Modern Languages Blog

Emergency funding is needed to help schools cope with an influx of migrant pupils, a teachers’ union has said. This article on the BBC website explains that the Educational Institute of Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to appeal for UK and European funds.

A former leading head teacher said the system was under strain dealing with pupils who do not speak English.

The Scottish Government said it was working with councils to ensure additional language needs were addressed in the future.

Read more on the BBC website, and find out how you can support Polish pupils in your class.

CILT Cymru have announced that 150 French schools have registered on Global Gateway this term (including 40 primaries). If you wish to make contact, e-mail partnerfinding@globalgateway.org.

Today sees the launch of the Language and Film Talent Awards (LAFTAs) , a nationwide competition that will encourage young people between the ages of thirteen and 21 to develop original short film clips that demonstrate the importance of language learning and to display them on YouTube. Comedian Eddie Izzard is the latest celebrity to join the prestigious judging panel.

You can find out more about the LAFTAs, including how to enter, in our Professional Development section.

This series of articles on the Education Guardian website talks about International Education and languages, globalism and sustainability.

Topics covered include:

• International Education Week
• International School Award
• Globalism/Sustainability
• Professional development
•  Middle East links

Read more on the Education Guardian website.

THE traditionalists have been going on about it ad nauseam. Now the campaign to bring back Latin into classrooms is finally gaining strength, says this article on the Scotland on Sunday website. Tens of thousands of Scottish school pupils are failing to master basic English literacy skills, leading one MSP to suggest compulsory Latin lessons are the way forward.

Read more on the Scotland on Sunday website.

A recent EU sponsored survey of SMEs (small/medium companies) shows that knowledge of Russian is becoming more important for business in Europe.

You can read the summary report or the full report on the Europa website.

PDF file: Summary report - ELAN: Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise

PDF file: Full report – ELAN: Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise

A unique literary work will be launched in Edinburgh tomorrow night which brings together the Gaelic, Scots and English languages.

The Skye-based poet Angus Peter Campbell’s first poetry collection for 15 years contains 67 new Gaelic poems, alongside Scots-language versions by the renowned scholar and translator J Derrick McClure, and English-language translations by the poet himself.

In his introduction to the collection, the modernist poet, Professor Donald MacAulay describes the poems as “innovative, thought-provoking and rich in language and imagery”.

Read more on the Herald website.

Issue 16 of the Scottish Languages Review is now available on the Scottish CILT website. 

Contents:

The SUFLRP Saga – 30 years of teaching French in Scottish universities 1970 – 2000 (Robin Adamson)

‘It is difficult now to remember just how undervalued language teaching was in French departments in UK universities in the 1960s and 70s…’

PDF file on Scottish CILT website: The SUFLRP Saga

‘Can you understand all that?’ – Expanding horizons of a language learner (Nicola Malcolm)

‘When discussing our subject choices at the start of sixth year, my statement of “I’m doing French, German and Spanish” was always met with much astonishment…  That’s me alright, always one for making a big impression.’

PDF file on Scottish CILT website: Can You Understand All That?

Blogging in the Language Classroom (Thea Pallut)

‘At the Communicate.06 conference I attended a variety of workshops on new technology such as blogging and podcasting, which have revolutionised how I use computers in my classroom. So, how can we use computers to enhance teaching and learning which embrace these new forms of communication?’

PDF file on Scottish CILT website: Blogging in the Language Classroom

The Power of Language: Language Policy in Non-Anglophone Countries (Brian Templeton)

‘While here in Scotland, it is French that dominates the school curriculum with the other languages competing for a place, in other countries the clear priority is to develop competence in English leaving other languages (local and foreign) competing for time and space…’

PDF file on Scottish CILT website: The Power of Language

Education for Citizenship: Languages are the Key: A Rationale for Languages Teachers (Catriona Oates)

‘Language learning has to be set in a context that makes sense to children. We need to provide a meaningful context for their learning. In order to do this we need to link as closely as possible in two directions: outwards and inwards…’

PDF file on Scottish CILT website: Education for Citizenship: Languages are the Key

Call for SLR Contributions / Deadlines

The SLR is an online journal for language practitioners and language learners.  If you would like to raise a language-related matter of importance, report on an action research project or write a personal response to any of the articles, please contact the editor (hannah.doughty@stir.ac.uk) or consult the Submission of Contributions page.  Articles should reach us by 10 March 2008 (Issue 17) or 10 September 2008 (Issue 18).

On Monday, 26th of November, a group of Russian, Latvian & Lithuanian writers will be reading from, and discussing, modern Russian, Latvian and Lithuanian fiction. The venue is Waterstone’s, Sauchiehall St, from 5.30pm – 6.30pm and admission is free. All are welcome.

For further details, call 0141 332 9105.

From the first fireworks arching into the sky launching Chinese New Year in February, through to the last swirl of the pipes on St Andrews Day, 2008 will see the largest celebration of Chinese culture, ever, across Scotland and the UK.

China Now in Scotland will celebrate contemporary China in the classroom and the board room, in gardens and galleries, and in theatres and movies. Chinese-Scottish collaborations will be forged or strengthened through lectures, conferences, and exchanges of artists and academics.

Find out more on the China Now website. The educational programme for Scottish schools can be found on the Scottish CILT website.