Celebrating Languages
Parlons français 2020
6 December 2019 (AMOPA)
The competition for Advanced Higher students of French has now been running for over ten years and is back again for 2020!
To enter, all that's needed is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. Judges will assess it, provide feedback to everyone and some will be awarded prizes and certificates. It is hoped that taking part will be a useful exercise to support pupils' learning and preparation and not a distraction. Since they are practising anyway, why not let them have some feedback on that?
For more information and how to enter see the attached flyer.
Scottish school pupils show off their language skills in Mandarin Speaking Competition
6 December 2019 (CISS)
Over 40 pupils from 14 Scottish Schools put their linguistic skills to the test on 26 November as they bid to be crowned Scotland’s best Mandarin speakers. They took part in the Glasgow heat of this year’s British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition, held at the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS) within Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT).
The winners of the heat will be announced next month after all the UK heats have been completed, and they will be put forward to the final in London in February 2020 with the overall winner winning a fully-funded educational and cultural visit to China. Now in its sixteenth year, the national competition aims to build interest in Chinese language and culture.
Mr Jiayi Chen, Teacher of Mandarin at Kinross High, said:
“Learning Mandarin has been incredibly important at Kinross High and our pupils gain so much confidence when using the language and taking part in the competition. We’ve seen a big impact from the opportunity to put language skills to use outside of a classroom setting. It’s also great to see that many of our students have been inspired to continue studying languages to a higher level.”
As the most spoken language in the world, Mandarin is recognised as a valuable skill for young people in the UK to acquire. 77 per cent of British business leaders surveyed in 2018 saying that speaking Mandarin will give school leavers a career advantage. Research by the British Council has found that Mandarin is the second most important foreign language for the UK’s influence on the global stage.
However, the numbers of pupils studying Mandarin are low when compared to other languages. This year, in Scotland for example, just 232 pupils took the Scottish National 5 exam in Mandarin compared to more than 10,720 students who took French and over 7000 pupils who took Spanish.
Jackie Killeen, Director, British Council Scotland said;
“It’s wonderful to see so many Scottish Schools and pupils involved in the Mandarin Speaking Competition this year – and we’re delighted to help host this event in Glasgow. Mandarin Chinese is a vital language world-wide and this competition provides a powerful way for students not only to enhance their language skills but also to broaden their horizons for life and work in the global economy. We wish all the pupils and Schools the very best for the heats and the final”.
Fhiona Mackay, Director, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, added;
“SCILT is delighted to host the Scottish heats of the British Council’s annual Mandarin Speaking Competition. These events highlight the importance of languages as key skills for life and work and showcase the talents of youngsters across the country who are enthusiastically learning Mandarin. It’s certainly not easy an easy task to speak in a language you are learning in front of a panel of distinguished judges and I am impressed by the young people’s courage, motivation and commitment. The confidence that is developed by taking part in such an event will serve them well throughout their school careers. Regardless of the outcome of the judges’ final decisions, everyone who takes part is a winner!”
Since 2003, around 3,000 young people from across the UK have entered the competition – with some of these pupils later going on to graduate in Mandarin Chinese.
Pupils can compete in the Individual Language Ability or the Group Performance section. In the Individual section, contestants give a short presentation in Mandarin and translate sentences from English into Mandarin. In the Group Performance section, groups of five students of mixed Mandarin experience perform a piece of drama in Mandarin, involving imaginative performances and drama.
The national final of the Mandarin Speaking Competition will take place in London on 5 February 2020.
6 December 2019 (Goethe-Institut)
The German Olympics (IDO) is the biggest competition for the German language. Every two years over 100 students from all around the world meet to compete in their most beloved foreign language.
We are happy to welcome the German Olympics for schools worldwide to the United Kingdom in 2020 for the third time. The competition is open to secondary school students born between August 2002 and July 2006.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information about eligibility and how to enter the competition. Submission deadline is 27 March 2020.
Read more...
6 December 2019 (Scottish Parliament)
Well done to all the semi-finalists and finalists of the Gaelic National Schools Debate. And congratulations to winners Sgoil Lionacleit and Raonaid Campbell from Sir E Scott.
The final was hosted at the Scottish Parliament on 5 December and is available to watch on the Scottish Parliament's TV channel.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
3 December 2019 (UWS)
Mathématiques sans Frontières is an annual international mathematics competition for S4-S6 schoolchildren, centrally run by the Académie de Strasbourg since 1989. This interclass competition involves a number of mathematical puzzles where one of the puzzles is posed, and must be answered, in a foreign language.
Schools are now invited to register for the competition by 24 January 2020 and receive a set of practice questions. The questions from the 2019 competition can be found on the attached document.
For more information about the competition timeline and how to apply, visit the Mathématiques sans Frontières website.
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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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2 December 2019 (Stornoway Gazette)
The semi-finals of the National Secondary Schools’ Gaelic Debate will take place on Wednesday this week.The first semi-final will see Inverness Royal Academy B up against Lionacleit School. The second debate will see Bishopbriggs High School take on Sir E Scott.The two winning teams will meet in the Final, at The Scottish Parliament on Thursday, December 5th, at 7pm, where they will debate, ‘In 20 years time, the real Gàidhlig communities will be situated in the big cities’.
Looking forward to the final, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP, said: “Gaelic matters. “It is part of who we are and part of Scotland’s rich cultural identity. The humour, insight and linguistic skill displayed by young people in this competition year after year, convincingly demonstrates that the language continues to flourish. “It gives me immense pleasure that the final will be held on the floor of Holyrood’s debating chamber, marking this, our joint twentieth anniversary.”
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29 November 2019 (SCILT)
The winter 2019 edition of the SCILT newsletter has been published. Read about SCILT’s work to support the learning and teaching of languages, including our professional learning offer, our new DYW toolkit and the Scottish Languages Employability Award. Find out how schools celebrated the European Day of Languages this year, and hear from local authorities about their latest inspiring initiatives. There is also the opportunity to read about the work our partners have been doing to support language learning in Scotland.
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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!
Read more...
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 (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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8 November 2019 (ULIP)
Studying French at AS/A Level (or equivalent) and fancy a weekend away to the City of Light?
The University of London Institute in Paris’ (ULIP) annual Win a Trip to Paris competition is now open for students of AS/A-Level French (or equivalent)! The weekend offers the perfect chance to explore the French capital, try out your taste for croissants, and see what it might be like to live and study for your undergraduate degree in one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities.
This year's competition focuses on an important forthcoming event that will take place in Paris. To spur creativity, we have changed our format: this year we are inviting you to create an image caption. Be imaginative and bold! For your chance to spend a weekend in Paris, simply answer two questions and add your snappy caption under the image before midnight UK time 31 January 2020.
Visit the ULIP website for more information and to enter.
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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.
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.
Read more...
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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25 October 2019 (African in Motion Film Festival)
The Africa in Motion Film Festival takes place from 25 October to 3 November. Screenings in Glasgow and Edinburgh include several foreign language films.
Visit the website for full details of this year's programme.
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25 October 2019 (The Daily Record)
Do you ken what the most iconic Scots word is? If not, dinnae get yourself in a fankle, you soon will.
A panel organised by the Scottish Book Trust have whittled our favourite Scots words to 30. And now the public have the chance to vote for them.
Tying in with A Year of Conversation and the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the public were invited to submit iconic Scots words through the charity’s social media channels and website. More than 200 words were nominated, from various dialects such as Doric, Shetlandic, Dundonian and Glaswegian.
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23 October 2019 (Scottish Book Trust)
Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading that takes place every November. The programme for this year's Book Week Scotland has just been launched. The programme includes workshops, poetry and storytelling sessions in Gaelic and Scots for both adults and children.
Visit the website to find out about events and activities taking place near you.
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19 October 2019 (The Times)
Cambridge academics are opening the country’s first museum of languages today but it will be located in a shopping centre, not one of its historic colleges.
World-renowned professors of linguistics are desperately trying to stem the decline in modern foreign languages at schools. The number of teenagers taking French GCSE has more than halved in the 15 years since taking a language ceased to be compulsory.
The museum has been set up in a shopping centre alongside high street stores like Clintons and Claire’s accessories, to encourage people – particularly children – to learn.
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...
16 October 2019 (King's College London)
The Department of German at King's College London are again holding their Königspost essay writing competition for year 12 and 13 students of German (senior phase in Scotland).
Students are invited to write an article in German on the subject of Jugend und Protest. The winning entry will be published in our popular newspaper, the Königspost, and there will be further prizes for the winner and runners-up.
See the attached flyer for full details about the competition and how to enter or visit the website. Submission deadline is 18 November 2019.
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15 October 2019 (The National)
Scotland's Gaelic development board has unveiled a new campaign inspired by a scheme in Wales aimed at spreading pride in the language.
Bòrd na Gàidhlig launched the “#cleachdi” hashtag at the Royal National Mod 2019 in Glasgow.
The body is urging Gaelic speakers and learners to include #cleachdi alongside #useit and #gaidhlig on social media, email signatures or by wearing the symbol on stickers, showing their pride in the language.
Shona MacLennan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig chief executive officer, said: “More and more people want to use and learn Gaelic and this initiative is a very positive and easy to use means to encourage more people to use more Gaelic in more situations.
“We will be joining all those who speak the language in displaying our pride at letting others know we are Gaelic speakers. We think #cleachdi is the perfect way to do this. So let’s #useit and put #gaidhlig firmly on the map.”
The new #cleachdi campaign is similar to the Welsh Language Commissioner’s “Iaith Gwaith”, or “Welsh at Work”, scheme, which is used in Wales to show that a service is available in Welsh.
Read more...
10 October 2019 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about ecology, sustainability and Europe.
There will be different rounds in which the participating schools compete against each other. At the end, all students will be invited to the final in which the two winning teams will show their language skills.
The preliminary rounds will take place at participating schools whilst the final will take place at the British Council in London.
In order to prepare the students for the competition and to ensure that they can express themselves at the appropriate language level, the Goethe-Institut provides teachers with useful phrases.
The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the students' communication skills.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register eligible teams of four by 25 October 2019. Spaces for taking part in the competition are limited and you will be confirmed after the deadline.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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7 October 2019 (The Times)
Glasgow’s first Gaelic poet laureate has urged Scotland not to treat the language like a “fragile vase that you can’t afford to drop” after a big decline in its use.
Niall O’Gallagher — who was appointed bard baile Ghlaschu, or Glasgow city bard, in July — said that Gaelic was under threat but thinking of it as a dialect that must be carefully preserved could make the situation worse. He also admitted that speaking it in public had become “awkward”.
The poet is urging learners to grapple and experiment with the language, and has called for more public spaces to embrace events in the language.
Subscription required to read full article
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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 (The Herald)
Along with the growing interest in Gaelic culture, the Royal National Mòd is flourishing into a celebration that is more inclusive and accessible than ever.
This year the biggest Gaelic festival in the world returns to Glasgow for the first time since 1990 for Mòd Ghlaschu, nine days filled with music, arts, and sport.
The birth of the Mòd came in 1891, and ever since then it has been organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach, which, for more than a century, has supported the teaching, learning, and use of the Gaelic language as well as the study and cultivation of Gaelic literature, history, music and art. The festival has held its royal charter since 1992, becoming Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail (The Royal National Mòd).
The main focus of the Mòd is competition, something that attracts the best in Gaelic sport and culture from Gaelic communities throughout the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada and the US.
Whether they are looking to compete or spectate, visitors can enjoy more than 200 competitive events in highland dancing, sport, literature, and drama, as well as Gaelic music and song. For example, this year sees the welcome return of the London Gaelic Choir after an absence from the Mòd.
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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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29 September 2019 (The Scotsman)
Writers, broadcasters, singers, poets and schools have been honoured at the first ever Scots Language Oscars, in the latest addition to the nation’s traditional arts and culture calendar.
The event, which saw 11 awards presented at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow, was launched to coincide with the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages initiative.
The new Scots Language Awards celebrate the country’s original tongue, which dates back around 1,400 years and is thought to have been spoken by almost a third of the population.
The event, backed by arts agency Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scots Language Centre, has been instigated by Hands Up for Trad, who are also behind the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year contest, which has been staged for the last 20 years, and the Scots Trad Music Awards, which were launched in 2003.
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25 September 2019 (British Council Voices)
Spend enough time in any European country and you’re likely to hear English words peppering people’s speech.
But look more closely, and you’ll see how this is deeper than parroting your favourite Netflix show. English words have been blended, moulded, changed, mixed and adopted by European languages in many linguistic ways.
For European Day of Languages, we called on the expertise of colleagues in our offices across Europe to put together a non-exhaustive (but we hope still enlightening) library of our favourite English loan words.
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Statement from the President of the Federal Republic of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, on the occasion of the European Day of Languages, 26th September 2019
23 September 2019 (Council of Europe)
Openness, tolerance and rejection of hate at all levels of society are key indicators of a strong, value-conscious and successful Europe.
At the initiative of the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages (EDL) has been celebrated every year, on 26 September since 2001 – a call to encourage all European citizens to learn languages and to recognise and appreciate Europe's cultural diversity.
This special day represents an occasion to celebrate the many languages spoken within our countries and across our communities, and to demonstrate that all voices in Europe are treated with equal respect. These are the values of the Council of Europe, the continent’s oldest intergovernmental organisation which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary.
I am proud that Austria and the city of Graz host the Council’s European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), which plays a special role in fostering language learning. 2019 also marks an anniversary year for the ECML; together with its 33 member states, it is celebrating 25 years of promoting plurilingualism which puts languages at the heart of learning and mutual understanding.
To celebrate the European Day of Languages, hundreds of events have been organised across Europe and beyond by schools, universities and cultural establishments, with Austria one of the most active countries in this regard.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supports this wonderful initiative. I send you my best wishes for the future!
European Day of Languages website
Background information on the Day
It is estimated that there are over 225 indigenous languages in Europe, without even including languages which have arrived on the continent through migration.
The specific aims of the EDL are to:
- raise awareness of the importance of language learning in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.
The Council of Europe and the European Commission work closely together on the coordination of the Day. The dedicated website, www.coe.int/edl, which is available in 39 languages, provides details of events taking place in celebration of the Day, as well as a wide variety of resources and activities for everyone interested in languages and language learning.
22 September 2019 (The Times)
It could cause a stooshie or a hootenanny, depending on your viewpoint, but Scots, the dialect or language that has been spoken in Scotland for several centuries, may get its own agency to help it survive.
Nicola Sturgeon is under internal pressure from SNP activists in this UN year of indigenous languages to recognise Scots as an official language. It could mean it is treated like Gaelic, which was given its own statutory agency, Bord na Gaidhlig, after a catastrophic drop in native speaker numbers.
Some nationalists believe the move would help many more people to learn or promote the so-called “mither tongue”, with support for it to be more widely taught, learnt and promoted as part of public life in Scotland.
Subscription required to read full article
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21 September 2019 (The Press and Journal)
The announcement that the Doric Film Festival will return coincides with the news that last year’s inaugural event, and its creator Scots Radio, have been nominated for awards in the prestigious Scots Language Awards.
Also nominated is John Black, headteacher of Meethill Primary School in Peterhead which won the schools’ section of last year’s Festival competition.
And Sheena Blackhall, who wrote and read a special poem for the Doric Film Festival awards, will receive the Janet Paisley Lifetime Achievement Award at the Scots Language Awards.
The Doric Film Festival is the brainchild of Scots Radio director Frieda Morrison, who created the platform to celebrate the Doric language and its cultural identity.
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20 September 2019 (ECML)
The latest issue of the European Language Gazette edited by the ECML has just been published in English and in French. This issue is dedicated to the 18th edition of the European Day of Languages.
Contents:
- Explore the online calendar of EDL activities and add your events!
- Handbook of Language Challenges and initiative for the Day
- What do you dare to do in a foreign language?
- Competitions galore!
- Do you know…?
- Last minute materials and up to date information
- 18 events taking place in celebration of the Day!
- Council of Europe and European Commission events taking place around the Day
Read more...
19 September 2019 (SCILT)
How are you planning to celebrate European Day of Languages 2019?
Email us a short description and some photos after your event, and we will feature you in our EDL blog for 2019. We may even include your story in our next SCILT newsletter.
If you are still looking for ideas on how to celebrate you can visit our EDL webpage which has lots of suggestions for activities, downloadable resources and links to useful websites.
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18 September 2019 (SEET)
Want to get pupils more engaged in language learning, global citizenship and encourage uptake? Are you keen to improve their confidence and win an award or two? Then get involved!
SEET’s popular Our World film making project has now launched for the 2019-20 year! Our World uses film making and global citizenship as a means to help pupils explore and improve their use of foreign languages. It’s totally free, and all you have to do is sign up. Last year over 70% of participant pupils said they were more likely to continue with their study of languages after taking part.
Teams of four, from S3-S6, need to come up with a creative idea for a film based on one of this year's themes and submit their storyboard by 3 December 2019.
See the attached flyer or visit the website for more information.
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German debating competition for secondary schools
16 September 2019 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about ecology, sustainability and Europe.
There will be different rounds in which the participating schools compete against each other. At the end, all students will be invited to the final in which the two winning teams will show their language skills.
The preliminary rounds will take place at participating schools whilst the final will take place at the British Council in London.
In order to prepare the students for the competition and to ensure that they can express themselves at the appropriate language level, the Goethe-Institut provides teachers with useful phrases.
The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the students' communication skills.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register eligible teams of four by 25 October 2019. Spaces for taking part in the competition are limited and you will be confirmed after the deadline.
12 September 2019 (SCILT)
Do you have a story to share with the languages community?
We are currently taking submissions for our winter 2019 newsletter. This is a great opportunity to promote what has been happening in your school or local authority with regard to languages.
We are looking for articles of a maximum of 300 words, with a couple of colourful photos. The deadline for contributions is Friday 4th October 2019.
Visit our website to read the full submission guidelines, and to view previous editions of the newsletter.
Read more...
10 September 2019 (British Council)
Applications are now invited for the British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition 2019/20.
The competition provides a great, fun opportunity for secondary school students to practice and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills along with the chance to win a week in Beijing!
Heats will be held in Belfast, Glasgow and London during November and December 2019 with the final taking place in London on 5 February 2020.
See the attached flyer for more information and visit the website for eligibility and entry criteria.
Entry deadline: 14 October 2019.
Read more...
28 August 2019 (TES)
As educators, we are used to teaching our pupils in English. Sometimes we may use French or Spanish, consolidating our learning of these languages into our daily routine. But how often do we teach in or teach through Scots?
Every January, as we celebrate the life of Robert Burns, children across Scotland busily and eagerly learn a Scots poem ready to recite to their peers – but for many learners that is it.
Could we, and should we, be doing more?
In the 2011 census, over 1.5 million people self-identified as being able to speak Scots. With a language that is spoken that widely, shouldn’t we extend our teaching of Scots beyond a once-a-year celebration?
The Scots language is part of our culture and heritage and by teaching Scots – beyond dipping our toe in to celebrate Burns night – we are recognising and placing value on the diverse language and vocabulary that many pupils bring with them to school.
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23 August 2019 (SEET)
Our World is a languages and citizenship based film making project for S3 - S6 pupils run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET). It's designed to complement the curriculum for excellence and attainment challenge by providing a free project, which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.
Participants submit a storyboard outlining the film they propose to make. This year's films should explore the idea of global citizenship and touch on one or more of the following themes:
- Migration and welcome
- Sustainable Tourism
- Trade
The film must also include the use of a language other than English. Entry deadline is 3 December 2019.
Schools wishing to take part should visit the SEET website for more information and to register.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Citizenship,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
Technology,
News from language & education organisations
23 August 2019 (European Commission)
The European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation (DG Translation) runs Juvenes Translatores 2019, an online translation contest for secondary schools in the European Union. Up to now, we’ve been asking Juvenes Translatores contestants to put pen to paper. Now we want to bring them closer to the real world of professional translation world by going digital. This time round, contestants will be translating online for the first time.
Interested schools can enter 2-5 participants who must have been born in 2002. Schools can register on the official website between 2 September, 12 noon (Central European time), and 20 October 2019, 12 noon (Central European time). A random electronic draw will be held to select schools for the contest from among those that have registered. The contest will be held on 21 November 2019.
Visit the Juvenes Translatores website for more information.
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14 August 2019 (Daily Record)
Two Galloway writers are among nine scrievers nationwide to be awarded funding to support their work in Scots.
Stuart A Paterson from Kirkbean and Susi Briggs from Gatehouse have both received Scots Language Publication grants.
The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust, was created by the Scots Language Resource Network to support Scots publishers and to encourage Scots writers.
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13 August 2019 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)
The Scottish Gaelic Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.
The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to host the most prestigious night of the year within the Gaelic community calendar. Celebrating Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.
The awards are now in their seventh year and attended by over 200 guests including finalists, event sponsors and members of the Gaelic community. The event itself will be a celebration embracing traditional and modern entertainment.
The Scottish Gaelic Awards will take place on Tuesday 19 November at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel and returning to host the event will be Scottish Broadcaster and Producer, Cathy MacDonald.
Visit the website for more information and to view the award categories. Submit your nominations by 25 September 2019.
Read more...
Related Links
Gaelic Awards: hail the Gaels (Daily Record, 13 August 2019)
Young culinary and linguistic talents celebrated
21 June 2019 (SCILT)
Thirty-one young learners from across Scotland cooked up a storm on Friday 14 June 2019 at the City of Glasgow College, testing their culinary and language skills in the LinguaChef 2019 competition final. Dunblane High School were crowned as winners in the Secondary category. Glasgow Academy Milngavie were winners in the P1-P4 category, whilst Doune Primary took the honours in the P5-P7 age group.
The competition is a partnership project from Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT) and City of Glasgow College. It brings together languages and food, challenging primary and secondary school pupils to create an international dish from a country whose language they are learning in school, or which is spoken at home.
Participating schools entered the recipe for the dish, including ingredients and instructions, in both the language of the chosen country and in English. Finalists from each of the age categories (P1-P4, P5-P7 and Secondary) were selected to attend the Grand Final where they prepared, cooked and presented their dish to professional chefs and judges.
One teacher said of the competition: “It was an excellent experience for pupils to see the college facilities and to engage with cooking and language skills.”
A participating pupil added: “I liked that it gave us a chance to have a conversation in French and to work in a team.”
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, said: “Food is a fundamental part of any culture and is inextricably linked with language. Much of the vocabulary used in English to describe food originates in other parts of the world. Words from other languages, such as chef, cuisine, pizza, tapas, paella and frankfurter are all commonplace and English speakers feel particularly comfortable with them. It is therefore very fitting to see our children and young people exploring culture and deepening their language skills while developing their understanding of food, its origins and preparation. The competition provides another great example of the cross-sector work going on in the languages community in Scottish schools, colleges and universities and we are thrilled to be working with our colleagues from City of Glasgow College in this initiative.”
As activities heated up in the kitchen, dishes from France, Greece, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and South America were produced, celebrating culinary and cultural diversity.
The pupils got the chance to discuss their dish with the judges, both in English and the target language, and decorated their presentation table with artefacts representing the country and culture.
Winners were selected based on the culinary success of their dish, presentation and table display and the ability to discuss their recipe in the target language. The successful teams were awarded a trophy. All participants at the event received a certificate and goody bag.
LinguaChef is an annual competition that provides pupils in primary and secondary schools across Scotland with an opportunity to have fun with food and languages whilst honing other important skills such as team-work, communication and IT.
Entries were submitted from schools in East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Shetland, Stirling and West Lothian.
Find out more about the event and winning recipes on the SCILT website.
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.
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NEW! Languages in a nutshell
16 November 2018 (SCILT)
NEW! Languages in a nutshell
Languages in a nutshell is a guide to learning languages, produced by SCILT in partnership with The National Parent Forum of Scotland. Aimed at parents, this leaflet explains how the 1+2 Approach will be put into practice and why learning other languages is so important. It also suggests ways parents can support their child’s language learning.
If you are interested in ordering this leaflet for your school please visit our Leaflets page.
Languages in a nutshell is one in a series of Nutshell leaflets produced by The National Parent Forum of Scotland.
5 November 2018 (SCAT)
Cinemaattic’s Catalan Film Festival returns to Scotland bigger than ever with ten days celebrating Catalan culture.
The festival runs from 2-5 November in Glasgow and 13-18 November in Edinburgh. Scotland Catalan Film Festival is back with a new name – SCAT – and an extended programme of films where music, poetry and performance will also be part of this year’s edition.
Visit the website for full details.
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1 November 2018 (An Comunn Gaidhealach)
The organisers of the Royal National Mòd have published their latest newsletter which is available to view online.
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1 November 2018 (Japan Foundation London)
We are delighted to announce that the 14th Japanese Speech Contest for University Students is open for applications!
This contest gives students the chance to make their voices heard in Japanese, and win some fantastic prizes! Finalists will all perform their speeches on Saturday 2nd March 2019 at King’s College London.
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30 October 2018 (Glasgowist)
Glasgow’s Gaelic heritage is celebrated every year as part of the Celtic Connections festival. This year, there was also the Glaschu festival in August, with Gaelic poetry in Queens Park and a Ceilidh on Glasgow Green. Every year, the city is filled with the spirit of Scots Gaelic heritage, as tourists and Glaswegians unite for a celebration of Scottish tradition.
With song and dance at the heart of Gaelic culture, it is no wonder that it continues to fascinate the world. Recent books and television series have prompted a surge in interest in the Gaelic language, while Betfair hosts a slot game called Gaelic Luck. The University of Glasgow has been teaching Gaelic to undergrads for 50 years, and a recent literary festival and ad hoc lessons in Gaelic have responded to a surge in interest.
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30 October 2018 (BBC)
BBC Culture polled 209 critics in 43 countries to find the best in world cinema.
We felt it was time to direct the spotlight away from Hollywood and celebrate the best cinema from around the world. We asked critics to vote for their favourite movies made primarily in a language other than English. The result is BBC Culture’s 100 greatest foreign-language films.
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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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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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24 October 2018 (Daily Record)
The finalists have been announced for this year’s Daily Record and Bòrd na Gàidhlig Scottish Gaelic Awards.
The awards pay tribute to all aspects of Gaelic culture, education and language.
And the winners will be revealed on Wednesday, November 14, in Glasgow.
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16 October 2018 (Press and Journal)
A youth committee is working with An Comunn Gàidhealach to shape the Mods of the future.
The group was set up this year giving a nod to The National Year of the Young Person – and so far has set its sights on modernising the way in which the historic organisation communicates with the public to secure its future.
The committee of three – Shannon MacLean, 21, Padruig Morrison, 22 and Katie MacInnes 18 – is supported by 25-year-old Alison Bruce who is also employed by An Comunn Gàidhealach.
Miss MacLean, from Mull, said: “Being on the committee has been very interesting. Our main goal is to get more young people to come to the mod and get them involved in local mods around the country.
“This is my third mod in Dunoon, and it is certainly the competitions that have helped me, as a non-native speaker, take the language seriously.
“My job is to make sure it survives for a long time yet.”
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Related Links
Top Gaelic learner blooms at the Mòd (The Scotsman, 17 October 2018)
14 October 2018 (Argyllshire Advertiser)
It’s Mòd time again, and the Gaelic party is well and truly up and running in Dunoon.
Storm Callum and well-publicised road closure problems at the Rest and be Thankful were never going to prevent Gaels from all over Scotland and beyond from enjoying themselves.
Friday saw the the Royal National Mòd (Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) get into full swing with an energetic night of live music and celebrations, as Scotland’s biggest Gaelic cultural festival arrived in the Argyll town.
