, from primary school across Scotland, have won coveted places in the grand final of the Scottish European Educational Trust's Euroquiz, sponsored by the European Parliament.
Over 1700 pupils from 425 schools have taken part in the local heats between January and April this year, and the winning teams from each of them will now compete in the final.
Euroquiz is a competition for Primary 6 pupils, which encourages them to develop their knowledge about Europe and the European Union. It also helps build on their core skills through communication and teamwork. Questions are asked on history, geography current affairs, culture, languages, sport and the European Union. This is the seventh year the Euroquiz has been held in the Scottish Parliament, and this year’s event is sponsored by the European Parliament and the Scottish Government.
The pupils, representing 31 of Scotland’s local authority areas, take part in 3 rounds. This year’s event includes a language round which we developed with SCILT. The questions test the pupils’ knowledge of French, German and Spanish. The top two teams then go head to head in the fourth and final round.
You can support your local team, or even take the quiz yourself, by watching the event live at: http://www.scottishparliament.tv
Tune in for a 1pm start!
Read more...
6 May 2014 (SCEN)
The Scotland-China Association Primary Schools Competition 2014, incorporating the Tom Murray Memorial Prize and sponsored by the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools, aims to stimulate interest in Chinese culture amongst primary school children in Scotland.
The subject of the 2014 competition is 'Festivals celebrated in China'.
Children are encouraged to explore Chinese culture and to enjoy expressing what they learn.
There are three categories for entries - P1-3, P4-5, and P6-7. Entries can be in one of the following formats :
- written work
- two- or three-dimensional work (up to A2 or 40cm x 40cm x 40cm respectively)
- video or DVD
Closing date for entries is 6 June 2014.
See the attached flyer for more information or visit the SCEN website for further details of the competition and how to enter.
Read more...
2 May 2014 (SCILT)
From August 2014, SCILT will be piloting the inspiring multi-lingual poetry competition and Poet Laureate Education Project, Mother Tongue Other Tongue, in Glasgow schools. If you are a teacher in a Glasgow primary or secondary school who is looking for a creative way to motivate language learning and celebrate all the languages spoken by your learners, go to our webpage to read more about what MTOT can offer you.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Community Languages,
Language Learning,
Minority Languages,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
2 May 2014 (SCILT)
Are you looking for innovative ways to:
- encourage your learners to reflect on and take responsibility for their learning?
- celebrate wider language and intercultural learning experiences?
- ease transition between stages and sectors?
SCILT has become the first organisation in Scotland to successfully register a European Language Portfolio(ELP) with the Council of Europe. Visit our webpage for more information on how you can start using the ELP with your learners now!
Please hit 'Control' and F5 simultaneously to ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date version of these pages.
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1 May 2014 (ITV News)
Hundreds of children from schools across the North East have been taking part in a Eurovision-style Song Contest.
The event, at the Gala Theatre in Durham, was aimed at improving their language skills.
Around 400 children from 27 schools are singing in languages from Lithuanian to Spanish, Polish to Norwegian.
Read more...
29 April 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut London invites German teachers and their pupils to take part in this unique competition series requiring language and computer skills alike! Fun and steep learning curves are guaranteed when you take on one of these tasks:
- Watching a video animation clip to solve a German city puzzle
- Doing a digital treasure hunt about Germany’s UNESCO sites
- Taking part in a sports commentary reading competition by recording or filming your class/group (texts will be provided)
- Completing your own German comic inventing a funny storyboard
- Using your own creativity to write an e-postcard
- Doing the sound recording for the Felix & Franzi-Reise animation clip and come up with creative German dialogues
- Special: Finding German traces in your neighbourhood and present them
… and all you need is a computer.
Seven categories for different levels of language skills are provided. Primary teachers and secondary teachers can choose which competition they think suits their students’ best.
Please register by sending a registration form to roma.schultz@london.goethe.org by 20th May 2014 and you will be sent a USB-stick. All the categories are explained and the relevant materials are provided. The materials are also suitable for work offline.
Visit the Goethe-Institut London website for full details and the registration form.
Read more...
28 April 2014 (British Council)
The European Commission has announced it will make available almost €1 billion over seven years to help people in the UK to gain crucial international skills under the new Erasmus+ programme, managed in the UK by the British Council and Ecorys.
Hundreds of thousands of young people in the UK will be able to access the new programme over the next seven years in order to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer across the EU and further afield.
More than 30,000 young people per year – the equivalent of over 70 fully-laden jumbo jets – are expected to gain opportunities to expand their horizons under the programme. This represents a 50 per cent increase on the number of UK young people receiving grants compared with the EU’s previous Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programmes, which Erasmus+ will replace.
Read more...
Related Links
Erasmus+ launches across Europe (The Pie News, 30 April 2014)
22 April 2014 (ALL)
Language World is the annual flagship event of ALL, with two days of professional development for teachers, the largest UK exhibition of language teaching resources directly aimed at teachers, a social event, and a chance for teachers from all over the country to meet up with their subject community to celebrate language teaching and learning.
Language World 2014 took place last week at the University of Lancaster, and our theme this year was All Joined Up. The conference focussed on the need for teachers across sectors to work with one another to make language learning from age 7 onwards exciting, meaningful and successful. This year’s successful event showcased valuable and inspiring work which language teachers and language teaching professionals could learn from and use in their own practice.
If you didn't get the opportunity to join us this year, don't worry - we don't want anyone feeling left out! Speakers presentations and handouts are available through the link below.
Read more...
9 April 2014 (BBC News)
Primary schoolchildren in Wales should be taught in three languages, according to Plaid Cymru.
The party has launched a paper examining a European model where learning multiple languages from an early age is normal. The paper also looks at ways to improve the teaching of the Welsh language.
Plaid education spokesperson Simon Thomas said employers have highlighted modern foreign languages as a skills gap.
Read more...
8 April 2014 (British Council blog)
How can ICT help children learn about people from other cultures? Teacher Wilma Gordon has this week won an eTwinning European prize for an online school project which joined together primary school pupils from around Europe. Here, she explains the benefits of using ICT in the classroom and tells us about some useful tools.
Read more...
Related Links
Do you believe in European Identity? They did (eTwinning, 9 April 2014) This Thursday (8th April 2014) students and teachers involved in eTwinning projects were in Palais des Academies where the award ceremony of 6 winning projects (out of 300) took place. See the full blog of the eTwinning Prize event, 2014, including the Special Project winners of the Mevlana Prize for Intercultural Understanding – Winner project: e-cultural Kaleidoscope, a collaboration involving Mid Calder Primary.
8 April 2014 (Creative Scotland)
Struileag has launched a major new poetry competition, giving you the chance to win great prizes!
Struileag is a multi-faceted project, creating a live stage event to be performed during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as part of the year of Homecoming, an interactive story-telling website, a TV programme, a book, a CD album and many other exciting elements, such as this competition!
Poems must be in Scottish Gaelic, be unpublished and under 50 lines in length. The deadline for entry is the 17th of May.
For full details visit the Creative Scotland website.
Read more...
Madrid visits for primary and secondary schools doing an exchange project
4 April 2014 (Consejería de Educación)
The Education Authorities of the Regional Government of Madrid offer the possibility of hosting students and teachers from domestic and overseas schools wanting to do an exchange project with a Spanish school in the Madrid Region.
Levels. Primary and Secondary school.
Groups. 15 to 50 students.
Accommodation. 2 possibilities: in hosting families or at the CIE, Centro de Intercambios Escolares (School Exchange Hostel).
The prices of the CIE, including lodging and 3 meals, are as follows:
- 6 nights / 7 days: 145 Euros per person.
- 5 nights / 6 days: 110 Euros per person.
Deadline to apply: 25th April.
Should you want to find a partner school in Spain, please email francisco.garcia@mecd.es
Find more information in the attached file.
2 April 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
The songs and lyrics accompanying the Felix and Franzi primary materials are now available as a free download from our website. There is also an appendix available providing further information and materials such as flashcards, cultural tips as well as explanations on grammar and sounds.
Read more...
4 April 2014 (Institut français)
The Institut français d’Ecosse is organising the Rencontres théâtrales on 12 June in Glasgow.
Please register your school before 30 April 2014.
Download the attached registration form or visit the Institut français website for more information.
Read more...
2 April 2014 (eTwinning)
Next week, Wilma Gordon (Mid Calder Primary School in Scotland) will be travelling to Brussels, joining 150 teachers and pupils from across Europe, to pick up an eTwinning European prize.
‘eCultural Kaleidoscope’ has won the Mevlana Prize for Intercultural Understanding (Sponsored by the eTwinning National Support Service of Turkey).
This is a huge achievement and down to the sheer dedication of pupils and teachers involved in the partnership. Wilma tells us all about her involvement in eTwinning as well as the award winning project.
Read more...
Glasgow Schools Modern Languages Newsletter
31 March 2014 (Glasgow City Council)
The latest Modern Languages Newsletter from Glasgow schools has been published. This issue contains:
- Interdisciplinary Projects at Celtic Learning Centre
- Eurozone Crisis IP at Bellahouston Academy
- Louis Pasteaur languages / science project
- Euroquiz 2014 in Thornwood Primary
- Bannerman High's Chinese events
- Italian events at St Charles' Primary
27 March 2014 (Institut français)
Did you know ther is no easter bunny in France, but a lot of flying bells which bring Easter eggs to the French children? Discover through this free ressource online for P5-P7 the tradition of "Paques en France" with your class.
Read more...
27 March 2014 (Institut français)
The Institut francais in Edinburgh will be running a new French course for primary school teachers at a beginner/post beginner level on Wednesdays from 23 April to 25 June 2014. Please register by 11 April 2014.
Visit the Institut français website for full details.
Read more...
27 March 2014 (UK-German Connection)
The voyage Easter special will be online from 31 March, featuring quizzes, articles and recipes on Easter in Germany and the UK - read about the Ostereiersuche and Osterfeuer, and try your hand at making an Osterzopf!
Easter in Germany
Ostern in Großbritannien
Read more...
25 March 2014 (Primary Language Learning Today)
The blog outlines the use of “Listening Sticks” and how these could be used to encourage children to practise listening and responding for key information. The sticks can contain any core language you have been practising.
Read more...
25 March 2014 (CfBT)
Based upon the findings from the 2013/14 Language Trends survey, this report assesses the state of language teaching in English primary and secondary schools.
Read more...
Related Links
- Secondaries struggle to ensure pupils continue their primary language learning (SecEd, 27 March 2014)
- Primary pupils will be forced to drop their foreign language studies once they reach secondary school (Independent, 25 March 2014)
- 'A level languages in crisis' (Telegraph, 25 March 2014)
- Many primary school teachers 'ill-equipped' to teach languages (BBC News, 25 March 2014)
- Quarter of primary schools have no foreign language expertise, study reveals (TES, 25 March 2014)
- Apoyo Soutien Unterstützung SUPPORT (Changing Phase blog, 25 March 2014)
- English schools not ready for language curriculum change (The Guardian, 25 March 2014)
- Primary languages in the spotlight (ALL, 25 March 2014)
- ‘Modern foreign languages at A-level are going in same direction as Latin and Greek'
(TES blog, 25 March 2014) - Languages 2014 – 2025: are we set fair for the challenge? The real significance of Language Trends (Speak to the Future blog, 25 March 2014)
- Survey: Four issues with language learning in England (British Council blog, 24 March 2014)
Apply now for a Language Assistant. Bring language and culture alive with a native speaker in the classroom
20 March 2014 (British Council)
Support implementation of the 1 + 2 languages policy by hosting a Language Assistant in your school.
The British Council team is on hand at every step and our dedicated online support offers everything you need to get your pupils’ learning experience off to a great start. Our free service includes careful selection of the best candidate to suit your school, guidance on administration and training courses for Language Assistants.
How can Language Assistants help?
Their responsibilities can be tailored to suit your school’s requirements. Assistants can support the teaching of a first (L2) or a second (L3) modern language by:
- supporting teachers’ language acquisition and improving their cultural knowledge
- developing lesson plans and delivering classes on topics to complement different subject areas
- running extra-curricular activities for additional support (e.g. lunch time clubs)
- working across different areas of the Curriculum for Excellence to develop projects based on cultural themes
- setting up an international partnership with a school overseas.
Where are they from?
Assistants are native-level speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Russian. They come from 15 countries in Europe and beyond.
You can also apply for a Chinese Language Assistant for free (by 31 January) or at a heavily subsidised rate (by 28 March). They work from mid-September 2014 to 26 June 2015.
What do I do next?
Visit our website to find out more about the programme and apply. If you are a local authority school, your local authority should apply on your behalf.
Contact the Languags Assistants programme directly: assistants.uk@britishcouncil.org.
You can also read an assistant’s blog on her experience of teaching French in an Angus primary school.
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Foreign Language Assistants,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian
20 March 2014 (Articulate Language Camps)
Articulate Language Camps are back for summer 2014. There is something for everyone with their range of summer camps bringing foreign language to life, bringing together language learners from all over Europe and engaging children through digital media projects and outdoor adventure sport.
- Launch Camp is our two-day camp (for ages 7-12) which gives children an authentic summer camp experience without them being away from home for too long. Our team of young teachers and experienced ‘mums’ make sure everyone feels safe and cared for with a 1:4 adult to child ratio.
- International Camp brings together young people (aged 13-17) from all over the world so that they can make friends and learn from young native speakers of the language they are studying.
Visit the Articulate Language Camps website for more information.
Read more...
19 March 2014 (Languages on Screen)
Languages on Screen is an exciting new educational resource that puts French, German, Spanish and Italian - and soon Gaelic, short films online for free download and use in schools across Scotland. With a Glow username and password you have free access to these educational resources - you simply login to this site via Glow. If you don’t have a login you can request one via the website.
Read more...
15 March 2014 (Guardian)
Decision to scrap languages from Welsh Baccalaureate will disadvantage Welsh economy and culture, ministers told.
Read more...
13 March 2014 (Into Film)
Into Film seeks to put film at the heart of children and young people's learning, contributing to their cultural, creative and personal development. Our UK-wide programme of learning through and about film provides 5-19 year olds with unparalleled opportunities to see, think, make and imagine. Visit our website for details of the free resources and opportunities available in your area to support all curriculum areas.
Read more...
13 March 2014 (Alliance Française)
Test your level of French by participating in an international competition, "les Timbrés de l’orthographe" !
Organised by the Fondation Alliance Française and les Éditions de l’Opportun, an international spelling competition will take place on Saturday 5th April at 2pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow. Test your abilities in French with a spelling bee and try to win a one-week trip Paris to attend the final!
This competition will be divided into two categories - Francophone and non-Francophone participants - and is open to anyone aged 8 years and over.
You must register in advance if you wish to take part in this competition; the deadline is Wednesday 2nd April. Visit the Alliance Française website for full details.
Read more...
German Educational Trainees Across Borders 2014
13 March 2014 (SCILT)
Does your school teach German? Would you like to enhance the German learning experience for your pupils?
SCILT and the German Consulate General have sent local authorities in Scotland an invitation to host a German student teacher for a six month placement in primary or secondary schools.
If you think that your learners would benefit from regular contact with a native speaker, please speak to the person in your LA with responsibility for Modern Languages. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 30th April.
For further information, please email grant.mclean@strath.ac.uk
12 March 2014 (b small)
Calling all promising 6 - 11 year old linguists!
The b small Young Language Learner of the Year Award, supported by Little Linguist, is open to all children in the UK aged 6 - 11 years and will run until 2nd June '14.
Children are invited to submit a simple story or cartoon strip in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or, for the first time this year, Mandarin. We're looking for simple, illustrated stories that will engage and inspire young language learners.
