Modern Languages Blog

Date: 30 October, 2009
Venue: Goethe-Institut, Glasgow
Contact: Lilo Börgmann

Goethe-Institut are inviting teachers of German in the Primary Sector to their training day on Saturday, 30th October.

Part of the programme is an introduction to GLOW resources and the launch of a new Goethe-Institut group. This CPD opportunity is also suitable for teachers in training and FLAs who are working in Primary schools. Teachers in training and FLAs are free of charge.

For further details: http://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/gla/lhr/en4822527v.htm

This month is the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Throughout Oct and Nov the transformation of China will be celebrated by a varied programme of events organised or sponsored by the Confucius Institute for Scotland.

http://www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk/

To celebrate the new school year, eTwinning is running its annual ‘eTwinning Weeks’ campaign. Learn more about how eTwinning can benefit your school and take part in activities across Europe.

All through October, eTwinners old and new can take part in a variety of competitions, training opportunities and events across Europe organised through the eTwinning Portal. This is the ideal way to find out how eTwinning can benefit your school, meet new colleagues and get started on an exciting new eTwinning activity.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/scotland-learning-etwinning-weeks-campaign

The latest news and events from Alliance Française is  now available online. Highlights include the latest podcast episode and details of their upcoming courses.

Alliance Française are hosting an illustrated talk discussing Jules Verne’s ‘forgotten’ Scottish novel – The Green Ray.

As well as a debate around Towns as characters in works of modern fiction – a panel of authors from twinned cities Glasgow, Nüremberg and Marseille will discuss the identity of their town and the influence it has had on their literature.

http://www.afglasgow.org.uk/

Tuesday 15 September 2009
Crawfurd Comples, University of Strathclyde.

Are you a teacher of primary languages? Whether it’s French, German, Gaelic or Spanish please come along to Scottish CILT’s annual conference – MLPS: Building for the Curriculum. This one-day conference will offer the opportunity to share examples of work in primary schools during the trialling period, and also to observe innovative practice which has been identified in schools throughout Scotland. There will also be workshops to discuss assessment, evaluation and planning.

http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/events/headline_193959_en.html
Word file: Building the curriculum application

PDF file: MLPS Building the Curriculum programme

PDF file: Seminar Groups for the conference

Live Lesson for MFL: Live lesson for Language Learning

Code: E1D

Speakers: Josephine Hall, macrobert mPOWER Festival, Head of Outreach and Mentoring

Seminar Date: 23 September 2009

Start Time: 15:00

Live Lesson for Languages is a programme of teacher professional development, awareness raising and resource development built around the use of foreign language short films in language teaching.

Modern Languages: The Experiences and Outcomes in Practice

Code: M1G

Speakers: Learning and Teaching Scotland Development Officer

Seminar Date: 24 September 2009

Start Time: 10:30

Key issues in planning for the experiences and outcomes in Modern Languages. Participants will learn about interesting and innovative practices that will help to provide further explanation and exemplification.  The speakers will include practitioners who will highlight approaches and practical activities they have undertaken – and the responses of children and young people.  Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the issues raised and to share their views and experiences.

There’s a lot of activity for Modern Foreign Languages teachers in the next few months.

Scottish CILT is established in its new home at Strathclyde University and is hosting a workshop on the ‘European Language Portfolio’ on 27th August, in partnership with the Council of Europe. Contact SCILT for details.

SCILT has also organised its ‘National Primary Languages in Practice’ conference for 15th September at Jordanhill campus, and delegates need to be nominated by their local authorities.

September also sees the Scottish Learning Festival return to the SECC for the usual mix of keynotes, presentations, demos and exhibitors. And the ‘European Day of Languages’ on 26th September provides a focal point for celebratory activity in schools and other settings.

Finally, the annual SALT (Scottish Association of Language Teachers) conference is in Stirling on 7th November, and this year’s event has Curriculum for Excellence as its theme

The Société Française d’Études Écossaises, in conjunction with the University of St Andrews and the University of Strathclyde, is pleased to announce the theme for its 2009 conference will be ‘Exile and Return: Context and Comparisons’.

The conference will be held from September 10th to 12th at the University of St Andrews. It will examine aspects of Scottish migration, emigration and the formation of Scottish expatriate communities abroad in both the past and present.

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~sfee2009/index.html