The Mòd is set to bring thousands of people to Dunoon as visitors and competitors until Saturday October 20.
Read more...
13 October 2018 (BBC)
A 22-year-old singer from Skye has been named Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, as the Royal National Mod gets under way.
Eilidh Cormack, from Portree, said she was "absolutely delighted".
The Gaelic cultural festival began in Dunoon on Friday night, with a special celebration honouring Scotland's Year of Young People.
Over the next eight days there will be more than 200 competitions and events in Highland dancing, sport, literature, drama, Gaelic music and song.
Read more...
12 October 2018 (Education Perfect)
Raise the profile of languages at your school. The competitive element threaded through Education Perfect can excite and engage even the most unenthusiastic students!
The championships are a brilliant chance for revision of vocabulary and celebration of achievements in language learning. Students compete live and online from computers and iPod/Android apps.
The competition runs from 6 - 13 November 2018 and registration is now open!
Visit the website for more information.
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Königspost competition 2018
12 October 2018 (King's College London)
King's College London's Department of German is delighted to announce its 2018 competition for Year 12 and 13 students of German, the equivalent S5 and S6 in Scotland.
Students are invited to write an article of around 400-450 words in German in response to this quotation from a short story by the German-Japanese author Yoko Tawada: ‘Das Monsterbaby erwartet von der Mutter Meer, immer wieder neue Windeln zu waschen. Das Meer wird als eine überdimensionale Waschmaschine benutzt.’
The winner and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony and seminar at King's College London in early December 2018.
Entries should be submitted by 22 November 2018. See the attached flyer for more information.
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 (SEET)
SEET’s popular Our World film making project has now launched for the 2018-19 year! Our World uses film making and language learning as a means to help pupils explore the themes of LfS and the Sustainable Development Goals. It’s totally free, and all you have to do is sign up.
The project has been running for the past 6 years, has a proven track record of encouraging languages uptake at higher secondary levels, and is open to any team of four from S3 - S6 (no previous film making knowledge is required). All teams have to do to enter is come up with a creative idea for a film, based on one of this year's themes. Then, with SEET’s help teams put that idea into storyboard form and send it to us with an audio or video clip explaining it. The deadline for storyboard submissions is 5th December 2018.
Themes:
As part of a team of four, come up with a creative idea for a short film about being a citizen of the world. Your team should consider one of the following themes to get you started:
- Sustainable Tourism (going on holiday, exploring other countries and cultures and making a positive impact on the environment)
- Migration and welcome (refugees, moving abroad, how people are treated)
- Trade (how businesses work in different countries, importing and exporting)
All films must include the use of at least one language other than English - but the more the merrier!
After all the entries are submitted, 18 teams from across Scotland will be invited to one of three regional film making workshop days (roughly 6 teams per workshop) where they will get the opportunity to make their film a reality. Pupils are given technology and professional film-making training on the day to help them, so don't worry if they don't have experience - all they need are their ideas.
Throughout the project SEET staff are happy to make trips to schools to work with classes and answer any questions you might have.
If you'd like to register or sign up a team visit the website, where you can also hear previous participants talk about their experience of the project, OR contact Madeleine McGirk at SEET (madeleine@seet.org.uk).
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News from language & education organisations
10 October 2018 (Africa in Motion Film Festival)
Africa in Motion is Scotland’s major annual celebration of African cinema, and is delighted to return for the 13th year to bring audiences in Edinburgh and Glasgow a wide variety of creative stories from across the African continent.
Screenings will take place from 26 October to 4 November. Several films in the programme will offer the opportunity to brush up your language skills in French, Arabic, Japanese and Swahili.
Find full programme details on the website.
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8 October 2018 (The Herald)
When cult Gaelic rock group Runrig signed off at their final concerts at Stirling some weeks ago their popularity with fans of all ages was abundantly evident. Forty years earlier these young Gaelic speakers launched their band and captured the lasting interest of many in their language and the challenging history of their people.
The group instilled new confidence and self-esteem among young Gaels and in communities in other countries. Runrig’s appearance coincided with renewed interest in Gaelic language revival and their music complemented and supported education and other cultural initiatives that have grown since.
Gaelic music’s international success reflects natural talent and continuing cultural confidence from the Runrig phenomenon of the 1970s. All involved in the promotion and revitalisation of Gaelic are acutely aware that the future of the language and culture depend on the interest and enthusiasm young people take in it.
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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.
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4 October 2018 (The Pushkin Prizes)
Somewhere out there, in an S1 or S2 class in a school in Scotland, there are ten writers worthy of the title Pushkin Prize-winner. Are you one of them?
What can you write about? ANYTHING! We're looking for stories, poems, plays, articles, memoirs - anything you like on a subject of your choice. You can write in English, Scots or Gaelic.
Visit the website for more information and submit your entries by 20 December 2018.
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3 October 2018 (Deasbad)
The announcement of the preliminary rounds of the National Gaelic Schools Debate competition has been made and the 2018 competition looks set to be another excellent year! The first two rounds will be held at the Town Hall in Stornoway, on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of November 2018. Last year, for the first time ever the first rounds from Stornoway were available online, through e-Sgoil’s You Tube channel and the Deasbad Committee will be making sure that this year’s first round will also be live streamed to a potentially global audience!
Sixteen teams from fourteen schools are due to compete in the 2018 competition. Following on from the positive feedback received from the new competition format, all the schools will participate in debates over the two days, with the four teams with the highest points, across the two days, progressing to the final stages which will be held in Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday the 27th and 28th of November 2018. The Committee welcome Agnes Rennie and Boyd Robertson who will join Iain Stephen Morrison as judges.
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2 October 2018 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about the future of Europe.
The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the student’s communication skills.
Applications are invited from teams of four year 12 students (4th year of learning German).
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register by 26 October 2018.
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2 October 2018 (Vocab Express)
Create a languages buzz around your school by taking part in a global online vocabulary competition.
The competition is free to all existing school subscribers to Vocab Express. There are also a limited number of free places available for schools not currently subscribed.
Our week-long global competitions are a great way to get your school enthused about language learning. We run our League of Champions competition in the autumn term from the 10th - 16th of October and our Global Challenge competition in spring.
Each sees 10s of thousands of students competing to win the top spot on our overall and individual language leaderboards. There are competitions in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Urdu, Hebrew, Mandarin and Japanese.
Applications for the next League of Champions are now open. Visit the Vocab Express website for further information and to register by 9 October 2018.
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1 October 2018 (Highland Council)
Iomain Cholmcille – the Gaelic Shinty Project – has worked in partnership with The Highland Council’s Gaelic Team to organise a six aside national Shinty event for P4 to P7 Gaelic Medium pupils from schools across Scotland.
In August Iomain Cholmchille announced funding of £8000, from Bord na Gàidhlig in order to help develop the use of Gaelic in youth Shinty. The project was launched at Bun- Sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh and pupils were presented with new Gaelic strips for the school Shinty team. The funding for community projects aims to build on Iomain Cholmcille’s successful work, in partnership with the Highland Council’s Gaelic Team running Cupa Iomain na h-Òige.
Cupa Iomain na h-Òige – Youth Shinty Cup - is in its third year and although based in the Highlands, the competition, which is held entirely through the medium of Gaelic, is open to schools from across Scotland. This year the competition took place at the Bught Park in Inverness which is a national stadium and 14 teams have entered with approximately 100 pupils participating in the event.
Schools from across Scotland entered which include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dingwall, this is the first time that the smaller schools in Skye have taken part.
Iomain Cholmcille is a project dedicated to encouraging the use of Gaelic in the Shinty world and regularly organises international exchanges with Irish-speaking hurling teams for both men and women.
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26 September 2018 (ECML/COE)
“Understanding each other is the key to benefitting from Europe’s rich cultural diversity. Language education helps us to do this and to embrace other cultures and ways of life.
The European Day of Languages, initiated by the Council of Europe, is held each year on
26 September. It provides an opportunity to celebrate Europe’s unique linguistic context, and serves as an impetus for people of all ages and backgrounds to broaden their horizons and discover the added value of being able to communicate in other languages.
Languages and culture go hand in hand. This year, which is the EU-designated European Year of Cultural Heritage, hundreds of events are being organised around the continent by schools, universities, and cultural institutions and associations to mark the European Day of Languages and send a powerful message of openness to one another. My best wishes go to all of those taking part.”
www.coe.int/EDL
-------------------------------------------------------
Background information on the Day
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is an annual celebration day to encourage language learning across Europe. At the initiative of the Council of Europe, EDL has been celebrated every year, on 26 September, since the European Year of Languages in 2001.
The specific aims of the EDL are to:
- raise awareness of the importance of language learning in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.
The dedicated website for the EDL is available in 37 languages and hundreds of activities are registered in the events’ calendar. The EDL activities which take place in Europe and increasingly on other continents are organised mainly by schools, universities, language and cultural institutes, associations and also by the European Commission’s translation field offices. In 2017 over 1250 events involving tens of thousands of participants were recorded.
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25 September 2018 (The Irish Times)
Learning a new language can seem like a mammoth challenge, but for those who are really intent on developing fluency, nothing beats full immersion by moving to the country where it is spoken day-to-day. Ahead of European Day of Languages on September 26th, readers living around the world share their experiences of the frustration and joy of learning a new tongue.
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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.
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News from language & education organisations
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.
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18 September 2018 (Edinburgh Reporter)
The 5th Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival takes place from 4-20 October 2018.
Festival Opens With First Ever Basque Film Screened At Edinburgh Filmhouse.
The 2018 Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival presents a total of 15 feature films and 7 short films in Spanish from 4-20 October in Edinburgh (Filmhouse), Stirling (MacRobert Arts Centre) and Glasgow (Film Theatre).
[..] Many of the films are suitable for all ages and in addition there will be a special screening of Nur And The Dragon Temple for schools at 10am on Wednesday 3rd October. There will also be workshops which will explore Spanish language, cinema and youth taking place in schools throughout Scotland.
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17 September 2018 (The Herald)
In a world dominated by media the importance of broadcasting cannot be overemphasised in efforts to revive lesser used languages and so the 10th anniversary of the establishment of BBC Alba – launched on September 19, 2008 – is cause for celebration for all committed to the survival and advancement of the Gaelic language. That it was set up under the aegis of the BBC was a crucial achievement especially in the context of that year’s global financial crisis and the inevitable questions around the licence fee, charter renewal and the like. Therefore, to have our Scottish Gaelic channel on the first screen of the BBC iPlayer – located between the Parliament channel and S4C (the Welsh language channel) – remains a source of pleasure to language activists.
Indeed the creation of a dedicated Gaelic channel is now acknowledged as one of the key cultural developments of the new millennium in Scotland (cf National Theatre of Scotland, Dundee V & A) and crucially complements Gaelic-medium education; and arguably, in terms of impact, more significant than the Gaelic Language Act (2005).
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17 September 2018 (ECML)
The latest edition of the ECML's newsletter is now available online. This edition has a focus on the European Day of Languages on 26 September with a round-up of events, activities and competitions taking place to celebrate the event.
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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 (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. It’s completely free to both competitors and schools.
Teachers can now register their school for the United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) 2019. Round 1 will take place from 4-8 February.
Visit the UKLO website for more information about the competition and registration.
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12 September 2018 (Oban Times)
Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail (The Royal National Mòd) will return to Dunoon next month (Friday 12 October – Saturday 20 October) for the eighth time – with a very special focus on Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018.
The nine-day spectacular of Gaelic music, arts and sport will take place in Dunoon for the first time since 2012, with a host of initiatives aimed at encouraging more young people to get involved already under way.
Throughout the year, Dunoon schools have welcomed tutors from FèisSgoil to help them prepare for Mòd competitions, as part of An Comunn Gàidhealach’s Mòd Academy initiative, which aims to help youngsters learn and develop their musical and Gaelic skills.
Local drama workshops for Dunoon’s youngsters were hosted in recent months in a bid to inspire more children to get involved with Gaelic drama, with a group set to perform at this year’s festival; and organisers have been working closely with the Camanachd Association to arrange a junior shinty Mòd Cup match before the annual senior match.
This year also saw the establishment of the first ever Young Person’s Committee, supported by the Year of Young People 2018 Event Fund, which has allowed young Gaels the opportunity to get involved in the Mòd planning process, and to have their say on what they would like to see.
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10 September 2018 (DAAD)
In addition to accompanying written texts, competitors are asked this year to make a short video on ‘Auf deutschen Spuren - In the footsteps of German-language culture’.
Find out about historical or current traces of German-language culture in your area and create a short film not exceeding 3 minutes featuring German-language dialogue or voice-over. Judges will be looking for creativity and language use - rather than technical ability.
The competition is open to all German speakers upwards from secondary school level.
Find out more about the competition on the DAAD website and submit entries by 5 October 2018.
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News from language & education organisations
8 September 2018 (The Times)
For decades it faced ridicule and was forbidden in schools, but now one of the native tongues of northeast Scotland has effectively been recognised as an official language. Doric, a dialect spoken from Montrose in Angus to Nairn in the Highlands, will be acknowledged alongside English and Gaelic.
As part of its commitment to the “mither tongue” Aberdeen city council this week published its cultural strategy in the language of the author Lewis Grassic Gibbon.
The document, Culture Aiberdeen, states: “In the last couple o year there’s been a lowp in the nummer of boorachs formed bi artists an performers."
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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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3 September 2018 (British Council)
A great, fun opportunity for students to practise and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills.
Taking part in the competition:
- increases students’ motivation for learning the language
- develops vocabulary and improves pronunciation
- raises confidence for oral examinations
- encourages students to interact with their classmates
- inspires students to discover more about Chinese culture.
The prize is a week in Beijing! Students will visit historical sites, interact with Chinese students and experience Chinese culture with the British Council, who have over twenty years’ experience in running cultural exchanges with China.
Applications for the 2018/19 competition are now open. Apply by Friday 5 October 2018.
Visit the British Council website for more information and to download the application form.
Read more...
1 September 2018 (European Commission)
The European Commission has just launched Juvenes Translatores 2018, a translation contest for schools in the European Union.
Schools wishing to participate must respond by registering electronically on the website between 1 September and 20 October 2018.
Selected schools will be able to enter between two and five students, who must have been born in 2001. Each student can choose to translate from any official EU language into any other official EU language.
Further information, rules and criteria can be found on the Juvenes Translatores website.
Read more...
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28 August 2018 (ECML)
Have you ever wondered how multilingual your classroom/organisation actually is? There are often many more languages represented in a school classroom, an office or an association than you expect. This can be down to a variety of reasons: your pupils or colleagues may speak different home or heritage languages, they may have lived or worked in different countries or indeed they may simply have learned their languages through formal and informal education.
It is estimated that there are over 225 indigenous languages in Europe, without even including languages which have arrived on the continent through migration.
For the 2018 European Day of Languages we are looking for schools, offices, associations and in fact any organisations or individuals, who would like to showcase their languages. Through this initiative we would like to highlight multilingual Europe in practice, and also discover Europe’s most language rich classrooms and workplaces.
Participation can be via any creative means that demonstrate how multilingual your classroom/organisation is. This can be, for example, through a short video or audio recording (no longer than 30s), a poster, a piece of creative writing, a song demonstrating the language skills present, in fact – anything you like! As 2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage we also welcome entries showing innovative ways of discovering and presenting other cultures in your school, place of study or work place.
By 10 October 2018 we hope to identify Europe’s most multilingual and intercultural classrooms and workplaces.
(All entrants will receive a certificate of participation)
Read more...
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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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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7 August 2018 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)
The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to launch the 2018 campaign to celebrate Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.
Visit the website for more information and submit your nomination by 25 September 2018.
Read more...
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.
20 June 2018 (Shetland News)
TEN pupils at Mid Yell Junior High School received prizes on Monday (18 June) as part of a celebration of the teaching and use of French in Scottish schools.
The S2 students, winners of this year's Concours de la francophonie competition, received their prizes during a special award ceremony at the school in the presence of education attaché of the French Embassy in the UK Thomas Chaurin and Shetland Gas Plant facilities management co-ordinator Jenny Wink, who was also representing sponsor Total E&P UK.
The VIP visit came after the Yell bairns were unable to attend the official award ceremony in Edinburgh in March.
With the majority of children now learning French from P1 in Scotland, la francophonie is said to be thriving.
Read more...
14 June 2018 (University of Oxford)
Creative Multilingualism is a 4-year research programme aiming to release the creative potential of languages, shine a spotlight on the UK's hidden multilingualism and celebrate the many benefits of language learning.
Visit the Creative Multilingualism website to explore the programme and projects.
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.
Read more...
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...
6 June 2018 (Scottish Education Awards)
Congratulations to all the winners in this year's Scottish Education Awards, particularly those schools who came top in the language categories:
- Larbert High School Cluster (1+2 Languages Award)
- Greenfaulds High School (Gaelic Education Award
Visit the Scottish Education Award website for information and photos of all the category winners.
Read more...
23 May 2018 (DAAD)
To all learners and lovers of German, it’s time again to release your creative spirit and enter the annual writing DAAD/IMLR writing competition!
This – our fifth – jointly organised competition branches out into new territory: after successful (and exciting!) forays into poetry, prose, translation and dramatic dialogue writing, competitors are asked this year to make a short video on ‘Auf deutschen Spuren - In the footsteps of German-language culture’.
Find out more and how to enter on the DAAD website. Submission deadline is 5 October 2018.
Read more...
18 May 2018 (Babel)
Our 2018 competition is now open to 16-18-year-olds and undergraduates! Young linguists have until 24 August to enter for the chance to be published in Babel No25, to be published in November. The winner also, of course, receives a year's subscription to Babel!
Entries should be no longer than 2,500 words, and can discuss any topic to do with languages and linguistics.
Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
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...
18 May 2018 (SCILT/CISS)
S1-S3 pupils from across Scotland took part in the national final of Word Wizard at the Scottish Parliament on 11 May 2018. Word Wizard is a multilingual spelling competition for pupils learning French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish. Forty-eight learners from ten local authorities and independent schools competed in the final in front of an audience of teachers, supporters and guests.
Each year pupils and teachers report that the competition increases motivation, enhances language performance and improves attitudes to language learning. Word Wizard promotes literacy skills amongst pupils and helps schools develop partnership working with universities.
A teacher entering pupils into the final commented: “It provided our pupils with a huge sense of motivation and excitement for learning languages.”
A pupil competing in the final said: “I liked learning new vocabulary and getting to show it off to everyone.”
Word Wizard is organised by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages based at University of Strathclyde, in partnership with the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland.
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT said of the competition: “It’s wonderful to see so many young people taking part in the Word Wizard competition representing a wide range of local authorities. Having an understanding of another language can really transform a person’s life and encourages the development of a whole range of important skills. Through such events, SCILT aims to offer teachers really motivating ways of enhancing the curriculum so that Scottish young people can reap the benefits of learning languages.”
Word Wizard supports the Scottish Government initiative, “Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 approach” by offering a diversity of languages as recommended by the report. 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.
In March 2018, 190 pupils from 14 local authorities and independent schools competed in semi-finals in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh to battle it out for a place at the prestigious final.
Word Wizard is supported by the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland (UCMLS) and the final was sponsored by Joan McAlpine MSP
Full details of the winners and further information on the competition can be found on the SCILT website.
Read more...
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West Dunbartonshire win at Euroquiz final: St Mary’s Primary School Duntocher team crowned Euroquiz Champions 2018
25 May 2018 (SEET)
Congratulations to the P6 team from St Mary’s Primary School, who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s National Euroquiz Final 2018, which took place in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament on 14th May 2018.
St Mary’s Primary School were crowned SEET’s Euroquiz Champions 2018 at the national final. The winners were closely followed by Strathblane Primary School from Stirling who took second place in a nail-biting final round. Gullane Primary School from East Lothian also did incredibly well, winning the prize for third place.
Euroquiz is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET), a non-political charity, which works to promote language learning, skills development and education about Europe and the wider world to young people across Scotland. The project sees events take place locally at first, with every authority hosting their own heat before progressing to the national Grand Final. Over 470 schools from across Scotland took part in Euroquiz Heats from January to March this year, involving more than 2,300 pupils overall. The winning teams from each of the 31 participating Local Authority areas travelled from far and wide to attend the national final at the Scottish Parliament, all hoping to raise the trophy as winners.
Euroquiz started in 1993 as a small quiz for Edinburgh schools, and has now grown to be a Scotland-wide event, becoming an established and popular part of the primary school calendar. Pupils form teams and use free resources to learn about a series of topics including citizenship, democracy, geography, world history, culture and languages. Through participating in Euroquiz, pupils deepen their knowledge of international affairs, but also have the opportunity to develop team building, confidence, language and communication skills.
The finalists were put through their paces by quizmaster Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP and Külli Nurk from the Office of the European Commission in Scotland. Pupils were cheered on by parents and peers in the public gallery, and even remotely, with many schools tuning in to watch the live broadcast of the event. All participants this year were a credit to their schools and thoroughly impressed all guests in attendance with their knowledge of the world around them. Well done to everyone who took part in Euroquiz 2018!
John Swinney MSP, and Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said:
“The Euroquiz competition seeks to create an enthusiasm for learning about the rich and diverse cultures of our fellow Europeans, increasing young people’s confidence and their range of core skills. With these new skills and knowledge there will be new opportunities to shine locally, nationally and globally.
As it has an element of language learning it will also develop our young people’s ability to communicate and this supports the learning about others and the development of active global citizens. That is why Scottish Government are committed to ensuring that language learning throughout school is normal for all our young people.
All the more appropriate during this year of young people that we should shine a light on the fantastic contributions young people make to Scotland and celebrate their achievements.
Congratulations! ¡Enhorabuena! to everyone who has participated in this year’s Euroquiz and in particular to those of you who have reached the National Final here at the Scottish Parliament.
Bonne chance! Gur math thèid leibh! to all the finalists.”
Deputy Presiding Officer and Euroquiz quizmaster Christine Grahame MSP said:
“It’s been a pleasure to welcome so many passionate and talented young people to the Debating Chamber floor today – especially in what is Scotland’s Year of Young People – a time for our young people to truly shine.
Learning about Scotland’s place in the world and our multicultural society is incredibly important, and I would like to congratulate all of the pupils for their hard work in competing in the grand final today.”
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.
Read more...
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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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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.
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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.
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5 April 2018 (Edinburgh Napier University)
Edinburgh Napier University is delighted to announce the publication of the very first issue of Worldwide Napier, a free magazine in which our students in languages (French, German, Italian and Spanish) showcase some of their work. It is available now on digital and soon a few print copies will circulate within Edinburgh.
Secondary school pupils are being invited to contribute articles for the forthcoming issues. View the magazine online and see the attached introductory letter for more information.
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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.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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Languages in the press
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 (Consejería de Educación)
The Ministry of Education of the Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Junta de Castilla y León, annually announces the award to the student with the best results in Spanish in the United Kingdom that has, in addition, the best academic record.
Applications are now open for the 2018 award and should be submitted by 30 April. Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
26 March 2018 (SCILT)
The multilingual talents of young poets from across Scotland were celebrated at a prestigious award ceremony at University of Strathclyde on 17 March 2018.
Children and young people from primary, secondary and early years used their language skills to create and share poetry as part of this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition. In addition, for the first time this year the competition was open to Scotland’s Further and Higher Education sectors.
Mother Tongue Other Tongue is an exciting competition that celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity through creative writing and showcases the many languages used by children and young people across Scotland, in education 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.
This year, over 100 entries were submitted from across Scotland. Winning and Highly Commended entries came from schools in Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian as well as from the University of West of Scotland, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, and City of Glasgow College.
One teacher said of the competition: “I am extremely proud of all our pupils. It was a wonderful chance to hear so many beautiful languages being celebrated. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Another teacher added: "Mother Tongue Other Tongue gives my quieter pupils confidence and self-worth."
One of the young competitors commented: “It has been an amazing experience.”
Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, said: “Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a celebration of the many languages that are spoken and learned by 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 29 different languages. Our congratulations go to the winners and to all who took part in the competition.”
Mother Tongue invites competitors 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 competitors learning another language 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 is supported by creative writer Juliette Lee, the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland, Languages in Colleges and the Scottish Poetry Library.
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 and by providing children who do not have English as their first language with 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.
Read more...
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 (Arsenal Double Club)
Calling all modern language teachers! As we look forward to this summer’s 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Arsenal Double Club are back with yet another FREE languages competition – open to all UK secondary schools – for boys and girls in Year 7 or 8 (S1 or S2 in Scotland).
In small groups, pupils must organise and run a language-themed football match or activity.
Visit the Double Club website for more information and to enter your school by 29 March 2018.
Read more...
20 February 2018 (Institut français d’Écosse )
Vive la Francophonie Quiz is back! The Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, in collaboration with Francophonie UK, is pleased to offer a quiz during la Semaine de la Francophonie 2018 to celebrate the French language and the French-speaking countries.
This quiz is open to S1/S2/S3 learners.
It will be available online during la Semaine de la Francophonie week, from 17 to 25 March 2018, and will take a maximum of 45 minutes to complete.
How to take part: register your team (up to 10 participants maximum per team) online before 15 March through the link below.
You need to register each team separately.
Reminder emails and a link to the quiz page will be sent shortly before these dates.
Bonne chance à tous,
Read more...
19 February 2018 (Arsenal Double Club)
Calling all MFL teachers! As we look forward to this summer’s 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Arsenal Double Club are back with yet another FREE languages competition – open to all UK secondary schools – for boys and girls in Year 7 or 8 (S1 or S2).
Read more...
16 February 2018 (SCILT/CISS)
Children, young people and their families are invited to attend an action-packed family languages event, hosted by Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS), on Saturday 17th March 2018, from 12:15 to 16:00hrs at the University of Strathclyde.
The event is free. Please register through the link below.
SCILT would appreciate it if teachers and schools could pass this information on to families.
Register by 2 March 2018.
Read more...
15 February 2018 (Herald)
The Giant Lanterns of China at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo is set to host Scotland’s biggest celebration of Chinese New Year, which begins on Friday, February 16 to welcome the Year of the Dog featuring traditional performers and street food native to China.
Read more...
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:
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o P1-P3
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Primary categories to present a SWEET dish that could be a cake, biscuit, pudding or dessert for example
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o P4-P7
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o S1-S3
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Secondary categories to present a SAVOURY dish that would be eaten as a main course
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o S4-S6
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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.
MTOT 2017-18 winners announced!
9 February 2018 (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 in Scotland. The poems we received were inspiring, creative, funny and thought-provoking. We were delighted to receive so many entries and had an incredibly difficult time selecting those we felt were most deserving of a place in the 2017-18 MTOT anthology. Thank you to all who participated!