The winning entry will be made into an e-book and the lucky winner will win a library of £100 of b-small language titles for their school.
Read more...
Related Links
Visit the main
b small Little Linguist website for information on last year's winners.
12 March 2014 (Eurotalk)
The Junior Language Challenge is an annual competition for primary school age children across the UK. Its goal is to encourage under-elevens and help them feel confident in their ability to learn any language, not just one, and not just those traditionally covered in the classroom.
This year's competition will launch on Thursday 20th March at the Education Show in Birmingham.
The first round language this year will be Italian, but we will be also offering Dutch as an alternative language for those children who already learn or speak Italian.
If you'd like to know more please visit the website or email us at jlc@eurotalk.com.
Read more...
28 February 2014 (EduTalk)
Maryse Payen-Roy is part of the Modern Languages Support and Development Team at Glasgow City Council. In this show, Maryse talks about her professional learning and research, the 1+2 languages policy, the work of SALT and SCILT, and the focus of this episode: ‘Early start to French & How children learn their own and other languages from an early age’.
Listen again to this podcast and access the resources from the above CLPL session.
Read more...
21 February 2014 (LEAP)
Take advantage of funding opportunities to improve learning and teaching while expanding the European Dimension in your curriculum!
Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP) offers a range of professional development courses for staff in primary, secondary, further and adult education. Their courses focus on the development of Learning & Teaching within the delivery and development of languages. Courses are available in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
These immersion courses, which can be funded through the new Erasmus+ programme, are purposefully designed to enhance teaching practice while further developing language skills and intercultural understanding as a tool for generating original resources.
The deadline for funding applications is 17 March 2014, in respect of courses starting from 01 July 2014. Visit the LEAP website for more information, or simply contact the team on 01922 724993 or email info@leaponline.eu.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
CPD,
Immersion,
Language Teaching,
Study Abroad,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
Erasmus+ French immersion courses for teachers
20 February 2014 (Institut français)
Primary and secondary teachers in Scotland are lucky as they have a great choice for immersion courses in France. Here is a selection of immersion courses specially designed for teachers. These courses are run by organisations which are accredited by the French Ministry of Education and are easy to recognise as they have the "label Qualite FLE".
Funding for all these courses is available through the new European Erasmus+ programme. Successful applicants will receive funding which covers all expenses - course tuition fee, accommodation, subsistence and travel.
See the attached spreadsheet for details of the courses available and how to apply.
20 February 2014 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for primary school teachers at a beginner/false beginner level.
- 20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, confidence)
- Thursdays, 3.45-5.45pm
- 6 March to 22 May 2014 (incl. No classes on 10th and 17th April)
The cost to attend this course is £80 (please note this is a special fee offered by the Alliance Française Glasgow to promote modern languages).
Places are limited so early booking is recommended.
If you wish to enrol for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 28th February 2014.
Venue and contact:
- Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX - Glasgow
- Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
- admin@afglasgow.org.uk
Read more...
18 February 2014 (Lisibo)
See the presentation shared at the #ililc4 conference last week on using iPads in the primary language classroom. The blog also includes links to further ideas and information including lists of useful apps.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Methodologies,
Teacher Education,
Technology,
Resources
17 February 2014 (Routes into Languages (London))
This activity aims to harness the enthusiasm surrounding the Brazil 2014 World Cup and provide an ideal opportunity for your students to:
- learn more about Brazil and the Brazilian World Cup
- pick up some basic Portuguese
- develop their team work and creativity whilst drawing on a range of skills across ICT, Geography, Languages, Numeracy, Art and Design and PE.
Read more...
14 February 2014 (Global Dimension)
One in eight children in the UK speaks a language other than English as their first language. This website is a growing collection of short stories, both new and traditional, from all around the world. The stories are available in English, plus their original language, and can be read and listened to online, or downloaded, all for free.
Read more...
11 February 2014 (UK-German Connection)
Karneval / Fasching is on its way! That's right, from 27 February to 5 March, large parts of Germany will descend into a jamboree of fancy dress, sweet-throwing and general merrymaking. Why not teach your pupils all about it with the voyage kids Karneval special?
This year's special includes an interactive 'through the telescope' feature, an online jigsaw, a quiz, and, of course, the ever-popular Karneval-esque song by a singing hairdresser! (with worksheet and PPTs to teach the vocabulary in the song).
Read more...
4 February 2014 (CBBC Newsround)
From September primary schools across England will have to teach foreign languages. Most students will learn European languages like French, German or Spanish - but Nel visited a school where students are learning the Chinese language Mandarin - see Nel's video report.
Read more...
3 February 2014 (TES)
Templates to make it quick and easy to include varied speaking activities in lessons. Examples are in French and German but these could be adapted to any language/key stage.
You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.
Read more...
3 February 2014 (Herald)
Teachers heading to Scotland to promote the Chinese language will be given leave to remain in the UK for a further year after five staff were at the centre of a row.
Read more...
3 February 2014 (Zapatito Ingles blog)
A selection of ideas to help celebrate the Winter Olympics with your primary Spanish learners.
Read more...
31 January 2014 (Telegraph)
How the schools where nine in ten pupils do not speak English as their first language help bring their pupils up to speed.
Read more...
31 January 2014 (Institut français)
In association with la petite Ecole, the Institut français offers workshops in French for children who are growing up with a bilingual background using CLIL methodlogy (learning and improving language skills through other topics like science and arts).
Read more...
29 January 2014 (Japan Foundation)
The criteria of the Japan Foundation’s Local Project Support Programme has changed for 2014-2015. If your school is considering introducing Japanese, you might be able to take advantage of this funding programme.
Institutions can apply for up to £3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which will have a significant and wide impact on the promotion of Japanese language education throughout the UK, or in their local area. Priority is given to the following:
- Projects with a wide impact on Japanese language education - up to £3,000 for projects that contribute widely to the maintenance and strengthening of Japanese language education, eg conferences on Japanese language education, seminars for teachers, projects to produce Japanese language teaching materials, projects by organisations working in partnership, which benefit not only the institution applying for the programme, but which have a beneficial effect on others etc.
- Introducing Japanese to schools or universities:
- Up to £3,000 for projects that promote the introduction of Japanese into the curriculum (or onto the main school timetable) at primary and secondary schools. Or projects that support the introduction of Japanese language classes at university.
As part of our Primary Japanese Campaign, primary schools that would like to introduce Japanese as their main language in the new Key Stage 2 curriculum from September 2014, will be able to maintain their project by re-applying for funding twice for the same project. This means primary schools will be able to apply for up to a total of £9,000 over three years. - Up to £1,000 for projects in primary or secondary schools that introduce Japanese as an extra-curricular activity or enrichment subject, even if this is not within the school timetable. These activities must continue for at least a year to qualify for the grant.
There will be four application deadlines for the 2014-15 programme: April 1st 2014, June 20th 2014, September 26th 2014 and November 28th 2014. This funding will last until March 2015.
For further information about the programme and the application process, visit the Japan Foundation website.
Read more...
27 January 2014 (Guardian)
From making paper lanterns to learning about the culture and language of China, Chinese New Year lends itself to many vibrant classroom activities.
Read more...
27 January 2014 (GrowStoryGrow)
A video, lesson plan and resources to support this Chinese New Year story for young learners.
Read more...
24 January 2014 (TESS)
Advice on modern language teaching in P1 has been published by Education Scotland. The guidance offers tips on how to incorporate languages into the curriculum, as well as sound files of classroom vocabulary in a variety of languages. It aims to enable primary schools to continue implementing the 1+2 language strategy. Film clips of classes using their new language skills and information on training is also included in the new guidance.
Read more...
24 January 2014 (Institut français)
Each year the Institut français d’Ecosse organises the Rencontres théâtrales, a drama competition in French for primary and secondary schools. This year the competition will take place on the following dates:
- Edinburgh (24 March 2014)
- Aberdeen (31 March 2014)
- Glasgow (12 June 2014)
Visit the Insitut français website for further information and to register your school. Registrations for the March events should be submitted by 31 January 2014.
Read more...
23 January 2014 (BBC News)
Primary school children in Wales should be taught foreign languages to boost the number studying them later, the National Centre for Languages has said.
Welsh government figures show a drop in pupils choosing a language at GCSE and A-level.
In 2005, 12,826 children studied a language at GCSE, but in 2014 it has fallen by a third to 8,601.
A government spokesperson said primary schools are encouraged to teach languages.
The number of teenagers studying a language at A-level has more than halved to 668 from 1,467.
A government spokesperson said they were looking at ways to improve secondary school take up.
The Welsh Conservatives said the figures were disappointing because the economy is so dependent on international links.
The National Centre for Languages (CILT Cymru) said primary school children in England and Scotland do learn a language.
Read more...
23 January 2014 (British Council)
Bring the world into your classroom. Our new guide to international learning gives you easy access to our projects, resources and professional development courses. Whatever your current level of experience, we have a wealth of opportunities to suit you. From setting up a partnership, to running a project and achieving the International School Award, there is plenty to explore as you embark on your journey with us.
British Council Connecting Classrooms also offer grants of up to £1,500 for partnerships between schools in the UK and other countries. Applications are currently open until 31 January 2014.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Citizenship,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
International Education,
Language Learning,
Partnership Working,
Twinning,
News from language & education organisations
22 January 2014 (Glasgow Film Festival)
The Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2014 runs from 31 January to 7 February 2014 and offers a programme of screenings for both primary and secondary schools, including foreign language films:
Primary:
- Le Gruffalo et le petit Gruffalo (French)
- Sputnik (German)
Secondary:
- Playground Chronicles (Chroniques d’une cour de récré) (French)
- Sputnik (German)
- O Apóstolo (Spanish)
Full details of all the screenings and how to book are on the Glasgow Film Festival website.
Read more...
18 January 2014 (Russian Teachers’ Group UK (RTG))
Students learning Russian in schools, colleges and universities in the UK, as well as heritage learners from Russian-speaking families and adult learners, are invited to take part in the 7th National Russian Essay Competition. This is a high-profile event which will give your students a chance to win great prizes including cash (1st prize - £100) and see their essays published on-line! It is a great opportunity for students to be creative, compete nationwide with their peers and raise the profile of Russian. The deadline for submitting entries is 11 March 2014. Judges will review the entries in March and April, and winners will be announced by 30 April 2014.
Read more...
Edinburgh Zoo and SCILT's short story competition
17 January 2014 (Edinburgh Zoo/SCILT)
Open to any P5-P7 pupils who have studied Chinese culture and/or some Chinese.
A little reminder that the short story competition deadline is 31st January 2014.
Please do support this competition. The winning entry will be presented to the Chinese Consulate. Also the story will be translated (or subtitles added to a video etc) into Chinese and Gaelic. In addition there will be a small token prize for the group or class from Edinburgh Zoo.
Please remember that the story is a class entry but can take any format - it could even be of a mixed format - allowing the whole class to be involved. If it easier to work in smaller groups then we will accept up to 5 entries from the one class. Criteria - a short story, video, presentation on anything about China, Chinese culture and/or the giant panda.
It also doesn't have to be very long - we are looking for quality and not quantity!
For example:
- a short story
- 3-5 minute video
- short Powerpoint presentation
- set of drawings/pictures/photographs with descriptions/anecdotes
Entries can be sent as jpegs; Powerpoint presentations; videos; etc and can be emailed to this address or sent by post on CD Roms/DVD to the address below.
Similarly, written material can be emailed as pdf or word documents or sent by post to the address below.
Sandie Robb 罗桑迪
Senior Education Officer, Discovery & Learning,
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland 苏格兰皇家动物协会
134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6TS
tel: 0131 314 0335, mobile: 07963 070654
16 January 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
Enhance language learning by linking it to a wider context of culture, history and aspects across the curriculum. As part of the Glasgow Youth Film Festival the GFT in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Glasgow introduce the comedy SPUTNIK to pupils in the greater Glasgow area.
Set against the background of the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 – this ‘superb adventure’ opens up questions regarding the historical event. To quote Markus Dietrich, the director: “ But no matter what the politicians thought or kept silent about then: for me, the fall of the Wall wasn’t a world-changing event, but rather a superb adventure”.
Screenings take place at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Friday 31 January 2014 and Friday 7 February 2014 at 10.15 am and are suitable for P6-S3 pupils.
Prior booking required. Tickets are free for Glasgow local authority schools and cost £3 per pupil for other schools. Accompanying teachers attend free of charge.
Visit the Goethe Institut website for further details and how to book.
Read more...
15 January 2014 (Film Club)
In 2013 we launched three exciting inclusion projects alongside The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, focusing on using film to help students who face different forms of disadvantage.
The project is well underway now, with approximately 50 schools on each strand — Identity and Belonging, Rural Inclusion and SEN Inclusion. Now, a new selection of films have been added to each strand, along with brand new resources for each. These additions now mean that each film on the project has a free, accompanying resource to really enrich their screenings.
Read more...
15 January 2014 (TES)
Useful lesson starter or online homework listening practice for introducing comparisons in French. 'Plus .. que' + age. Useful for encouraging chat about birthdays and being older or younger than somebody else. Suitable for Primary to early Secondary levels. You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.
Read more...
13 January 2014 (The Scotsman)
Scots should be put at the centre of the Scottish Government’s initiative to promote language learning in the country’s schools, it has been claimed.
Headteacher Isabel Lind said the Scots language was a valuable educational tool and should be included in the 1+2 initiative, which seeks to have children learning two foreign tongues alongside English at primary school.
Read more...
Advance Notice - Training the MLPS Trainers
7 January 2014 (SCILT)
By popular request, SCILT, Education Scotland and partners will host a five day summer school, week beginning 30 June 2014. Each local authority will be offered two places for those staff who will be expected to deliver MLPS training in response to the recommendations in the 1+2 report.
Please keep the date in your diary. Further details will follow in due course.
7 January 2014 (BBC News)
It will be compulsory for primary school children aged seven and above to learn another language, from September 2014 in England.
The government is encouraging schools to adopt a wider variety of languages after a study found that teenagers at schools in England had the worst language skills in Europe.
Tim Muffett reports in this video footage.
Read more...
6 January 2014 (Teachersmedia)
Teacher’s Media International provide online professional development services for the education sector. Sign up for free to access a range of video clips sharing best practice in both primary and secondary modern language classroom settings.
Read more...
26 December 2013 (The Independent)
Children as young as five are already learning Mandarin in British schools, as David Cameron pushes for it to replace French and German in classrooms across the country.
Pupils at RJ Mitchell Primary in Elm Park, Havering, north London, are among the first of their age group to have the lessons. The numbers learning Mandarin are set to swell in the new year as other schools react to the Prime Minister’s exhortation this month to make it the main modern foreign language in schools.
Read more...
18 December 2013 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland have issued new guidance to support language learning in P1. This resource offers a number of supportive approaches and helpful weblinks, along with examples of how primary teachers are delivering modern languages in the classroom.
The guidance will be useful to practitioners who are teaching, or planning to teach, a modern language in P1.
It contains suggestions on the integration of modern languages into everyday classroom situations. There are also soundfiles to support practitioners in using modern languages in class.
Publication of guidance for P2-P7 will follow in Spring and Summer 2014.
Read more...
17 December 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)
GrowStoryGrow is offering some free stories for Christmas in English, French, Spanish and German - the nativity amongst others.
Visit the website and log in (via the red button on the top right hand side of the screen)
username: Christmas
password: stories
Read more...
Glasgow Modern Languages Festive Newsletter 2013
17 December 2013 (Glasgow City Council)
Download the newsletter to learn about the range of language and cultural events which have taken place within Glasgow's schools.
16 December 2013 (Edinburgh Evening News)
Children as young as four will be given lessons in Mandarin under radical plans to equip them for a world in which China is an emerging superpower.
