Modern Languages Blog

Last year, Young Scot launched the very first Sunday Mail & Lloyds TSB Scotland Young Scot Awards and they’ve decided to do it all over again. The biggest bash of the year will be held in the City Halls and Old Fruitmarket, in Merchant City, Glasgow on Thursday 29 March 2007 and will recognise the many positive things that ordinary young people throughout Scotland are doing.

Every day Young Scot hears about, or is in contact with, young people who are doing amazing things for the benefit of their country and communities. From the Borders to the Shetland Islands, Young Scot wants to know about the young people who make Scotland proud.

Nominate your Young Scot

These Awards aren’t about fame or fortune, but about achievements by young people aged 12- 22 in their own area, relative to their background. The Awards will honour the great things done by young people from helping their neighbourhoods or starting their own business to outstanding achievements in sport, arts and entertainment.

The categories are:

• Sport - Sponsored by Lloyds TSB Scotland
• The Arts
• Democracy / Citizenship - Sponsored by COSLA
• Health - Sponsored by NHS Health Scotland
• Entertainment
• Environment - Sponsored by Scottish Gas
• Volunteering - Sponsored by Volunteer Development Scotland
• Community - Sponsored by Scottish Executive
• Heritage - Sponsored by Historic Scotland
• Unsung - Sponsored by ACPOS
• Enterprise - Sponsored by University of Strathclyde Business School
• Cultural / Diversity - Sponsored by Careers Scotland
• Sunday Mail Readers Award- Sponsored by Sunday Mail
• Young Scot 2007 - Sponsored by Lloyds TSB Scotland

Tell us about your young heroes of Scotland. What have they done to make a difference for their community or country? Why do they deserve to receive an award?

You can fill out a form online by visiting the Young Scot Awards website and can also read more about the award categories.

Completed nominations must be submitted by Wednesday 21st February.

The application period for this year’s European Award for Languages is now open. The European Award for Languages recognises creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students and make the best of available resources. If you are involved in an innovative language-learning project, which could benefit others, you may eligible for an Award.

Award-winning projects provide a potential source of inspiration for others, in different languages, contexts and even different countries, underlining the importance of the criteria that the project be replicable. To date, over 100 UK projects have proved that such criteria can be met and that creative thinking can lead to improved teaching provision and learner achievement.

Special Awards are also made for the best projects involving community languages, French, German, Italian and Spanish as well as primary and adult learners, languages for business and initial teacher education. All winners receive a certificate and prizes of books, vouchers or teaching materials from a range of sponsors. The award for the best project initiated by initial teacher trainees and for business languages this year each has a prize of £1,000. Each year one of the winning projects is selected by the Mary Glasgow Language Trust to receive its annual award (£2,000) - the winner of which is announced at the Award ceremony.

Application deadline: 30 April 2007. Head over to the CILT site to get your application form.

TAG Theatre’s production of There’s No V in Gaelic is a bit of a first for Gaelic theatre.

Gaelic writer Seonag Monk says ‘although we’re quite expressive in our language, we’re also quite reserved. I think we’re becoming a tad more confident, and a bit more free. The language here will be more earthy.’

Read the article on the Herald website.

Level of response surprises organisers in protest over loss of free language tuition - Education Guardian.

In his many years as a trade union activist, Paul Mackney has been around at the start of hundreds of campaigns. But even the joint general secretary of UCU (the University and College Union) was staggered by the response to the union’s latest campaign - to persuade the government to restore the right of free Esol (English for speakers of other languages) to all who need it.

‘We put 80 chairs out, thinking it would be quite a good turnout,’ he says. ‘More than 150 people wanted to get into the room, and they came from more than 50 organisations. We didn’t expect the level of response that there was. We knew people were concerned, but didn’t know how concerned - or how many people.’

Read the full article in the Education Guardian.

The Government faces unified campaign to reverse Britain’s Esol funding cuts, reports Liz Ford in the Education Guardian.

College lecturers, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and charities have united in their condemnation of the British government’s decision to withdraw the right to free English lessons for asylum seekers.

Read the article in the Education Guardian.

Read these short articles in the Education Guardian about teaching English as a second or foreign language.