We are pleased to announce this year’s successful entries as follows:
Mother Tongue
|
Category
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Award
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Name
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School
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P4 – P6
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Winner
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Julia Wólszczak (Polish)
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St James' Primary
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|
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Highly commended
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Rayan Al-Boushi (Arabic)
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St Albert's Primary
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|
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Highly commended
|
Zinaida Benya (Hungarian)
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St James' Primary
|
|
P7 – S1
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Winner
|
Nora Dhanou Rodriguez (Spanish)
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West Primary
|
|
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Highly commended
|
Bahadar Esakhiel (Pashto)
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East Fulton Primary
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Mohamad Al Chouhel (Arabic)
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Williamsburgh Primary
|
|
S2 – S3
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Winner
|
Erika Aitkenhead (Russian)
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Kirkintilloch High
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|
Senior Phase
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Winner
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Danai Nikitea (Greek)
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Graeme High
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|
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Highly commended
|
Sayma Hossain (Italian)
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Craigroyston Community High
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Anett Ziegler (Hungarian)
|
Johnstone High
|
|
FE/HE
|
Winner
|
Su Min Lai (Chinese)
|
University of Dundee
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Yinuo Wang (Chinese)
|
University of Dundee
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Hong Lin (Chinese)
|
City of Glasgow College
|
Other Tongue
|
Category
|
Award
|
Name
|
School
|
|
Early Years
|
Winner
|
St Bridget's Early Years Class (Gaelic)
|
St Bridget's Primary
|
|
P4 – P6
|
Winner
|
Ava Stewart (German)
|
Gartcosh Primary
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Kole Murray (Spanish)
|
Moray Primary
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Nathan Decuyper (German)
|
Gartcosh Primary
|
|
P7 – S1
|
Winner
|
Maria Stewart (Irish)
|
St Mari Goretti Primary
|
|
S2 – S3
|
Winner
|
Emily McNally (French)
|
St Margaret's Academy
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Ella Blake, Ashley Forrest, Hollie Speirs, Ilari Tsiko, William Wilson (French)
|
Craigroyston Community High
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Harley Ewen (French)
|
Graeme High
|
|
Senior Phase
|
Winner
|
Maria Dorot (Spanish)
|
Craigroyston Community High
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Simi Singh (French)
|
Graeme High
|
|
|
Highly commended
|
Jasmin Jardine (French)
|
Loudoun Academy
|
| FE/HE |
Winner |
Arnault Bembo (Spanish) |
University of the West of Scotland |
| |
Highly commended |
Farah Nabila Binti Mohd Zin and Nurul Syakirah Binti Ahmad Ghazali (Japanese and Italian) |
University of Dundee and University of Edinburgh |
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 and institutions 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 17 March.
Thank you all once again and keep writing!
Concours de la francophonie 2018 - winners announced
5 February 2018 (Institut français d’Écosse )
The winners of Le concours de la francophonie 2018 have been announced. Please see attached file for the full list.
This competition was launched in 2016 to support and encourage teachers and learners in primary and secondary schools and to showcase their progress as teaching of modern languages in primary schools becomes the new norm. The competition was designed to encourage wide participation: schools need to submit a short video of a class production in French. The selection takes place in two phases, a semi-final at the council level, with a special semi-final for independent schools, and a national final, which took place on 1st February.
The international day of la francophonie is celebrated all over the world on 20 March to celebrate the French language.
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...
7 December 2017 (Goethe-Institut)
The German Olympics (IDO) is the biggest competition for the German language. Every two years over 100 students from all around the world meet to compete in their most beloved foreign language. We are happy to welcome the German Olympics for schools worldwide to the United Kingdom in 2018 for the second time. The final will take place in Freiburg, 15 to 28 July 2018. The United Kingdom are eligible to send two secondary school students born 2001 to 2004. The German Olympics promotes young people from all around the world to encounter one another thanks to the fact they all study German. They will become friends and build up an international network.
Read more...
Concours de la francophonie
1 December 2017 (Institut Français Écosse)
We launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to
encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate
the international day of la francophonie.
Many schools across Scotland have taken part in 2016 and 2017 and we hope to receive
great entries this year again.
Who can take part? All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may
enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.
4 Categories: P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6
Eligible entries: A video in French of maximum 5 minutes. The learners should speak/sing
clearly in French. The level of French will be adapted to the learners, not too easy, not too
difficult. We will also value the participation of ALL learners in the class and the creativity
of the piece.
In primary, you may want to film a regular activity in French: a song you have prepared in
class, a game, or a small dialogue etc.
In secondary, students need to show their communication skills in French, so a song is not
receivable at that level. Students may want to conduct interviews in their school or create
a short drama or else.
How to take part?
State schools: your council will organise a semi-final to choose their local champions in
January 2018. Send your entry before Christmas holiday to your Modern Languages
Development Officer or your QIO.
Independent schools: a jury composed of representatives of the Alliance Française de
Glasgow and the Institut français d’Écosse will choose the Independent schools champions
in January 2018. Send your video to concours@ifecosse.org.uk before 19 December 2017.
Semi-final winning entries will enter a national competition in early February 2018.
Prizes:
-
first prize in each category: invitation to attend a special French immersion day on 23
March 2018 in Edinburgh to celebrate the international day of la francophonie. Transport
and lunch for the entire classroom will be offered. Winners will take part in French
workshops and will receive a selection of French books.
-
second prize in each category: a selection of French books
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, the
University of Edinburgh and TV5 Monde.
6 November 2017 (SCILT/UCMLS)
As part of the UK’s annual Being Human Festival the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland (UCMLS) has organised Languages Lost and Found, a series of events where local workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations make visible the often hidden richness and diversity of languages and cultures in Scottish society. There are seven participating venues in Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverness, Kilbirnie and Oban. Check out the full details through the link below – hope to see you at one of the events!
UCMLS gratefully acknowledges the support from Scotland's National Centre for Languages and British Council Scotland. Special thanks go to the AHRC Modern Languages Leadership Fellow, Professor Janice Carruthers, who funded some of the administrative costs.
Read more...
3 November 2017 (Edinburgh Reporter)
Liberton High School students visited Mexican restaurant El Toro Loco to learn about Mexican culture.
Mexican restaurant El Toro Loco, located in Edinburgh’s Greater Grassmarket, hosted an exclusive, tailor-made Day of the Dead event for Modern Language pupils of Liberton High School on Thursday 2nd November.
Read more...
3 November 2017 (SCILT/CISS)
SCILT's Word Wizard competition is returning for its fifth year and we are delighted to announce we are adding a fourth semi-final date!
In addition to the semi-finals already taking place at the Universities of Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee, in collaboration with the UCMLS, this year we will be holding another semi-final at Edinburgh College.
Word Wizard is a multilingual spelling competition open to S1-S3 pupils learning French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin or Spanish. The competition provides a perfect opportunity for language teachers to address The Attainment Challenge by allowing pupils of all levels the chance to excel in language learning. Word Wizard develops skills in acquisition of vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, recall and public speaking; not to mention the many literacy outcomes it addresses. This hugely motivating competition encourages links with other curricular areas and with health and wellbeing, culminating in a high profile celebration of language learning.
Visit SCILT's Word Wizard webpage to find out more about this year's competition and to register your school.
Read more...
27 October 2017 (SCILT)
We are delighted to announce that SCILT, in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce and the University Council of Modern Languages Scotland, will be hosting a series of five Business Brunch events across Scotland over the course of January and February 2018. These events will take place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
Aimed specifically at S3 – S6 pupils, these events will demonstrate the relevance of language skills in a work context with the intention of encouraging pupils to continue with their language studies into the senior phase of their secondary education and beyond.
Schools will be invited to nominate up to ten pupils who will be able to discover how languages can enhance communication skills, motivation and employability opportunities in line with 'Developing the young workforce', Scotland’s youth employment strategy, and the National Improvement Framework.
Young people will hear from a wide range of dynamic business leaders who view languages as a key skill in today’s globalised world and engage with exhibitors whilst enjoying refreshments.
The purpose of the exhibitor gallery is to present opportunities to speak with representatives from a variety of businesses. Young people will be able to ask questions directly and discover more about the range of careers and employment opportunities available within each of the sectors present.
The networking with exhibitors will be followed by a keynote speaker after which pupils will be invited to listen to two interesting presentations. They will be allocated groups prior to the event and will be able to hear first-hand the important role that languages play in the business community. To finish off the day, an inspirational speaker will address pupils.
This is the fourth year we have offered this successful opportunity to schools.
Business Brunches 2018 Registration
- 10 January 2018: University of Dundee
Registration will open on 3 November 2017
- 12 January 2018: University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Registration will open on 3 November 2017
- TBC - 22 January 2018: Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness
Registration will open on 3 November 2017
- 30 January 2018: Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
For this event only, places are restricted to S3 pupils and to the following authorities:
City of Edinburgh, East Lothian. Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian
Register now via Marketplace.
You will be asked to create an account if you do not have a login to the Marketplace, and will be directed to the page once you have signed up.
- 7th February, 2018: The Aberdeen Altens Hotel, Aberdeen
Registration will open on 3 November 2017
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.
Read more...
19 October 2017 (King's College London)
King's College London's Department of German is delighted to announce its 2017 competition for Year 12 and 13 students of German, the equivalent S5 and S6 in Scotland.
Students are invited to write an article of around 400 words in German in response to the question: 'Soziale Netzwerke in der Politik: Welchen politischen Einfluss haben die virtuellen Gemeinschaften?'
The winner and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony and seminar at King's College London in early December 2017.
Entries should be submitted by 22 November 2017. See the flyer below or visit the website for more information.
Read more...
12 October 2017 (University of Dundee/UCMLS)
A series of events celebrating languages and cultures across Scotland as part of the UK’s annual Being Human Festival of the Humanities, 'Languages Lost & Found' aims to make visible the often hidden richness and diversity of languages and cultures in Scottish society through community-led workshops and demonstrations.
Events will take place simultaneously on 18 November in a number of locations across Scotland, and activities will vary by location. The event series is organised by the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland with support from Scotland's National Centre for Languages and British Council Scotland and financial support by the AHRC Modern Languages Leadership Fellow funds (Prof. Janice Carruthers).
Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
10 October 2017 (European Commission)
Juvenes Translatores is the annual translation contest for 17-year old students (those born in 2000). The 2017 contest will take place on 23 November.
To participate, schools must register first — between 1 September and 20 October 2017.
The materials for the Juvenes Translatores are available to download on the day of the competition so that schools can make use of them even if they are not selected to take part. Perhaps you may wish to use them to organise a competition in your own school?”
See the website for full details.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations
9 October 2017 (DAAD)
Jointly organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the IMLR, this year sees the fourth writing competition for all learners and lovers of German. The competition is open to secondary schools, undergraduates, postgraduates and anyone else who feels up to the challenge!
This year, the task ties in with the 500th anniversary of Luther’s publication of his 95 theses that sparked the Reformation. Put yourself in the shoes of a time-travelling spy: you overhear a conversation between Luther or one of his German, Austrian or Swiss contemporaries (real or imagined) and a figure from public life in 2017 Britain. Is the German-speaking 16th-century time traveller debating Brexit with Boris Johnson or comparing sporting skills with Andy Murray? Does Jamie Oliver try to revolutionise cooking skills of Reformation Germany? Write down what you hear! The only two rules: the dialogue must be written in German and it must not be longer than 350 words.
Visit the DAAD website for more information and to submit entries by 23 October 2017.
Read more...
9 October 2017 (The Herald)
Behold Alba, the peculiar country. One of Scotland’s peculiarities is the way that people get their drathais in a twist about language.
And when we say language we mean Gaelic. Only last week, announcements that Gaelic would appear on road signs in Edinburgh and efforts made to revive the language in Tayside gave rise to frothing of the mouth and gnashing of the teeth therein from the usual suspects.
Odd thing: a desire to kill a language. Fair enough, it has declined on its own, as it were, submerged in a larger culture that for a while outlawed it. But it isn’t dead yet, and the urge to kick it when it is down is a strange aspect of the Scottish character, one with which we are familiar in its wider context of national self-loathing.
Read more...
5 October 2017 (SCILT)
How did you celebrate the European Day of Languages 2017? Visit our EDL 2017 blog to see how schools used fashion shows, poetry slams and lots of food to celebrate the linguistic diversity of Europe this year!
If you would like to feature in our EDL blog then send a description of your activities and some colourful photos to scilt@strath.ac.uk. The best entries might even make it into the next SCILT newsletter!
Read more...
2 October 2017 (Japan Foundation)
We are delighted to announce that the 13th Japanese Speech Contest for University Students is open for applications!
This contest gives students the chance to make their voices heard in Japanese, and win some fantastic prizes! Finalists will all perform their speeches on Saturday 24 February 2018 at King’s College London.
The contest is aimed at undergraduate students who are currently studying Japanese as a foreign language at a university in the UK or Ireland.
Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and to apply by 9 November 2017.
Read more...
Celebrating The European Day Of Languages
25 September 2017 (European Parliamentary Research Service Blog)
The European Parliament has consistently acted to support endangered languages and linguistic diversity in the EU, calling on the EU and the Member States to commit resources to their protection and promotion.
This article from the European Parliament Research Service outlines:
- Global language diversity
- Linguistic diversity in the EU
- Europeans’ linguistic competences
- Multilingualism in the European Parliament
26 September 2017 (Council of Europe)
European Day of Languages – 26 September 2017
Statement from Council of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland
"This year's European Day of Languages celebrates innovation in language learning and teaching. This provides us with the perfect opportunity to highlight the huge value of Europe's cultural diversity. Europe's nations are always at their strongest and most prosperous when we are open and outward-facing, willing to embrace other ways of life, and when we welcome those who can contribute to our societies. By pausing to celebrate the dozens of languages spoken across our communities we can send a powerful message: that Europe is a truly multilingual place where all backgrounds are welcome and where everyone can have an equal voice. Hundreds of events have been organised by schools, universities and cultural establishments to mark the day. I would like to send my best wishes to all those taking part."
Background information on the Day
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is an annual celebration day to encourage language learning across Europe. At the initiative of the Council of Europe, EDL has been celebrated every year, on 26 September, since the European Year of Languages in 2001.
The specific aims of the EDL are to:
- raise awareness of the importance of language learning in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.
The dedicated website for the EDL is available in 36 languages and hundreds of activities are registered in the events’ calendar. The EDL activities which take place in Europe and increasingly on other continents are organised mainly by schools, universities, language and cultural institutes, associations and also by the European Commission’s translation field offices. In 2016 over 1100 events were recorded.
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.
Read more...
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SCILT news
22 September 2017 (SCILT)
On Thursday 21 September, the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) hosted their first Excellence in Professional Learning Awards held at the Hilton Grosvenor Hotel in Glasgow.
The Excellence in Professional Learning Award for Schools and Learning Communities recognises the central role that leadership at all levels plays in creating and sustaining professional learning environments where teacher professionalism can flourish and bring sustained impact on learning and learners.
Sir Harry Burns, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland and Ken Muir, CEO of the GTCS presented this new award to Windygoul Primary School, East Lothian; North Ayrshire Professional Learning Academy and Fife Pedagogy Team and St Ninian’s RC High School, East Dunbartonshire. See the
GTCS website for more detail about the individual successes.
In addition, professional learning programmes that have been accredited with Professional Recognition were also celebrated. As such, Lynne Jones Professional Development Officer at SCILT was delighted to accept a trophy on behalf of SCILT and Education Scotland as further validation of the 1+2 Languages Leadership Programme (formerly known as Train the Trainer). Visit the SCILT website for more information about this national, flagship professional learning opportunity.
Read more...
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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Scots
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.”
Read more...
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Strathclyde University,
Languages in the press
19 September 2017 (British Council)
A great, fun opportunity for students to practice and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills. The competition also offers the chance to win a week in Beijing.
Find out more about the competition and how to apply. Entry deadline is Friday 6 October 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...
14 September 2017 (SEET)
Want to get pupils more engaged in language learning and encourage uptake? Are you keen to improve their confidence and win an award or two? Then get involved!
SEET's Our World is a free film making project, run by the Scottish European Educational Trust, which is designed to encourage language learning and uptake among pupils. The project is open to any team of four from S3 - S6 (no previous film making knowledge is required) and last year resulted in over 88% of participant pupils saying they were more likely to take languages into their next year as a result of taking part.
All teams have to do to enter is come up with a creative idea for a film, based on this year's theme. Then, with our help teams put that idea into storyboard form and send it to us with an audio or video clip explaining it. The deadline for storyboard submissions is 4 December 2017.
Visit the website to find out more about the project and how to enter.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
5 September 2017 (Goethe-Institut)
This year the Goethe Institute Glasgow is proud to launch a German Debating Competition for Higher and Advanced Higher secondary school students in Scotland.
Debating in German is an innovative method for language teaching and learning and is of major benefit to all students: participants can improve their language and communication skills and develop a higher motivation for further language learning.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register by 30 September.
Read more...
31 August 2017 (Scottish Book Trust)
To celebrate the opening of the Queensferry Crossing, Scottish Book Trust are inviting writers to enter their 50-word fiction competition for September where a bridge must be incorporated in the story.
Entries in Scots and Gaelic are welcomed. Stories should be submitted by 30 September 2017.
Find out more on the Scottish Book Trust's website.
Read more...
31 August 2017 (ECML)
The May-July 2017 edition of the European Centre for Modern Language's newsletter is now available online.
The European Language Gazette highlights the latest developments, programmes and initiatives in language education in Europe.
Read more...
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Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
28 August 2017 (Michael Kerins)
This exciting new project will run from 20 to 31 October 2017. The idea is to create new writing using vocabulary that differs by the addition of only one letter - one single letter and the meaning changes. Not only in English - but in a wide variety of languages.
To find out more about the project and how you can participate, visit the website or contact michael.kerins@gmail.com.
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Literacy,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Scots
25 August 2017 (SCILT)
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is celebrated across Europe on 26 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 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 EDL2017 blog.
Read more...
21 August 2017 (Vocab Express)
The next League of Champions competition from Vocab Express will be taking place from 28 September to 4 October 2017.
It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.
The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.
The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 150 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students. Free spaces are still currently available!
Visit the website for more information and to register your school.
Teachers can also sign up for guest access to a free trial of the Vocab Express platform using their school or academic e-mail address.
Read more...
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News from language & education organisations,
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Urdu
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.
Read more...
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.
Posted in:
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News from language & education organisations
23 June 2017 (Evening Times)
Glasgow is being promoted as "the heart of Gaelic Scotland" as the city prepares to host the Royal National Mod.
Pupils from the city's schools launched the grand unveiling of a new logo for the event, which will be held in the city in 2019 and is a celebration of the ancient language in music and song.
It is the first time the Mod has been hosted in Glasgow in 29 years.
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12 June 2017 (Oxford University)
The University of Oxford is delighted to announce the launch of a new essay prize competition: ‘A German Classic’. It is aimed at students with a GCSE or equivalent in German and currently in Sixth-form (equivalent to Years 12 and 13 or S5 and S6 in Scotland).
The classic celebrated this year is Goethe’s Faust, Part I. The task is to write an essay in English (between 2000 and 3000 words) so students who are not yet able to write fluently in German can focus on the challenges of engaging with the language, ideas and conflicts of the work itself.
Visit the university's website to find out more about the competition, prizes and how to submit entries by 13 September 2017.
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7 June 2017 (Education Scotland)
Congratulations to all the winners in this year's Scottish Education Awards, particularly those schools who came top in the language categories:
- St Winning's Primary School, North Ayrshire Council (Making Languages Come Alive)
- Ardnamurchan High School, The Highland Council (Gaelic Education Award)
Visit the website for information and photos of all the category winners.
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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 (European Parliament)
Euroscola brings together about 600 students from all over the European Union for a day in Strasbourg discussing aspects of European integration, in multilingual working groups of 100 students. It is open to students aged 16-18 and the European Parliament offers a subsidy towards the costs of the journey to Strasbourg.
As working groups consist of students from several member states it is essential that participants have a sound knowledge of at least one other European Union language. For practical purposes knowledge of French is necessary as during the "committee" meetings in the afternoon, students are expected to think and speak in a language other than their mother tongue. The debates are held mainly in French and English.
Dates for the autumn term 2017 are now available.
To find out more and to apply, visit the Euroscola 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.
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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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12 May 2017 (ALL)
This year's Language Perfect World Championships take place from 15 - 25 May.
Students participate in the world's largest online languages event over 10 days with the chance to earn certificates and qualify for awards and prizes by translating between their target language and English. The competition is relevant for everyone, whatever their ability.
The first 500 schools to register will receive 50 free entries. (ALL members can register all students for free).
Find out more about the competition via the ALL webpage and the
competition website.
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9 May 2017 (Stephen Spender Trust)
The 2017 Stephen Spender Prize is open for entries. Entrants are invited to submit an English translation of a poem from any language, ancient or modern. As always, there are prizes in three categories – Open, 18-and-under and 14-and-under – and the competition is open to UK and Irish citizens and residents.
Entry deadline is Friday 26 May 2017.
Visit the website for further information and submission guidelines.
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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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3 May 2017 (Goethe-Institut/German Embassy)
Does your school have a truly outstanding German teacher? There's still time to get nominations in for the 14th annual German Teacher Award offered by the German Embassy in London.
The purpose of this award is:
- to recognise outstanding achievement by individual teachers of German in the UK
- to highlight and pay tribute to the work of German teachers in the UK
- to encourage the commitment of the winners' schools to modern language teaching
Deadline for applications: 17 May 2017. Nominations must be submitted and signed by the headteacher.
Visit the German Embassy's website for detailed information and nomination form.
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2 May 2017 (Scottish Education Awards)
Good luck to the Scottish Education Award finalists in the language categories!
Making languages come alive (primary)
- Braehead Primary School, Stirling
- Doune Primary School, Stirling
- St Winning's Primary School, North Ayrshire
Gaelic Education Award / Duais Foghlam Gàidhlig
- Ardnamurchan High School, Highland
- Sgoil an Taobh Siar, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
- Gartcosh Primary School, North Lanarkshire
The award presentations will take place on 7 June. For more information about the awards visit the Scottish Education Awards 2017 website.
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30 March 2017 (ALL)
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Embassy in London, the Institut Français du Royaume-Uni and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are looking for the next generation of translators into English.
Higher Education Institutions across the UK are being invited to nominate their most promising undergraduate student(s) to take part in a one-day exclusive Masterclass in Translation to be held at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, on Thursday, 27th April 2017 with the opportunity for two Masterclass students to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair this year.
This call is open to undergraduate students only. Students must have a proficiency in either German or French (Level B1 and higher, according to CEFR). A combination of the two languages is very welcome but not required.
The candidates and the nominators are asked to complete the application form and send it electronically to
application@lond.diplo.de by Tuesday 18 April 2017.
For full terms and conditions, visit the Association for Language Learning (ALL) website.
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30 March 2017 (SCILT)
SCILT is now inviting schools to register their interest in taking part in the Language Linking Global Thinking initiative in session 2017/18.
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 a 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.
If you would like to take part in this project for session 2017-18, please complete the registration form.
Visit the SCILT LLGT webpage for more information on Language Linking Global Thinking, including the blogs students have used to facilitate their contact with the schools.
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Les Resultats ! Le Quiz de la Francophonie
24 March 2017 (Institut français / Canadian High Commission)
The Canadian High Commission in London, who organised the Quiz de la francophonie this year, have just announced the names of the winning schools who are all from Scotland!
Congratulations to:
- Sir E. Scott School ( Les Gateaux Gris)
- Mid Yell JHS ( Les Petits Crofters)
- Westhill Academy ( les Grenouilles 2 E)
Thank you to all participants and well done to the winning schools who will receive their prizes in due course.
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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24 March 2017 (Consejería de Educación)
Each year the Ministry of Education of the Spanish Embassy in the United Kingdom, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Junta de Castilla y León, awards the student with the best results in Spanish in the United Kingdom.
The winner will receive a 3-day (2-night) trip to Castilla y León (Spain) for two people, including travel, accommodation, meals and visits.
For more information see the attached leaflet or visit the Consejería de Educación website. Applications should be submitted by 28 April 2017.
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20 March 2017 (The Southern Reporter)
Galashiels Academy played host to the annual Eildon West Primary Schools Celebration of Scots Language and Culture, held on Friday, March 3.
All primary schools, from Tweedbank to Heriot, were represented. Medals, presented by Alistair Christie, vice-president of the Galashiels Burns Club, were awarded for Scots writing and recitation of Scots poetry.
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Scottish schools celebrate French language in Edinburgh on Friday 17 March 2017
17 March 2017 (Institut français d’Écosse )
Three winning schools of the “Concours de la francophonie” will receive their prizes at the special Award ceremony hosted at the University of Edinburgh on Friday 17 March by Emmanuel Cocher, Consul general of France in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
La francophonie is thriving in Scotland as a majority of children now learn French from P1. To celebrate this renewed engagement with languages, the Institut français d’Écosse launched in 2016 a national French competition, to celebrate the international day of la francophonie with all young learners across Scotland.
This student-led competition is designed to value creativity in French and allow a large participation of all primary and secondary schools. Learners are invited to film a short piece, dialogue, song, play, report or any other production in French. The competition is organised in two phases: Local Authorities choose their local champions and a national jury select the winners. For this second edition, various Local Authorities including Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council, and various independent schools.
87 learners from three of the four winning schools will attend the ceremony, on 17 March at the Outreach Center at the University of Edinburgh. The ceremony will be preceded by various activities in French conducted by 4th year students of French at the University of Edinburgh and teachers of the Institut français d’Écosse.
The winning schools are:
P1/P4
Glasgow City Council – Holy Cross Primary School – P4
P5/P7
Argyll and Bute Council – Dunoon Primary School – P5
Falkirk Council – Antonine Primary School – P5
S1/S3
Shetland Islands Council – Mid Yell Junior School – S3
The Institut français will visit Mid Yell Junior School in June to give their award and prizes to the winners and offer them French activities.
Emmanuel Cocher, Consul general of France and Director of the Institut français d’Écosse said: “La journée mondiale de la francophonie, the international day of la francophonie, is indeed a very special day which brings together French speakers, learners and teachers, to celebrate the French language and the dialogue between cultures.” He added: “Thanks to the 1+2 policy, all students now learn two additional languages in schools and a clear majority have chosen French as their first modern language. This ambitious and exciting policy will have a positive impact on language uptake in schools, and will open new horizons to all young Scots.”
The organisers:
The Institut français d’Écosse is the agency of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Scotland, promoting French language and culture. The Institut français d’Écosse supports French language teaching and learning in Scotland.
Additional information is available on www.ifecosse.org.uk
The partners:
SCILT, Scotland’s National Center for Languages
SALT, Scottish Association for Language Teaching
Alliance française de Glasgow
The Department of European Languages and Culture of the University of Edinburgh
TV5 MONDE
The sponsors:
Total E&P UK
The Franco-Scottish Society
The national jury for the 2017 edition:
Louise Glen, Senior Education Officer, Education Scotland
Hannah Doughty, Professional Development Officer, SCILT
Maryse Payen Roy, Committee Member, SALT
Valérie Laplanche Ferguson, Teacher, Institut français d’Écosse
The international day of la Francophonie is celebrated all around the world on 20 March. http://www.20mars.francophonie.org/
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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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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3 March 2017 (Open University)
Make a short video explaining what you consider your biggest hurdles to language learning and you could win up to £150 in Amazon UK gift vouchers.
We want to hear what you find most difficult about language learning, especially when you start learning a new language. We are looking for well thought-out answers with specific examples of your language learning experience, or maybe good one-liners that showcase some of the difficulties that you have faced in the following areas:
- Your motivation for learning a new language
- Managing your expectations when starting to learn a new language
- Coping with grammar and grammatical terminology
- Creating (and sticking to) a learning routine
- Practising speaking (as a beginner)
- Listening (as a beginner)
- Learning vocabulary (as a beginner)
- Reading (as a beginner)
- Writing (as a beginner)
- Finding, evaluating and selecting resources to support learning for beginners
- Immersing yourself in the language when not in an area where it is spoken
- Getting support from others (including online communities
- Keeping your motivation going in the medium to long term
Your video must cover only one of these areas, but you are welcome to submit a video for each of the topics that are relevant to you.
Your video must be no longer than 30 seconds and must be in English.
Visit the Open University website to find out more and how to submit your entry by 17 March 2017.