The drive will see dozens of native Chinese speakers from Edinburgh University visit classrooms across the Capital and East Lothian as teachers bid to spark an enduring interest in foreign languages.
Co-ordinated by the Scotland-China Education Network, the programme is being rolled out as the Scottish Government works towards a target of having every child learn two foreign languages on top of their mother tongue, with the first taken in P1 and the second by P5.
Read more...
Related Links
Chinese classes P1 for pupils (The Herald, 17 December 2013)
16 December 2013 (The Scotsman)
Highland Council is to receive £3 million over two years to build a new Gaelic school in Portree, on the Isle of Skye.
Minister for Scotland’s Languages Alasdair Allan made the announcement during a visit to the site of the new school, where building work will begin in 2015.
An additional £250,000 will also be invested in Gaelic learning for early years, to encourage sustained growth in the number of pupils going through Gaelic medium education (GME) and encourage parents to choose bilingual schooling.
Read more...
Related Links
Funding offered for new Gaelic school (BBC, 16 December 2013)
CISS Newsletter Autumn 2013
12 December 2013 (CISS)
The latest edition of the CISS newsletter has been published. This edition highlights the promotion of Chinese language and culture around the country. Please download the newsletter if you'd like to find out more.
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
Scotland,
1+2,
Celebrating Languages,
Community Languages,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Foreign Language Assistants,
Language Learning,
Language Learning - Primary,
Language Learning - Secondary,
Minority Languages,
Partnership Working,
Promoting Languages,
Study Abroad
12 December 2013 (SCEN)
Primary school pupils across East Lothian are currently benefitting from an exciting new language learning initiative co-ordinated by the Scotland-China Education Network (SCEN).
The Early Learning of Chinese project launched in October and will see Chinese speaking students from the University of Edinburgh volunteer their time to help deliver P1 Mandarin lessons between November and the end of the school year. The project is being piloted as part of the Scottish Government's 1+2 language learning proposal, a product of the National Languages Working Group.
Read more...
10 December 2013 (The Guardian)
Football clubs across the country are using sport to cultivate children's interest in learning other languages.
"If I could say anything to Santi Cazorla? I don't know the Spanish words yet, but I'd say: 'You're a wicked footballer.'" Suraiya Farah, a year-five pupil at Primrose Hill primary school in north London, has just finished a taster Spanish session with the Arsenal Double Club and she is eager to put her new skills to use.
Arsenal is one of a number of clubs, including Newcastle United and Hull City, that runs a language Double Club, a cross-curricular course that uses football to teach students a foreign language.
The after-school sessions are made up of two halves: the first takes place in a classroom, where students are taught football-related vocabulary, and the second encourages children to practise their language skills out on the pitch.
Read more...
10 December 2013 (The Guardian)
It's a familiar scene: a GCSE language class, and today the students are learning vocabulary related to family life. They are poring over a cheerfully illustrated worksheet. But what's unusual is the language being taught, which is Turkish, and the ages of the class members. Rather than teenagers, these students are 10 and 11 years old – with some adults alongside.
This after-school class, being taught at Randal Cremer primary school in Hackney, east London, is part of the GCSE Family Language project, which allows primary children whose first language is not English to study for a GCSE in their mother tongue, alongside a parent or other adult family member.
Read more...
9 December 2013 (One Year in Spanish blog)
Sue’s Y7 students are doing detective work: They are looking for conjugations of “Vivir” in the article ¡Vivimos aquí! I always thought this is a great starter to learning verbs: familarizing oneself with the way its conjugations look through discovering them in an authentic text. Additionally, knowing the various ways a verb can look is a great tool for accessing written texts. It’s a fantastic reading tool. See how many conjugations your students can find in our article!
Read more...
2 December 2013 (Radio Lingua Schools)
Access our daily episodes of Festive Phrases and learn to say “Happy Christmas” or “Happy New Year” to 2.6 billion people around the world!
The Festive Phrases course is available to members only, but you can sign up for a free account with Radio Lingua Schools.
Read more...
29 November 2013 (TES)
An introduction to colour words in Spanish for your early primary learners. You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.
Read more...
26 November 2013 (SEET)
The Scottish European Educational Trust runs an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, which sees teams of four pupils working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe. Subjects covered include history, geography, sport, culture, languages and the European Union.
Heats take place in local authorities from January to March each year, with the winning team from each authority area competing in the national final, which takes place in the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May.
Registration for the 2014 Euroquiz is now open.
Visit the SEET website for all the details plus a selection of resources to help prepare for the competition.
Read more...
22 November 2013 (TES)
What is the eternal fascination with guessing games? Shakespeare's work is full of riddles, the Victorians played charades, my own offspring loved Pictionary and schoolchildren will grab a pen and play hangman at any opportunity.
As a teacher of languages - French, Spanish and English as a foreign language - I have always tried to tap into this fascination as a way of helping students of all ages to learn vocabulary and structures.
Read more...
19 November 2013 (The Guardian)
Film can be a powerful educational tool, especially for children with disabilities and from deprived backgrounds. So how can we place it at the heart of young people's learning experiences?
Film clubs are being run in more than 7,000 schools, with 220,000 young people watching, discussing and reviewing film. This service provides, for free, a curated catalogue of DVDs, curriculum-linked guides, film-making tutorials and a members magazine. It also offers masterclasses in film-making, reviewing and programming, and gives film club members the opportunity to post reviews on its website.
The Film Club website has films to suit a wide age-range including foreign language options.
Read more...
Related Links
To participate in Film Nation UK's Filmclub programme, which offers free access to thousands of films and education resources, visit:
Film Club or email
support@filmclub.org
18 November 2013 (UK-German Connection)
The festive season approaches, and our websites for both primary and secondary pupils will be full of UK-German seasonal cheer with our Christmas Special!
Your pupils can:
- find out about St. Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht - Have they earned presents or the Rute on 6 December?
- practise their festive vocab with a Christmas memory game and jigsaw
- sing along to German carols such as Stille Nacht and Kling, Glöckchen
- learn Christmas facts, play games and enter this year's Christmas competition in our interactive Advent calendar (online from 1 December)
- learn how to bake a Lebkuchenhaus and Herrenplätzchen
Follow the links below to the relevant magazine pages:
Read more...
18 November 2013 (British Council)
As part of our wider work in the international education sector, we champion and support foreign language learning in the UK.
To celebrate International Education Week 2013, lots of new resources are available to help you with your language skills. Visit our website for the many ways you can get involved now.
There is also the opportunity to join a live debate on Thursday 21 November 11:00-13:00 GMT asking the questions:
- What languages do you speak and where do you speak them?
- Why do you think it is important to speak other languages?
Join pupils around the world to share your views. Find out how to join the debate by visiting the Commonwealth Class debate website.
There are a couple of 5 minute films on the debate website - one from a very diverse school in Glasgow on the languages the pupils speak and what they think about languages and one from Australia about a primary school where half the curriculum is delivered in Mandarin. You could show the films early in the week, have a discussion, then some of the pupils can send in their responses on Thursday or in advance of the debate - #LearnALanguage.
Read more...
15 November 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
As an introduction to German in primary schools we have created a short 10-minute film for teachers about how easy it is to include German in the timetable. The clip is available to view online or you can order a hard copy of the video on DVD, free of charge, for parents evenings or staff meetings.
Also available: The Smart Choice: German at Secondary Schools in the UK - a similar film prepared for the secondary audience.
Read more...
15 November 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
In this new video clip Felix is telling about his life in a small village in Bavaria and in particular about his project “Plant-for-the-planet”. The video is available with English subtitles and in addition an interactive transcript is provided to make it easily accessible to young learners.
Read more...
11 November 2013 (Sylvia Duckworth)
A Google Presentations interactive story where you choose the adventure Molly the cat takes.
Also see how to make a “choose your own adventure” story with Google apps via the link below.
Read more...
11 November 2013 (Creativity Portal)
Edinburgh Filmhouse have added an additional date to their school screenings during the French Film Festival 2013 (until 24 Nov). The additional show is:
LITTLE LION
Wednesday 20th November, 10am (101 min)
Suitable for P7 – S4
In French and Senegalese with English subtitles
Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
Immersion Courses in France and Spain for Primary and Secondary School Teachers
8 November 2013 (Le Français en Ecosse)
Le Français en Ecosse run series of Immersion courses in France and Spain during the summer. There are courses suitable for both Primary and Secondary teachers. Erasmus funding may be available.
To reserve a place on one of these courses please contact Ros Main on ros@lfee.net.
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
Spanish,
CLIL,
CPD,
Immersion,
Language Learning,
Language Skills,
Language Teaching,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
8 November 2013 (UK-German Connection)
A reminder that the primary and secondary versions of the award-winning Arsenal FC Double Club: German resources have been updated for the 2013-14 season.
In particular, the primary module has been completely overhauled, with detailed, step-for-step teachers' notes, interactive PowerPoint presentations and a brand-new, bright and colourful pupils' workbook.
Visit the Double Club website for more information.
Read more...
1 November 2013 (TES)
Resources for the MFL classroom from TES:
- Onze, douze, treize - an activity for practising counting in French for lower primary pupils.
- Spanish scenes - a worksheet on towns and neighbourhoods for senior phase Spanish lessons. Fantastic for revision of key vocabulary and for practising dictionary skills.
You will need a TES userid and password to access these resources.
Read more...
1 November 2013 (Consejería de Educacíon)
Si, Si, Si is an effective tool for teaching Spanish to children from five years. The materials have been designed in such a way that they can be used by teachers with limited Spanish proficiency in most educational settings. Each volume includes: lesson plans, vocabulary cards, worksheets, audio and video scripts, songs, multimedia activities and flash animations.
Read more...
31 October 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
‘German with Felix and Franzi’ is a brand new resource to support the teaching of German in the Primary School.
The content has been developed by German native speakers in partnership with UK primary teachers. Children will be introduced to the language by a frog called Felix Frosch and a duck called Franzi Ente. A central element of the course is to enable the children to develop cultural awareness of aspects of life in German speaking countries as well as creating a love for language learning.
The resource is free to download from the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
30 October 2013 (UK-German Connection)
St. Martin's Day is fast approaching (on 11 November), and children throughout Germany are looking forward to making lanterns and singing songs at a traditional St. Martin's Day procession.
Why not teach your pupils about these fascinating German customs with the Voyage Kids St. Martin's Day Special?
- Teach your pupils how kids celebrate St. Martin's Day in Germany
- St. Martin's Day memory game. How quickly can your pupils find the pairs?
- Basteln - Make a colourful St. Martin's Day lantern
- Laterne, Laterne & Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne songs – sing along with your pupils! (featuring recordings from UK primary schools)
Read more...
29 October 2013 (Radio Lingua)
Coming soon from Radio Lingua: learn French with Emma and Mathilde in our audio and video French lessons for children.
High Five French is aimed at learners aged 8-11 and encourages children to build their language skills, increase their understanding and to develop an awareness of another culture. Topics covered include greetings, personal information, birthdays, home, family, pets, clothes, sports and pastimes.
Full details of the course will be released in the coming weeks and months.
Read more...
29 October 2013 (BBC News)
Australia's politicians often talk about the importance of building ties with Asia. Successive governments have promised to increase the number of schools teaching Asian languages, but in fact the number of children in high school learning Asian languages is falling. The BBC's Jon Donnison has been to one of the country's few bilingual schools.
Read more...
28 October 2013 (Learning Spanish for Beginners)
Learn Spanish with ‘Monsters University’! Really engaging way to learn using a movie trailer.
Read more...
25 October 2013 (Institut français)
The French Film Festival UK will take place from 7 November to 7 December in 7 cities in Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bo’ness, Kirckaldy, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen.
The cinemas will screen two films for schools: Le jour des corneilles (Days of the Crows), an animated fantasy film for primary schools and Comme un lion (Little Lion), a compelling drama about a young Senegalese dreaming of becoming a professional football player in France.
Teacher can find free resources on: www.ifecosse.org.uk/Education and get more information on the French Film Festival website in the “Learning” section.
Read more...
24 October 2013 (Ofsted)
At Springfield Lower School, teaching Italian through an approach based on content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is firmly established. Language lessons use the current topic in the curriculum for their content. Links with Italy and its culture provide rich opportunities to develop the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of other cultures.
This is one of four examples, two primary and two secondary, where pupils make rapid progress in learning modern languages through a curriculum designed to extend opportunities to be immersed in the language studied.
Read more...
22 October 2013 (British Council)
We are offering a final chance to enter the Link2Learn competition. Please apply for this fantastic awards opportunity by Tuesday 29 October in order to win a grant for your school.
The Link2Learn Awards, supported by HSBC Global Education Programme, recognise and reward UK schools, International Co-ordinators and local authorities for their work in forming and sustaining international school partnerships.
Enter the competition to win a cash prize to support your existing international school partnerships. All educational institutions with students aged 3 to 18 are eligible to enter the competition, i.e. nurseries, schools (including special schools) and colleges. They must have worked with a partner school in another country for at least one year.
Visit the website for further information and how to enter.
Read more...
19 October 2013 (TES)
Video clips on a variety of topics, themes and skill areas for your French classroom. Use as starters, motivators and presentations to engage your students with the target language. Always check the clip before use in the classroom as a wide range of age groups are catered for.
You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.
Read more...
17 October 2013 (TES)
This activity develops the use of the question 'How much does it/do they cost?' in Spanish and the response using euros. Incorporates cross-curricular themes: literacy and numeracy in the primary classroom.
You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.
Read more...
16 October 2013 (The Independent)
There are hopes that it will lead to a more enlightened attitude to learning languages, reports Richard Garner.
This is the country's first bilingual state school in German and English, which began taking pupils from the age of four at the start of the autumn term. For four-year-olds, the German is simple. Morning assembly brings with it a round of "happy birthday" for any child celebrating that day – and it is sung in both languages.
Read more...
15 October 2013 (TES)
Simple introductions in French for young beginners. A video to add a bit of joy to learning French if you have online access to YouTube. It introduces them to Billy - star of lots of other free resources by agreenmouse.
You will need a TES userid and password to access these materials.
Read more...
15 October 2013 (CISS)
In conjunction with the Confucius Institute at Glasgow University, CISS was given the opportunity to take 350 pupils from all over Scotland to see the premiere of the play
Dragon at the Citizens Theatre. This wonderful co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland, Tianjin Children’s Art Theatre and Vox Motus is highly unusual given that there are no words spoken throughout the play. The audience is invited to take a visual and emotional journey using their imagination. The use of puppetry, illusion and music allows this to happen.
Read more...
13 October 2013 (The Guardian)
Diana Linford tells Emily Drabble how having her daughter refired her passion for teaching and why she thinks languages must start at primary school.
Read more...
11 October 2013 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland’s resource calendar contains links to a selection of Hallowe’en resources in French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Read more...
10 October 2013 (Dundee Contemporary Arts)
The Discovery Film Festival 2013 takes place between 19 October and 3 November and offers a variety of foreign language films for all ages.
Opening this year's festival is the UK premiere of 'Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion' – a hugely enjoyable mystery thriller that will have all the family guessing as to exactly what lies behind the secrets of Crocodile Mansion. Suspenseful and atmospheric, it’s a classic Hitchcockian mystery for thrill seekers aged eight upwards. Screening is in German with English subtitles and open to the public.
For schools, there is a programme of events running from 22 - 31 October, with screenings suitable for primary and secondary students in a variety of languages including French, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.
See the DCA website for full programme details.
The schools programme and booking information can also be accessed directly via the link below.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Resources,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Japanese
10 October 2013 (Speak to the Future)
We’re highlighting inspiring projects happening across the country which are promoting languages to the wider public – showing those in the languages community what you could do, and helping to give those outside an insight into the value of languages and language learning.
