Modern Languages Blog

Eminent educationalist Sir Ken Robinson was speaking at TED, the Technology Education Design conference, in California. You can listen to his 20 minute keynote online. He says:

“Every education system in the earth has the same hierarchy of subjects. You’d think it would be otherwise, but it isn’t. Mathematics, Languages, Humanities and then the Arts. Everywhere on earth.”

Languages? Plural? Are languages given top priority, equal to English, in the hierarchy of subjects in Scotland? And what about England and Wales?

This video comes from TED (Technology Education Design) conference, a virtual treasure trove of information in the TEDTalks section, featuring other videos from Al Gore, David Pogue, Tony Robbins, and Hans Rosling.

Via Clarence Fisher

    As part of our commitment to continuously improve MFLE, we would much appreciate if you take a little time to download and complete our MFLE evaluation questionnaire. The feedback you give us serves as a powerful means of assessing both the strengths and weaknesses of MFLE. In this way, the project team can make improvements where needed. Tell us what you think of the MFLE - how we can improve it and what you like - by filling in our new evaluation questionnaire

Via TechCrunch comes the news that social networking site MySpace is to be launched in non-English formats, notably in French, German, Chinese and India-based languages. The article points out that the Korean blogosphere, greatly underestimated by Technorati, along with the burgeoning Italian and Japanese blogging communities are likely to be next.

While I’m not proposing that we should use random personal sites for foreign language instruction or international links in class, there is a near certainty that more links will be made between young English native speakers and their counterparts in foreign climes. I’ve seen connections between Scots and French teenagers being made this way through the English-language skin of Bebo, but with 75,000,000 users and 30 billion pages views a month there is more inevitability that more international links will be made with the MySpacers.

I just wonder, though: will the social spaces remain in their native tongues or will be see a progression to the use of English to communicate across borders? I’m quite excited whatever the response, since this is really the first time that we will be able to observe teenagers from different countries and languages communicating with each other in a non-school environment en masse. It’s just so Attenborough!

Via edublogs.

The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) is offering teachers in Scotland the opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into education in Malawi through focused group study visits in October 2006 and February 2007. Teachers who want an exciting professional development opportunity and the chance to experience the challenges of education in a developing country first hand are invited to apply. This is a unique opportunity to be refreshed and reinvigorated, to reflect on practice from a very new perspective, and to develop your school’s international work. Visits will be based on mutual exchange of skills and experience between Scottish and Malawian colleagues and will focus on the themes of citizenship and health education. The programme will include visits to urban and rural schools and meetings with educators, policy makers and teacher trainers. Primary and secondary schools are invited to apply nominating a member of staff to participate in the visit. Those with leadership responsibilities related to the theme of the visit are particularly encouraged to apply. The closing date for applications is 31 July 2006. Visit the Scotland page of the LECT website for full information.

The European Parliament sponsor the Scottish European Educational Trust’s speaking competition for Senior pupils, with heats in 10 Scottish regions followed by a final in Edinburgh. Each school team of two will be asked to choose one of the 25 member state countries, to investigate its culture and to focus on 2 issues which are of most importance to that country.

Winners will receive the “Your Voice in Europe” Cup and the winning team will be taken to Brussels to visit the European Parliament, European Commission and Scotland House. They will also meet the Scottish MEPs.

Regional heats will take place between September 2006 and April 2007
The final will be held in May 2007 and the winning team will visit Brussels on 5/6/7 June 2007

Further details also available from  Barbara MacLeod, National Organiser, Scottish European Educational Trust
0131 220 0377 or 07866 701710
barbara.macleod@euromove.org.uk

The BBC reports on the French government’s newly-launched online game that challenges taxpayers to balance the national budget of nearly 300bn euros ($373bn). Budget Minister Jean-Francois Cope says the game, called “cyber-budget”, will allow citizens to pretend they are in charge of the national finances. They can make decisions about spending revenue and cutting taxes. Mr Cope says the game is as realistic as possible and includes having to present a draft budget to parliament. The game was launched on the website www.cyber-budget.fr.

The MFLE has just launched its first e-mail bulletin, giving information on what’s on the site and, in months to come, information on events, news from Scottish CILT and previews of what’s happening at SETT 2006 for languages teachers. You can sign up here - and please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/emailbulletin.asp

Just like Global Voices but for football (and in German) the Goethe Institute has launched its World Cup blogs. Every country taking part is represented by a correspondent giving their opinion on the matches, the fans and the event after each match. Pretty cool if you want to brush up your footy German.

At the MFLE we’ve also launched a huge World Cup resources section for languages teachers in French, Spanish, Italian and, of course, German.

Tobermory’s own blogging teacher, Lynne Horn, describes some great lesson ideas in her recent article in Becta’s online magazine. This is packed with simple internet-based ideas that anyone with one computer and some enthusiasm could pull off.