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3 March 2017 (Language Show Live)
Language Show Live, 10-11 March at the SEC, Glasgow.
Europe’s largest event dedicated to language teaching and learning is just 1 week away and new performances are still being announced every day, with salsa classes and an additional Gaelic introduction class added today! Every seminar at this free-to-attend event is fully CPD accredited and packed full of exclusive content. Head online today to
claim your free ticket and enjoy all the content that Europe’s premier language event has to offer.
Remember: Alongside our trademark seminar, workshop and panel session line ups we also have our fantastic cultural piazza stage, free language taster classes, over 80 exhibitor and much, much more! Take advantage of our pre-show discount on our Language Plus Classes too. These two hour intensive classes are the only thing at the event that we charge for as we bring in some of the world’s top teachers and charge just £18 for the full two hours. Don’t miss out!
Visit the Language Show Live website today!
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27 February 2017 (Institut français)
Each year the embassies of the francophone countries organise a UK-wide quiz for S2 and S3 students entitled Vive la francophonie. This year's competition will take place on 13 March.
It is simple for schools to take part:
- Enrol your team
- The quiz will be online on 13 March any time from 10am to 2pm. It should take maximum an hour to answer the questions.
The top 3 teams with the most answers right, in the shortest time, wins!
Visit the website to find out more about the competition and to register your students by 8 March.
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24 February 2017 (Language Show Live)
There's still time to get your tickets for this year's Language Show Live Scotland event at the SEC, Glasgow!
The event, dedicated to language teaching and learning, is just a fortnight away and all programme details, teaching seminars and language classes are now live online. Every seminar at this free-to-attend event is fully CPD accredited and packed full of exclusive content.
For full programme details and to register, visit the Language Show Live website. Don't miss out!
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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).
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14 February 2017 (Falkirk Herald)
Pupils from all over the Falkirk area gathered at Larbert High School for a double celebration with a far Eastern flavour. The youngsters, including pupils from Graeme High School and Ladeside Primary School, marked Chinese New Year and also acknowledged Larbert High’s new status as a Falkirk Council Confucius Hub with song and dance performances, Chinese cuisine and art displays during the event.
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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 (Language Show Live)
Language Show Live, 10-11 March at the SEC, Glasgow
Europe’s largest event dedicated to language teaching and learning is just 1 month away and the teaching seminar, TEFL forum and language class line ups have all been announced and are now live online! Every seminar at this free-to-attend event is fully CPD accredited and packed full of exclusive content. Head online today to claim your free ticket and enjoy all the content that Europe’s premier language event has to offer.
Remember: Alongside our trademark seminar, workshop and panel session line ups we also have our fantastic cultural piazza stage, free language taster classes, over 80 exhibitor and much, much more!
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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 (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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7 February 2017 (Many Languages One World)
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), in collaboration with ELS Educational Services, Inc., (ELS) invites students, 18 years and older, who are enrolled in a full-time course of study at a college or university, to participate in the Many Languages, One World Essay Contest.
The essay should discuss global citizenship and cultural understanding, and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these and must be written in one of the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish).
Visit the Many Languages, One World website for more information about the competition and how to enter. Submission deadline is 16 March 2017.
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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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News from language & education organisations
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.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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19 January 2017 (BBC News)
A Skye shinty player's comedy rap has helped to get a video on the shortlist of Gaelic short film competition FilmG.
Ally MacLeod performs in Girls, Strì and Macaroni, a short film made by Iain Wilson from Staffin on Skye.
The video is among entries in the running for best mobile short and best comedy. Mr MacLeod has also been shortlisted for the best performance award.
The full list of shortlisted films can be found on the FilmG website.
Read more...
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...
15 January 2017 (The Herald)
You might expect renowned bagpiper, guitarist and traditional Gaelic singer Griogair Labhruidh to be appearing at the upcoming Celtic Connections Festival. Instead, he's at home in Ballachulish working on a very different type of project – the world’s first Gaelic hip hop record.
“Well, first hip hop record in the Gaelic tradition, anyway,” says the highlander, who raps under the pseudonym Eólas – meaning ‘knowledge’.
Read more...
9 January 2017 (Acair Books)
Acair Books, an Lanntair and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have created a new award to encourage original writing in Gaelic for children.
The aim of the award is to:
- Actively support original writing in Gaelic for children
- Encourage and nurture new writers in Gaelic
In 2017, the award is for a book for 5 to 8 year-olds and must be between 1000 and 2000 words.
The work must be written in Gaelic by a writer aged 16-years or over, and who has never had a Gaelic book published for children before.
Visit the website for further information and submit your entry by 31 January 2017.
Read more...
6 January 2017 (Japan Foundation)
The Nihongo Cup Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School Students in the UK is open for applications!
This contest is open to students in the UK studying Japanese language.
Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and to download the application pack.
Closing date for entries: 24 March 2017.
Read more...
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...
6 January 2017 (ALL)
A new competition from the Modern Languages Department at Oxford University invites secondary students to write a story in Spanish of not more than 100 words, and send it to schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk by noon on Friday 31 March 2017 with your name, age and year group, and the name and address of your school.
The judges will be looking for creativity and imagination as well as good Spanish!
Read more...
6 January 2017 (ALL / SOAS)
Run by SOAS, University of London, the Languages Challenge is now in its third year.
The Languages Challenge is a collaborative project aimed at students in year 8, 9 & 10 (S2-S4). Students have a choice of task and a choice of which languages they use in each of them. The aim of the challenge is to:
- provide students with opportunities to actively engage with languages
- encourage independent study and a range of soft skills like team-work, planning, leadership and negotiation skills
- raise awareness of the cross-curricular opportunities in language studies
Students are encouraged to use oral as well as written skills, to plan each task, conduct research and produce multiple drafts. They must take different roles and complete a short reflective report for each task.
Attached is a Teacher Information Pack, which is also available to download on the ALL website along with further information about how to take part.
Read more...
Mathématiques sans frontières
6 January 2017 (North Lanarkshire Council)
North Lanarkshire Council and Heriot Watt University are once again jointly organising the world-wide Maths and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland.
Schools are invited to participate in this stimulating and light-hearted competition for S4 and S5 which combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils.
The competition itself will be held on Tuesday 7 March 2017 and schools wishing to participate should complete the proforma attached and return by 27 January 2017. There is also a training test available for download.
See the attachments for more information and to register your school.
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...
2 December 2016 (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 interactive advent calendars. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and around the world!
Read more...
29 November 2016 (All Media Scotland)
The closing date for entries in FilmG 2017 is fast approaching. However, if anyone is yet to complete their film there are still two weeks left, before the competition closes on Wednesday 14 December.
Whether it be a comedy, drama, documentary or even a music video, one of the simplest ways to make a short film, is to use mobile technology.
The FilmG team are hopeful that the increasing availability of technology along with a broader range of prizes than ever before will see a record number of entries this year.
The theme for this year’s FilmG competition is ‘Strì’ meaning to strive or endeavour. All films must be in Scottish Gaelic and can be up to five minutes long for youth category entrants or up to eight minutes in length for open category entrants.
Read more...
28 November 2016 (SEET)
Find out the latest about the Our Europe and Euroquiz competitions for Scottish schools in SEET's November 2016 newsletter.
Read more...
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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...
17 November 2016 (Daily Record)
Outlander's Gaelic consultant Àdhamh Ó Broin has been honoured at The Scottish Gaelic Awards.
The Gaelic consultant scooped the International Award for his work as a Gaelic language coach on the popular TV series, which has showcased the language to an audience of millions.
Gaelic in the STARZ original series Outlander, now in its third season, is considered integral to the authenticity of the show and its characters
In his role, Àdhamh teaches the actors to deliver complex Gaelic-language scenes despite having no previous spoken ability.
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...
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...
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...
7 November 2016 (Daily Record)
The finalists have been announced for this year’s Scottish Gaelic Awards with just over a week to go until the big event.
The awards pay tribute to all aspects of Gaelic culture, education and language, highlighting the excellent work done in maintaining its growth and heritage.
The winners will be revealed on Wednesday, November 16 at Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel.
One of the finalists in the Learner Award is radio show Beag air Bheag, aired weekly on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.
The programme’s title means “little by little” and it introduces Gaelic learners to the language at an accessible pace.
Read more...
4 November 2016 (SCILT/CISS)
SCILT's Word Wizard competition is returning for a fourth year and we are delighted to announce that registrations are now open!
Word Wizard is a multilingual spelling competition open to S1-S3 pupils learning French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin or Spanish. The competition provides a perfect opportunity for language teachers to address The Attainment Challenge by allowing pupils of all levels the chance to excel in language learning. Word Wizard develops skills in acquisition of vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, recall and public speaking; not to mention the many literacy outcomes it addresses. This hugely motivating competition encourages links with other curricular areas and with health and wellbeing, culminating in a high profile celebration of language learning.
Visit SCILT's Word Wizard webpage to find out more about this year's competition and to register your school.
Read more...
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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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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...
28 October 2016 (European Parliament)
Since 2008, the European Parliament together with the ‘Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen’ have each year been inviting young people from all EU Member States to submit projects run by and for youth showing an active participation in the development of Europe.
Young people aged between 16 and 30 from any EU Member States can submit projects for the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. Projects can be submitted individually or, preferably, in groups.
This year's competition is now open and invites projects on EU development, integration and European identity issues which must be submitted by 30 January 2017.
Visit the website for more information.
Read more...
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26 October 2016 (British Council)
The British Council celebrates International Education Week every year, promoting the benefits of international learning and cultural exchange to a huge community of teachers and school leaders in the UK and all over the world. We believe that international learning, global communication and language learning is more important now than ever. That’s why this year’s IEW theme is ‘Make Time For Languages’.
We’ve got a whole raft of offers, opportunities and resources to help you celebrate International Education Week and make time for languages in your schools and classrooms.
Visit the British Council IEW website to find out how you can get involved from 14-18 November.
Read more...
26 October 2016 (Daily Record)
Entrants from across the country and across the generations and will be rewarded for their work promoting Gaelic culture and language.
Judges at this year’s Scottish Gaelic Awards have admitted they face a tough task.
Entrants of all ages delighted the panel with their high standards – but made the task of choosing the best a difficult one, according to chairman Cathy MacDonald.
The broadcaster said: “Once again, there is an excellent standard spanning the generations.
“The awards seek to reward all aspects of Scottish Gaelic culture and language, highlighting some of the excellent work undertaken to maintain its growth and heritage.
"It’s encouraging to see how much they’ve grown, attracting younger Gaelic speakers.
“They create an opportunity for those unsung heroes whom we otherwise wouldn’t have heard of and whose contribution deserves to be acknowledged and celebrated publicly.”
Read more...
25 October 2016 (DAAD)
The DAAD and the IMLR, together with the Goethe-Institut and the Swiss and German Embassies in London, are calling all learners and lovers of German to take part in a writing competition! This time, the task is to write a story in German.
Two German-speaking authors, Anja Tuckermann (Berlin) and Ulrike Ulrich (Zurich), have provided beginnings of stories of migration. Now it’s your turn to take one of these beginnings and continue spinning the yarn. You are free to develop your text in any direction you choose: to write a story of flight or refuge, of identities and self-images, of encounters or new beginnings … . Your story can be set in the past, the present or the future - and in any geographical setting you wish. The only rule: it must not be longer than 250 words.
The competition is open to students at secondary schools, Sixth-Formers, undergraduates, postgraduates and anybody else who feels up to the challenge!
Visit the DAAD website to find out more and submit your entry by 6 January 2017.
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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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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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.
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15 October 2016 (The Herald)
Gaelic is facing a fight for its survival and every Scot needs to play a part to ensure that it continues to receive much-needed support, it has been warned.
Opening the Royal National Mod last night, the head of the Gaelic media service warned that one of Scotland’s cultural “jewels” is at serious risk of being lost forever unless it is given greater support.
Maggie Cunningham, chairwoman of MG Alba, the Gaelic Media Service, made an emotive speech about the future of the tongue which, despite receiving millions of pounds of public funding, has continued to decline.
Read more...
12 October 2016 (SEET)
Our Europe 2016-17 is now open for registration!
The film-making competition for S3-S6 pupils is an annual competition run by the Scottish European Educational Trust. Teams of 4 design a storyboard outlining the film they propose to make based on the competition theme. This year the topic is global citizenship, specifically addressing one of the following themes:
- Travel and Leisure
- Migration and welcome
- Trade
As always, films must include the use of at least one language other than English. This year any and all languages will be accepted in entries. All teams have to do is put their ideas into a storyboard and send them to SEET by 8 December 2016.
For more information, visit SEET's Our Europe competition website.
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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 (The Herald)
A tour of Scotland's islands, a plan for an epic poem and a project to put the languages of Scotland into verse are all part of the plans of Scotland's national poet, or Makar, Jackie Kay.
Ms Kay, who was appointed as the third Makar in March, is to embark on Ferlie Leed, a poetic tour of the Highlands and Islands, with a series of events in the more far-flung spaces of Scotland, beginning in Dunoon and moving on to North Uist, Stornoway and Shetland.
Ferlie Leed, a Scots expression which Ms Kay said has translated to 'wondrous talk', said she wants to visit as much of the country as she can in her five year term as Makar.
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).
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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6 October 2016 (Greenock Telegraph)
Inverclyde Academy youngsters explored other cultures as part of a day celebrating modern languages.
Third year pupils also served up coffee and cakes to their guests, who included language ambassadors from Strathclyde University and Mandarin speakers.
Principal teacher Sarah Bell invited along experts in British Sign Language, as she widened out the European day of languages.
Read more...
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!
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30 September 2016 (SCILT)
How did you celebrate the European Day of Languages 2016? Visit our EDL 2016 blog to hear how schools used cooking, bingo, green screens and Eurovision to celebrate the linguistic diversity of Europe this year!
If you would like to feature in our EDL blog then send some colourful photos and a description of your activities to
scilt@strath.ac.uk.
Read more...
29 September 2016 (BBC)
To celebrate International Translation Day, we asked translators from across the globe to tell us their favourite expressions. Here are 11 of the most surprising.
Read more...
23 September 2016 (SCILT)
The European Day of Languages takes place on Monday 26th September and we're delighted that so many schools around the country are celebrating this year. If you need any last minute inspiration for your class there are lots of ideas and links on the SCILT EDL webpage.
Let us know how you celebrate we will feature you in our EDL 2016 blog. If you include some colourful photos your article could even appear in our next newsletter!
Read more...
19 September 2016 (Daily Record / Bòrd na Gàidhlig)
As part of the Daily Record's drive to celebrate all aspects of Scottish culture, and following the success of the 2015 Gaelic Awards, we are proud to launch the 2016 campaign with headline sponsors Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
The Scottish Gaelic Awards reward all aspects of our Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.
If you know someone who deserves an award for their contribution to Gaelic, submit your nomination by Friday 25 September. A list of award categories can be found on the Scottish Gaelic Awards website.
The Awards will be presented at a high-quality dinner in Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow on Wednesday 16 November 2016.
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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8 September 2016 (British Council)
The competition, organised by HSBC and the British Council, offers a fun opportunity for secondary students to practise and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills.
Participating students have the chance to win a week in Beijing, visiting historical sites, interacting with Chinese students and experiencing Chinese culture.
Visit the British Council website to find out more and to apply by 7 October.
Read more...
6 September 2016 (British Council)
The British Council is calling for worldwide nominations for its 2017 ELTons award scheme which recognises innovation in English language teaching.
The annual awards are into their fifteenth year and celebrate innovation and excellence in different aspects of English language teaching (ELT) around the world.
Any ELT professional can apply for consideration for one of the categories including authors, teachers, trainers and publishers.
The deadline for submissions is 4 November 2016 and a shortlist will be drawn up by March 2017.
Visit the British Council website for more information and to download an application pack.
Read more...
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...
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 (Vocab Express)
Share in the excitement and energy generated by the Vocab Express League of Champions. The championship will run from Wednesday 28 September until Tuesday 4 October 2016. It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.
The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 150 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students.
There are currently 84 free non-subscriber school places left. Visit the website for more information and to register now!
Read more...
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1 September 2016 (European Commission)
Juvenes Translatores is our annual translation contest for 17-year old students. The 2016 contest will take place on 24 November — it will be for students born in 1999.
To participate, schools must register first — between 1 September and 20 October 2016.
Visit the website for full details.
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26 August 2016 (SCILT)
SCILT's packs of materials to celebrate European Day of Languages 2016 have now sold out! We are delighted to know there are so many schools on board to celebrate this year’s event.
Don’t worry if you are too late to order materials. You can still visit our website for a range of ideas and resources to help your school to mark the day. We would love to hear how schools across Scotland celebrate the day. Email us (scilt@strath.ac.uk) with a short summary and some photos, and we will feature your event on this year’s EDL blog.
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19 August 2016 (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 2016 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 EDL2016 blog.
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24 June 2016 (Heriot-Watt University)
The SCHOLympics is a multi-disciplinary, scholarly competition that is open to all students who have access to SCHOLAR via their individual username and password. It features an extensive range of questions from the subjects that are currently available in the SCHOLAR programme, including a Mandarin listening comprehension which requires speakers or headphones, and questions from our brand new, soon to be published, English courses. The questions are set at Higher level or below.
The competition will be open between Monday 25 July until Wednesday 28 August 2016.
Visit the SCHOLAR website to find out more.
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Posted in:
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
News from language & education organisations
20 June 2016 (Vocab Express)
Create a languages buzz around your school to kick-start the new academic year!
Share in the excitement and energy generated by the Vocab Express League of Champions. The championship will run from Wednesday 28 September until Tuesday 4 October 2016. It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.
The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.
The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 100 free school places available to non-subscribers.
Visit the League of Champions website to find out more and to register for one of the free school places.
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Posted in:
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Japanese,
Arabic,
Portuguese,
Polish,
Urdu
Mathematiques sans Frontieres 2016
20 June 2016 (North Lanarkshire Council)
North Lanarkshire Council in association with Heriot Watt University once again organised 
the “Mathematiques sans Frontieres” competition across Scotland this year.
63 teams took part from 39 schools and 18 schools entered an S5 team.
The competition requires one question to be answered using a foreign language.
The winners in S4 were Renfrew High and the S5 winners and overall winners were St Aloysius College.
The prize giving was held on Friday 17 June at Heriot Watt University. Gavin Reid gave an informative talk on probability which resulted in one lucky pupil winning an Amazon gift voucher!
15 June 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut is looking for the best ideas on how to use the 'Deutsch für dich' community in class. Teachers, take part in the competition and win an iPad!
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and submit your ideas by 30 June 2016.
If you're not already familiar with the Deutsch für dich resource, find this and other packages on the Goethe-Institut website to help learners practice German free of charge.
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10 June 2016 (SCILT/CISS)
S1-S3 pupils from across Scotland took part in the National Final of Word Wizard at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 24 May 2016. 46 learners from eight local authorities and independent schools competed in French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish in front of an audience of teachers, supporters and guests.
Visit our Word Wizard Final 2016 webpage to read the full list of prizewinners and to see photos from the event.
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Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
10 June 2016 (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
We are calling for nominations for the Threlford Memorial Cup 2016. The cup is presented annually to a person, an organisation, or for a project that has inspired others with an original language initiative.
So if you know of someone who has done something truly amazing for language-learning, we would love to hear from you.
Visit the Chartered Institute of Linguists' website to download the nomination form and submit entries by 29 July 2016.
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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.
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1 June 2016 (Chinese Consulate General, Edinburgh)
On 27 May, the Scotland-China Association (SCA) Primary School Art Competition Prizegiving was held in the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Chinese Consul General Pan Xinchun attended the event and presented the prize to the winners.
Consul General Pan expressed his congratulations to the winners, sayiing he was very pleased to see so many students entered the competition and created lots of excellent art works centered on China. Though they have never been to China, the works of Chinese Dragon, Giant Panda and Zodiac Monkey they created are so lively and impressive. With the development of the China-Scotland relations, Chinese language and culture become more and more popular among Scottish teenagers. So far, 5 Confucius Institutes have been established in Scotland, and more than 20,000 primary and secondary students are learning Chinese language and culture.
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23 May 2016 (Education Scotland)
Finalists in the 17 categories for the Scottish Education Awards 2016 have now been announced.
Congratulations and good luck to the schools nominated in the following language categories:
Making Languages Come Alive
- St Michael's Primary School
- St Blane's Primary School
- Dalmilling Primary School
Gaelic Education Award
- Abercorn School
- Sgoil an Iochdair agus Sgoil Dhalabroig
- Bun Sgoil Chnoc a' Chonaisg | Whinhill Primary
More information about the awards can be found on the Scottish Education Awards website.
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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.
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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.
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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
18 April 2016 (The National)
Outlander star Gilbert Macmillan and an American digital radio station have been lined up to support the fledgling Gaelic Twitter Day on Thursday.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon, comedian Sanjeev Kohli, singer Michele McManus and the Scottish Football Association are all supporters of the day which is gaining interest from across the globe.
Launched in 2014, Gaelic Twitter Day or Là na #Gàidhlig has this year attracted attention from a digital radio station in Baltimore which is to run an exclusive show from midnight BST on April 21 and will include messages from celebrities like Macmillan. It will be broadcast by Guth nan Gàidheal, a radio project by the American Gaelic Association, An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach (ACGA).
Following the success of the previous two years, it is also intended to expand Gaelic Twitter Day into other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
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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)
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28 March 2016 (Fèisean nan Gàidheal)
This year's theatre summer school for Scots Gaelic students aged 14-18 will take place from 4-16 July at Portree in Skye.
Participants receive training and guidance in a wide range of skills - acting, voice, movement, dance, creative skills and props in general. The topics are taught by experienced team of excellent actors and other artists. No prior knowledge of drama or theatre is necessary to take part.
For further information about the summer school, visit the website.
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24 March 2016 (Alliance Française / Goethe-Institut)
The Goethe-Institut and the Alliance Française in Glasgow together with the Scottish Football Museum present a free month-long celebration of football and community across Glasgow this April.
From 1-30 April pop in to your local library or arts centre to experience a series of free film installations about how communities around the world react to the beautiful game.
Cinemas across the city will play host to some fantastic free football-themed movies.
On 27 and 28 April, join us at Hampden Park for a free and informative two-day symposium on Football and Social Inclusion.
For full details visit the Goal! Tor! But! website.
Read more...
22 March 2016 (SCILT)
The multilingual talents of budding young poets from across Scotland were celebrated at a prestigious award ceremony in Glasgow.
Primary and secondary students from Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, West Lothian and George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh 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 SECC on Saturday 12 March 2016 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 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. This year over 400 pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition.
Ruth Cunningham, EAL teacher from Renfrewshire, said of the competition: “Being part of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue project has been a privilege. I have heard the ‘other voices’ of my bilingual pupils, witnessed them careful craft their poems, laugh about the differences in language and, above all, feel valued and respected for their ability to speak with another voice. This event has opened my eyes to the importance of supporting children to continue to learn in their mother tongue and of engaging with my pupils’ voices, in whatever language that may be.”
One of the young competitors commented: “I had a great time writing the poem and getting my prize was exciting. It makes me more eager to learn and write in different languages.”
Fhiona Fisher, Director of SCILT, added: “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 36 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 share a lullaby, poem, rap or song from their mother tongue and to write about why this piece is important to them. 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 with an opportunity to celebrate their mother tongue. This year saw over 150 entries submitted from primary and secondary pupils across the country. The competition was supported by the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland and creative writer Juliette Lee. Prizes were presented at the ceremony by actor Atta Yaqub and Juliette Lee.
Full details of the winners and further information on the competition can be found on the SCILT website.
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22 March 2016 (Paisley Daily Express)
More than 500 children from all over the world are being helped to speak English fluently by a remarkable council project.
Young people, many from Eastern Europe and some newly-arrived refugees from Syria, are getting to grips with the tongue as it is spoken in Scotland, thanks to Renfrewshire Council’s English as an Additional Language Service.
And not only that – they are also being encouraged to keep in touch with their own native language through literature.
Supporting the primary-age children in the scheme is teacher Ruth Cunningham, who herself speaks fluent Spanish.
As revealed in the Paisley Daily Express, three of Ms Cunningham’s pupils – variously from Norway, Hungary and Lithuania – recently had great success in a poetry competition organised by Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. (Also see the attached, related article courtesy of the Paisley Daily Express).
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16 March 2016 (Arsenal Double Club)
In celebration of the European Championships in France this summer, the Arsenal Double Club team are launching an exciting, free-to-enter language challenge for all UK secondary schools.
The challenge is to create a language activity for primary school children aged 9-11, in a language of your choice, about any aspect of France or French culture.
The best overall group, as decided by the judges, will receive the Arsenal Double Club Euro 2016 trophy and have their language activity adapted and published as an official Arsenal Double Club teaching material!
This competition is open to all UK secondary schools and you do not need to be an existing Double Club school to participate.
Deadline for entries is 6pm on Tuesday 10 May 2016.
Visit the Arsenal Double Club website for more information and how to register to take part.
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
14 March 2016 (ASLS)
The Association for Scottish Literary Studies (ASLS) is running a creative writing competition for stories in Scots for S1 and S2 pupils.
Pupils should write a short story of not more than 750 words in length and submit their entries by 31 May 2016.
A slide presentation is attached which can be used to support the teaching of creative writing in Scots. A further document is also attached containing examples of previous entries.
Further information about the competition and how to enter can be found on the ASLS website.
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10 March 2016 (SCILT)
We’ll be at Language Show Live Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow for the 2-day celebration of all things languages this weekend, so if you’re attending come and see us at stand 432. Our CISS colleagues will be based at stand 440 and we’re also running a number of seminars over the course of the event.
See the Language Show Live website for more information. Hope to see you there!
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Posted in:
All Languages,
Scotland,
1+2,
Celebrating Languages,
CPD,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT,
Teacher Education,
SCILT news
9 March 2016 (Language Show Live)
Scotland’s largest language event opens this weekend at 10am! Join us for an incredible celebration of languages and save time on arrival by registering for your ticket now.
At Language Show Live Scotland you’ll find a wealth of language resources, expert advice and networking opportunities to help your professional development.
Top reasons to attend:
- The best language companies exhibiting on the main show floor
- Over 30 free CPD certified seminars
- 1+2 Primary Hub supported by SCILT and Goethe Institut
- Careers Zone and CV Clinic
- Gaelic & Scots Festival
- Networking opportunities
All this and much more on your doorstep this 11-12 March. And here's the best bit: it’s all FREE to attend!
Don't delay! Register in advance for free entry tickets and avoid the queues on the day.
Language Show Live Scotland will take place at the SECC in Glasgow. Visit www.languageshowlive.co.uk/scotland for more information.
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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.
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8 March 2016 (TES)
There are still a few days left to get your nomination in for the International Award category of this year's TES School Awards.
This award is for the school with the most innovative international strategy, ranging from initiatives to improve pupils’ and teachers’ understanding of other countries, languages and cultures to full-scale international partnerships.
You will need to demonstrate the impact this strategy has had across the school and the wider community. The judges will be keen to see clear achievements and quantifiable evidence of the success of any initiatives.
Visit the TES School Awards 2016 website for full details and to submit your nomination by 13 March 2016.
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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.
World Book Day - 3 March
3 March 2016 (SCILT)
Why not celebrate World Book Day with books in different languages? Here are some suggested websites:
3 March 2016 (Language Show Live)
Scotland’s largest language event opens next week at the SECC in Glasgow and will bring you the best suppliers and speakers from the language industry all under one roof.