There are a host of projects and websites covering a number of languages for all ages – take a look and see what will inspire you.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
All Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Promoting Languages,
Resources,
News from language & education organisations
8 October 2013 (La Souris)
A selection of Hallowe’en themed games and activities for your pre-school and primary French learners.
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8 October 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
Available from mid October 2013, the Goethe-Institut are offering a new opportunity for pupils ready to embrace a new language. This free, motivational game is suitable for P7 to S3, with the main target group being S2 and S3 before subject choice.
This unique motivational game sends its participants on a discovery tour through 16 cities in Germany and Austria cities, each with an interactive task to complete.
A team of native German speakers will visit your school and set up a German adventure course with 16 discovery stations for a half-day of interactive German language fun.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for full details and to register your interest.
Read more...
8 October 2013 (Filmhouse)
As part of the French Film Festival 2013 (Fri 12 Nov to Thu 25 Nov) Filmhouse are screening these fantastic new films for Edinburgh schools:
- Little Lion - Tuesday 12 November, 10am (101 min)
Suitable for P7 - S4 - Day of the Crows - Tuesday 19 November, 10am (96 min)
Suitable for 8+, P5 - S2
Tickets for both films are £2.60 per pupil, teachers free. To book please call our Duty Manager on 0131 228 2688 or email admin@filmhousecinema.com.
Read more...
7 October 2013 (The Guardian)
The British Academy and the Guardian are holding a national Language Festival throughout November 2013 to celebrate the UK's diverse cultural richness and raise the profile of language learning among learners of all ages. Throughout November, the festival will provide a platform for schools, higher education institutions, policy makers and businesses from across the UK to discuss, debate and explore the academic, cultural and economic benefits of language learning.
To celebrate the launch of the Language Festival, we have created a series of downloadable packs for primary and secondary schools, as well as businesses, to provide ideas for organising your own language-related events.
Read more...
5 October 2013 (Spanish Playground)
Traditional games in Spanish teach language and culture. These 12 games are from Latin America and Spain. All of them incorporate language, so they are excellent to play with children learning Spanish. In addition to vocabulary and common grammatical structures, the games are culturally relevant and fun.
Read more...
CISS 2013-14 professional learning menu now available!
4 October 2013 (SCILT/CISS)
Are you a teacher of Mandarin?
Are you a teacher considering introducing Mandarin into your school?
The new Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools professional learning menu offers a variety of workshops to help you introduce, develop and embed Chinese language learning across the 3-18 curriculum. Relevant to practitioners in all sectors, the workshops draw on good practice from across the country and offer an opportunity for professional dialogue and the sharing of ideas and materials. Whether you are an experienced teacher of Mandarin looking for help with the senior phase, or you are just getting started and are looking for practical ways of introducing Chinese culture and language into your class, the CISS team is here to help!
Visit the CISS professional development page to view the 'Chinese Learning - let's work together' menu.
eTwinning opportunities for Scottish schools
3 October 2013 (SCILT)
The following opportunities have arisen for Scottish schools to become involved in an eTwinning project. These teachers would like to find schools in Scotland to partner with:
- Spain - secondary school with pupils between 12-18 years
- Italy - primary school with pupils between 6-13 years
If you would like further information on either of these schools you should contact SCILT in the first instance on scilt@strath.ac.uk.
2 October 2013 (TES)
Body parts bingo cards which can be used in any languages. Print and laminate them so they can be used with board pens, be wiped off and re-used over and over again.
You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.
Read more...
2 October 2013 (The Guardian)
How hard will it be to teach a five-year-old French? Follow one mother's home-grown linguistic travails over the coming months.
Read more...
1 October 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)
A free Autumn story in English, French and Spanish which teaches colours, weather, seasons and sentence-building, of course! You can access this story with all its resources from the 1st of October to the 25th.
Read more...
1 October 2013 (Leicester Mercury)
Pupils as young as four are getting the chance to learn new languages at Uplands Infants.
With many different cultures at the school, staff believe it's never too early to get started. For the past week, children have been immersed in all things French. Not only have they taken part in a simulated flight to Paris, they have also been learning songs in French and enjoying some of its culinary delights, as well as building their versions of the Eiffel Tower.
Read more...
30 September 2013 (Great Education Debate)
Teaching foreign languages to English speaking children in a world where the international lingua franca is English is a proposition that deserves some exploration and justification. In non-English speaking countries, learning English is more akin to studying a key skill or a core subject, such as mathematics. There is no reason even to hesitate over its importance or centrality, just as no one in medieval Europe would have questioned the importance of Latin in the curriculum of the educated.
However, for us, it is different. How does one justify the inclusion of a (randomly or historically chosen) language in the curriculum for our secondary or primary schools?
Read more...
27 September 2013 (UK-German Connection)
The next deadline for grants for UK-German activities is 31 October 2013, for projects taking place in 2014.
Our grants are:
CHALLENGE FUND: for joint thematic activities between UK and German schools in all curriculum areas.
CHALLENGE FUND - WORLD OF WORK: for UK-German school partnerships undertaking work experience or enterprise-related activities.
CELEBRATORY FUND: for activities in celebration of partnership anniversaries between UK and German schools.
If you have any questions about the above grants or would like to discuss your ideas or your project dates, please contact my colleague Frederike Müller either by email on frederike.mueller@ukgermanconnection.org or by telephone (020 7824 1570).
The next application deadline for these funds after October is 31 January 2014.
Read more...
25 September 2013 (Linguanet)
In celebration of the European Day of Languages 2013 we are allowing everyone to access the popular online learning website 'Babelzone' from now until the end of September for FREE.
This special offer is ideal for MFL teachers celebrating the European Day of Languages, and for young French and Spanish learners. Packed full of songs, animated stories, games, worksheets and phonics, Babelzone is an exciting interactive resource for the classroom.
To login go to the Babelzone home page http://www.lcfclubs.com/babelzonenew/index.asp and login with these details:
Username: babelzone
Password: LCFCLUBS2013
Read more...
24 September 2013 (RTVE)
Ideal for your early Spanish learners. Cartoons including Peppa Pig, Spongebob, Postman Pat and many more favourites from the Spanish channel RTVE.
Read more...
24 September 2013 (British Council)
Find out how you can tap into British Council’s Schools Online worldwide network. At Step one you are new to international learning and the British Council’s offer to schools. ‘Make a start’ is designed to inspire you to start your international journey with us. Whatever you are looking for, we have a wealth of opportunities to suit you.
Access our new brochure and wallchart to discover how an international dimension can be developed in your school. From curriculum resources to professional development courses and partnership funding, we have everything you need to bring the world into your classroom.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Celebrating Languages,
Citizenship,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Skills,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
23 September 2013 (Spanishbootcamp)
Try some active Spanish lesson resources with your primary learners. ‘Tres Saltos’ is another really simple game which gets the children actively involved in learning a language as well as physically fit. The game moves along at a nice pace and it’s only the next day when the children realise how much of a workout it is! It really works the legs and the core muscles when done properly.
Read more...
Related Links
La Lucha - ‘La Lucha’ is a favourite game for many of the children. So easy to play, extremely visual and kinaesthetic, perfect for a bit of competition.
20 September 2013 (Institut français)
Primary school teachers are invited to take part in our “French matinée for primary teachers in Scotland” on 5 October 2013 in Edinburgh. All primary school teachers will get the opportunity to practice classroom activities in French (at an elementary level A2) around the topic “First contact in French? Pas de panique!”
The application form is available on the Institut français website. Apply by 30 September 2013.
Read more...
19 September 2013 (ALL)
Free screenings of foreign language films to inspire young people From Therese Desqyeyroux to Wadjda, from Clara and the Secret of the Bears to AninA, over 30 foreign films in languages including French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic and Hindi will be on offer at the first National Youth Film Festival, taking place from 21 Oct – 08 Nov 2013.
This groundbreaking new Festival is free to school groups all over the UK and offers young people aged 5-19 the chance to enjoy a wide variety of films, learn about film-making and meet film industry professionals. Linked to a packed programme of over 1600 free screenings, Q&A’s, workshops and events are over 100 teaching resources, including several related to the curriculum, to enable teachers to use screenings to bring learning to life, develop review writing and critical skills, or teach pupils about film and filmmaking. These range from a Beginner’s Guide to French Movies, to teaching ideas for, and guides to, individual films to encourage post-screening discussions and continued work back in the classroom.
Visit the ALL website for full details.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Resources,
News from language & education organisations,
Japanese,
Arabic
17 September 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)
Every year, to help celebrate the European Day of Languages, GrowStoryGrow opens up its site for two weeks allowing children all over the world to experience over a hundred enchanting stories, in 5 different languages, for free.
Visit the website for further information and to access the materials.
Read more...
16 September 2013 (British Council)
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar after Chinese New Year. This year the festival will fall on 19 September.
To tie in with the festival, the British Council has created an education pack to help primary schools across the UK explore Chinese culture and language.
Focusing on the most famous story associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the legend of the great archer Hòu Yì and his love for the moon goddess Cháng É, the pack is designed to introduce young people to Chinese festivals, legends and geography.
Read more...
13 September 2013 (Institut français)
The Institut français has produced many activities around "Les nombres / numbers" which are free to download from their website.
Read more...
9 September 2013 (Japan Foundation)
Institutions can apply for up to 3000 for non-profit-making projects or activities which will have a significant and wide impact on the promotion of Japanese language education throughout the UK, or in their local area. For example, conferences on Japanese language education, seminars for teachers, projects to produce Japanese language teaching materials, etc. We also welcome projects that introduce Japanese into the curriculum, or bring it into the timetable at Schools or Universities.
The next deadline for the 2013-14 programme is 27 September 2013.
Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and to apply.
You may also wish to join their Primary Japanese Campaign 2014, which has been launched to support primary schools and teachers offering, or hoping to offer, Japanese language teaching.
You can read more about the campaign, and register to receive campaign updates and free, exclusive campaign stickers by following the link below.
Read more...
9 September 2013 (Education Scotland)
Over the past few weeks, Education Scotland has published a number of new assessment and moderation exemplars, produced by practitioners, on the National Assessment Resource. This includes examples of innovative assessment practice in Gaelic in both primary and secondary sectors. The Gaelic exemplars may also be of interest to teachers of Modern Languages looking for creative ways to assess the broad general education.
Access the materials (you will need your Glow username and password)
Read more...
4 September 2013 (Creativity Portal)
A schools screening of a Modern Language film provides familiarity with the language and fosters appreciation of another culture. Filmhouse offers the best international cinema year-round and is home to the French Film Festival and many others. Our schools screenings are £2.60 (teachers free). To book, please contact the Duty Manager on 0131 228 2688 or email admin@filmhousecinema.com
Read more...
4 September 2013 (The Guardian)
A shortage of qualified teachers. A mismatch with secondary school options. Can languages in primary schools overcome the challenges ahead?
Despite the fact that you can at least get by using English in many parts of the world, there is a growing recognition that monolingual British schoolchildren are becoming ever more disadvantaged by their lack of language skills – a lack that is mirrored virtually nowhere else on the planet.
Read more...
3 September (UK-German Connection)
An exciting way for UK children learning German at primary school and their counterparts in Germany learning English at Grundschule to join up for a short-term bilateral project. The Bears arrive in the form of real soft toys, and come with a suitcase of easy to use materials designed to introduce young pupils to learning some basic German and interesting facts about Germany.
Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information.
Read more...
2 September 2013 (FILMCLUB)
Throughout September FILMCLUB will be going "tous les francais" and be challenging your clubs to screen a film from a special French topic from the FILMCLUB website. So dig out your berets, get baking those croissants and download our special resources which include fun ways to decorate your film club room as well as games and costume ideas.
Resources are available for primary and secondary on the website.
Read more...
2 September 2013 (Daily Mail)
Boring, repetitive language classes are letting down a generation of young pupils, a survey suggested yesterday.
Language classes will become compulsory next year for Key Stage 2 pupils – those aged seven to 11 – in English state schools.
But the research warned urgent improvements were needed in teaching, with many primary pupils saying they were repeatedly taught basics such as counting to ten or saying ‘bonjour’.
Those in Year 7, the first year of secondary school, complained they had to redo topics completed at primary school because some of their new classmates were starting from scratch.
Read more...
Related Links
Children criticise language lessons (Daily Express, 3 September 2013)
28 August 2013 (UK-German Connection)
The traditional 'Back to School' special is now online on the Voyage Kids website. Why not start the new school year by teaching your primary pupils all about school life in Germany? If you're feeling creative, you could even get started the German way by making Schultüten, using our handy step-by-step instructions!
The Back to School special includes:
- Find out: A typical school day in Germany
- Basteln: Make a Schultüte!
- Memory game: How quickly can your pupils find the matching pairs?
- 'School words' quizzes
Lesson planning:
To help you plan and get the most out of our seasonal special features, we've created a calendar overview of all of the specials throughout the year. These include our Christmas and Easter specials, as well as topical specials (e.g. the Birthday special), which vary from year to year.
Read more...
27 August 2013 (Mandarin Explorer)
'Mandarin Explorer' is a platform for learners of Mandarin that is created & owned by Gabriella Belcher, an experienced Mandarin teacher based in Hong Kong. These visual tools are designed for Mandarin teachers & learners.
Read more...
23 August 2013 (TESS)
TESS has produced 10 lesson plans for the MFL classroom to help celebrate the European Day of Languages on 26 September.
You will need a TES userid/login to access the materials.
Read more...
European Day of Languages 2013 - SCILT webpage now live
22 August 2013 (SCILT)
Each year September 26th marks the European Day of Languages (EDL) and is all about finding a way to get people in schools, colleges and the wider community excited about languages. How you celebrate is up to you!
SCILT have launched our European Day of Languages 2013 webpage, where you can finds loads of ideas on how your school can celebrate. You can also order EDL 2013 materials like posters, stickers and pens.
Visit our EDL 2013 webpage here and let us know how you intend to bring languages into your school this year!
Materials to support IDL learning in French
22 August 2013 (SCILT)
The following websites contain materials which could be used to support interdisciplinary learning in French:
For secondary learners:
Universcience.tv - short clips explaining aspects of science.
Culturetheque - online comics with a historical focus.
For primary learners:
Milan schools - register for authentic downloadables to support IDL in French.
20 August 2013 (British Council)
International Education Week (IEW) is an opportunity to promote the importance of building an international dimension into the education of young people in the UK at primary and secondary levels. We know that familiarity with other cultures and modern foreign languages skills are an essential part of preparing young people to work in the increasingly globalised economy.
The British Council is an authoritative voice on language learning, through our English teaching around the world, and we bring an intercultural dimension to foreign language learning in the UK through sharing our experiences, providing research and data and bringing in examples of international best practice.
This year IEW will support a major policy shift in UK schools. From September 2014 primary schools in England will be required to teach a foreign language to pupils at Key Stage 2 (upper primary). There is also increasing policy support in other UK countries for language learning at primary level.
International Education Week will form the starting point of a longer-term campaign to promote language learning in UK schools, with events taking place throughout the academic year.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Foreign Language Assistants,
International Education,
Language Ambassadors,
Language Learning,
Policy,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations
19 August 2013 (British Council)
Connecting Classrooms are offering a range of free Professional Development face to face courses across the UK this term. Course topics include ‘an introduction to international learning’ to ‘intercultural practice’ to ‘partnership journeys’.
A full list of locations and dates of courses is available on our website.
If you can’t attend a course in person, take our online courses in your own time and at your own pace.
Read more...
19 August 2013 (Engage for Education)
Maureen McKenna, Executive Member for Education, Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow has been working on a sustained and planned approach in the development of languages in the city to enhance the learning and teaching in our schools.