Start planning your visit in advance to make the most of your time at the show. Here’s a few of the highlights we've picked out to get you started:
- ‘1+2: A National Overview’ with Louise Glen, Education Scotland
- ‘Contextualising Learning in the Broad General Education’ with Julie-Anne Mckenzie, SCILT
- ‘Is your Primary Language Teaching Effective?’ with Juliet Park, Yewlands Academy
- ‘Using School Partnerships to Support Languages’ with Kate Walker, British Council
This is just a taster of what’s on offer at Language Show Live Scotland. Browse our full seminar programme and discover all the other inspirational sessions we’ve planned.
This is a unique opportunity to meet national and international top industry experts all in one place in Glasgow. Don’t wait any longer and register today to receive your FREE ticket.
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1+2 Primary Hub, free seminars and much more at Scotland’s largest language event
24 February 2016 (Language Show Live)
It’s not long now until Language Show Live Scotland opens its doors to Glasgow. Don't miss this incredible celebration of languages and register in advance to secure your free ticket.
Stop by the 1+2 Primary Hub where practitioners from SCILT and the Goethe Institut will be on hand to give you advice on the new 1+2 approach for language learning and delivering languages at primary level.
Elsewhere on the show floor you’ be able attend over 30 free seminars and workshops and be inspired by top industry experts. Plus attend language classes, watch cultural performances and meet the best language suppliers over two days of insight and inspiration from the best in the business.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity and register today for your FREE ticket.
11-12 March • SECC, Glasgow
18 February 2016 (Language Show Live)
March is just a few weeks away so don’t delay and get your FREE ticket to attend Scotland’s largest language event.
Language Show Live is a unique opportunity to network with colleagues and industry experts while attending educational seminars dedicated to teachers and other language professionals.
Plus you’ll be able to meet the best suppliers from the language world and source the latest products – all under one roof.
Don’t miss out! Register today for your FREE ticket and avoid the queues on the day.
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17 February 2016 (UNESCO)
International Mother Language Day (21 February) was designated in 1999 by UNESCO and is designed to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
The theme of the 2016 International Mother Language Day is “Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes.”
Find out more on the UNESCO International Mother Language Day website.
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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.
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10 February 2016 (Language Show Live)
It’s not long now until Language Show Live Scotland opens its doors to Glasgow this 11-12 March. Don’t miss this brand new language event taking place in the heart of Scotland and celebrate languages with thousands of other language teachers and professionals.
Taking place for the first year in Glasgow, the show will offer over 30 free CPD certified seminars, support and advice from industry experts and over 80 exhibiting companies – all under one roof!
Don’t delay and book your free ticket today at
Language Show Live.
For more information and full seminar programme please visit our website.
Read more...
4 February 2016 (The National)
"Let our three-voiced country sing in a new world..."
Bauld hopefu words scrievit by the makar Iain Crichton Smith, in a poem that opened the Scottish Pairlament on July 1st 1999.
In the first verse he urged us aw tae sing in oor English, oor Gaelic and oor Scots and the last wis sung by the woman that cam tae symbolise the history and promise o that day.
When Sheena Wellington sae memorably hanselled the new Scotland wi Burns’ anthem o social justice A Man’s A Man, the language that partially endit roon aboot three hunner year o London rule wis Scots.
Fast forrit tae Holyrood 2016. Look for Scots in the Scottish Pairlament Buildin. If ye find ony, gie me a shout.
Read more...
2 February 2016 (The Scotsman)
People all over the world have heard of Cockney rhyming slang, but did you know there is a Scottish version?
Slowly making its way into colloquial speech, a book has already been published and even academic research has been carried out into this way of speaking.
What makes it more unique is that Scottish rhyming slang is based on pronunciation, and not written language.
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...
29 January 2016 (TESS)
Entries are invited for the TES Schools Awards 2016.
Now in its 8th year, the event aims to spotlight the extraordinary dedication and skill of school staff who are helping pupils to achieve both inside and outside of the classroom. There is an 'International' category, which includes Foreign Languages.
Visit the website for a full list of categories and entry criteria.
Enter online by 6 March 2016.
Read more...
Related Links
TES Schools Awards 2016 opens for entries (TESS online, page 16-17, 29 January 2016) - subscription required to access
AMOPA Parlons Français competition - deadline approaching
26 January 2016 (AMOPA)
The 'Parlons français' competition, run by AMOPA in collaboration with Total, is now five years old and is going from strength to strength.
To enter all that's required is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This is then assessed and feedback given. Prizes and certificates will also be awarded.
The competition is so easy to enter now as the technology is readily available and it supports your own preparation with students, it's not an "extra" task.
To find out more about the competition and how to enter see the attached flyer.
Entries must be submitted by 15 February 2016.
19 January 2016 (Heriot-Watt University)
Heriot-Watt University's Multilingual Debate is an annual event that showcases the interpreting skills of undergraduate students on our Languages (Interpreting and Translating) degree programme, as well as the developing professional skills of postgraduate students on our MSc Interpreting and Translating programmes. The event takes the form of a formal debate with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. The teams deliver their views in their various native languages (French, German, Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, British Sign Language (BSL)).
The audience is mainly made up of pupils coming from Scottish and English secondary schools, but also university undergraduate students considering entering the interpreting profession, as well as government and local authority representatives. The audiences participated in the debate by listening to the arguments, putting questions to the speakers in the languages represented and voting on the motion.
The Multilingual Debate 2016 takes place on Wednesday 23 March at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus.
To find out more about the debate topics and how to sign up to attend a session, see the video presentations in Arabic, BSL, Chinese, English, French and Spanish on the Heriot-Watt website.
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Posted in:
Senior Phase,
HE,
Chinese,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Multilingualism,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Arabic,
BSL
11 January 2016 (ELS Educational Services)
Full-time university students are invited to write an original essay (2,000 words or less) discussing global citizenship and cultural understanding and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these. The essay should reflect your personal, academic, cultural and national context.
Essays must be written in an official language of the United Nations that is not your first language or primary language of instruction during your primary or secondary education.
Essays should be submitted by Thursday 31 March 2016.
Visit the competition website for more information..
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Posted in:
HE,
Chinese,
French,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Arabic
11 January 2016 (Goethe-Institut)
The International German Olympics competition is coming to the UK for the first time in 2016! It's the biggest competition celebrating the German language and promotes the gathering of young people from around the globe who are united in their study of German and the forging of international friendships.
The final takes place in Berlin from 17-30 July 2016 with 65 countries taking part. Two secondary school students will be selected to attend and represent the UK. To take part in the preliminary selection process, students born between 1997 and 2002 are invited to produce a 2 minute video, upload to YouTube and submit the link to the Goethe-Institut by 31 March 2016.
Visit the Goethe-Institut website for full competition details and entry criteria.
Read more...
11 January 2016 (Education Scotland)
There's still time to make a nomination for the Scottish Education Awards 2016.
The awards celebrate the hard work and success in Scottish education and showcase the valuable work and innovation in learning environments across Scotland.
If you'd like to see a primary establishment be recognised for 'Making Languages Come Alive' or acknowledge an organisation for the Gaelic Education Award, nominations can be made until midday on Monday 15 February and the awards ceremony takes place in June.
Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information about the award categories and to submit a nomination.
Read more...
5 January 2016 (Language Show Live)
We are pleased to announce that you can now register for your free ticket to attend Language Show Live Scotland 2016, taking place from 11-12 March at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow.
Language Show Live Scotland is your chance to join thousands of language teachers, learners, linguists, translators, interpreters and job seekers who love languages as much as you.
The event will bring together 100 exhibitors, free educational seminars, language classes, live forums, careers advice and cultural performances in an incredible celebration of languages.
Register for free ticketsRead more...
15 December 2015 (SEET)
We have now reached the end of the first stage in the Our Films:Our Europe project. We are delighted to announce that the following schools will be joining us in one of our three film-making workshops. During the workshop pupils will have all day to work with media professionals to shoot and edit their films, bringing their ideas to life.
- Balfron High (Stirling)
- Holyrood Secondary (Glasgow)
- Lenzie Acadmey (East Dunbartonshire)
- Drumchapel High School (Glasgow)
- Harlaw Academy (Aberdeen City)
- West Calder High School (West Lothian)
- Larbert High School (Falkirk)
- Kirkcaldy High (Fife)
- St Mungos High School (Falkirk)
- Falkirk Hgih School (Falkirk)
- Bishopbriggs Academy (East Dunbartonshire)
- Auchinleck Acadmeny (East Ayrshire)
- St Roch's Secondary (Glasgow)
- St Luke's High School (East Renfrewshire)
- Cardinal Newman (North Lanarkshire)
A big thank you and well done to all of the schools who have participated in the project so far!
You can find out more about the film-making project on the SEET website.
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:
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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...
11 December 2015 (Japan Foundation)
The Nihongo Cup Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School Students in the UK is open for applications!
This contest is open to students in the UK studying Japanese language. There are three categories: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4&5 Pre-GCSE, and Key Stage 4&5 Post GCSE. 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!
For more information and to apply, visit the Japan Foundation website.
Closing date for entries is 31 March 2016.
Read more...
10 December 2015 (SCILT)
Entries have been arriving thick and fast in our inboxes here at SCILT. It is fantastic to see the hard-work and enthusiasm of your pupils in a multitude of languages being creative in such a wide variety of themes from football to holidays, memories of family to recent terrorist events in Paris.
Just a reminder that the closing date for entries is 18 December. All the information and documentation you need to enter pupils' work can be found in the Teacher's Pack within the RESOURCES tab on our MTOT page. Those of you following our MTOT blog can also find submission guidelines there.
Read more...
9 December 2015 (Scottish Education Awards)
Nominations are open for the Scottish Education Awards 2016!
Categories include:
- Gaelic Education Award - recognising establishments who provide opportunities for children to develop fluency in the Gaelic language and culture
- Making Languages Come Alive (primary) - recognising establishments who are working effectively to implement the 1+2 policy for language learning
Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for information on all the nomination categories, criteria and to submit your nomination by 15 February 2016.
Read more...
4 December 2015 (Education Scotland)
Education Scotland is challenging young people across Scotland to translate Alexander Fleming’s biography into Scots.
Translations are invited from learners of all ages and can be submitted in any variety of Scots. Translations should be submitted to
Diane Anderson by 10 December 2015 to mark the seventieth anniversary of Fleming’s Nobel Prize for Medicine for his discovery of penicillin. The best translation will be added to the Celebrating Scotland’s Scientists resource.
You can find the English biography of Alexander Fleming to translate in the Celebrating Scotland’s Scientists resource. It includes biographies of Scotland’s most famous and influential scientists’ with translations available in both Scots and English.
Read more...
3 December 2015 (SCILT)
Are you looking for ways to bring the festive season to your languages classroom?
SCILT have compiled resources from around the world for use with your pupils, from songs and games to interactive advent calendars. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and around the world!
Read more...
2 December 2015 (SCILT)
In the latest MTOT blogpost we share 10 fun poetry ideas.
Read more...
British Council news
30 November 2015 (British Council Schools Online)
The British Council has a number of resources and partnership working opportunities they offer to schools in the UK. Below are some of their forthcoming developments with a language or international element which may be of interest to teachers:
- Shakespeare lives - Designed as a cross-curricular activity pack which could also be part of project with a partner school overseas, this resource will be available mid-December and will be available in Welsh, Chinese and Arabic.
- Teaching the core skills - In today’s globalised world children not only need to be able to communicate and collaborate; they also need to be prepared to do so interculturally, in diverse and often multilingual settings. More information about teaching the communication and collaboration module can be accessed on page 14 of the brochure: Unlocking a world of potential. Sign up to Schools Online to access the training package.
- Employ a language assistant in Scottish schools - Employing a British Council Language Assistant is a unique way to broaden your pupils' understanding of the world, improve their language skills and increase their cultural awareness. See the online video. Applications open 4 January 2016.
- International School Award (ISA) - Read about Portlethen Academy's cross-curricular project which took them to France and earned them an ISA in recognition of the global dimension of their work.
Posted in:
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Citizenship,
CPD,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Cultural Diversity,
Curriculum for Excellence,
Foreign Language Assistants,
International Education,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
Partnership Working,
Teacher Education,
News from language & education organisations
30 November 2015 (Education Scotland)
The Scots language co-ordinators at Education Scotland have put together a list of seven suggestions for meaningful learning about Scotland for St Andrews Day.
Find links to Scots language websites, songs, poems and other resources, as well Gaelic language materials.
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...
26 November 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
Registrations for Word Wizard 2016 close on Monday 30th November, don't miss out on the chance to enter this motivating and challenging competition!
Open to S1-S3 pupils to compete in French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin or Spanish, Word Wizard provides learners with the opportunity to improve their vocabulary, pronunciation and memory skills in a competition format.
In partnership with UCMLS this year we have semi-finals in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. Sign up now to receive the first set of word lists and start practising!
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Motivation,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
25 November 2015 (SEET)
The deadline for the Our Europe film-making project is fast approaching, but don't worry, there's still time to sign up! Entries must be in by 10 December 2015, so if you want to sign up and haven't yet done so make sure you do it soon! If you have teams of S3-6 pupils who are interested in taking part please complete the registration form.
We are also adding new features to our Script Centre tool, designed to help students with scripting the language component of the project.
We have been extremely busy over the past few weeks making visits to schools all across Scotland and it has been great to see such enthusiasm for the project from students. For more information about the Our Europe project, please visit our website. Remember, it's not too late to sign up!
Read more...
23 November 2015 (Language Show Live Scotland)
Language Show Live Scotland is currently planning an extensive and innovative programme for the 2016 show and would like to hear from potential presenters, seminar leaders, performers and exhibition demonstrators.
Speaking at Language Show Live Scotland is free and gives you the opportunity to promote your work and directly engage with the show’s enthusiastic audience made up of thousands of language learners, teachers and professionals.
The deadline to submit all ideas for seminars, demonstrations, classes and performances is Monday 30 November.
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...
21 November 2015 (Daily Record)
One of Scotland’s best-known collectors of folk tradition has been honoured for the contribution he has made to Gaelic language and heritage.
John MacInnes, who worked at the School of Scottish Studies over four decades, was named Best Contribution at the Daily Record and Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s annual Scottish Gaelic Awards on Wednesday evening.
MacInnes, who started collecting songs, stories and the folk tradition of the nation in the early 1950s, was praised for his “unparalleled contribution” in recording the spoken word, literature and music of Scotland.
“For his academic papers and his warmth and enthusiasm towards anyone interested in Gaelic, he deserves recognition,” said his citation.
Read more...
19 November 2015 (Language Show Live Scotland)
Following the continued success of Europe’s longest running premier language event, hosted in London for the past 27 years, Language Show Live is excited to be opening its doors to Glasgow this 11-12 March at the SECC for two inspirational days packed with free educational seminars, language classes, live forums and cultural performances in an incredible celebration of languages.
Language Show Live Scotland is your chance to join thousands of language teachers, learners, translators, interpreters, linguists and job seekers who love languages as much as you.
Applications for the event programme are now open.
If you’re an experienced speaker and would like to be part of the Language Show Scotland programme click on the link to find out more about the several ways to participate and apply.
The deadline to receive all applications is Sunday 29 November.
Visit the Language Show Live Scotland website for more information about the event.
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...
9 November 2015 (ULIP)
The University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) are again offering students studying French at AS/A Level or equivalent the chance to win a trip to the City of Light!
This year ULIP's "Win a Trip to Paris" competition theme is Europe. Politicians are discussing whether or not the UK should stay, or leave the European Union, otherwise known as 'Brexit'. All you have to do to enter is watch the video about "Quel serait l'impact du ''Brexit'' sur l'activité économique ?" and answer a few related questions before 31 January 2016.
Full details can be found on the ULIP website.
Read more...
9 November 2015 (SALT)
The winners of this year’s modern languages competition for schools 'The Language of Food' were announced at the SALT conference in Glasgow on 7 November.
Congratulations to the winners and SALT extends their thanks to everyone who entered.
Winning entries can be seen on the SALT website.
Read more...
5 November 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
Registrations for Word Wizard 2016 are now open for your French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish pupils to develop their vocabulary, spelling and memory skills.
This year we have 3 semi-finals in venues across the country - in the Universities of Strathclyde, Dundee and Aberdeen. Schools can now choose to attend the semi-final which is most convenient for them.
The Stage 1 word lists were sent to registered schools this week, so sign up now to take part in this exciting and motivating competition!
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
30 October 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
Scotland's National Centre for Languages and Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools, in partnership with The University of St Andrews, are proud to announce the return of Word Wizard for its third year!
Motivate your French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish pupils by taking part in this spellbinding multilingual spelling competition!
Building on the success of last year's competition, this year we are holding 3 semi-finals across the country - hosted by the universities of Strathclyde, Dundee and Aberdeen.
Visit our Word Wizard 2016 webpage for more information and to download the Teacher's Pack and Registration form.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
26 October 2015 (European Commission)
Congratulations to the Scottish schools selected as part of the UK's representation in this year's Juvenes Translatores contest.
The Juvenes Translatores is an annual translation contest for 17 year old students and takes place this year on 26 November.
Good luck to pupils from Bishopbriggs Academy in Glasgow, George Watson's College in Edinburgh, Inverclyde Academy in Greenock, Morrison's Academy in Crieff and Plockton High School!
Read more...
Parlons français - French speaking competition for AH students
20 October 2015 (AMOPA)
The 'Parlons français' competition, run by AMOPA in collaboration with Total, is now five years old and is going from strength to strength.
To enter all that's required is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This is then assessed and feedback given. Prizes and certificates will also be awarded.
The competition is so easy to enter now as the technology is readily available and it supports your own preparation with students, it's not an "extra" task.
To find out more about the competition and how to enter see the attached flyer.
16 October 2015 (British Academy)
The British Academy has today announced the 2015 winners of its Schools Language Awards. From more than 150 applications submitted from across the UK, 14 prizes of £4,000 each are being awarded to schools and colleges – or institutions supporting them – for innovative projects aimed at increasing the numbers of students learning languages at higher levels. Spanning 17 languages, the awards are being made across both mainstream and supplementary sectors.
Congratulations to Scottish winners, St John's RC High School in Dundee and Polish School Glasgow CIC. Also to Bellahouston Academy in Glasgow for a highly commended from the judges.
Read more...
9 October 2015 (The Scottish Government)
Professor Boyd Robertson has been named as the 2015 Gaelic Ambassador of the Year on the opening night of Scotland’s annual celebration of Gaelic culture, the Royal National Mὸd, in Oban.
Professor Robertson, Principal of Sabhal Mὸr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic language and culture, was congratulated by Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, Dr Alasdair Allan.
Professor Robertson is well known to Oban’s Gaelic community, having once been Principal Teacher of Gaelic at Oban High School. He has since been closely involved with a host of groups involved in Gaelic education, at all levels of learning.
The award followed an announcement of an additional £50,000 in funding from the Scottish Government to Bòrd na Gàidhlig to support growth in Gaelic medium education.
Read more...
South Ayrshire pupils understand the value of language skills
5 September 2015 (SCILT)
A recent event highlighted the importance of language skills to South Ayrshire secondary pupils. 240 pupils from schools across South Ayrshire participated in a Business Breakfast held on 22 September 2015 at Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr. The event aimed to demonstrate to pupils the value of language skills in a business context and to encourage pupils to continue with their language studies into the Senior Phase.
The event was organised by South Ayrshire Education Department, Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages.
Fhiona Fisher, Director of SCILT said: “Events such as these are a really important way of affording young people high quality careers advice delivered by the business people themselves. It's important that Scottish youngsters can enter the workforce with a wide range of skills and attributes; those who have learned a language can offer enhanced communication skills, a greater level of inter-cultural sensitivity and highly developed literacy. These competencies are all highly valued by the business community and this event has clearly demonstrated how having ability in languages other than English can make our young people more competitive in an increasingly globalised job market.”
Toni, S3 pupil from Queen Margaret Academy said: "I'm interested in Engineering and it was really useful to talk to an engineering company about why having another language is really important to their business. The speaker also said they were trying to promote women in engineering, so that's good news for me! I am definitely going to choose to do a language in S5/S6 now!"
Taylor, S3 pupil from Ayr Academy said: "I liked that we got to talk to a wide variety of local companies and businesses that use languages not just people who translate as a job."
Calvin, S3 pupil also from Ayr Academy said: "I didn't realise all these companies were out there and how important having another language has been to their business."
The event opened and closed with an inspirational talk from two businesses on the importance of language learning. Throughout the day pupils visited a marketplace where they could talk to representatives from a range of companies about how languages benefit their business. Pupils also attended two workshops where companies presented on how they use languages in their business dealings.
For more information on SCILT’s work to promote the benefits of language learning for business and employment, please visit the business pages of the SCILT website.
If you would like to organise something similar in your own school or local authority, SCILT would be delighted to support you. Contact us.
2 October 2015 (SCILT)
Our Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) blog is up and running again for the 2015-16 competition!
Take a look at the first post and images from the creative poetry workshop which took place at the University of Strathclyde on 19 September.
There are also links to the 'Creative Bag of Tricks' series of blogs from last year.
Don't forget we have a wealth of resources on our MTOT 2015 webpage. The latest addition in the resources tab is a powerpoint presentation showing examples of Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry.
Read more...
2 October 2015 (SCILT)
How did you celebrate the European Day of Languages 2015? Visit our EDL 2015 blog to hear how schools used language cafés, Bollywood dancing, calligraphy and singing to celebrate language learning in Europe this year!
If you would like to feature in our EDL blog then send some colourful photos and a description of your activities to scilt@strath.ac.uk.
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 (SCILT)
It's now only one week until the European Day of Languages 2015, how is your school celebrating?
If you are still looking for ideas there are plenty for primary and secondary classes on our EDL webpage, along with links to websites and other resources.
Let us know how you celebrate and we will feature you in our EDL 2015 blog. We will even pick some of the most innovative events to highlight in our next newsletter!
Email scilt@strath.ac.uk with a short blurb and some colourful pictures from your event, ensuring you have the relevant photo permissions.
Read more...
17 September 2015 (SEET)
This innovative, educational project, run by the Scottish European Educational Trust, asks pupils in S3-S6 to work in teams of four to come up with an idea for a short film based on how being a European citizen affects them as young people living in Scotland. The concept must creatively address European issues as well as include at least one language other than English.
Our Europe is a great way to get pupils engaged in language learning, boost their confidence
and develop their core skills. If you would like to know more about the project, or arrange a
school visit, see the attached flyer and head to the Our Europe website to register for the competition.
Read more...
14 September 2015 (ECML)
The European Day of Languages 2015 – a time to focus on the languages of schooling, the forgotten languages…
Each year, on 26 September, the European Day of Languages is celebrated by the Council of Europe and thousands of citizens from across Europe and around the world.
It is a day when we celebrate the rich mosaic of different languages that coexist in all our countries, both from Europe and other regions of the world. Languages evolve constantly and are strengthened by borrowing from other languages, which contributes to and enriches our linguistic and cultural heritage.
So, in this year, 2015, why don’t we turn our attention to the languages that are seldom invited to this annual festival? These are the languages used in our schools as the medium of instruction and of learning. Sometimes they can create barriers that result in academic underachievement, as several international surveys illustrate. Educational success depends on a good command of the language of schooling.
The Council of Europe has been working to address this challenge, through its Language Policy Unit, its European Centre for Modern Languages and through cooperation with the European Commission, notably in the area of Multilingual Classrooms. The Council of Europe’s Recommendation on the importance of the languages of schooling for educational success offers its 47 European Member States concrete and innovative support to help them ensure that all pupils can reach their educational potential.
On this European Day of Languages, let us highlight the importance of the languages of schooling for teaching, learning and communication. Every child should be given an equal chance to succeed.
Educational success can determine the future, so let us act now.
Background information on the Day
The European Day of Languages (EDL) is a day to encourage language learning across Europe.
At the initiative of the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year, on 26 September, since the European Year of Languages in 2001.
The specific aims of the Day are to:
- alert the public to the importance of language learning in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.
The dedicated website for the Day is available in 31 languages and hundreds of activities are registered in the events’ calendar of the site. The EDL activities which take place in Europe and increasingly on other continents are organised mainly by schools, universities, language and cultural institutes and associations.
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 (British Council)
Entry is now open for the HSCB/British Council 2015/16 Mandarin Chinese speaking competition!
The competition is a great, fun opportunity for students to practise and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills. It is open to UK secondary schools and further education colleges and entrants must be non-native speakers of Chinese.
Visit the British Council website to find out more and apply by 9 October and your students could win a trip to Beijing.
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 (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 funding applications is 18 September 2015.
More information is available on the Japan Foundation website.
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 (SEET)
Our Films, Our Europe is an innovative film making project run by SEET and supported by the European Parliament. Teams of S3-S6 pupils from all secondary schools in Scotland are invited to take part in the project which encourages European languages, international discussions and creative film making.
The competition has now launched and all secondary schools in Scotland are invited to take part.
For more information and to register for the competition visit the Our Europe website.
Read more...
28 August 2015 (European Commission)
The annual translation contest for 17 year olds will take place on 26 November. This year’s theme will be the ‘European Year for Development’.
Schools must register between 1 September and 20 October.
Full details are available on the Juvenes Translatores website.
Read more...
28 August 2015 (SCILT)
This year SCILT's European Day of Languages packs have been more popular than ever! We are now officially out of stock, having sent materials to over 70 schools and posting out more than twice as many packs as last year.
However, there are still lots of ways to celebrate EDL in your school and SCILT has put together great ideas to support you in your celebrations. We have grouped them into primary and secondary ideas and provided a suggested timeframe for each activity.
Visit our EDL 2015 webpage to download our suggestions and to find many more ideas and resources.
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...
21 August 2015 (Bòrd na Gàighlig)
Nominations for the 2015 Scottish Gaelic Awards are now open. The awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage. Education Scotland are delighted to sponsor the Innovation in Education and Learner Awards. Visit the Scottish Gaelic Awards website for more information and to submit a nomination today. Nominations must be submitted by Friday 25 September 2015.
Read more...
20 August 2015 (SEET)
Our Films, Our Europe is an innovative film making project run by SEET and supported by the European Parliament. Teams of S3-S6 pupils from all secondary schools in Scotland are invited to take part in the project which encourages European languages, international discussions and creative film making.
The competition will launch on 1 September 2015 with all secondary schools in Scotland invited to take part.
For more information, see the attached press release or visit the SEET website where you can also find details of last year's competitors and the winning films.
Read more...
14 August 2015 (Vocab Express)
Create a languages buzz around your school to kick-start the new academic year! The championship will run from Wednesday 30 September until Tuesday 6 October 2015. It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.
The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.
The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are currently still 50 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students.
Read more...
Posted in:
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Celebrating Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Japanese,
Arabic,
Portuguese,
Polish,
Urdu
13 August 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
After announcing the Word Wizard 2015 prizewinners back in June, we have now published the photos from the Final in the Scottish Parliament on 29th May.
Visit our Word Wizard 2015 Final webpage for the full list of prizewinners and to view the photos via our Flickr album.
You can download any of the photos by right clicking on the image and selecting 'Save as'.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
13 August 2015 (Edinburgh International Book Festival)
The Edinburgh International Book Festival kicks off this weekend with a varied programme for all ages bringing brilliant writers from around the world for events, workshops and performances, with a big focus on translation and language.
- Trading Stories - Truly great stories are carried from culture to culture, across languages, over national borders and down the generations. This year’s globetrotting Book Festival presents great stories from a spectacular range of cultures. Follow the think to access the full programme.
- Talking Translation - Events with writers and translators who investigate issues of language, identity and writing, both here and abroad.
- Mexican Writing - Three workshops with Gabriel Orozco exploring Mexican fiction, essays and poetry.
- British Sign Language Events - A list of events currently scheduled to have British Sign Language interpretation.
Full details of all the events on offer at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival and how to book can be found on the Festival website. The event runs until 31 August 2015.
Read more...
13 August 2015 (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 2015 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 EDL2015 blog.
Read more...
9 August 2015 (Scotland Now)
Which language do you think is the most beautiful sounding in the world?
Are the flowing, romantic sounds of French among your favourites or maybe some passionate Italian tones?
The video clip above, made by language learning website Easy Languages, claims German is the most beautiful sounding in the world.
Okay, we admit the rough and readiness of the Scottish language might not be the easiest on everyone’s ears – but we love it anyway.
Read more...
6 July 2015 (The Herald)
Before the meteoric rise in printing technology, most European nations were a hodgepodge of dialects and linguistic variations. More of a flowing fabric of interwoven words across the continent, than our current situation of bounded nation-states.
With the popularity of print publications came the need to standardise written languages - translating every book into the hundreds of French dialects would have been an unwieldy and costly project, much more complicated than developing dictionaries for people to learn the standard.
Thusly, the new and increasingly ubiquitous print media at the time effected spoken variations, with institutions like L'Academie Francaise established with the sole role of linguistic arbiter; policing the nation's speakers to communicate 'properly'.
Read more...
30 June 2015 (SEET)
Finalist teams from Balfron High School (Stirling) and Lenzie Academy (East Dunbartonshire) spent three days in Brussels last week, from Sunday 21st June to Wednesday 24th June, competing in the final of the Our Europe Film Competition run by the Scottish European Educational Trust.
After a close-run final at Scotland House, Balfron High were determined to be the overall winners of the competition.
For more information about the final see the attached flyer or visit the SEET website.
Read more...
Mathématiques sans Frontières 2015
23 June 2015 (North Lanarkshire Council)
Mathématiques Sans Frontières is an annual competition organised jointly by North Lanarkshire Council and Heriot Watt University. This year's winning team were from the High School of Glasgow!
See the attached documents for more information about the competition and this year's entries and winners.
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...
18 June 2015 (SCILT/CISS)
On Friday 29th May 42 talented linguists competed in the National Finals of Word Wizard 2015.
Visit our 2015 Final webpage to read all about this year's event and our impressive competitors. Photos from the event will be published soon.
Read more...
Posted in:
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news,
CISS news
10 June 2015 (Education Scotland)
Congratulations to the winners at this year's Scottish Education Awards, particularly those in the languages categories:
- Gaelic Education Award - Clann Throndairnis - Staffin and Kilmuir Primary Schools (Highlands)
- Making Languages Come Alive - Corseford School (Renfrewshire)
Details of all the winners and finalists can be found on the Education Scotland website.
Read more...
9 June 2015 (Babelzine)
This year, Babel is once more celebrating young linguists' insights about language. Previous articles by young writers Niamh Mulholland and Kateryna Pavliuk have demonstrated the linguistic talents of Babel readers, and so this year we've decided to publish two lucky winners' articles in Issue 13.
There are two age groups for this competition; 16-18 and undergraduates. So tell your friends, tell your children, tell your grandchildren, and get involved! And if you would like some inspiration, have a read of Niamh's article on Konglish and Kateryna's on British Sign Language.
The deadline for entries is Friday 31 August 2015.
Read more...
8 June 2015 (The Herald)
The 2015 James McCash Scots Poetry Competition, announced today, offers total prize money of £3,500, making it among the UK's major poetry prizes.
The total has more than doubled since last year, when it was £1,500.
The free-to-enter competition, which has been run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University since 2003, aims to celebrate and encourage the use of the Scots language in all its rich diversity.
Read more...
Related Links
Tinto Hill Withoot Oxygen (The Herald, 9 June 2015)
30 May 2015 (The Independent)
Rapper Jonathan Goddard is using his skills to motivate his students in a classroom in a deprived area of London. The children, some as young as eight, are rapping, singing and gesturing in unison, but the language they’re using isn’t English. It’s Latin.
The groundbreaking approach, using a language more closely linked to Virgil and Ovid than Jay Z and Kanye West, is designed to teach children how to conjugate verbs and grasp complex grammatical rules using the classical language as a conduit.
Read more...
29 May 2015 (BBC)
Out on a sunny Berlin balcony, Tim Keeley and Daniel Krasa are firing words like bullets at each other. First German, then Hindi, Nepali, Polish, Croatian, Mandarin and Thai – they’ve barely spoken one language before the conversation seamlessly melds into another. Together, they pass through about 20 different languages or so in total.
Back inside, I find small groups exchanging tongue twisters. Others are gathering in threes, preparing for a rapid-fire game that involves interpreting two different languages simultaneously. It looks like the perfect recipe for a headache, but they are nonchalant. “It’s quite a common situation for us,” a woman called Alisa tells me.
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.
Read more...
20 May 2015 (Glow TV)
The 1+2 Factor is a national competition open to all Scottish education establishments. We want you to showcase the learning and teaching of languages in Scottish schools and encourage the use of digital technology to support the implementation of the 1 + 2 languages policy. Sign up to find out more about the competition and how the different tools in Glow could be used to support the learning of languages in your school.
This Glow TV event provides further information on the competition and is available to watch again.
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.
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 (Education Scotland)
The finalists of the Scottish Education Awards 2015 have been announced.
A huge range of high quality nominations were received demonstrating the innovative practice, dedication and fantastic work that is taking place in learning environments across Scotland.
The finalists in the Making Languages Come Alive category are:
- Corseford School (Renfrewshire)
- Ardgowan Primary School (Inverclyde)
- Dalmilling Primary School (South Ayrshire)
The finalists for the Gaelic Education Award are:
- The Nicolson Institute (Sgoil MhicNeacail) (Western Isles)
- Norma Martin – Stenhouse Primary School (Edinburgh City)
- Clann Throndairnis - Staffin and Kilmuir Primary Schools (Highlands)
To find out who the finalists are in each of the 17 categories visit the awards website. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Glasgow on Wednesday 10 June. Good luck to all the finalists!
Read more...
5 May 2015 (SCEN)
The UK Association for the Promotion of Chinese Education is organising its tenth Chinese Essay Writing Competition. Jessica Guo is keen for Scottish pupils to enter!
Find out more now from Jessica: fsjessy2001@yahoo.co.uk
The deadline is 15 May 2015!
Read more...
27 April 2015 (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
IoL Educational Trust (IoLET), the awarding body of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, invites nominations for the Threlford Memorial Cup 2015.
The Threlford Memorial Cup is awarded annually to an individual, organisation or project making a significant contribution to 'fostering the study of languages', in the words of CIOL founder Sir Lacon Threlford, and will be presented to the winner at an awards ceremony in central London in November. The runner up receives the David Crystal Trophy, kindly donated by renowned linguist and CIOL Honorary Fellow, Professor David Crystal.
The awards have attracted a wide variety of nominations in previous years and recent winners include the Arsenal Double Club Languages, thirdyearabroad.com and GCHQ's Language Outreach Project.
Anyone wishing to submit a suitable candidate for the award should download the nomination form from the Annual Awards 2015 page of the CIOL website, complete in full, supplying two referees, and send by email to comms@ciol.org.uk. Closing date for nominations: 31 July 2015.
Read more...
27 March 2015 (ALL)
If you weren't able to attend this year's Language World, presentations from both days are now available on the ALL website.
Friday 20 March 2015:
Saturday 21 March 2015:
Further information from the event and dates for next year's conference can also be found on the ALL website.
Read more...
24 March 2015 (The Guardian)
Every year the British Council runs a competition to find Britain's best young Mandarin speakers. Those that make it through to the last stage of the competition come to London to compete at the British Museum. We went behind scenes of the competition to follow Louis Carmicheal, 17, from Hull and Natalia Barton, 13, from Liverpool as they prepared for the final.
Read more...
19 March 2015 (SCILT)
SCILT was delighted to have received over 100 entries to the first ever Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) competition in Scotland!
On Saturday 7 March our MTOT stars were invited to a special celebration event in the Burns room of the Mitchell Library. Many of our MTOT stars took to the stage to read or sing their poems and songs before being presented with their own copy of the MTOT Anthology by Jim Carruth, Glasgow's Poet Laureate.
Visit our MTOT Celebration Event webpage to find out more about the event, see the photos and read the winning poems.
Read more...
19 March 2015 (UNESCO)
In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.
One of the main objectives of World Poetry Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.
There is a strong connection between the aims of World Poetry Day and those of our own multilingual poetry competition, Mother Tongue Other Tongue.
Read more...
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Poster Competition 2015
17 March 2015 (Consejería de Educación)
We invite Scottish students studying Spanish in secondary education to take part in a competition to produce a poster with a striking image reflecting both cinema and Spain, although the competition is open to all students in secondary education, especially those studying media, product design and art.
The poster will be displayed around the city of Edinburgh in September and October 2015 in various sizes and formats. It will also be the cover of our programme and leaflets.
The deadline for entries is 1 April 2015.
See the attached flyer for full details and how to enter.
11 March 2015 (European Parliament)
Euroscola is a unique event for schools to learn about European integration by experiencing it first hand. Students from the 28 EU Member States are selected to become a Member of the European Parliament for one day at the Parliament's premises in Strasbourg.
On 5 March, pupils from Scotland, representing the United Kingdom, were piped in to the European Parliament chamber. See their entrance and speech on YouTube.
To find out more about the programme and how your school can take part, visit the Euroscola website.
Read more...
6 March 2015 (The Guardian)
Stress-timing and meters aren’t merely the stuff of poetry – their everyday use in conversation and song reveals a fundamental pattern in language skills.
Do you feel the rhythm? Or a French rythme, Spanish ritmo, Swedish rytm, Russian ритм (ritm) or Japanese rizumu? Is there a difference? Perhaps one way to find out is to have a French conversation, German konversation, Spanish conversación, or Italian conversatione? Doing so will of course reveal many differences, but languages of the world also share much, just as these words demonstrate.
Read more...
25 February 2015 (Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office London)
UK secondary school students are offered the chance to win a place at a university summer school in Hong Kong!
To enter the competition, all pupils have to do is describe why they think Hong Kong would be a great place to study as a university student. Entries can be through any means – an essay or through social media, for example a video clip on YouTube, a post in a blog, and the entries should focus on the advantages of Hong Kong as a destination of pursuing tertiary education. Five winners will be selected and entries will be judged based on content, creativity and presentation. Deadline for entries is 20 April 2015.
See full competition criteria and how to enter on the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office London website.
Read more...
21 February 2015 (Taylor & Francis Online)
It's not too late to celebrate International Mother Language Day! International Mother Language Day is an observance held annually on 21 February worldwide to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. It was first announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999.
Access a collection of journal articles online, free until the end of March 2015.
The collection features articles covering topics including:
- Language and Education
- Identity
- Language Attitudes
- Language Policy
- Multilingualism
Read more...
16 February 2015 (BBC)
Scottish attractions have been given Chinese names in a tourism drive which is helping promote "Strong-man skirt parties" and "Baa baa pudding".
VisitScotland said the translations for Highland Games and haggis were among suggestions put forward in a Great Names public vote across China.
Glen Coe, Splendid and beautiful valley, was the top Scottish contender in a list of 101 British landmarks.
Overall, 13,000 new names were suggested during the 10-week campaign.
Read more...
15 February 2015 (The Guardian)
Leading a school with a diverse cultural mix has its challenges, says headteacher Becky Ingram, but we all want the same things for our children.
Read more...
10 February 2015 (BBC News)
Secondary school students have been testing their language skills in the final of the British Council's Mandarin Speaking Competition.
One school delighted judges with a comic play about what can go wrong if you turn up at a Chinese restaurant without your purse.
Another embarked on their own version of the tale of Mulan.
Just over 3,000 students take Mandarin at GCSE and the competition's aim is to boost uptake in schools.
Read more...
10 February 2015 (SCEN)
The 2015 SCEN competition invited pupils to write a piece on 'Why all Scottish students should have the opportunity to learn Chinese.'
Congratulations to the winners!
- Lily Penman, P7 (Geits), The Edinburgh Academy - see Lily's entry attached below
- Joanna Martin, Queen Anne High School, Dunfermline - whose article is published in The Scottish Review
Read more...
9 February 2015 (Into Film)
We are partnering with the Guardian Teacher Network for this award and are looking for the most inspirational examples of using film or film-making activities in the classroom.
See the Into Film website for entry criteria. Submission deadline is 26 February 2015.
Read more...
9 February 2015 (The Scotsman)
The Scots language should be heard on radio and television as part of mainstream programming and not confined to comedy shows, an award-winning broadcaster has said.
BBC Scotland’s Frieda Morrison, who also presents a monthly podcast on Scots Language Radio, will host an event next week and call for Scots to be given the same airtime as Gaelic.
“Scots is in a far more perilous situation than Gaelic. Yet in recent memory we had children ridiculed for using it at school and it only being acceptable once a year learning a poem for Burns Day,” she said
“Using Scots is all about confidence and identity. So many people are proud they speak it and it has not held them back.
“But we need a multi-pronged attack. Education Scotland has made it part of the curriculum but we need it heard much more often.”
Read more...
5 February 2015 (Routes into Languages)
The competition invites teams of students to choose 6 of 7 challenges to complete in any language they wish. In fact, the more languages used to complete the tasks the better. After tasks are completed, students will need to enter examples of careers which use the skills and knowledge they have used!
This activity is targeted at Years, 8, 9 and 10 in England, S1-S3 in Scotland.
The deadline for submitting entries is 1 May 2015.
For more information about the competition, see the teacher information sheet or visit the Routes into Languages website.
To register to take part and to receive copies of the poster and students's sheets, please go to the Languages Challenge 2015 registration form.
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...
2 February 2015 (European Parliament)
Are you running an inspiring project for EU youth? Why not enter the European Charlemagne Youth Prize? Submission deadline extended to 23 February 2015! The European Charlemagne Youth Prize" aims to encourage the development of European consciousness among young people, as well as their participation in European integration projects. The Prize is awarded to projects undertaken by young people which foster understanding, promote the development of a shared sense of European identity, and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community. The prize for the best project is €5000, the second, €3000 and the third, €2000.
More information is available on the European Parliament website.
Read more...
31 January 2015 (Manchester Evening News)
Bolton boxer Amir Khan has thrown his weight behind a multilingual poetry project.
The champion boxer filmed a special video for the launch of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The national competition, which launches on Monday February 2, aims to encourage children who don’t speak English at home to celebrate their mother tongue - while giving native-English speakers the chance to learn a second language.
Amir said: “Speaking another language, some people might feel shy about it but they shouldn’t – they should have confidence and be able to talk about what other languages they speak."
*SCILT have been piloting Mother Tongue, Other Tongue in Scotland in session 2014-15 with Glasgow schools. Find out more on our Mother Tongue, Other Tongue page.
Read more...
Related Links
Amir's video along with more information and images from the competition can be found on the
MTOT pages of Manchester Metropolitan University's website.
AMOPA 'Parlons français' - A competition for students of AH French
30 January 2015 (Alliance Française)
The competition is now in its fourth year and with continuing sponsorship from Total it's hoped it will continue to grow.
“It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!” That’s a quote from one school last year.
And it’s true. All that's needed is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This will then be assessed, everyone given some feedback and prizes and certificates awarded.
See the attached flyer for full details about the competition and how to enter. The deadline for entries is 21 February 2015.
30 January 2015 (UK-German Connection)
Karneval / Fasching is just around the corner! That's right, from 16 to 18 February, 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 Karneval special?
Our Karneval Special features:
- an interactive quiz
- a fascinating article about the biggest and most famous Karneval celebrations in Germany
- a photo gallery
- a podcast about the tradition of Karneval a
- web quest (with worksheet) that you can use in class
For
Broad General Education (Key Stage 3), why not listen to the ever-popular Karneval song by a singing hairdresser on the voyage kids special? (with worksheet and PPTs to teach the vocabulary in the song).
Are you celebrating Karneval with your pupils? Send us a picture and brief description of your Karneval activities, and we'll feature them on the voyage website as a useful project example.
Read more...
23 January 2015 (BP Art Exchange/Institut Français)
BP Art Exchange and the
Institut Français would like to invite French and art teachers to participate in an exciting initiative exploring art and Language with a class of their choice.
‘Dis-moi dix mots... que tu accueilles’ is a project initiated by the French Ministry of Education and the aim of this annual initiative is for classes to create a collective artistic piece of work responding to a selection of 10 chosen French words. The words selected this year are: amalgame, bravo, cibler, grigri, inuit, kermesse, kitsch, sérendipité, wiki, zénitude. If you would like to participate in this project,
register at bpartexchange.tate.org.uk and join the Dix Mots group. Upload the works that your students have created to share them with others before
01 March 2015. A panel of judges representing the BP Art Exchange community, comprising an artist, a teacher and a representative from Institut Français and BP Art Exchange will meet in March 2015 to select the three most interesting submissions to be featured on Tate website.
Click here for more information about the project ‘Dis-moi dix mots... que tu accueilles’. For inspiration, you can visit your local gallery,
browse the Tate online digitised collection as a reference point for creating works in response to one or more of the 10 words.
Read more...
22 January 2015 (SEET)
On Monday 2 February the Scottish European Educational Trust will host the semi-final of the Our Europe Film Competition 2014-15 at SocietyM in Glasgow.
In the initial stage of the competition, teams of four S3-S6 pupils were asked to submit storyboards, which made use of at least one European language other than English, explaining their ideas for a short film about how being an EU citizen affects them. This year 70 teams from high schools across Scotland signed up to take part. The six best entries were then chosen and invited to participate in the Our Europe semi-final workshop day.
This year’s semi-finalist teams come from: Balfron High School (Stirling), St Lukes High School (East Renfrewshire), Kinross High School (Kinross), Lenzie Academy (East Dunbartonshire), Douglas Academy (East Dunbartonshire) and Marr College (South Ayrshire).
See the attached press release for more information or visit the SEET website.
Read more...
22 January 2015 (Multilingual Parenting)
The #IMLD campaign aims to raise awareness for the International Mother Language Day: 21 February 2015. The goal is to see the day celebrated more widely all over the world, both in families, organisations, communities as well as on a national and global level.
This year’s theme for the day is “Inclusion in and through education: Language counts” This and other topics related to the values the day represents will be highlighted in the campaign which starts today, runs for 30 days and culminates on Saturday the 21st of February when we can all celebrate together.
Read more...
15 January 2015 (UKLO)
Round one of this year’s UKLO competition starts in just under 3 weeks.
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 and is free to enter.
For more information about the competition and how to register your school visit the UKLO website.
Read more...
15 Januiary 2015 (Franco-British Council)
The Franco-British Council is delighted to announce that the digital giant Google and Eurostar are both supporting its 2015 competition for schools.
The competition is directed at S2 and S5 pupils at state schools ONLY in Scotland and the equivalent Year 9 and Year 12 pupils from state schools ONLY south of the border. The competition requires pupils to pick a city* in France and create their very own website championing it and explaining why their friends should all go there. Entries will be judged by a panel of digital, communications and travel experts from Google, Eurostar, the Daily Telegraph Newspaper and the Foreign Office. The winning three groups (5 pupils and 1 teacher per group) will get the opportunity to visit their chosen French city for the weekend!
The aim of this competition is to stimulate interest and research in France amongst language students and to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their creative, linguistic and IT skills.
Please see the full competition details on the Franco-British Council website through the 'read more' link below.
The competition runs from Janusary - 24 April 2015. Teachers should send the link of their pupils’ website entry to prize@francobritishcouncil.org.uk and contact angela@francobritishcouncil.org.uk with any questions.
*French Cities included in the competition: Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy, Mulhouse, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Rouen, Caen, Le Mans, Laval, Rennes, Angers, Nantes, Tours, Poitiers, Angoulême, Bordeaux, Lyon, Valence, and Avignon. Please take a look at the map.
Read more...
12 January 2015 (The Guardian)
Ever tried to describe the mark left on the skin by wearing something tight, and been lost for words? Or the itchiness on the upper lip before taking a sip of whisky? Illustrator and writer Ella Frances Sanders’ new book 'Lost in Translation' explores unique words from languages around the world. Here’s a few of our favourites.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
6 January 2015 (Franco-British Council)
Pupils in S2 and S5 are invited to choose their favourite French city from the list provided and design a website to promote the city and explain why we should all go there. Extra credit will be given for including written or spoken French.
Winners will have the chance to visit their chosen French city, courtesy of Eurostar and the Franco-British Council.
Visit the Franco-British Council website for full details of the competition and how to enter. The competition closes on 24 April 2015.
Read more...
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
5 December 2014 (Scottish Education Awards)
Nominations are now open for the 2015 Scottish Education Awards, which 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 are two language categories this year:
- Making Languages Come Alive (Primary) – to recognise establishments who are working effectively to implement the 1+2 policy for language learning
- Gaelic Education Award – to recognise establishments who are providing opportunities for all children to develop fluency in the Gaelic language and culture
Get your nominations in before the closing date of Monday 16 February 2015.
Read more...
4 December 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 second of our items about short form poetry,
“Chinese Portraits”, is available to read now on the blog.
Read more...
4 December 2014 (SCILT)
Are you looking for ideas to bring Christmas into your modern languages classroom?
SCILT have compiled resources from around the world for use with your pupils, from songs and games to interactive advent calendars. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and many other countries!
Read more...
28 November 2014 (The Guardian)
The public has chosen stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard as their 2014 public language champion.
The award was announced on Friday at the Guardian and British Academy 2014 Schools Language Awards in central London as part of the annual Language Festival. The Public Language Champion award invites Guardian readers to nominate public figures that promote the value of speaking another language.
Eddie Izzard is a long-time advocate for the importance of language learning. Readers highlight his international tour Force Majeure which sees him delivering sets in Arabic, German, Spanish and French. As part of the tour, and to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, he also performed the show three times in three different languages.
Read more...
27 November 2014 (The Herald)
As Gaelic-speaking students from Edinburgh, Dingwall and Stornoway battled for honours in the BT Scotland National Gaelic Schools Debate at Holyrood this week, they demonstrated the worth of every penny spent on Gaelic, whether in education, broadcasting or extra-curricular activities.
Read more...
25 November 2014 (Oxford University Press)
Help us to celebrate the launch of new KS3 French Tricolore 5e édition for 2014 with our J’adore Tricolore competition.
We're offering 10 winners the chance to win a languages goody bag, packed with MFL prizes galore. For a chance to win, take a 'Tricolore selfie' and enter by 31 December 2014.
More information is available on the Oxford University Press website.
Read more...
24 November 2014 (The Guardian)
In our recent Witness assignment we asked you to share a picture of an everyday item and tell us what it is called in your home language. From ‘cup’ in Welsh to ‘love’ in Bulgarian, we had almost 100 submissions from across Europe and beyond. Here’s a few of our favourites.
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
14 November 2014 (Sanako)
Sanako is celebrating our new look website and are excited to announce that we are giving away a 20 position language lab…. just in time for Christmas!
The winning School/College/University will receive a 20 position Sanako Study 700 Language lab, our basic-level software language laboratory for the classroom environment. The Study 700 is ideal for the language lab novice and is an entry level system which incorporates all the basic language laboratory functions such as monitoring, discussion, pairing, listening activities and two-track recording as well as many more innovative features!
For a chance to win this fantastic prize, visit the competition website.
Read more...
13 November 2014 (ULIP)
To commemorate the centenary of WW1 the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) is running this year's 'Win a trip to Paris' competition with a WW1 theme. To enter, students of Higher/Advanced Higher French have to watch the video on their website about "Les Taxis de la Marne", a famous WW1 event that took place right outside ULIP's front door, and answer a few related questions before 31 January 2015.
The French teacher of the winning student also receives a hamper of luxury Parisien goodies!
Visit the ULIP website for full terms and conditions and to take part in the competition.
Read more...
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...
12 November 2014 (SEET)
Following on from the launch of this years’ Our Europe Film Competition, the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) has launched ‘Script Centre’. This brand new online language resource is designed to help pupils at various levels of learning construct sentences in foreign languages as well as provide the vocabulary they may need to talk about European issues. SEET aims for this new interactive study aid to assist Our Europe entrants in constructing sentences which they can use within their foreign language scenes. In addition, Script Centre should allow pupils to rely less on input from their teacher in terms of content and be able to express their views more independently, with only grammar needing checked.
The resource is available to any class who wish to use it, all teachers need to do is create an account. Script Centre is accessible via the ‘resources’ page of the Our Europe website or directly at the Script Centre webpage.
Please note that the Our Europe Film Competition is still open for registration, with the deadline for submissions being 10th December 2014. More details about the competition as well as links to register can be found at the website provided above.
If you have any questions or experience difficulties in using the resource, please contact: madeleine@seet.org.uk.
Read more...
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 (Japan Foundation)
There’s now only about 2 months left until the deadline for the Japan Foundation’s Japan Webpage Contest for Schools 2014-15!
This contest is open to any UK 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.
Deadline to enter: January 12th 2015.
For information, the application form and plenty of hints and tips, please visit the official Japan Webpage Contest for Schools website.
Read more...
6 November 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
Let your pupils shoot a video about “Sport in meinem Leben“ and win a trip to Berlin or other cool prizes. Register and upload your video by 16 November 2014.
See the Goethe-Institut website for more information.
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 (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...
31 October 2014 (SEET)
Script Centre is our new online language resource designed to work alongside the Our Europe Film Competition. It allows pupils to use blocks of phrases to construct a sentence in their chosen European language, as well as provides the vocabulary needed to talk about European Issues in another language.
Teams will now be able to begin scripting their foreign language scenes for the film competition out with school and simply ask the teacher to check their work, rather than relying fully on a teachers’ contribution.
Visit the Script Centre website to find out more.
Read more...
31 October 2014 (Language Perfect)
The search is on for the top language student and languages department in the northern hemisphere... The Northern Championships, taking place from 3-13 November 2014 , pitches students and schools in the northern hemisphere against one another, ONLINE and LIVE, from computers and iPod/Android apps. Teachers can watch the scoreboards for up-to-the-minute updates on how their school and students are going. Maybe your school will become the champions in 2014?
Visit the Language Perfect website for more information.
Read more...
Posted in:
Chinese,
French,
German,
Italian,
Spanish,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
News from language & education organisations,
Russian,
Japanese,
Arabic
30 October 2014 (SCILT/CISS)
Our exciting spelling competition Word Wizard has now officially launched for school session 2014-15!
Visit our Word Wizard 2015 webpage to download the Teacher's Pack and registration form. School are advised to register to take part by Friday 28th November.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Skills,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
29 October 2014 (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)
e-Stòras, which was launched at the beginning of this year, has been shortlisted in the Education in Innovation section at the upcoming Gaelic Awards. The website, which was created by the Multimedia Unit of the Education and Children’s Services Department of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, is part of their remit to create educational resources for pupils in Gaelic Medium Education.
There are 3 main sections to the website; Pre-school, Primary School and Secondary School. The different sections focus on a range of subjects from History, Songs, Language, Culture and Drama. The Secondary section has additional focus on literature and there are a series of short videos about Iain Crichton Smith and Dòmhnall Ruadh Phaislig in addition to An Sgeulachd Ghoirid (The Short Story) which was created over a year ago. All 3 sections are constantly being updated with new materials which will enhance young people’s Gaelic learning opportunities.