“Glasgow was ably represented on the Scottish Government languages working group by Gillian Campbell-Thow, an experienced principal language teacher who also has a city-wide language remit and support role for our schools in all sectors.
Glasgow is in the process of proactively working to encourage the uptake of 1 + 2 languages in primary schools across the city with more and more teachers being trained. This session primary teachers have the chance to train in French, Spanish, German, Italian and Gaelic. Early years training will be available in French, Spanish, Gaelic, Polish and Arabic.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
1+2,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Language Teaching,
News from language & education organisations,
Arabic
16 August 2013 (Institut français)
The Institut français in Edinburgh is offering 3 matinée sessions at elementary (A2) level on Saturday 21 September, 19 October and 23 November 2013 from 9.45am to 1pm.
This is a refresher course for already MLPS trained teachers who teach French from P5 to P7.
Through the matinées, teachers will experience topic based activities for their classroom and will have the opportunity to brush up and extend their knowledge of French.
Fee: £60 for all 3 matinées.
Visit the website to register and for details of other CPD opportunities for teachers of French.
Read more...
16 August 2013 (The Scotsman)
The opening of Edinburgh’s first dedicated Gaelic school has been hailed as a “landmark day” for the capital.
A total of 213 pupils, including 53 primary one youngsters, have enrolled for the new school, where lessons will be taught entirely in Gaelic.
The school, which has 30 Gaelic-speaking staff, replaces the Gaelic medium education unit that had been based in the capital’s Tollcross primary since 1982.
Read more...
16 August 2013 (Institut français)
The Institut français in Edinburgh is offering a beginners/postbeginners (A1) course on Wednesdays from 4.15-6.15pm from 18 Sept-27 November 2013.
Fee: £60.
This course open to all primary teachers who need to learn very basic skills in French.
Contact education@ifecosse.org.uk for more information or visit the website to download the registration form.
On the website you will also find details of other CPD courses available for teachers of French, run by the Institut français in Edinburgh or the Alliance Française in Glasgow.
Read more...
9 August 2013 (TES)
A simple French Number Line to be used on display in a classroom. This could be printed full size or reduced to print in multiples to make flashcards. A lovely free teaching resource for an Early Years or Primary classroom.
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5 August 2013 (The Scotsman)
I am concerned that your front page headline “Plan to teach Gaelic in every Primary” (2 August), may have misled your readers. Neither the government’s strategy for improving language learning in Scottish education, commonly known as the 1+2 Strategy, nor our draft Gaelic language plan, which we launched last week, seek to prescribe which specific languages should to be learned by pupils in any particular school in Scotland.
Read more...
Short films for language learning
2 August 2013 (Languages on Screen)
Short films can make fantastic authentic texts for language learners.
Languages on Screen has a selection of shorts that is freely available to Scottish educators with a GLOW log in, and each is accompanied with teaching resources. Most appropriate for secondary learners. Films in German, French, Spanish and Italian.
Several of the shorts on the
Screening Shorts and
Moving Image Education websites have a soundtrack though no spoken word. Discussion and response to these films could be done in the target language. Teaching resources are also provided to accompany all of the films are provided. In addition, thanks to a creative commons licence, the shorts are available for download for education purposes. The films could then be imported into Windows Movie Maker and learners could add their own audio track in the target language. Potentially suitable for secondary and primary learners.
Also available to buy for primary learners of French, is the ‘Ciné-mini’ DVD from
British Film Institut which also includes teaching resources.
2 August 2013 (The Scotsman)
Every primary school pupil in Scotland should be taught Gaelic, according to the government agency responsible for developing the school curriculum and carrying out school inspections.
Read more...
Related Links
‘Call Kaye’ 1+2 Language Initiative and Gaelic (BBC Radio Scotland, 2 August 2013) Listen from 05:02. Programme is available until Thursday 8 August.
Gaelic Language Plan Consultation (Education Scotland, 1 August 2013)
Schools to be given choice on Gaelic teaching (BBC News, 2 August 2013)
1 August 2013 (UK-German Connection)
The application process for our Magical Christmas Trip to Berlin for primary and secondary pupils is now open.
The visit offers primary pupils the chance to get a taste of Germany at Christmas time, meet their German peers and get involved in some seasonal intercultural activity. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to brush up on their German and practice their skills as young leaders.
For full details of the programme and how to apply, visit the UK-German Connection website.
Application deadline: 30 September 2013.
Read more...
30 July 2013 (BBC News)
The first Gaelic medium primary school department in Caithness is to open at the start of the new school session in August, Highland Council has said.
It will be based at Mount Pleasant Primary School in Thurso which is home to a Gaelic nursery with 19 children.
Read more...
15 July 2013 (BBC News)
The number of children going into P1 Gaelic-medium education rose by 6% during 2012-13, according to the language's national body.
Read more...
4 July 2013 (TESS)
Insufficient funding, no guidance on which languages to teach and a lack of clarity on teacher training are just three of the reported problems. There is no shortage of challenges facing the 1+2 language initiative in Scottish primary schools.
Throw in the vexed implementation of Curriculum for Excellence and securing the success of 1+2 - whereby all children should start a second language in Primary 1 and a third no later than in Primary 5 - starts to look like a tall order.
But it is clear that prioritising languages from as early as possible in the lives of Scottish children is crucial. In 2011, a survey of language provision in secondaries by Scotland's national centre for languages, SCILT, showed that languages uptake in S4 had dropped in a third of schools and remained static in more than half, compared with 2007.
Read more...
5 July 2013 (TESS)
The Scottish government has set its languages target for 2020, but with a shortage of money and resources the initiative may struggle to succeed.
The scale of the ambition has to be applauded. The size of what the Scottish government hopes to achieve by 2020 with its 1+2 language strategy is vast. All children are to learn a second language from Primary 1 and to start a third language no later than in Primary 5.
Read more...
25 June 2013 (UK-German Connection)
Help us shape the future of voyage kids and win goodies for the classroom!
With the changing educational landscape in mind, we are currently in the process of evaluating the voyage kids website to ensure that it continues to meet teachers' needs and remains a useful source of information, ideas and features for use both in and out of the classroom.
As a UK primary teacher, your input in this review is vital! To take part, all you need to do is fill in a very brief questionnaire - this is designed mainly to gain an impression of how you use voyage kids and which features you find most useful, as well as gathering your suggestions for new content and features.
You can download the questionnaire from our website.
Your input and ideas would be greatly appreciated! If you can spare a few moments to take part, please fill in the questionnaire and send it back to us at kids@ukgermanconnection.org by Monday 22 July.
As a little 'thank you' for completing the questionnaire, we will be delighted to send you a pack of voyage kids 'animals / fairy tales' postcards for use in the classroom. We also have some fantastic goodies to give away to the senders of the most informative questionnaires, including picture dictionaries and geographical jigsaw puzzles - perfect for teaching geography in German!
Read more...
20 June 2013 (Institut français)
The results of the competition which took place on Tuesday 11th June 2013 at Whitehill secondary school in Glasgow are now available on the Institut français d'Ecosse website.
Read more...
20 June 2013 (Institut français)
Twighlight courses for beginners, French matinees to upskill your French or a French day to experience classroom activities in French? There is a wide CPD offering for primary teachers in 2013/2014 at the Institut français in Edinburgh. Full details are on the website. Get in touch!
Read more...
15 June 2013 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to undertake a joint project with a German school? Are you interested in professional development? Could your German do with brushing up?
Visit the UK-German Connection website for up-to-date information on UK-German opportunities for you and your pupils, including seminars, events, courses and funding programmes.
The next funding application deadline is 31 October 2013.
Read more...
14 June 2013 (TESS)
Bring language to life by retelling the story of Sleeping Beauty in Spanish.
Read more...
13 June 2013 (Stornoway Gazette)
More than 50 young Gaels from across Scotland will head to Inverness this week, all with their eye on some sporting glory. The Cuach na Cloinne Finals 2013 will take place on Thursday (June 13th), with schools from across Scotland battling it out for this year’s title.
[..]Gaelic-speaking Inverness City Provost Councillor Alex Graham added: “Cuach na Cloinne is a national football competition, which creates an opportunity for young people from schools across Scotland who attend Gaelic Medium Education to meet and compete against each other and combines their Gaelic linguistic and footballing skills in an inclusive and entertaining manner..."
Read more...
7 June 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
Looking for end of term activities? Have a browse on our resources pages. You will find presentations on topics such as recycling, Berlin, Frst day of School, Birthday celebrations and many more.
Read more...
6 June 2013 (Engage for Education)
St Elizabeth’s held a Spanish Day to celebrate their involvement in the Scottish Government’s 1+2 Approach to Languages Pilot. Every class was timetabled to participate in a variety of activities which were either led by their teacher or by visitors supporting the day.
Read more...
5 June 2013 (UK-German Connection)
Would you like to undertake a joint project with a German school? Are you interested in professional development? Could your German do with brushing up? Visit the UK-German Connection website for up-to-date information on UK-German opportunities for you and your pupils, including seminars, events, courses and funding programmes. The next funding application deadline is 31 October 2013.
Read more...
30 May 2013 (Articulate Language Camps)
Articulate Language Camps will be running a range of language-learning summer camps this summer just north of Glasgow. You can find out more about the camps themselves by visiting the website www.articulate-languagecamps.com.
In order to help spread the word about what they are offering, Kara from Articulate is spending June on a tour of Scottish schools. She is offering assemblies about why it is important to learn languages and mini language and digital media workshops for free. She will also be able to offer places to the young people at the net cost of running the camps. This is open to all primary and secondary schools.
If you are interested in Kara visiting your school before the end of term, email her at nisbet.kara@articulate-languagecamps.com or call her on 07791698945.
Read more...
Beyond the Panda
17 May 2013 (Edinburgh Zoo)
This three part outreach programme from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is aimed at pupils in P5-P7 and will give them the opportunity to find out more about China and the Society's conservation work as they look at the following topics:
- The Panda—Learning about the giant panda
- China—Discovering China - past and present
- Our World—Taking action in our world
The programme costs £100 which includes a 2 hour workshop, resource pack and additional support. Discounts are available if schools book two workshops. For full details of the programme, please download the Beyond the Panda pdf file or contact Sandie Robb, srobb@rzss.org.uk
This programme is run in partnership with CISS, SCEN, other Confucius Institutes and Confucius Hubs.
15 May 2013 (Learn German Easily)
This website is full of funny things in German and English – for example: basic lessons, jokes, stories, articles, learning tips, songs and much more.
There are materials available for use across all levels from beginner basics to Advanced Higher.
Read more...
15 May 2013 (SEET)
Congratulations to the P6 team from Cradlehall Primary School in Inverness who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s national Euroquiz final, which took place in the Scottish Parliament on 13 May 2013.
The quiz is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) with almost 1300 pupils from 315 schools competing in the heats held across 29 of the 32 local authorities throughout the school year.
For the first time this year, the event has attracted Scottish Government funding to support the inclusion of a language component in the Euroquiz. In the language round participants had to demonstrate their understanding of simple questions and phrases spoken in French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Full details of the Euroquiz final and all the participating schools can be found on the attached flyer. Or you can visit the SEET website for more information about the competition.
Read more...
14 May 2013 (BBC World Class)
See our new assembly packs for primary and secondary pupils. The packs contain scripts for teachers alongside a World Class film called 'Gaokao fever,' which is about the notoriously difficult Gaokao exams in China.
Read more...
13 May 2013 (Guardian)
What more could and should we be doing with languages in schools? Louise Tickle takes a look at the language learning landscape in the UK.
Read more...
12 May 2013 (Guardian)
Guardian Education Q&A: Join us to share advice and ideas on bringing languages to life in schools, Thursday 16 May 2013, 6pm to 8pm.
There have been a glut of reports criticising the state of languages in the UK; it's been found that we're lagging behind other countries, not preparing our graduates for the global job market and not doing enough to encourage students to stick with languages. So, what can we do to catch up?
Read more...
Related Links
How to teach ... languages creatively (The Guardian, 13 May 2013) The Guardian Teacher Network has plenty of resources to help you inject some passion into your language lessons.
My best languages lesson: putting Spanish into practice with online books (The Guardian, 14 May 2013)
10 May 2013 (ALL)
The Junior Language Challenge is an annual competition run by EuroTalk, for children under 11 across the British Isles. Over six months, children can learn up to three new languages, starting with Spanish, and compete against other young linguists for a chance to become Junior Language Challenge Champion 2013. If you already study or speak Spanish, we can change the language to German for you.
Entry costs just £2.50 per child, which is donated to Brighter Start, a charity providing educational resources to schools in Malawi.
For more details, please visit the Eurotalk website, email jlc@eurotalk.com or telephone 0207 371 7711.
Read more...
10 May 2013 (Scottish Parliament)
Teaching primary children two languages in addition to their mother tongue will be examined as the topic of debate in the Scottish Parliament today (Friday 10 May) as part of an inquiry by the European and External Relations Committee. Teachers, policy makers and European organisations are coming together to discuss the findings so far of the Committee’s languages inquiry and look together at the issues before the Committee publishes its report.
Read more...
7 May 2013 (Clackmannanshire Council)
Pupils from Strathdevon Primary School in Dollar will fly the flag for Clackmannanshire in the national finals of the Scottish European Trust's Euroquiz at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh next week.
The school children will come up against 29 other primary schools from around Scotland, from as far afield as Stornoway, in a bid to lift the coveted prize.
The final will held on Monday13th May, on the floor of the Scottish Parliament debating chamber at Holyrood.
Read more...
6 May 2013 (SCILT)
Hwb now includes all the content from the NGfL Wales website and hosts a resources section, 'find and use', including materials for language learning in French, German, Spanish and Welsh from primary through to senior phase.
Read more...
2 May 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut London invites German teachers and their students to take part in this unique competition series. German and IT is THE combination! Fun and steep learning curves guaranteed when you take on one of these tasks:
- solving a family puzzle
- inventing and performing a song text
- telling a joke
- doing a research puzzle about Germany’s Magic Cities
- producing your own mini - film in German
- taking part in a news reading competition
… and all you need is a computer.
Six categories for different levels of language skills are provided. Primary teachers and secondary teachers can choose which competition they think suits their students best.
Please register your interest with roma.schultz@london.goethe.org by 3rd June 2013.
Read more...
1 May 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
In 2012 the Goethe-Institut Glasgow invited learners of German to take part in a competition, involving theatrical interpretations from one of the Brother Grimms’ fairy tales. The outcome of this project showed the great enthusiasm, linguistic skills and the creative abilities of young scots, who embrace modern languages. 29 Scottish secondary and primary schools took part. Apart from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes, special prizes for particular artistic or linguistic achievements were awarded. Congratulations to the participants and prize winners.
Category ‘Secondary Schools’:
- Royal High School – 1st Prize
- Holly Brook Academy, George Heriot’s School – 2nd Prize
- Hutchesons’ Grammar School – 3rd Prize
Category ‘Primary Schools’:
- Corstorphine Primary School – 1st Prize
- Beaconhurst School – 2nd Prize
Special prizes were awarded to:
- Beaconhurst School - for modern interpretation of a fairy tale
- Bucksburn Academy - for costumes and set
- Castlebrae Community High School - for animated adaptation of a fairy tale
- Eyemouth High School - for creative script
- Kemnay Academy - for German language
- Morrison’s Academy - for humoristic interpretation of a fairy tale
The 1st Prizes will be awarded at the GALA opening of the fairy tale exhibition “Märchenwelten” on 8th May. All other winners and participants received their prizes/awards and a certificate by post. The prize winning entries have been compiled on a DVD which is now available from the Goethe-Institut - please e-mail our Language Department for a free copy.
Further information about the competition is available on the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
26 April 2013 (SCILT)
Looking for ways to inspire and motivate your language students? Using film in the classroom is a great way to combine interdisciplinary learning and generate enthusiasm amongst your pupils for language learning. These projects were filmed in three different Scottish schools involving pupils from P7 to S6 who worked together to create their own animated movies using skills they developed in Modern Languages, Art and ICT. Have a look at these video clips to see what can be achieved and hear feedback from some of the pupils who took part.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Scotland,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Motivation,
Technology,
SCILT news
25 April 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
Visit us and experience our interactive “Märchenwelten” exhibition from Tuesday 7 May 2013 to Thursday 23 May 2013 at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow. We offer tours with activities for children, ages 9 to 14; for learners of German and pupils interested in this central aspect of German culture.
Tours available in German and in English. Registration is essential.
For further information and to register for this free event, visit our website or download the attached registration form.
Language practitioners are also invited to attend the exhibition's Opening Gala event on 8 May. Follow the link below for further details.
Read more...
23 April 2013 (ALL)
The Language Perfect World Championships for 2013 has just been launched. This year’s event will take place from 20 - 30 May.
The Language Perfect World Championships is the largest online languages competition on the planet. Students compete for their class, school and country against other students from around the world, by earning points in a range of foreign languages. It’s all about motivating students to get excited about languages, learning, and having fun at the same time!
ALL, which is an official partner in the competition, is delighted to announce that this year, we will have a special trophy to give away to the top scoring school in the UK. We’ll let you have more details as soon as we have them!
For further information about the competition and to register, follow the link below to the Language Perfect World Championships 2013 website.
Read more...
22 April 2013 (Voyage Kids)
Teach your primary German pupils about Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) - the night from 30 April to 1 May. Legend has it that on this night, witches hold a festival on the Blocksberg mountain to await the arrival of spring. People throughout Germany use this occasion to welcome the beginning of May and warmer weather. There is usually lots of singing and dancing.
With Spring around the corner, there is also a resource for pupils to learn some really useful German spring words! Follow the 'Der Früling' link below.
Read more...
Related Links
Der Frühling
16 April 2013 (The Scotsman)
The Capital’s first Gaelic primary school is to launch a drive for bilingual janitors and dinner ladies as part of radical moves to offer “total immersion” language-learning. Teachers at Parkside Primary – or Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirc – said they hoped its dining hall and corridors would soon resound to phrases such as “Cuir air falabh na truinnsearan agaibh!” (“clear away your plates!”) and Cus còmhraidh! (“too much chat!”).
Read more...
SALT Poster Competition 2013
16 April 2013 (SALT)
Design a poster or leaflet with illustrations and text on the subject “Promoting Scotland to visitors coming to the Commonwealth Games”.
Entry is open to any individual pupil/student or group of pupils/students in any Scottish school. The age limit is up to and including 18. There will be two age categories: Primary and Secondary. A separate ICT prize may also be awarded.
The use of a language other than English must feature on the entry. There should be between 30 and 100 words in total. The entry should be no bigger than A3.
There will be awards of up to £25 for winning entries and many other prizes.
The closing date for the competition will be 20 June 2013.
See the attached flyer for further information and how to enter.
5 April 2013 (TES)
Twelve children from St Luke's Primary in North Ayrshire took centre stage last month at a masterclass in interdisciplinary learning, run by the Tapestry Partnership in Glasgow.
The young people led the audience on a journey along "The Silk Road to Scotland" - the theme of one of Tapestry's interdisciplinary programmes, which explores the links between Eastern Asia, North Africa and Europe created by the trade in silk and other products over thousands of years.
Read more...
26 March 2013 (eTwinning)
Are you interested in finding a partner school from Europe to start an eTwinning project?
The British Council eTwinning team is giving up to 4 teachers from the UK the chance to travel to Sofia to meet and network with other European teachers at a joint eTwinning event
Taking place from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th April, this event is open to teachers working with students aged 3-11 teaching any subject. It will include sessions on how to use eTwinning, how to use ICT tools and how to fit eTwinning into your school life.
All workshop sessions will be delivered concurrently in German, French and English, so this event would in particular suit someone who can speak either French or German. However, this is not a prerequisite.
The British Council will cover travel, accommodation and meal expenses as well as your participation fee. Supply cover is not included.
Visit the eTwinning website for further information and to apply by 7 April 2013.
Read more...
24 March 2013 (My Languages blog - Isabelle Jones)
Download the slides and reference sheet for my session on using music in the languages classroom presented at Language World 2013.
Read more...
20 March 2013 (The Guardian)
(Relates to England) Report finds A-level entries for French and German fell by half between 1996 and 2012, with language GCSEs also in decline. Anti-European sentiment is turning teenagers off modern foreign languages, experts have suggested.
Read more...
Related Links
Language learning in primary and secondary schools in England 2012 (CfBT, 20 March 2013) CfBT Education Trust today published the results of national surveys of primary and secondary schools, revealing the multiple challenges for languages within the new English National Curriculum.
Anti-European attitudes 'turning pupils off languages' (The Telegraph, 20 March 2013)
Europhobia, language trends and scratchy labels (Alcantara Communications, 21 March 2013)
Languages barrier may persist despite EBac boost (TES, 22 March 2013)
18 March 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
On 18 and 19 April 2013 Martina Schwarz, songwriter and performer, will visit Springburn Nursery, Glasgow and Primary Schools in Paisley and Fife. Her resource “Learn German with songs” and “Learn more German with songs” has been a popular teaching resource for Primary schools and provided lots of fun and enthusiasm among pupils and teachers.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information about these resources.
Read more...
18 March 2013 (Goethe-Institut Glasgow)
To celebrate the Grimm-year 2012 the Goethe-Institut Glasgow would like to invite learners of German to take part in the drama competition: 'Märchenhaftes Theater'.
This opportunity provides pupils with a platform to practice their German in a fun way, to carry out a project as a team and learn to work in a group. With the help of their teachers pupils are asked to perform a short scene which relates to a situation from one of the Brother Grimm’s fairy-tales.
Entries to this competition should be approximately 5 minutes long and must be submitted as a video file. Deadline for submissions is 30 March 2013.
This competition is available to two categories:
•Category 1: P6/P7
•Category 2: S1/S2
For more information and to register visit the Goethe-Institut website.
Read more...
18 March 2013 (The Guardian)
Role play and interactive technology helped primary teacher Jeremy Dean increase his foreign students' English vocabulary at a language immersion school in Spain. I work in Spain and teach English to Spanish six and seven-year-olds. No, I don't just teach them English, I also teach them science, numeracy, history, the whole primary curriculum, in English.
Read more...
15 March 2013 (SCILT)
Applications are now open for the 2013 European Language Label, and schools from across the UK are invited to apply.
This year’s theme is ‘Innovation in Language Teaching and Learning’, and the Award is open to schools in the Primary and Secondary sector, as well as FE and HE institutions. This award is a great opportunity for the innovative work being done in languages in Scotland to be recognised across the UK and Europe.
The European Language Label (ELL) is an award for innovative language-learning projects. It rewards creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate learners and make the best of available resources. Winning projects may use European Language Label on stationery and websites and, in addition, all winners receive prizes of books, vouchers or teaching materials from the Award sponsors. The awards are presented at a prize-giving ceremony on European Day of Languages, 26th September.
For more information, including the online application form, please visit the ELL website or contact idjouadj@cfbt.com. For inspiration, follow the link below to see some of the previous winning projects.
The application deadline is Sunday 21 April 2013.
Previous winners from Scotland have included St Roch’s Secondary School in Glasgow in 2011 and Mid Calder Primary in 2009.
Read more...
12 March 2013 (Scottish Borders Council)
Five pupils from St. Ronan's Primary School have made it through to the final of the national Euroquiz competition. They will represent the Scottish Borders at the national final to be held at the Scottish Parliament in May.
The Euroquiz is designed as a way for children to learn about Europe and its rich history and culture and is organised by the Scottish European Educational Trust. The quiz included questions on geography, languages, the European Union, culture, history and sport.
Read more...
11 March 2013 (Times Series)
Young entrepreneurs are hoping to boost children's love of languages with their hand-designed activities book. Fifteen teenagers at Jewish Community Secondary School in New Barnet made the book Flying Away with Languages as part of their Young Enterprise scheme. The group, known as TryLingual, were inspired by Michael Gove’s plans to provide more emphasis on languages in primary schools and are hoping the book will prove popular with schoolchildren across Barnet.
Read more...
5 March 2013 (Voyage Kids)
Easter is on its way, and children across Germany are looking forward to such seasonal activities as baking Easter cakes, going to Easter bonfire celebrations and, in some areas, even decorating village wells. Why not introduce your pupils to some seasonal German customs in the run-up to the Easter holidays with the 'voyage kids' Easter Special? Including:
- Can your pupils guess who's hiding in the Easter egg? Complete the jigsaw to find out!
- Colour your own Easter eggs the traditional German way with easy-to-make vegetable dyes.
- Teach useful vocabulary with our Easter memory game.
- Fun facts about 'Ostereiersuchen' (Easter egg hunts), Easter cakes and 'Osterbrunnen' (decorated village wells)
Read more...
Related Links
Did you know that
April Fools' Day is celebrated in Germany?
New French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level
28 February 2013 (Alliance Française)
The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level:
20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, confidence), Thursdays, 4-6pm, 14 March to 30 May 2013 (inclusive).
The cost to attend this course is £80 (please note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages). Places are very limited so early booking is recommended.
To enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 8th March 2013:
- Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX – Glasgow
- Tel +44 (0)141 331 4080
- admin@afglasgow.org.uk
27 February 2013 (Glow Scotland blog)
Malcolm Wilson, ICT Curriculum Development Officer in the Curriculum Support Team of Falkirk Council Education Services, presented a session with primary class teachers on a variety of ICT resources to support teaching Modern Languages in the Primary School.
Read more...
Make Your Own Comic Book - a special competition for budding artists across the UK
27 February 2013 (Institut Français)
Calling all comics devotees: BD&Comics Passion is back at the Institut français in London from May 30th to June 2nd 2013! Workshops, live drawing, concerts and movies galore are on the agenda, with some of the greatest writers and illustrators. And since you love comics, why not make one yourself? If you’re aged 7 to 17 and live in the UK, you can participate in our nationwide contest and stand a chance to win amazing prizes! Whether you make it on your own, as a class project, or with friends…entries can be submitted in French or English or both.
For more information and how to enter, download the attached flyer.
22 February 2013 (TES)
(Relates to England)
Community languages such as Urdu, Polish and Hebrew have been excluded from the new primary national curriculum despite opposition from the majority of responses to a government consultation. Ministers have decided that key stage 2 pupils should study one or more of a list of languages restricted to French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Latin or ancient Greek.
But 61 per cent of the 562 teachers, parents, schools, universities, unions and other organisations and individuals who expressed a view believe the primary national curriculum should cover a much wider range of languages.
Read more...
22 February 2013 (TES)
The topic of climate change provides a great opportunity to look at how different countries are tackling the problem. Once you get them started, pupils could pick one issue from the country in question and research it themselves. They could then present their findings in simple forms such as posters, giving them plenty of focused practice in the target language.
Read more...
15 February 2013 (Scottish Parliament)
The teaching of languages in two Fife primary schools will be under the spotlight on Monday as Roderick Campbell MSP, member of the European and External Relations Committee, visits Balmerino Primary School in Gauldry and Leuchars Primary School in Leuchars.
Read more...
8 February 2013 (UK-German Connection)
It's that time of year again when large parts of Germany descend into a jamboree of fancy dress, sweet-throwing and general high jinx. That's right, Fasching / Karneval is almost here, and you can teach your pupils all about it with the 'voyage kids' Karneval special!
This year's special includes an interactive 'through the telescope' feature, an online jigsaw, a quiz, and, of course, the ever-popular Karneval-esque song by a singing hairdresser! (with worksheet and brand new PPTs to teach the vocabulary in the song).
Read more...
7 February 2013 (Goethe-Institute)
The Glasgow Film Festival 2013 is about to start. We are particularly pleased about the wide range of contributions from Germany to the sections cinema, music and education projects, supported by the Goethe-Institut Glasgow for this year’s programme:
- Kaddish for a Friend (age 12+) - Tuesday 12 February, 12:45, Glasgow Film Theatre
94 mins, German with English subtitles. - Mercy (Gnade) (age 12+) - Monday 18 February, 20:30 / Tuesday 19 February, 13:15, Cineworld
131 mins, German, Norwegian & English with English subtitles. - Reported Missing (age 12+) - Wednesday 20 February, 19:00 / Thursday 21 February, 15:45, Cineworld
86 mins, German with English subtitles.
Further information is available from the Goethe-Institut Glasgow Filmpages.
We also would like to draw your attention to German-language films featured in this year’s festival programme:
- Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods (age 8+) - Sat 9 February, 13:30, GFT,
- Lore (age 15) - Fri 15 February, 18:00, GFT/ Sat 16 February, 19:00, Cineworld
- Cloud Atlas (age 15) - Sun 17 February, 19:15, GFT & Mon 18 February 13:15, GFT
- Kuma (age 15+) - Mon 18 February, 18:45, Cineworld / Tue 19 February, 13:45, Cineworld
- Museum Hours (age 12+) - Fri 22 February, 18:00, GFT / Sun 24 February, 12:45, Cineworld
Further information is available from the Glasgow Film Festival website.
Read more...
7 February 2013 (Scottish Government)
The Scottish Government is investing £800,000 in a new Gaelic school for Glasgow, it was announced today. The Gaelic Medium Education primary school will be part of the Glendale Campus in Pollokshields.
Read more...
6 February 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
The new spring/summer semester at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow will start on 11 February. If you are interested in enrolling in one of our courses, please contact us as soon as possible. If you are unsure about the level or suitable class we will advise further.
Read more...
1 February 2013 (TES Resources)
Mr Men books are a great topic for language lessons. Excellent for learning new vocabulary and practising verbs and idioms, the books are almost guaranteed to be funny, which makes them perfect for a Red Nose Day class. Secondary school pupils love inventing new Mr Men using words such as "sarcastic", "worried" and "technophobe" in English. By translating these into the target language, they will learn some quite subtle new vocabulary in a memorable way.
Read more...
1 February 2013 (TESS)
The government-commissioned report into languages that calls for children to start learning a second language in P1 and a third in P5 has come under fire for lack of clarity.
Read more...
31 January 2013 (TES)
TES MFL subject adviser Rachel Hawkes looks at how foreign languages learning can support literacy without us needing to use English. The chat will be an informal way for you to share ideas on the topic as well as ask questions and seek advice from Rachel and each other.
Read more...
1 February 2013 (Japan Foundation)
The first term of Japan Foundation's online Japanese course for teachers 2013 will start on 25 February, and is now open for enrolment. The 8-week online course is for teachers with a basic level of Japanese who would like to build up their language skills.
Deadline for enrolment: 12 February 2013
Read more...
31 January 2013 (European Commission)
Arsenal Double Club Languages is the north London football club’s innovative education programme for children that are learning French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese at school.
The programme uses Arsenal and football as a theme to inspire school children to learn a language. The Club produces fun, relevant learning materials in collaboration with specialist language partners including the Goethe Institute, Institut Français and the Consejería de Educación. These resources include colourful workbooks that are filled with language activities based around football, and also a DVD featuring one of the Gunners’ players speaking in their native language.
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Language Learning,
Language Learning - Primary,
Language Learning - Secondary,
Resources,
News from language & education organisations
28 January 2013 (SCILT)
Congratulations to Gwen McCrossan from Argyll and Bute, who has received professional recognition from GTCS for her work in MLPS French. Gwen’s creative approach has integrated language learning into the wider curriculum through her skilful use of puppets, story-telling and ICT, to name but a few. If you would like to apply for professional recognition, please visit the GTCS website.