The Gaelic Awards will be held in Glasgow on 19 November 2014.
Read more...
29 October 2014 (Stornoway Gazette)
With just a week left before the 2014 BT Alba Gaelic Debate begins competitors across the country are busy preparing for this prestigious competition.
Twenty two teams from seventeen schools will be taking part in this year’s competition.
This year sees the competition celebrate its fifteenth birthday with the first competition having been held in 1999.
Since its inception the competition has gone from strength to strength and is now seen as one of the highlights in the academic calendar of Scotland’s secondary schools.
Read more...
23 October 2014 (SCILT/CISS)
Scotland's National Centre for Languages and Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools, in partnership with The University of St Andrews, are proud to announce the return of Word Wizard for its second year!
Following on from the success of last year's competition we are once again inviting S1-S3 learners of French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish to take part in this spellbinding competition.
We are currently taking registrations of interest from schools and the competition will officially be launched at the end of October 2014. If you would like to receive updates on the competition please email scilt@strath.ac.uk indicating which languages you are interested in entering.
Visit our Word Wizard webpage to download our 2014-15 flyer with more information on the competition.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Skills,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
21 October 2014 (The Guardian)
The Language Festival may have set out to be a celebration of cultural and linguistic diversity, but the first session of the weekend – the Born Global Symposium – didn't shy away from some of the big, and difficult, questions around the state of language learning in the UK.
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...
20 October 2014 (SCILT)
To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for developing creative writing skills through the “Creative Bag of Tricks” series published on the MTOT blog. The fifth item, “Cut-ups”, suggests three engaging activities suitable for learners at a range of ages and stages.
Read more...
15 October 2014 (Guardian)
Cultural diversity and learning will be celebrated this month in the UK’s second annual national Language Festival.
The festival, which launches on 17 October, brings together students, teachers and the wider public in an exploration of a multilingual society.
Read more...
09 October 2014 (SCILT)
How did you celebrate the European Day of Languages this year?
SCILT have created an EDL2014 blog to showcase some of the great activities that Scottish schools took part in to celebrate the European Day of Languages on September 26th. You can see the fantastic entries we've had so far via the link to our blog below.
If you haven't sent us your story yet we'd love to hear from you! You can send a short description of your day plus some colourful photographs to scilt@strath.ac.uk and we'll feature it on the blog. We hope to include a selection of the best stories in our next SCILT newsletter.
Read more...
9 October 2014 (Goethe-Institut)
This poetry-writing competition for students aged 12 and above is organized by the Institute of Modern Languages and the DAAD London in conjunction with the 'Germany: memories of a nation exhibition' at the British Museum.
Accompanying the object-based approach of the exhibition to make German history visible and tangible, the competition wants to draw on the students’ curiosity and creativity by letting them re-sculpt the objects in words. More specifically, they are asked to create a 'Dinggedicht', a poem based on any one of the objects presented at the exhibition.
Poems may be written in English or German; they do not have to rhyme. The only rule is that they must be no longer than 250 words.
In order to take part students do not have to visit the exhibition personally, they may view a number of iconic objects on the British Museum website and blog page which can be accessed via the DAAD competition website.
Submission deadline is Friday 14 November 2014.
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...
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...
26 September 2014 (British Academy)
Congratulations to Craigroyston Community High School in Edinburgh. As winners in the Scotland category of this year’s British Schools Languages Award, they have been awarded £4000. Their ‘European partnerships’ project involves the writing detective novellas in collaboration with a school in France and selling copies of the finished published stories and it was recognised as very enterprising by the BASLA judges.
Fourteen projects out of over a hundred that were submitted, have been recognised as category winners. The overall UK British Academy Schools Languages Award winner will be chosen from the fourteen category winning projects and will be announced at the BASLA prize-giving ceremony in November, so Craigroyston is still in the hunt.
Read more...
26 September 2014 (Guardian)
Globalisation and cultural homogenisation mean that many of the world’s languages are in danger of vanishing. UNESCO has identified 150 European languages which it considers are either vulnerable or endangered. We talk to speakers of these lesser-known languages – from Faroese to Pite Saami.
Read more...
25 September 2014 (Speak to the Future)
A wealth of activity up and down the country will mark the European Day of Languages this year. We’d like to share with you the press release from Speak to the Future, issued today, listing the main activities the campaign is supporting.
Read more...
24 September 2014 (ECML)
The ECML dedicated European Day of Languages website has a great variety of ideas and resources to celebrate EDL 2014 in your school. This year there are a number of new features on the website:
- Versions of the website in 28 different languages
- Sign language game - find out European country names in International Sign Language and test yourself
- Language trivia - some well-known and not so well-known characteristics of specific languages
- European Day of Languages Photo Contest 2014 - anyone of any age in a Council of Europe member state can enter, this year's theme is 'Language learning in action'
as well as language facts, games, quizzes and much more! Visit the ECML European Day of Languages website to find out more about the new features and to access these wonderful resources.
Read more...
European Day of Languages - Council of Europe Statement
24 September 2014 (Council of Europe)
To mark the European Day of Languages, the Council of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, has issued the following statement:
European Day of Languages: challenging mindsets and embracing diversity
“On 26 September we celebrate Europe’s rich linguistic diversity. Let us take a moment to remember the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery – that language is often the source of misunderstandings. Language can be used as a weapon, as an excuse to discriminate and humiliate.
Together we can ensure that languages, rather than being the source of misunderstanding, become the key to intercultural dialogue and mutual respect. To do this, we must challenge existing mindsets and embrace diversity.
The Council of Europe demonstrates a strong commitment to all of Europe’s languages: through its work on the protection of regional or minority languages, in developing common standards for teaching and measuring linguistic competence, and in supporting states to implement inclusive approaches to language education.
So while we celebrate the Day of Languages today, in Strasbourg, in Graz together with the European Centre for Modern Languages, and through the many innovative events taking place all around Europe, let us recognise the powerful role languages play in helping to build and maintain tolerant, peaceful and inclusive societies.”
19 September 2014 (SEET)
“Our Europe is a great way to get young people engaged in language learning and thinking about European Issues. It asks them to form opinions in a fun and creative way.” – John Mulgrew, (Former Director of Education)
The Our Europe Film Competition is set to launch on 23 September 2014 for its third consecutive year. The project is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust, who are planning to make visits to schools over the coming months in order to promote the project and work with pupils.
The Our Europe film competition encourages an innovative approach to education by asking pupils from S3 -S6 to work in teams of four to create story boards, and subsequently films, about how being a European citizen affects them. Through the process of making storyboards, multi-lingual scripts and narratives the pupils are asked to consider European issues in a creative and engaging way.
The six best storyboards are selected and the teams behind them come together for a day’s workshop. During the workshop, pupils will work with media and language professionals to both make their films and develop their skillset. At the end of the day the teams will present their films to a panel of judges who will pick the best two. The two finalist teams chosen, win an educational tour of Brussels where they can meet European experts, practice their language in a real life context and develop their films further.
If you wish to register a team the competition will open on Tuesday 23 September and sign up forms as well as rules and FAQs will be available online at the competition website.
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss the possibility of SEET staff visiting your school please contact: madeleine@seet.org.uk.
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...
12 September 2014 (Vocab Express)
Vocab Express have launched The League of Champions - in search of the world’s best young linguists. Organised by online language learning vocabulary application Vocab Express and sponsored by Oxford University Press, the free, week-long language league for secondary schools worldwide will take place from Thursday 25 September to Wednesday 1 October 2014.
Schools can challenge each other and drive student vocabulary knowledge in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, and for the first time, Portuguese. Participating students log on and test their knowledge of vocabulary using the scoreboard system to gain points for their individual championship position, as well as their school’s league table position. Schools will compete against other schools from across the world for the top spot, with real-time leaderboards tracking the action as it happens.
Entry to the League of Champions is free, and open to all schools currently subscribing to Vocab Express. 100 free places are also available for the first 100 schools which do not subscribe, allowing up to 150 students from each to compete for the duration.
Visit the Vocab Express webpage for more information and to register.
Read more...
11 September 2014 (Guardian)
From taking part in school, online or through live events, join us to celebrate and learn about languages.
Read more...
9 September 2014 (British Council)
Applications for the 2014-15 competition are now open.
The competition is a great, fun opportunity for students to practise and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills. Winning students will win a trip to Beijing and visit historical sites, interact with Chinese students and experience Chinese culture.
See the British Council website for more information and to apply. Application deadline 10 October 2014.
Read more...
9 September 2014 (Creative Scotland)
Hands Up for Trad are delighted to announce our first Gaelic songwriting competition. We invite submissions for a brand new Gaelic song, as part of our Scotland Sings – Renewing The Tradition Series.
This song, along with two further songs will be the first 3 entries in our Scotland Sings – Renewing the Tradition Songbook which will be available to choirs from across Scotland as part of Scotland Sings.
The criteria for the song is that it is to be based on an old poem or lyrics where the songwriter ‘upcycles’ and renews the existing ideas, to reflect modern themes which are relevant to new singers and audiences. The winning song will be arranged for 4 part harmonies by Scotland Sings’ choir leaders ahead of Scotland Sings Choir Meets where the Song will be sung across Scotland in January 2015.
Entry deadline is 31 October 2014.
Read more...
8 September 2014 (Education Scotland)
The European Day of Languages has been celebrated every year since 2001 on 26 September, as an initiative of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The Education Scotland website has some information along with resources and links.
Read more...
5 September 2014 (TESS)
A bilingual poetry competition is being launched by Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, backed by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. The competition, initially aimed at Glasgow pupils, includes two strands: a “mother tongue” category that encourages non-native English speakers to write in their own language, and an “other tongue” category, which invites young people to enter using a language they are studying in school. If the pilot goes well, the competition could be extended nationally next year.
Read more...
2 September 2014 (European Commission)
The eighth Juvenes Translatores translation contest for 17-year-old students in secondary schools will be held on 27 November 2014.
To participate, schools must register first — between 1 September and 20 October (see the rules on the website for details). This year's theme will be "European identity".
The winners (one per Member State) are invited to Brussels in spring the following year to
attend an award ceremony at the European Commission's headquarters.
The winners' teachers are also invited to the award ceremony, in recognition of their work in
motivating their students to learn languages.
For further information about the competition and to register visit the Juvenes Translatores 2014 website. An information sheet with the key details can also be found on the attached letter from Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
Read more...
1 September 2014 (Japan Foundation)
The Japan Webpage Contest for Schools will be running again in 2014-15, and is now open for applications!
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 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. Win up to £1000 worth of prizes.
Entry deadline is 12 January 2015.
For further information visit the Japan Foundation website.
Read more...
27 August 2014 (University of Strathclyde)
A poetry competition backed by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is being launched by the University of Strathclyde-based SCILT, Scotland's National Centre for Languages.
The Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition comprises two categories – 'Mother Tongue', which encourages non-native English speakers to write poetry in their mother tongue language, and 'Other Tongue', which encourages young people to write poetry in the additional language they are studying in school.
Read more...
Related Links
Mother Tongue Other Tongue (Barmulloch Primary Parent/Carer Council, 13 August 2014)
27 August 2014 (The Guardian)
The Guardian and the British Academy are holding a UK-wide Language Festival to celebrate the UK's diverse cultural heritage. The festival will provide a platform for schools, higher education institutions (HEIs), students, policy makers and businesses from across the UK to discuss, debate and explore the academic, cultural and economic benefits of language learning.
Downloadable language resource packs for both primary and secondary students are available on the Guardian website.
Read more...
26 August 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 first item, “Colour Charts”, is available to read now.
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 (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...
20 June 2014 (SCILT)
Photos from the Word Wizard Final, featuring all of our great winners, and now available to view via our Word Wizard Final webpage.
We also have a short video, filmed throughout the day, giving some background to the competition and showcasing the wonderful skills demonstrated by all of our spellers.
Read more...
20 May 2014 (SCILT)
The British Academy is offering a total of 14 Awards of £4000 each for projects throughout the UK that encourage larger numbers of students to take languages to advanced and degree level.
The Awards are open to all UK secondary schools, supplementary schools and FE colleges – and organisations supporting them.
The deadline to apply for the British Academy Schools Language Awards has been extended to 18 July 2014.
Visit the BASLA webpage for further information.
You can also view SCILT's Glow Meet held on 12 May to provide key information and helpful insights to BASLA success. You will need a Glow userid and password to access the Glow Meet recording.
Read more...
16 June 2014 (Japan Foundation)
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 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.
For full details of the competition and how to enter, visit the Japan Webpage Contest website.
Read more...
13 June 2014 (SCILT)
Following the announcement of the Word Wizard winners last week we now have a web page celebrating the final. We will be publishing photos from this fantastic event soon!
Details of the 2015 competition will be announced later this year so stay tuned.
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!
Read more...
Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Mother Tongue,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT news
9 June 2014 (Transparent Language)
We’re hosting our own 2014 World Cup of Languages Contest! We want to bring language lovers from around the world together and give you the chance to support your favorite language, start learning a new one, and have fun doing it…for free! From 11 June you will be able to sign up for a free account for the duration of the competition.
Read more...
Word Wizard finals
6 June 2014 (SCILT)
Last Friday, 30th May, saw the final of our new Word Wizard competition take place in the prestigious venue of the Scottish Parliament. 60 pupils from schools across Scotland took part in the semi-finals in the morning, and over 100 pupils, teachers and guests enjoyed the final in the Members’ Restaurant. The day opened with an inspiring speech from Maureen Watt MSP and ended with a vote of thanks from Annette Zimmermann of the University of St Andrews, who supported us in running the competition. We were delighted to have Graham Blythe from the European Commission and Ms. Lv Yanxia from the Chinese Consulate present the shields and cups to the winners. The pupils demonstrated excellent skills in spelling, vocabulary and character recognition, and displayed great confidence in doing so in front of an audience.
The winners in each category were:
French Beginner:
- 1st Elspeth Nicol – Ross High School
- 2nd Amelie Davidson – St Joseph’s Academy
- 3rd Robert Brewer – The Glasgow Academy
French Intermediate:
- 1st Owen Wilson – Greenwood Academy
- 2nd Steffi Graham-McGill – James Hamilton Academy
- 3rd Emma Rattray – Dollar Academy
Gaelic Beginner:
- 1st Anna Gallagher – St Ninian’s High School (East Renfrewshire)
German Beginner:
- 1st Fraser Anderson – Stewart’s Melville College
- 2nd Charlotte Caskie – Lomond School
- 3rd Florence Macgregor – The Mary Erskine School
German Intermediate:
- 1st Eilish Murphy – St Margaret’s School for Girls
- 2nd Freja Arnlund – The Mary Erskine School
- 3rd Fiona Todman – Queen Anne High School
Mandarin Beginner:
- 1st Francesca Tassieri – Hillhead High School
- 2nd Charlotte Johns – Dollar Academy
- 3rd William Cox – Perth High School
Mandarin Intermediate:
- 1st Ines Bertaso – St Ninian’s High School (East Renfrewshire)
- 2nd Ivan Myachykov – Hillhead High School
- 3rd Jack Mitchell-Luker – Williamwood High School
Spanish Beginner:
- 1st Paul Gillon – John Ogilvie High School
- 2nd Georgie Cassidy – Dollar Academy
- 3rd Erin McIntyre – The Glasgow Academy
Spanish Intermediate:
- 1st Rosie Hutcheon – The Glasgow Academy
- 2nd Caitlin Barrie – John Ogilvie High School
- 3rd Ella McPherson – St Margaret’s School for Girls
We would like to congratulate all pupils who reached the finals and every pupil who took part in the competition in their schools over the past year.
We hope to see lots of you entering the competition next year!
5 June 2014 (Scottish Parliament)
Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, has lodged a parliamentary motion congratulating SCILT and CISS on the Word Wizard competition 2014. The motion states:
"That the Parliament congratulates Scotland‘s National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland‘s Schools on the Word Wizard Competition 2014, which was held in the Parliament on 30 May 2014; recognises the S1-S3 pupils, including those from Bucksburn Academy and Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen, who impressed the judges with their French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic skills; notes that, in partnership with the University of St Andrews, and with the support of the Goethe-Institut, the contest encourages pupils nationally to improve their vocabulary, and highlights what it sees as the importance of language and learning."
Motions are used by MSPs to initiate debate or propose a course of action, or simply to generate support, and many other MSPs have signed up in support of this motion. It's very encouraging to have SCILT/CISS work acknowledged in this way.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Scottish Parliament,
News from language & education organisations
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...
20 May 2014 (European Parliament UK)
Take your Senior Phase pupils to Strasbourg for a mock parliament! Euroscola brings together about 600 students from all over the European Union for a day in Strasbourg discussing aspects of European integration, in multilingual working groups of 100 students. It is open to students aged 16-18.
Additional dates have now been made available in October, November and December 2014. Visit the website for further information and to enquire or apply.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
Vocab Express blog (16 May 2014)
Are you fluent in French? Sensational at Spanish? Perhaps you can twist your tongue around Tamil? You might have the skills, now’s your chance to show them to the world! We want your language selfies. That’s right, it’s time to get out your camera, but with a twist – the challenge is to create a short video where you share with the world what languages you speak, in these languages themselves.
Read more...
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.
Read more...
15 May 2014 (ALL)
The ever popular annual global competition, the Language Perfect World Championships, is an intense competition to learn vocabulary, verbs and common phrases from a wide range of foreign languages. This year’s event takes place from 19 to 29 May…and you can still register to take part.
Read more...
14 May 2014 (CLAS)
CLAS, the Professional Association for Secondary Teachers of Gaelic, is pleased to launch their annual writing competition for Gaelic Medium and Gaelic Learner Education.
Young people in S1 and S2 are being encouraged to write on a choice of topics related to the significance of the year 2014 for Scotland. Schools should submit their entries by 9 June 2014.
For more information on the competition, please visit the CLAS website. For general information on CLAS, which celebrates its 10th anniversary later this year, visit their Facebook page.
Read more...
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)
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...
7 May 2014 (Stornoway Gazette)
Scottish Book Trust is poised to help a Gaelic teenager move one step closer to their dream of becoming a published author, with the launch of the Young Writers Awards 2014.
The Young Writers Awards offer three awards to people between 14 and 17 who write in English or Scots and a fourth award is available to a person between 14 and 17 writing in Gaelic.
[..] Budding authors are invited to submit a piece of creative writing, such as a poem, short story or extract of work, which is no longer than 2,000 words, and a personal statement of 1,000 words explaining why they would benefit from this programme. The closing date for applications is June 27th.
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
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...
2 April 2014 (Language Perfect)
The ever popular annual global competition, the Language Perfect World Championships, helps students across the globe to learn vocabulary, verbs and common phrases from a wide range of foreign languages. Registration for the 2014 competition is now open!
Read more...
4 April 2014 (SCILT )
Over £8000 to be won! BASLA Alert! Calling all secondary, supplementary and FE languages teachers!
£4000 will be awarded to two language learning projects in Scottish secondary, supplementary schools or FE colleges via the British Academy Schools Language Award (BASLA) this Autumn.
If your establishment has plans in place or is already involved in an imaginative language learning project which is improving uptake in languages in the Senior Phase and beyond, then you could be in with a chance of winning. See the British Academy website for more information.
All winning projects are then considered in the UK category. The overall UK winner will double their money, walking away with £8000 and the title of British Academy Schools Languages Award Winner 2014.
The deadline for applications is 30th June 2014. SCILT is hosting a GLOW Meet to provide key information and helpful insights to BASLA success. Anne Breivik, one of the BASLA judging panel will explain how to write a dazzling submission. Gillian Campbell-Thow, Education Support Officer for Modern Languages at Glasgow City Council and co-leader of one of the two Scottish winning projects in BASLA 2013, will share details of the very successful ‘Parliamo Glasgow’ venture.
This GLOW Meet will be recorded and made available to watch again.
Date: Monday 12th May Time: 4-5pm
Venue: GLOW - go to ‘View Web Conferencing Room GLOW MEET HERE’ in the ‘GLOW MEET HERE’ section of the page.
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...
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...
07 March 2013 (Ricefield)
Literally meaning “Shoot it!” in Chinese, PaiBa is one of Ricefield’s new, free monthly meet-ups for keen photographers to enjoy shooting and sharing photos inspired by Chinese photography and culture:
* Chinese inspired photo assignment each month
* Bring your photos along to share views and techniques
* Chat in a relaxed setting at Feast restaurant (upper floor)
* Amateurs and beginners welcome!
Featuring presentations from Chinese photographers Yao Hui, Cui Ying and Guo Xueci.
To join PaiBa please contact info@ricefield.org.uk
Read more...
21 February 2014 (Institut français)
Every year in March, French speaking countries throughout the world celebrate “La Francophonie”. On 20 March 2014, from 12.45 to 2pm, the Institut Français d’ Ecosse will run an online competition, “Vive la Francophonie" for S2-S3 pupils in Scotland. Download the registration form for the online competition through the link below. Register your group by 1 March 2014!
Read more...
20 February 2014 (Radio Lingua Schools)
See the multilingual presentation given by Scottish students, Daniel and Heather, on behalf of the UK at this year’s Euroscola in Strasbourg.
Read more...
20 February 2014 (Radio Lingua/SEET)
The winning films from this year’s Our Europe film competition for schools can now be viewed online.
Read more...
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...
10/02/2014 (CISS)
Auld Lang Syne performed at a special concert of the Nanjing Little Red Flower Children's Art Troupe with Douglas Academy Chamber Choir at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on 7th February 2014. Filmed for the forthcoming documentary on the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools by Mark Pentleton.
Read more...
6 February 2014 (SEET)
Congratulations to Lenzie Academy who triumphed at the final of the Our Europe Film Competition hosted by the Scottish European Educational Trust on Monday 3rd February.
Six teams of high school pupils (S3-S6) participated in the film-making workshop at SocietyM in Glasgow. With the assistance of technology expert, Mark Pentleton from Radio Lingua, the pupils worked hard throughout the day to turn their storyboard ideas into short films.
Download the attached flyer for details of all the finalists who took part or for more information about the competition visit the SEET website.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Cross-Curricular Working,
Language Learning,
Technology,
News from language & education organisations
3 February 2014 (British Council)
Congratulations to the winners of the HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese Speaking Competition 2013/14 who took part in the final at The British Museum on 3 February.
Scottish schools performed well in the competition with Dollar Academy winning the individual beginner category, whilst Hillhead High School came third in the group category.
The winning students will spend a week in Beijing in April, visiting historical sites, interacting with Chinese students and experiencing Chinese culture. Well done everyone!
For more information about the competition, visit the British Council website.
Read more...
30 January 2014 (Scots Language Centre)
Episode 2 of Scots Language Radio is available to listen to. The episode includes information about the new ‘Scots Toun Award’ which encourages communities to get involved to have a chance of winning up to £6000.
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...
24 January 2014 (Guardian - The case for languages learning series)
This week in languages: the famous NYU professor, Dr Doom, takes up Mandarin, Canada preserves its rare languages and funding for Israeli startups.
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...
24 January 2014 (CISS)
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in the Chinese Calender. On 31st January 2014 we will say goodbye to the year of the snake and welcome the year of the horse.
Visit the CISS Chinese New Year 2014 page for ideas and resources to introduce the year of the horse to your classroom.
This page will be live from 5pm on Friday 24th January.
Read more...
22 January 2014 (Scottish Government)
Communities with strong links to their Scots heritage are being urged to nominate themselves for the new Scots Toun Awards.
The first prize of £6,000 will help the winner to develop new projects aimed at encouraging the Scots language, Minister for Scotland’s Languages Alasdair Allan announced today.
The awards have been launched by the Scots Language Centre and applicants have until February 28 to put themselves forward.
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
23 December 2013 (The Guardian)
From Polish becoming England's second language, to a Guardian investigation revealing the alarming rate of university language department closures, 2013 was a busy year for languages. Here are 10 big language stories from the past year.
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.
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
11 December 2013 (Engage for Education)
Nominations for the 2014 awards are now open, visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and to submit your nomination.
The Awards celebrate the hard work and success in Scottish education. They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the value work and innovation in learning environments across Scotland. Award categories include ‘Global Citizenship’ and ‘Gaelic Awareness’. If you know of a school or teacher that deserves to be recognised for their hard work in these categories submit a nomination by Friday 21 February 2014.
Read more...
10 December 2013 (The Guardian)
The 2013 British Academy Language Festival flew the flag for languages throughout November. Schools, universities, policymakers and businesses came together to debate, discuss and celebrate language learning. Here is a selection of activities that took place during the festival.
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5 December 2013 (Linguascope)
Linguatrivia is an annual competition open to Year 7 students in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, S1 students in Scotland and Year 8 students in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in learning French and to identify and reward achievement on the part of students.
Students are entered into the competition by their French teacher, and have to sit a 30-minute national test.
Sponsored by Linguascope, the competition offers a range of fabulous prizes. Every participant will receive a certificate and a prize!
For more information and to download an entry form, please visit the Linguatrivia website. Entry deadline is 14 February 2014.
Read more...
4 December 2013 (British Council)
British Council Chief Executive, Martin Davidson CMG, hosted an event at the UK-China Business Summit in Beijing for the launch of the ‘Generation UK CEO Initiative’ and signing of a number of UK-China education partnership agreements. The ‘Generation UK & Celebrating UK-China Education Partnerships’ event brought together a mixed audience of education and business leaders to celebrate several initiatives further supporting student mobility and educational exchanges between the UK and China.
The Generation UK CEO Initiative was launched to gain the help and support of businesses in the UK and China to further expand the number of opportunities available for students through the British Council’s Generation UK campaign. Generation UK was launched in June this year with support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and aims to see at least 15,000 UK students participate in academic study or work experience programmes in China over the next 3 years.Read more...
29 November 2013 (Engage for Education blog)
The Scotland-China Education Network (SCEN) plays a vital role in maintaining links with this country and the world’s most populous, with a particular emphasis on what we can learn from each other at school level.
I have been very pleased to see the great enthusiasm of many young people from around Scotland for learning about China and Chinese, particularly in the context of our ambitious languages agenda.Read more...
29 November 2013 (SCILT)
Looking for ideas to bring Christmas into your Modern Foreign Languages classroom?
SCILT have compiled resources from around the world for use with your students, from songs to advent calendars to games. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and many other countries!
Read more...
27 November 2013 (The Guardian)
The public has voted Arsene Wenger, Arsenal football club's manager, as their 2013 language champion. Wenger's longstanding commitment to the languages, and his work championing language learning for children through sport, was recognised at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 27 November held in central London.
"Being voted Britain's first ever public language champion is an incredible honour," Arsene Wenger said. "I am very proud that Arsenal and I can help raise the profile of language learning in schools."
Wenger is the first recipient of the Guardian's language award, announced today alongside the British Academy's 2013 schools language awards winners. The public language champion award is part of the British Academy and Guardian's language learning series and campaign to start a national debate on language learning.
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...
24 November 2013 (University of London Institute in Paris)
Did you know that Paris has been named as the top student city for 2014? Enter our competition and experience it for yourself.
Once again this year ULIP will be running its Win a Trip to Paris Competition for UK students of French at AS/A-level or equivalent. To be in with a chance of winning a trip for two to one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world, send us a piece of writing explaining why learning a language is important for young people in the UK today in no more than 400 words in French.
The closing date will be 5.00pm on 1 March 2014.
French teachers: Win a hamper of French goodies if the winning entry comes from one of your pupils!
Read more...
22 November 2013 (Daily Record)
A shinty-playing teacher, a German author and a classroom cookery book were among the winners at the first Scottish Gaelic Awards.
The celebration of Gaelic culture and the contribution the language makes to Scottish life attracted more than 180 nominations from Scotland and as far away as the US.
The event was sponsored by the Daily Record and the Gaelic language agency Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
Read more...
Related Links
University's Fiona wins Gaelic award (Evening Times, 22 November 2013)
18 November 2013 (European Parliament)
Euroscola is a unique event for schools to learn about European integration by experiencing it first hand. Students from the 28 EU Member States are selected to become a Member of the European Parliament for one day at the Parliament's premises in Strasbourg.
They take the floor in plenary and committee sessions to debate and vote on resolutions on current affairs, all the while practising their language skills and making friends with fellow students from across Europe.
Teachers also have the opportunity to meet their colleagues and exchange and feedback about their own classroom practices & experiences.
The latest event has just taken place over 17 and 18 November 2013. To learn more about it, and to find out how to participate in a future event, visit the Euroscola website.
Other European Parliament teacher resources are also available via the link below.
Read more...
18 November 2013 (The Edinburgh Reporter)
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), has been chosen to hold the inaugural Scottish Gaelic Awards, on Wednesday this week. 180 guests are expected to attend the ceremony, sponsored by Bord na Gaidhlig, which works with the Scottish Government to promote Gaelic language and culture. Sodexo Prestige, which provides catering and hospitality services at the venue, has tailored a bespoke menu for the event, reflecting traditional Scottish cuisine, with a modern twist.
Read more...
15 November 2013 (The Scotsman)
An American writer has landed one of Scotland’s flagship literary prizes - with the first ever Gaelic science fiction novel.
Tim Armstrong, a former singer in a Gaelic punk rock band, has scooped the Saltire Society’s prestigious “first book” prize with his book “Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach” (On a Glittering Black Sea).
Read more...
14 November 2013 (The Guardian)
To mark November's language festival, find out how much you know about languages from around the world.
Read more...
12 November 2013 (SEET)
Sophie, Jessica and Mark talk you through the 2013 Our Europe film competition run by Scottish European Educational Trust and Radio Lingua. Get the chance to make a movie and win an iPad for you and your school.
Read more...
04 November 2013 (The Guardian)
Full event listings for the Language Festival being run by the Guardian and the British Academy throughout November. The festival will provide a platform for schools, higher education institutions, students, policy makers and businesses from across the UK to discuss, debate and explore the academic, cultural and economic benefits of language learning.
Read more...
Glasgow Modern Languages Newsletter - Autumn 2013
29 October 2013 (Glasgow City Council)
To read about all the recent exciting events and activities relating to modern languages in Glasgow's schools, download the Autumn newsletter.
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...
11 October 2013 (Daily Record)
Pupils at John Ogilvie High celebrated the diversity of European languages and culture last Thursday to mark the European Day of Languages.
The whole school participated in the celebration, with flags and garlands in the colours of the European nations decorating main areas of the school and youngsters and teachers dressed in various national costumes.
Pupils enjoyed a wide range of activities throughout the school day, including a visit from language ambassadors from the University of Strathclyde, who shared their experiences in Spain, Poland, France and Italy.
Read more...
11 October 2013 (BBC News)
The Royal National Mod - being held in Paisley for the first time in its 121-year history - is getting under way.
The eight-day event is a celebration of Gaelic music, dance, drama, arts and literature.
Read more...
Related Links
A Gaelic festival for all (The Herald, 11 October 2013)
10 October 2013 (British Council)
We are delighted to announce the launch of the HSBC/BC Mandarin Speaking Competition 2013-2014.
Motivate your students with a trip to Beijing!
Enter your students into the HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese speaking competition for a chance to visit the Chinese capital. There are four categories: beginner, intermediate, advanced and group performance. Students can enter regardless of their level of proficiency in Mandarin.
The closing date for entries has been extended to 18 October 2013. Read below for information on eligibility and how to apply.
The prize
The winners from each category will spend a week in Beijing. They will experience the culture by visiting historical sites and interacting with local students and British Council staff from China. The British Council, with over 20 years' experience of running cultural exchanges with China, is responsible for accompanying the group.
Who is eligible?
Secondary schools, sixth form colleges and further education colleges in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Students must be non-native speakers of Chinese.
Visit the British Council website to discover why your school should take part and to read the story of one of last year's winners. The website also includes top tips on how to prepare a winning entry.
For enquiries please call our Customer Services team on 0161 957 7755 or email chinaschools@britishcouncil.org.
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...
4 October 2013 (Consejería de Educación)
Information regarding this expedition and the competition on 29th November is now available on the Consejería de Educación website.
Please send us your nominations no later than 27th October.
Read more...
3 October 2013 (Engage for Education)
Nominations are now open for the Scottish Gaelic Awards. The awards celebrate and reward all aspects of Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.
Read more...
30 September 2013 (Orkney Islands Council)
It’s bon appétit for KGS S1 pupils as they tuck into a special continental breakfast on Monday 30th September.
In the week following the launch of Speak to the Future’s ‘1000 Words’ Campaign, to mark European Day of Languages on September the 26th the Modern Languages department has organised the big breakfast.
During the week, lessons will be geared towards language awareness. Alison Scott is Principal Teacher of Modern Languages: “We’ve made great use of the resources we have in the school, with pupils and staff sharing their knowledge of European languages by offering taster sessions in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish".
Read more...
26 September 2013 (CfBT)
This year's innovations in language learning are recognised at the annual awards in London today. The awards encourage new initiatives in the field of teaching and learning languages and recognise new techniques in language teaching.
Congratulations to St Aloysius’ College Junior School in Glasgow who received one of this year’s European Language Label Awards for their bilingual Italian lessons!
Follow the link below for more information about the ELL Awards and all the 2013 recipients.
Read more...
26 September 2013 (TES)
He is better known for his views on football, but former England striker and TV personality Gary Lineker has claimed foreign languages are not taken seriously enough on the national curriculum.
The host of Match of the Day was speaking to TES about the importance of learning languages for young people today, adding that it was more relevant to their every day lives than other subjects such as the sciences.
Himself a fluent Spanish speaker after a successful three-year career playing for Barcelona, Mr Lineker believes students should learn a foreign tongue because it will always be useful in later life.
Read more...
26 September 2013 (Engage for Education)
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the European Day of Languages – an annual celebration of the linguistic and cultural diversity across the globe.
Across Scotland, schools are celebrating with a wide range of innovative and fun activities which will fire their imaginations and give them an appetite for other languages. For example, in Edinburgh – where only yesterday I officially opened the city’s first dedicated Gaelic school, Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pairce – pupils will be taking part in French and German language events, bringing pupils together from different schools to join in fun challenges. They will also be welcoming native language speakers and learning from them.
Read more...
26 September 2013 (SEET)
Back for its second year, Our Europe is an innovative competition run by SEET and supported by Radio Lingua. Teams from all secondary schools in Scotland are invited to take part in this competition with the opportunity of winning an iPad for their school.
Teams are asked to create a short film to raise awareness of the positive impact of European Institutions on the lives of young people in the EU.
Further details are available on the SEET website, which also contains a link to the dedicated Our Europe competition webpages, or you can download the attached flyer and information sheet.
Submission deadline for first round entries is Tuesday 10 December 2013.
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 (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
24 September 2013 (Language Rich Europe)
This Thursday September 26 we will have the opportunity to celebrate the importance of language learning during The European Day of Languages. But what is it all about? Multilingualism is an essential tool that allows people to achieve their full potential in both their professional and private lives. Learning a new language is also an experience of sharing other people´s culture and points of view. EUNIC and its members recognize the value of multilingualism and act concretely on local level throughout the year. On occasion of The European Day of Languages, a range of events are organized by EUNIC clusters around the world.
Read more...
19 September 2013 (The Guardian)
Who is Britain's language champion? The Guardian, in partnership with the British Academy, is honouring the nation's leading language proponent in its inaugural language award.
The Public Language Champion Award recognises the commitment and passion shown by a public figure in the importance of language to British society. The award is part of the Guardian's language learning series, a campaign to start a national debate on language learning.
Our shortlist of nominees ranges from comedians and actors to sporting figures and broadcasters who are either great role models of the value of knowing one or more languages than your mother tongues or fierce advocates of the need for putting language learning on the national agenda.
See the shortlist and vote for your favourite by 14 October.
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.
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Posted in:
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Resources,
News from language & education organisations,
Japanese,
Arabic
19 September 2013 (ALL)
26 September is the European Day of Languages, so to tie in with this event and help schools to celebrate Europe's linguistic diversity, ALL has teamed up with FILMCLUB to put together a new resource featuring five foreign language films, each from a different country and each with synopsis, talking points, teachers’ notes and activities.
Read more...
Word Wizard Competition! New for school session 2013-2014
17 September 2013 (SCILT)
We are pleased to announce that our brand new spelling competition, Word Wizard, will be launched very shortly.
This competition is aimed at encouraging S1- S3 pupils, studying French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic, to learn vocabulary, and have fun at the same time.
If you want to motivate your pupils, and take part in this new initiative, watch this space for details of how to register.
Posted in:
S1-S3,
Chinese,
French,
Gaelic,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT,
SCILT news
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...
11 September 2013 (QLocal Lytham St Annes)
LSA's MFL students have something to be proud of by working on eTwinning in the classroom! Sandra Underwood, School Link Coordinator and MFL teacher has been busy working on eTwinning projects with her students and has been recognized during the 2012-13 academic year by the British Council with Quality Labels for two projects: Aliens Just Like Us? and Grow with Us!
For more information on eTwinning and how you can apply for a Quality Label for your eTwinning project, follow the link below to the British Council website.
Read more...
3 September 2013 (The Guardian)
As part of our campaign to debate and promote the importance of languages, we're launching a special award to recognise a public figure that has done their bit for the multi-lingual cause.
Read more...
29 August 2013 (Engage for Education)
Nominations are now open for the Scottish Gaelic Awards. The awards celebrate and reward all aspects of Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.
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!
20 August 2013 (Third Year Abroad)
Has someone famous inspired you to learn a language? Who is your Celebrity Language Idol? (Wow - imagine that as a show!) Do you think someone well-known deserves to win an award for their Services to Languages? Then you need to nominate them for the Guardian Public Language Champion Award!
The British Academy has partnered with the Guardian to raise the profile of language learning in the UK. From August 2013 The Guardian will be campaigning to increase public interest in and awareness of the impact language learning has on British society. They want to put language learning on the agenda with the government, industry, education, media and the public and generate a national debate on the importance of language learning.
Up to 5 nominations can be submitted by Friday 30 August 2013.
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...
19 June 2013 (East Ayrshire Council)
Young maths stars at Grange Academy performed well for the second year running in a national maths contest with a twist.
The Mathematiques Sans Frontières competition featured ten tricky problems which pupils had to solve together – but some questions were in French, German, Spanish and Italian, just to make it harder. And pupils had to explain the solutions for these in the appropriate foreign language!
Read more...
Our Europe Film Competition winners, Bearsden Academy!
19 June 2013 (SEET)
Throughout the past year, the Scottish European Educational Trust has run a film competition called Our Europe: Our People, Our Places, Our Parliament. Teams from all secondary schools in Scotland were invited to take part in this competition. They were asked to create a short film to raise awareness of the positive impact of the European Parliament on the lives of young people in the EU. The competition was organised over three stages and has been designed to offer young people the opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding of Europe, develop their technology skills, increase their use of European languages and gain a range of transferrable skills through the creative process.
The final was held at Scotland House in Brussels on Wednesday 19 June, where Bearsden Academy claimed the winning title of this year’s Our Europe competition. Runner's up were Douglas Academy.
Download the attached press release for full details.
AMOPA Parlons français – a speaking competition for AH French
17 June 2013 (AMOPA)
This was the second year of the competition and the numbers grew significantly. From last year with 5 schools and 19 participants, this year there was an entry of 11 schools and 35 participants.
Entries for the AMOPA Speaking competition should be based either on the candidate’s Unit Assessment or on their preparation for that assessment. Entries consist of an audio tape or digital video recording of part of the assessment or a preparation session.
We had 3 candidates who gained the highest grade of Très bien. They were awarded the prizes.
First - Samantha Hopkins, Robert Gordons College
Second - Ewan Lawson, Mary Erskine School
Third - Sally Chute, Campbeltown Grammar
See the attached pdf for full details of the competition.
16 June 2013 (Engage for Education)
Students from all over Scotland met at the Edinburgh Filmhouse to showcase their European films in front of an audience consisting of representatives from European Parliament, Scottish Government, the European Commission, Creative Scotland, NUS and Young Scot.
Rhys, Emily, Milosz and Shannon from St. Margaret’s Academy touch on a range of topics including fair trade laws as well as work and study abroad opportunities in their video. They discuss these issues in English, Spanish, French and Polish throughout the film.
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...
6 June 2013 (SCILT/British Academy)
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, and of addressing the social imbalance in the profile of language learners at higher levels. Projects which involve collaboration between sectors (e.g. between schools/colleges/universities, with business or employers) are particularly welcomed.
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. At least one Award will go to a winning proposal from Scotland.
Application is via a simple online form, with an extended closing date of 30 June 2013.
Visit the British Academy website to download the complete information pack and apply now!
Read more...
6 June 2013 (SCILT)
School pupils from the Highlands to the Borders tested their linguistic skills in the final of Scotland's first National Modern Languages Spelling Bee, at the Scottish Parliament on Friday 31 May.
In the spirit of “1+2”, pupils demonstrated their knowledge of vocabulary and spelling in French, German or Spanish before an audience of parents, teachers, fellow pupils and invited guests.
Congratulations to all the pupils who took part in the competition and especially to those who competed so admirably in Friday's final.
The winners in each category were:
French
1st Manon Robinson – Glen Urquhart High School
2nd Jessica Fowler – The Nicolson Institute
3rd Ellis Wright – Boclair Academy
4th Veronica Haughey – The Glasgow Academy
Spanish
1st Amy Spence – Carluke High School
2nd Zainab Munir – The Glasgow Academy
3rd Jack Anderson – Carluke High School
4th Rosie Hutcheon – The Glasgow Academy
German
1st Jodie Howlett – Bo’ness Academy
2nd Ben Gallacher – Paisley Grammar School
3rd Ben Hewitt – Paisley Grammar School
4th Yanna Zubido – Paisley Grammar School
We are in the process of developing a page on our website to showcase the final, including photos and video footage of proceedings, so please keep checking back!
Feedback from the inaugural event has been positive and encouraging and we will use this to build on our experience to make the Spelling Bee Competition even better next year. We will be sending out details of the competition for 2014 at the start of the new term in August so please do sign up!
If you'd like further information about this year's competition please visit our website.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT,
Scottish Parliament,
SCILT news
6 June 2013 (The Voice of Russia)
June 6 marks International Russian Language Day. Introduced by the United Nations on June 6, 2010, Russian Language Day is designed to popularize Russian as one of the top ten most spoken languages and one of the six languages of the UN. In addition, all members of international space missions should know Russian.
The United Nations picked June 6 for Russian Language Day because June 6 celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Russia’s most beloved poet Alexander Pushkin, who was born in Moscow on June 6, 1799. Recognized all over the world as the father of Russian literature, Pushkin's works having been translated in dozens of languages uniting people of all ages, religions and nationalities.
Read more...
2 June 2013 (Charleston Academy)
Claire Macleod (1L1) represented Charleston Academy at the National Spelling Bee competition held at the Scottish Parliament on Friday. She achieved the highest score of all the first years taking part. She was very dedicated and practised every lunch time the week leading up to the event. Danielle Ross (1K1) came second and was invited as official supporter. Her enthusiasm was very much appreciated by all.
Thirty seven S1 pupils from twenty schools in thirteen authorities were invited to compete in the final. They were asked to learn two hundred words in French, German or Spanish. They had to be able to translate the words from English and spell them using the alphabet of the target language. They had to spell as many words as possible in one minute.
Read more...
Posted in:
S1-S3,
French,
German,
Spanish,
Scotland,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT,
Scottish Parliament,
News from language & education organisations
31 May 2013 (Engage for Education)
On Friday, 31st May, S1 pupils from the Highlands to the Borders will take part in the grand finale of the first ever National Modern Languages Spelling Bee to take place in Scotland. In the spirit of “1+2”, finalists will battle it out in French, German or Spanish to an audience of proud teachers, parents, fellow pupils and invited guests. The event will take place in the Scottish Parliament, thanks to the kind sponsorship of Maureen Watt, SNP MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine.
Read more...
24 May 2013 (Institut français d'Écosse)
From 2 to 26 August, the Institut français presents the crème de la crème of French performing arts at the Edinburgh Festival fringe.
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...
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 (Chronicle Live)
Two North East universities will be stirring up school children’s passion for baking – and languages – in the Great Languages Bake Off.
Today’s event organised by Newcastle and Sunderland Universities will see more than 130 pupils, aged 11 to 13, from across the North East present videos about cooking in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Greek.
Read more...
Glasgow Modern Languages Newsletter - May 2013
9 May 2013 (Glasgow City Council)
For all the latest information on language events and activities in Glasgow's schools, please download the attached newsletter.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Third-year Modern Languages' Exhibition
17 April 2013 (HaSS - Strathclyde University)
Come and Visit the Exhibition of the Third-year Modern Languages' Projects which is being held in the McCance Conservatory from the 16 April 2013 until 4pm on Friday 26 April 2013.
As part of their 2nd semester project, students of Modern Languages, working in teams, have produced displays on various themes exploring linguistic and cultural aspects of France, Italy and Spain.
See the attached flyer or email Caroline Verdier for more information. All welcome.
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.
4 April 2013 (British Council)
As ‘The English Effect’, a new exhibition at the British Council’s central London headquarters opens today, 4 April 2013, the British Council’s Ashleigh James writes about the words that form a bridge between her English and Dutch heritage.
At the exhibition in London, you can see the extent to which English has evolved by absorbing words from other languages. For example, can you guess which countries the words ‘dollar’, ‘tomato’, and ‘zombie’ originate from? How about ‘parka’, ‘magazine’, and ‘dodo’?
If you can’t get to the exhibition itself, you can still find out the answers to these and more on the British Council website or take the quiz via the link below.
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'Our Europe' film competition semi-final
20 March 2013 (SEET)
On Monday 18 March secondary pupils from all over Scotland joined Scottish European Educational Trust and its partners at SocietyM in Glasgow to take part in the 'Our Europe' film-making competition semi-final.
The event saw six teams create the most wonderful, dynamic films about Europe and how the European Parliament impacts on their daily lives. These innovative films offered students the chance to work on an engaging interdisciplinary project, combining Modern Languages with Modern Studies and Media/ICT.
Congratulations to Bearsden Academy and Douglas Academy, who secured the top two places and will go forward to the final of the competition, which will be held at Scotland House in Brussels in June.
More information about the competition and those who participated in the semi-final can be found on the attached flyer.
14 March 2013 (b small publishing)
We have joined forces with Little Linguist to launch a 'Little Linguist Award' for a simple story in French, German, Italian or Spanish. The competition is open to individuals or classes. Two winners will be selected and the winning stories published as e-books on our website. Each winner will also receive a b small library worth £100 for their home or school. All details of who can enter, how to enter, the story guidelines, the lovely prizes and our distinguished judging panel are on our website.
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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.
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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.
21 February 2013 (British Council)
Congratulations to Balivanich Primary School in Benbecula and Kilbowie Primary Schook in Clydebank who were both winners in the British Council’s Chinese New Year competition. Visit the British Council website for more details of all the winning entries.
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21 February 2013 (United Nations)
International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
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29 January 2013 (European Parliament)
"The European Charlemagne Youth Prize" aims to encourage the development of European consciousness among young people, as well as their participation in European integration projects.
The Prize is awarded to projects undertaken by young people which foster understanding, promote the development of a shared sense of European identity, and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.
For further information about the competition and to apply, visit the website. Submission deadline now extended to 18 February 2013.
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29 January 2013 (Institut Français d'Écosse)
Every year in March, French speaking countries throughout the world celebrate “La Francophonie”.
On Wednesday 6 March 2013 from 12:45 to 2pm, the Institut Français d’ Ecosse will be holding an online competition about “Vive la Francophonie" for S3-S4 pupils in Scotland.
Visit the Institut Français website or download the attached flyer for more information about the competition and how to enter.
Entries must be submitted by 25 February 2013.
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28 January 2013 (European Commission)
The names of the 27 winners of the European Commission’s annual EU Young Translator Juvenes Translatores contest for secondary school pupils are published today (28 January, list of winning pupils/schools below). More than 3 000 pupils from 750 schools sat the contest in November 2012. The winners – one per EU country – will be invited to an award ceremony in Brussels on 11 April to receive their prizes from Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and will also have the chance to see the Commission's translators at work.
“The contest is an excellent way to promote language learning and translation as a possible career. Language skills are a fantastic asset: they broaden the mind and can boost employability, something which is especially important in the current economic environment," said Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
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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.
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23 January 2013 (Scottish Government)
Ahead of Burns Night on 25th January, a new poll has revealed ‘dreich’ as Scotland’s favourite word in the Scots language. The You Gov survey* asked adults across the country to select their number one Scots word from a list of options including some of Robert Burns’ own favourites. With 23 per cent of the public vote, and perhaps proving Scotland's love for talking about the weather, the word ‘dreich’ meaning ‘wet’, ‘cold’ and ‘gloomy’ trumped other classics such as ‘glaikit’ (20%), ‘blether’ (12%) and ‘crabbit’ (11%).
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22 January 2013 (UKLO)
Want to develop critical thinking skills? Want to show that languages are fun? Why not consider entering your school in the UK Linguistics Olympiad. It's a competition for secondary students, aged 11-18, in which they have to solve linguistic data problems. It doesn't rely on knowledge of a language but on trying to find patterns in the data.
There are 2 rounds of competition and then a team is selected to represent the UK at the International competition. Round 1 is taken in schools any time week commencing 4th Feb 2013 and students can be entered at either foundation, intermediate or advanced level. Round 2 will be held at St Mary’s College, Twickenham in late March. If you want to find out more, enter your school or just register an interest, please visit the UK Linguistics Olympiad website.
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Posted in:
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Awards,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Learning - Secondary,
Language Learning - Secondary - Post 16,
Language Skills,
Linguistics,
News from language & education organisations
15 January 2013 (Linguascope)
There is still time to enter Linguatrivia, the annual competition open to Year 7 students in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, S1 students in Scotland and Year 8 students in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in learning French and to identify and reward achievement on the part of students.
Visit the website for further information. Entries must be submitted by 15 February 2013.
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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
“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
Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
Chinese,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Cultural Diversity,
Promoting Languages,
News from language & education organisations
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!
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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.
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LFEE/French workshop for S5 pupils in Edinburgh
8 January 2013 (LFEE)
Just before Christmas, 90 young learners from Edinburgh took part in French immersion workshops organised by Ann Robertson from the City of Edinburgh Council with the help of Sophie Samalens from LFEE Europe.
The day was split into 2 sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with 45 pupils each time. The main focus of the workshops was on giving learners plenty of opportunities to practice their listening and speaking skills, in preparation for their exams.
Many secondary schools from Edinburgh were represented, including Broughton, Boroughmuir, Currie, Portobello and Gracemount.
Four Moray House student teachers and three French Language Assistants worked alongside two tutors from LFEE Europe. The pupils showed a lot of enthusiasm and were very keen to take part in all the activities presented to them. French was the only language spoken for the duration of the workshops, with the pupils delighted to find out how much they could understand.
The icing on the cake, or should I say la cerise sur le gâteau, was kindly provided by the Franco-Scottish Society, who gave away some prizes for the winning teams of the day's language quiz!
For more information, please contact Richard Tallaron : richard@lfee.net
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.
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Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
All Languages,
Celebrating Languages,
Promoting Languages,
Resources
11 December 2012 (UNESCO)
During its 190th session the UNESCO Executive Board adopted a decision to celebrate 18 December of every year as World Arabic Language Day.
There is an international day to celebrate each of the six official languages of the UN: French (March 20), English (April 23), Russian (June 6), Spanish (October 12), Chinese (November 13) and Arabic (December 18).
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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.
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Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
1+2,
All Languages,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Language Teaching,
SCILT,
Resources,
SCILT news
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.
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27 November 2012 (ALL)
Every year, Canning House runs an essay prize competition challenging language students from all over the UK to submit an essay which best displays their linguistic flair and capacity for free expression in their second language(s). The topic for discussion changes from year to year. This year the essay (of 750-1000 words in Spanish or Portuguese) is on the topic "What particular contribution does Latin America or Iberia make to the modern world?" Students of Spanish or Portuguese aged 17-19 are eligible, with prizes of £500, £200 and £100. Deadline: 31 January 2013. Further details are on the Canning House website.
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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.
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Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
All Languages,
Scotland,
Celebrating Languages,
Language Learning,
Promoting Languages,
SCILT,
SCILT news
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.
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Posted in:
Early Years,
Primary,
S1-S3,
Senior Phase,
FE,
HE,
Chinese,
Celebrating Languages,
Cultural Diversity,
Language Learning,
Scotland,
Scottish Government,
News from language & education organisations
20 November 2012 (SCILT)
The latest edition of the SCILT newsletter has been published. It includes stories on language activities and events from schools across Scotland, including how schools celebrated this year's European Day of Languages. SCILT updates readers on the pilot schools and the 1+2 languages agenda. There are also details on SCILT's new website and the brand new competition we are running this year - the Spelling Bee! As ever, readers will be interested to read about the great work of our partners in promoting languages in Scotland, including a fabulous new website from Education Scotland supporting languages in the primary school.
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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.
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8 November 2012 (SecEd)
A total of 10 education projects from across England and Wales were awarded this year’s European Language Label, which recognises innovative and effective practice in language teaching and learning. The awards were presented at a ceremony at the European Commission’s UK office in London earlier this term and included seven secondary-based projects. If you would like some ideas and inspiration, follow the link for more information on the winning projects.
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6 November 2012 (Linguascope)
Linguatrivia is an annual competition open to Year 7 students in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, S1 students in Scotland and Year 8 students in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in learning French and to identify and reward achievement on the part of students.
Students are entered into the competition by their French teacher, and have to sit a 30-minute national test.
Sponsored by Linguascope, the competition offers a range of fabulous prizes. Every participant will receive a certificate and a prize! For more information and to download an entry form, please visit the Linguatrivia website.
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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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SCILT European Day of Languages 2012 Competition Winners
23 October 2012 (SCILT)
We are thrilled to announce the prize winners for our European Day of Languages 2012 competition.
With up to £500 worth of prizes to award in each of the three categories, our judges were particularly looking out for EDL celebrations that best showcased creativity and innovation, pupil voice and responsibility, interdisciplinary learning and partnership working. Entries involved game shows, fundraising events, construction challenges, treasure hunts, dances, film making and peer led language learning among other language and culturally focused experiences.
In the primary category, 1st prize went to Glasgow Academy Prep School’s ‘Ambassador’s Project’, 2nd prize was awarded to Battlefield Primary School ‘European Challenge Game Show’. The S1-S3 category was won by Jordanhill School’s ‘EDL Celebration’. After much deliberation, the judges awarded joint 1st prize in the S4-S6 category to All Saint’s Secondary’s ‘EDL IDL event’ and Madras College’s ‘Languages Need You!’.
Congratulations to all schools that took part, goodie bags and prizes will be with you all shortly.
Why not put European Day of Languages, 26th September 2013 in your diary now? SCILT’s annual EDL competition will run next year too, and you have to be in it to win it after all.
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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