Read more...
25 January 2013 (British Council)
Simply answer a question on Chinese New Year for a chance to win a book token for your school.
Read more...
25 January 2013 (Scottish Parliament New Release)
The teaching of languages in a Hamilton primary school is under the spotlight today as two Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) visit St Elizabeth’s in Eddlewood, Hamilton.
Read more...
January 23 2013 (British Council)
Two UK primary school teachers explain how teaching Mandarin has benefitted learners and teachers alike.
Read more...
23 January 2013 (Consejería de Educación)
Peace and Cooperation and the World Association of Early Childhood Educators (AMEI-WAECE) invite students and teachers from around the world to engage in Creativity for Peace using art as an expression of Cultural Identity for knowledge, outreach and understanding between people.
Entries are invited in the following age categories, with six diplomas to be awarded in each category and eight prizes of 300 Euros:
- Free drawing (up to 6 year-olds)
- Drawing with written message (7 to 12 year-olds)
- Mural or group work (12 to 15 year-olds)
- Free art (16 to 18 year-olds)
Works can be submitted in any of the 6 official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, English or Russian) and should be submitted by July 5th, 2013 to the headquarters of Peace and Cooperation in Madrid by mail or email.
Visit the website or download the attached flyer for further information.
Read more...
19 January 2013 (BBC News)
A Gaelic medium education school in Inverness at the centre of difficulties with the appointment of a head teacher looks set to increase in size.
Read more...
18 January 2013 (TES)
Shopping online in a foreign language is such fun that pupils absorb new vocabulary without too much effort. Words in the target language are illustrated with photographs without the need for intervening translation. It is a great way to connect the new words with the reality they describe.
Read more...
17 January 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
For full details of all the language courses and examinations available at the Goethe-Institut in Glasgow for Spring/Summer 2013 visit the website, or view the information pages below.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
German,
Language Learning,
Qualifications,
News from language & education organisations
17 January 2013 (Goethe-Institut)
In today's professional world, knowledge of foreign languages is an indispensable skill and a must-have on any resume. Still, studies show that while good foreign language skills play an increasingly important role in the workplace, every situation is different.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
German,
Business,
Careers,
Language Learning,
Language Learning for Work,
Language Skills,
News from language & education organisations
17 January 2013 (British Council)
Do you want international recognition for your school? Do you want to learn more about schools in other countries and be at the forefront of cultural exchanges among young people? If so, then you could bid for an International School Award (ISA) under the Connecting Classrooms programme.
Read more...
15 January 2013 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
With the latest Hollywood adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel now released, this article in French can be used to discuss the story in your language class. Different versions are available to suit all levels from P7 to the senior phase.
Read more...
Chinese New Year Packs
15 January 2013 (Chinese Made Easy)
CME Books Europe are distributing (on behalf of Dragons in Europe) packs to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the snake. For more details and to order please see attached document.
Modern Languages Newsletter – January 2013
14 January 2013 (Glasgow City Council)
To read about all the latest language events and activities within Glasgow schools, download the January newsletter.
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
All Languages,
Celebrating Languages,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations
14 January 2012 (British Council)
The ‘Snakes and Dragons’ Education Pack is a free resource for UK Primary Schools that is available to download from the British Council Schools Online website. With a specific focus on China and Chinese culture, the (physical) pack is designed to support UK young peoples’ education about the world around them and to help them gain an understanding of other countries and cultures in preparation for life as global citizens.
British Council have made this pack because they believe that given China is the world's second biggest economy - and set to continue that upward trajectory - a good understanding of China will help prepare our young people for life in a global society and work in a global economy. Of course, China is just one of many countries that our children will need to understand and be able to engage with in their future lives and many UK schools are already involved in international education work through programmes like Comenius, Connecting Classrooms, Language Assistants, or the International School Award. More information about these programmes can be found at the Schools Online website as well as many other resources that support teaching and learning about global citizenship.
Read more...
14 January 2013 (eTwinning)
Spanish primary and secondary schools are looking for English speaking partner schools. eTwinning provides advice on three easy ways to link up with schools in Spain.
Read more...
11 January 2013 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland have supplemented the advice in the Modern Languages Principles and Practice paper to support primary and secondary practitioners in making assessment decisions about learners’ achievement and progress. The Professional Learning Paper gives further guidance and information on significant aspects of learning and outlines what breadth, challenge and application looks like in the Modern Languages classroom.
The “Modern Languages: key aspects of achievement” document gives further, useful support to help practitioners moderate the experiences and outcomes and details what can be reasonably expected from learners who have achieved second and third level in Modern Languages.
Read more...
11 January 2013 (TESS)
Recently, we made a short film in Spanish with a small group of Year 4 (P4) pupils. It won a competition and caused a stir. Now we have a learning epidemic, with children leading the way, writes Heather Martin.
Read more...
11 January 2013 (TES)
World travel and a Monty Python sketch will get pupils talking.
Learning a new language can take you anywhere. Pupils sometimes need reminding of this to motivate them. In the cold grip of January, they are learning words that could one day take them to new worlds.
Read more...
11 January 2013 (TES)
Had I read "Buenos dias, bilingualism" (4 January) six years ago, I might have thought: "Here comes a crackpot idea that will cause chaos for 18 months, then be reformed or rethought for a further year, before being forgotten without fanfare." Now I think: "About time too. Why has this taken so long?" It's not as if reforms have been thin on the ground recently.
Read more...
Related Links
Buenos dias, bilingualism (TES, 4 January 2013)
10 January 2013 (STV News)
Children as young as nine will be taught three languages amid rising immigration, tourism and increasing demand for workers that speak more than just English, MSPs have heard.
The Scottish Government has set aside £4m for a pilot project to ensure Scotland's economy does not suffer as a result of its citizens' relatively poor language skills.
Read more...
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
All Languages,
Scotland,
1+2,
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9 January 2013 (Confucius Institute Edinburgh)
Due to high demand we have now arranged an additional beginners Chinese class on Thursday evenings starting from 14 January for ten weeks.
This class is suitable for absolute beginners and over the course of the term students will learn the basics of Chinese pronunciation, practice basic conversations and be taught Pinyin.
Read more...
Scotland-Russia Forum news
9 January 2013 (SRF)
The latest round-up of news and events from the SRF is now available to download.
This edition includes a request from a casting agency seeking Russian-speaking actors, including children/teens, for a film to be shot in the UK between March and July 2013.
If you need to brush up on your Russian first, the next Чай н Чат (tea and chat) at the Scotland-Russia Institute in Edinburgh is on 31 January.
“Take Away China 2013”
8 January 2013 (Ricefield Arts Centre)
James Thomson, director of Ricefield Arts Centre, would like to offer an opportunity to schools to take part in the launch of “Take Away China 2013” on 12 February, the beginning of the Year of the Snake. This is the third year of “Take Away China” – the notion being to take a small part of China away with you from each event. Schools are invited to participate in forming a long snake. The idea is to form a snake made of twenty willow lantern sections with each section being supported by 4 or 6 pupils from each school or hub. Download the attached file for more information.
If you feel your hub or school might be interested in this opportunity, please contact jamesthomson188@btinternet.com
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8 January 2013 (Institut français)
The Institut français d'Ecosse will be screening two animated films for young children in January and February:
- Le Chat du Rabbin (for children aged 6+) - Tuesday 22 January 18:30-20:00 / Wednesday 23 January 11:00-12:30
- Mia et le Migou (for children aged 3+) - Saturday 16 February 11:00-12:30
Both films are in French with English subtitles. Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
8 January 2013 (ALL)
Registration is now open for one of the world's largest online language competitions taking place from 20 - 30 May 2013.
The European Commission recently awarded the competition a European Language Label for being an innovative language-learning project.
For more details and to apply, visit the website. The first 500 schools to register get 50 free entries!
Read more...
8 January 2013 (Stephen Spender Trust)
The Times Stephen Spender Prize for poetry translation 2013 has been launched. Entrants should translate a poem from any language, classical or modern, into English to enter this competition. Winning entries will be published in a booklet and cash prizes will be awarded. The closing date for entries is Friday 24th May 2013.
Read more...
7 January 2013 (Language Box)
The why study languages calendar has been produced by LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and includes a variety of languages, beginning in January with Italian. This is the first of a 12-month series lasting until December 2013. The calendar can be downloaded or printable versions can be ordered.
Read more...
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Funding for UK-German activities - deadline reminder
7 January 2013 (UK German Connection)
Please note the upcoming application deadlines for the Challenge Fund and Celebratory Fund programmes from the UK German Connection: 31st January and 31st May 2013.
SCHOOLS CHALLENGE FUND
* Enhance the international dimension in your school and get pupils involved in cross-curricular projects!
* UK-German Connection provides grants for joint thematic activities in all curriculum areas, with or without a language element. The fund is designed to encourage young people to explore topics of their choice and develop their skills in an international and hands-on context.
* Funding can go towards project resources, joint activities and reciprocal partner visits.
* For further details, please see: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/challengefund
* NEW! The new Challenge Fund - World of Work funding programme specifically supports partnerships undertaking work experience or enterprise-related activities as part of their partnership visits: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/worldofwork
CELEBRATORY FUND
* Provides grants to support activities in celebration of partnership anniversaries.
* Further details and an application form can be found here: http://www.ukgermanconnection.org/celebratoryfund
If you have any questions about the above programmes or would like to discuss your ideas, please contact Lucy Farrant either by email at lucy.farrant@ukgermanconnection.org or by telephone (020 7824 1570).
6 January 2013 (Daily Record)
Football has become global. And Scotland’s managers are about to follow suit.
The latest candidates for the SFA’s UEFA Pro Licence will gather at Hampden today to kick off the two-year course they now need to boss at the elite level of European football.
But for the first time since the course began in 1999, candidates must learn a second language as part of their studies.
Read more...
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20 December 2012 (BBC News)
Scientists are to investigate changes in brain functions among people who are fluent in English and Gaelic. The study involving Glasgow and Edinburgh universities will require its test subjects to speak Gaelic exclusively for about 40 days.
Read more...
Related Links
Mapping the bilingual brain (Radio Lab blog, 12 December 2012)
19 December 2012 (Language Rich blog)
Language Rich Europe research provides a rich source of cross-national insights into multilingualism across the education sectors. You can browse all the national/regional profiles or simply focus on primary education by reading on.
Read more...
17 December 2012 (European Commission)
Communication and languages are crucial to business in a globalised economy. New evidence found in two reports published in the UK and in Ireland.
Read more...
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14 December 2012 (Brilliant Teaching Resources)
As MFL Coordinator, you know that teaching foreign languages is important. But does everyone else in your school? To help you convince them of the importance of MFL, we have produced an information sheet: 10 Reasons for Teaching Foreign Languages in Primary School.
Read more...
14 December 2012 (Teaching Scotland blog)
Tom Hamilton, Director of Education and Professional Learning at GTCS, talks about the teaching of languages report.
Read more...
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14 December 2012 (TESS)
The prospect of teaching 1+2 languages from P1 is a daunting one for many in the primary sector.
But today, the Scottish Parliament's European and External Relations Committee will launch an inquiry into the teaching of languages in primary - at a school where 1+5 is the norm.
At Dalmarnock Primary, in the east end of Glasgow, pupils have access to French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Greek, in addition to their home language of English.
Read more...
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14 December 2012 (BBC News)
A Holyrood committee has launched an inquiry into language teaching in Scottish primary schools.
It follows research suggesting Scotland lags behind many other countries in linguistic skills.
Read more...
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13 December 2012 (BBC News)
Most of the pupils at the school that tops the latest primary school league tables do not speak English at home, and 80% are from Asian backgrounds.
Read more...
13 December 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
You will find a variety of Spanish resources about Christmas posted on this Pinterest board. You will need to register to download the resources, however registration is free. The articles are all available to suit learners at different levels, from P7 to S6.
Read more...
13 December 2012 (Engage for Education)
Modren Scots Grammar: Wirkin Wi Wirds is one of the recent projects undertaken by Scottish Language Dictionaries to celebrate their first ten years.
The book accords with Curriculum for Excellence in that it seeks to give readers an understanding of how language works and to give them the tools with which to discuss Scots, English and other modern languages.
Read more...
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A few Christmas activities for the second week of Advent
12 December 2012 (ALL)
Here are some ideas for celebrating Christmas with your class, from ALL. They cover different languages and different levels.
- Make some lovely French, German and Spanish Christmas cards, courtesy of MFL Sunderland
- Christmas cards from L’Internaute
- If that isn’t enough, use French instructions to make your own origami Père Noёl
- You can also write to Père Noel himself!
- A nice site for Christmas recipes, gifts, Christmas crafts and Christmas songs in different languages
- Activity ideas from Culturethèque @ the Institut français du Royaume-Uni
- There’s a whole range of French Christmas resources on the MFL Sunderland website, including sound files, flashcards, worksheets, fun activities, podcasts and videos
- Some more ideas for Christmas crafts and activities
- Say ‘Merry Christmas!’ to friends all over the world and learn how to say ‘Seasons Greetings’ in many languages
- There are more German activity ideas from the Goethe Institut and UK-German Connection
- Global Dimension offer their own ideas and inspiration for getting festive this Christmas
- Some Christmas game ideas from the lovely folks at MFLResources
- Woodlands Junior School offer a variety of Christmas activities
- The Lancashire Grid for Learning also have activities, resources and further links in French, German, Italian and Spanish
- How about a festive video clip of Pigloo, the French singing penguin?
- Last but not least, some festive resources to enjoy in Spanish
11 November 2012 (Language Rich Europe blog)
As part of the Language Rich Europe project, we are holding workshops across Europe to discuss the findings and plan the next steps. In this blog post, Lorcan Murray, an intern at British Council Netherlands, writes about the workshop held in Utrecht in November.
Read more...
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11 December 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Covering the topic of sport in your French language class? This article on French basketball players in the American NBA is a useful resource to introduce the sport. Different versions are available, adapted for use with pupils from P7 upwards.
Read more...
11 December 2012 (European Commission)
A new study on the impact of partnerships between schools in different countries has found that pupils significantly improved their skills, including foreign languages.
Read more...
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7 December 2012 (TESS)
The ability to speak foreign languages is not only important in finding work abroad - it is becoming ever more crucial for getting a job in Scotland. That was one of the most compelling messages from businesswoman Rebecca Trengove, guest speaker at a languages conference in Stirling.
Read more...
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7 December 2012 (SCILT)
We have pulled together a list of our favourite Christmas websites for teachers to use in class. These websites cover Christmas in France, Germany, Spain and around the world.
Read more...
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Opportunities and resources from the Goethe-Institut
6 December 2012 (Goethe-Institut)
Resources for Primary German
Presentations on German customs and traditions with Teachers’ Notes - newly added presentations ”German festivals and customs: Christmas” and “Birthday Celebrations”.
Promoting German for your school
A new DVD “The smart choice: German” is available free of charge from the Goethe Institut Glasgow.
"Vorsprung mit Deutsch”. A website for German learners where you will find a lot of opportunities and ideas of how to take advantage, improve and make the most of your language skills.
6 December 2012 (Radio Lingua)
With Festive Phrases you can learn a festive greeting each day of December, and you’ll soon be able to say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy New Year” or “Happy Holidays” to many millions of people around the world. In each short video Radio Lingua director Mark is joined by a native speaker of the language, and we’ll provide some background information about the number of speakers, where the language is spoken and much more.
Read more...
5 December 2012 (British Council)
Is your school involved in a partnership between the UK and another country? If so, you could be eligible for our exciting new funding offer for school partnerships, from the Connecting Classrooms programme. The deadline for applications is 11 February 2013. For more information on eligibility and how to apply visit our website.
Read more...
3 December 2012 (Education Scotland)
Nominations for the 2013 awards are now open. Categories include the Global Citizenship Award, which recognises the achievements of schools and pre-schools that have adopted a whole school approach to global citizenship, and the Gaelic Awareness Award in recognition of schools and pre-schools who are providing opportunities for all children to develop fluency in the Gaelic language and culture. Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and to submit a nomination.
Read more...
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2 December 2012 (Scotland on Sunday)
His works have been translated into 34 languages but now a new market is opening up for Roald Dahl – Gaelic.
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30 November 2012 (SQA)
The latest progress on the new national qualifications from the SQA, including a reminder of the CfE subject implementation dates being run throughout Scotland. Modern Language events are taking place in February 2013 and places can be booked via the SQA website.
Read more...
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29 November 2012 (SCILT)
SCILT is delighted to announce we have expanded our Professional Learning menu to include further options for Primary and Secondary teachers from our colleagues, the Institut Français and the Consejería de Educación. To download the new menus visit the relevant Professional Development pages on our website.
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28 November 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Read this article in Spanish about the richest athletes in the world. Different versions are available, adapted for use with pupils from P7 to S4.
Read more...
27/11/2012 (CISS)
The first CISS newsletter has now been published. This edition includes stories on Chinese language and cultural activities and events in schools across Scotland, as well as information on the work that CISS has been doing over the past few months. I’m sure you will agree it is a great showcase of all the fabulous work being done across Scotland to promote Chinese language and culture. Many thanks to those of you who contributed.
You can download the newsletter from the CISS website.
Read more...
27 November 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Article in French about the nutritional and environmental impact of the spread, Nutella. Adapted for use with pupils from P7 – S5.
Read more...
27 November 2012 (SCILT)
Our EDL2012 blog is now live! For a sneaky peek to see how the prize winning and other schools celebrated 26th September visit our EDL 2012 blog. There’s still time to add details of your school’s EDL, please send a short description of the event and any photos or film you would like included in your post to our Information Officer.
If you are already thinking ahead to 21st February 2013 (International Mother Language Day) or 9th May 2013 (Europe Day) or even the next European Day of Languages on 26th September 2013, all our EDL blogs over recent years have lots of great ideas that you might want to borrow or adapt for your own celebrations.
Read more...
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27 November 2012 (Engage for Education)
Sarah Breslin, Director of SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages at the University of Strathclyde, talks about the importance of the Scottish Government’s 1+2 languages policy.
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27 November 2012 (BBC News)
A widespread lack of language skills could be damaging Scotland's ability to trade abroad, a report has suggested. The British Council study warned there was a tendency among Scottish firms to limit their export markets to English-speaking countries.
Read more...
Related Links
Fears raised for overseas trade as young Scots shy away from studying foreign languages (The Scotsman, 27 November 2012)
A crisis in foreign language teaching across Scottish education is damaging overseas trade, the British Council warns today.
Analysis: Speaking the lingo goes to prove that it’s not only travel that broadens the mind (The Scotsman, 27 November 2012)
Leaders: Greater language skills key to breaking trade barriers (The Scotsman, 27 November 2012)
Crisis in study of languages a risk to trade (The Herald, 27 November 2012)
A lack of foreign language skills is limiting the ability of Scottish companies to tap into lucrative overseas export markets, according to a new report.
Kaye asks why Scots are so bad at learning foreign languages (Call Kaye, BBC Radio Scotland, 27 November 2012) - programme available until 3 December 2012.
Trade danger of language teaching cuts (Scottish Daily Express, 27 November 2012)
Language cuts 'will hit Scottish economy' (Morning Star, 27 November 2012)
Language Rich Europe - Scotland (British Council, 2012)
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26 November 2012 (Institut français d'Ecosse)
The Institut français d'Ecosse has produced some new resources about Noël (Christmas) for use with primary and S1-S3 pupils.
The resources can be accessed from the Institut français website.
Read more...
Related Links
Noël for S1-S3
23 November 2012 (Confucius Institute Edinburgh)
Bookings are now being taken for language classes at the Confucius Institute for Scotland for the winter term starting from week beginning 14 January 2013.
Visit the website for full details of all the classes on offer.
Read more...
23 November 2012 (Confucius Institute Edinburgh)
The SCEN China Youth Summit at Gleneagles on 12 November, known as the G50 after the 50 schools, universities and other organisations represented and in memory of the famous G8 Summit held at Gleneagles in 2005 was an inspiring day for all those who attended the event.
Read more...
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23 November 2012 (UK-German Connection)
The festive season approaches, and the 'voyage kids' website is full of UK-German seasonal cheer with our Christmas Special!
Your pupils can:
- find out about St. Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht - have they earned presents or the 'Rute' on 6 December?
- practise their festive vocab with a Christmas memory game and jigsaw
- sing along to German carols such as 'Stille Nacht' and 'Kling, Glöckchen'
- learn Christmas facts, play games and enter this year's Christmas competition in our interactive Advent calendar
- learn how to bake a 'Lebkuchenhaus' and 'Herrenplätzchen'
- upload their own home-made German Christmas cards
If you are singing German Christmas carols such as 'Stille Nacht' or 'Kling, Glöckchen' with your pupils in the next few weeks, just send us a recording as an MP3, and we'll put it online. (All participating classes will receive 'voyage kids' goodies, so don't forget to mention your school name and address, class name, and number of pupils.)
Read more...
Related Links
Many thanks to the pupils of Vicarage Park Primary School, Kendal, and Logie Primary School, Dunphail, for their marvellous renditions of the St. Martin's Day
'Laterne, Laterne' song.
23 November 2012 (Education Scotland)
British Council Scotland and Education Scotland have recently published ‘Sustainable International School Partnerships – Make the Difference’.
Effective practices, challenges, opportunities and a framework for reflection combine to illustrate how the development of sustainable international school partnerships can ‘make the difference’ within Curriculum for Excellence. This new publication draws on the experience of practitioners who have been closely involved in developing international school partnerships.
Read more...
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22 November 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Feeling Christmassy? Download this French resource about Christmas presents, which is suitable for P7-early secondary students. You will need to register to access the resource, but registration is free.
Read more...
21 November 2012 (CânSing)
New material for Christmas is now on the CânSing website with versions of the Christmas song ‘O holy night’ in Spanish (Santa la noche) and German (Heilige Nacht).
Read more...
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Heilige Nacht
20 November 2012 (The Scotsman)
A flagship Gaelic school is still without a headteacher after the only applicant – a Swede who isn’t fluent in the language – failed to get the job.
Read more...
19 November 2012 (Consejería de Educación)
The Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, is pleased to announce details of the Videominute International Contest 2012-13 with 1000 Euros on offer for the winner. The competition is open to all ages and requires individuals or groups to submit a video lasting no longer than one minute. Any submissions in a language other than Spanish must be subtitled in Spanish or English. A maximum of 5 entries are permitted. For further information and how to apply visit the Videominute website, where you can also view previous competition entries.
Read more...
17 November 2012 (The Telegraph)
Applies to England
Latin and ancient Greek are to make a comeback in state schools under Government plans to introduce compulsory language lessons for seven-year-olds. The list also features Mandarin – because of the growing importance of China as an economic power – plus French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Read more...
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Related article:
16 November 2012 (TESS)
Whatever your teaching style or subject, you could benefit from creating 'word clouds', writes Dan Roberts. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that's certainly true of the Wordle website, where teachers or pupils can generate their own customised "word clouds".
Read more...
13 November 2012 (Xinhuanet)
Gleneagles, Britain, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- It used to be the place where the G8 summit was held in July 2005, and on Monday another event, dubbed G50, was staged at the same venue.
But this time the participants are 50 high school students from across Scotland who were exchanging their joys and hardships in learning the Chinese language.
Read more...
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9 November 2012 (TES)
Religion can be hard for small children to grasp as it involves abstract ideas. So it helps to have an activity that allows you to discuss world religions in a way that children of all faiths and none can relate to.
Start by asking pupils what problems people all over the world have. Put these words on the board and teach them in the target language.
Read more...
8 November 2012 (SecEd)
From teacher collaboration to how children learn, the work of Professor Bill Lucas is providing a blueprint for 21st century education.
Read more...
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8 November 2012 (Channel 4)
Follow the links to see previews of Channel 4’s learning portal, Clipbank. Clips are available for learners of French, German and Spanish, all addressing a particular topic, or area of grammar in the target language:
French
Spanish
German
Please note this is a preview only. To access the resources you will need to subscribe to the service.
Read more...
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7 November 2012 (eTwinning)
eTwinning Ambassador Joe Dale shares his fantastic ideas on using QR codes to improve students language skills in today's article 'Bringing Language Learning to Life: teaching tips, tech and ideas' on the Guardian Teacher Network.
Read more...
Related Links
If you are a language teacher looking to reenergise your lessons and make language learning more meaningful to a 21st century learner check out the full range of innovative ideas on the
Guardian Teacher Network.
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7 November 2012 (The Guardian Teacher Network)
What does a range of nationalities in class bring to the teaching and learning experience? A collection of teachers give us a glimpse into their multicultural classrooms.
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7 November 2012 (SCEN)
The Scotland China Education Network invites you to visit its new website and discover how it is promoting the learning of Chinese and about China in Scottish schools.
Read more...
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7 November 2012 (Education Scotland)
The National Assessment Resource now includes approximately 200 numeracy questions in Gaelic, which can be combined to form customised packages for assessment in the classroom at first, second and third level.
Read more...
7 November 2012 (Memrise)
Do you have trouble learning new words in a foreign language? Memrise makes vocabulary learning fast, fun and effective. Memrise improves your ability to learn vocabulary by adding three powerful ingredients to normal flashcards…what’s more, it’s free to use!
Read more...
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6 November 2012 (MFL Sunderland)
Introduce a fun element to learning French sports vocabulary with this online interactive wordsearch from MFL Sunderland.
Read more...
6 November 2012 (Linguascope)
A range of Linguascope apps for individual learners are available from the Apple app store (vocabulary, verbs, word of the day, news, Linguatrivia, Talking Dice...). If you would like to advertise the apps to your students, we have a new colourful A2 poster for you to display in the classroom. If you would like to receive some posters free of charge, simply drop us an e-mail (www.linguascope.com/contact.php) with your name, school, school address and the number of posters required.
For more information about the apps, visit our website.
Read more...
5 November 2012 (eTwinning)
This week the Guardian Teachers Network are exploring issues around global awareness and understanding in schools. Various articles and blog posts will be available to explore throughout the week.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
2 November 2012 (Primary Languages Classroom Awards)
The Primary Languages Classroom Awards are a way of celebrating the teaching and learning of languages (including English) in UK primary schools, highlighting its positive impact on both the whole school and the local community and honouring teachers and schools that support language development in both English and the child’s home language. The awards are sponsored by the French and German Embassies, EMASUK, Little Bridge, Golden Daffodils, Little Linguist, Brilliant Marketing and Brilliant Publications, and are supported by the Association of Language Learning and many others.
Visit the website to find out more, see this year’s winners and download an application form.
Entries are now open and must be received by 31 Dec 2012 for inclusion in the 2013 awards.
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2 November 2012 (Goethe Institut London)
The Goethe Institut in London have created an area of their website where you will find useful resources you could use in your primary school in the pre-Christmas period.
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2 November 2012 (TESS)
The director of SCILT, Scotland's National Centre for Languages based at the University of Strathclyde, talks about the 1+2 policy, the benefits of CfE and how to persuade pupils to stick with languages.
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Related Links
A reader's response to the TESS Interview: Sarah Breslin (2 November)
"This has been a most interesting article to read. Many thanks to Sarah for all her hard work and support of the MFL teachers in Scotland. We are lucky to have such a fantastic professional with great personality. The 1+2 is an ambitious but not impossible goal to achieve - if all stakeholders are willing to work together for the benefit of generations to come." (rosered27, TES Letters, 9 November 2012)
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Language Learning,
Language Learning - Benefits,
Language Teaching,
Promoting Languages,
Scotland,
SCILT,
Scottish Government,
Strathclyde University,
Languages in the press
30 October 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Bring 007 to the classroom with this article in French about the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. Several versions are available, adapted for use with pupils from P7 upwards.
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25 October 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)
Read the magazine interview with Kristen Stewart, the American actress best known for her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga. The interview is in French and is adapted for different levels from KS3 (P7) upwards.
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Free CPD workshops for teachers of Chinese
24 October 2012 (SCILT/CISS)
SCILT/CISS are offering two workshops for teachers of Chinese on 9 November 2012 at the University of Strathclyde. These workshops are free and are open to anyone involved in the delivery of Chinese in Scottish schools (teachers, probationer teachers, Tianjin teachers, CLAs etc).
For more information download the flyer.
To book email Katie Hawkins
23 October 2012 (Voyage Kids)
St. Martin's Day is just around the corner (on 11 November), and children throughout Germany will be celebrating by making lanterns and singing traditional songs. Why not teach your pupils about these fascinating German customs with the 'voyage kids' St. Martin's Day Special?
- Find out - Teach your pupils how kids celebrate St. Martin's Day in Germany.
- St. Martin's Day memory game. How quickly can your pupils find the pairs?
- Basteln - Make a colourful St. Martin's Day lantern.
- Laterne, Laterne' & 'Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne' songs – sing along with your pupils! (featuring recordings from UK primary schools)
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Posted in:
Primary,
German
23 October 2012 (Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP))
Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP) offer a range of in-service training courses for existing and aspiring teachers in primary, secondary, further and adult education, designed to develop your understanding of the teaching and learning of language and culture. These courses, which can be funded through a Comenius or Grundtvig In-service-training grant, are available throughout 2013. They provide an excellent opportunity for you to enhance your teaching methodology while improving your language skills and cultural knowledge. Next deadline for funding applications: 16 January 2013.
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Focus on German Fairy Tales
18th October 2012 (Goethe Institute Glasgow)
The Goethe-Institut Glasgow is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimms' tales by offering many various events reflecting Germany´s rich cultural history:
- Filmscreenings
- Illustrated Talk / Live Storytelling
- Workshops / Discussions
Find our more by downloading the related PDF.
19 October 2012 (TES)
Go beyond Halloween to discover customs from around the world. For many schools, Halloween this year falls within the autumn break, but do not overlook the opportunity to insert a fun, culture-based lesson before or after the holidays. Why not broaden it beyond spiders, witches, ghosts and ghouls? Explore other countries' traditions for festivals at this time of year, including their food, festivities and music. Lessons based on these holidays can be fun and you can still weave in some specific vocabulary or grammar objectives.
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10th October 2012 (Institut Français d'Ecosse)
Every year, the Institut français d’Ecosse organises Les Rencontres théâtrales, a drama competition for schools, in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. In 2013, Les Rencontres Théâtrales in Glasgow will take place on Tuesday 11 June 2013 at Whitehill Secondary school. The deadline for registration is 17 May 2013. To apply for the Glasgow event, download the attached documents.
The Edinburgh event is taking place on Wednesday 13 March 2013 at Broughton High school and the date for Aberdeen will be announced shortly. For further details of the Inter-Schools Drama Competition 2013 and to see examples of last year's entries please visit the Institut Français website.
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10 October 2012 (BBC)
Join the BBC's World Class to celebrate International Education Week during the week of 12-16 November.
International Education Week (IEW) is a British Council initiative giving schools a chance to learn more about education around the world, and to celebrate their own international links and partnerships. For IEW week in 2012, the main theme is entitled 'Use your Voice'. During the week, World Class will be hosting a series of live, interactive debates, in which pupils from across the world can offer their opinions on a range of topics. Email
worldclass@bbc.co.uk to book into a live debate.
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