Modern Languages Blog

The Scottish Government has announced there will be more school places and increased resources for Gaelic-medium education across Scotland thanks to investment from the Gaelic Schools Capital Fund.

Minister for Gaelic Michael Russell announced on Friday that Glasgow City Council will receive £500,000 to increase provision in its area and Argyll and Bute Council will benefit from £150,000.

The funding will be used to renovate classrooms in the Glasgow Gaelic School and contribute towards a new modular building which will be installed at Bowmore Primary; both areas which have seen an increased demand for early years places.

 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/09/04112636

The number of dedicated Gaelic schools in Scotland is set to double after the Scottish Government announced further funding to develop the language. Highland council has welcomed the allocation from the Government of £1.5 million to allow preparation works to begin on proposed new Gaelic Medium Primary Schools at Fort William and Portree. 

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2009/August/2009-08-25-08.htm

As a public organisation Learning and Teaching Scotland is required by the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 to produce a Gaelic Language Plan. LTS recognises the unique and essential contribution of Gaelic to the rich and diverse cultural life of Scotland. The draft Gaelic Language Plan sets out clearly how LTS will use and support the use of Gaelic in the delivery of its services, working closely with Scottish Government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and other key partners and stakeholders.

www.LTScotland.org.uk/aboutlts/whatwedo/draftgaeliclanguageplan/index.asp

EU Multilingualism Commissioner was in London today (2 April) for the launch of an innovative project combining foreign-language learning and football training run by Arsenal football club.

This year’s edition of the English Premiership club’s ‘Double Club’  initiative, which the EU executive described as an “innovative project aimed at schoolchildren, combining language learning with football training,” sees youngsters from London and the surrounding area attend language courses of six to eight weeks, followed by football sessions.

Lessons are inspired by football and Arsenal-related themes, and are supported by contributions from the club’s French, Spanish and German-speaking players in their native languages. 

The success of Arsenal’s Double Club’ project has already seen several other Premiership clubs adopt similar schemes.

English Premiership club Arsenal first launched its ‘Double Club’ initiative in 1998. Since then, it has helped over 2,000 students from 80 schools in London and south-east England to learn German, French and Spanish. The EU executive is particularly keen to boost language-learning in the UK amid fears that the European institutions will likely face an acute shortage of English interpreters by 2015.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/culture/orban-launches-arsenal-languages-scheme/article-180929

Registration is open for the following workshop, organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and the Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies (University of Glasgow):

Workshop: Language diversity in Scottish universities: practical strategies to support teaching and learning

Date: 20 February 2009 Location: University of Glasgow

This workshop will consider the importance of language diversity in Scottish universities and will also focus on practical issues involved in setting up and sustaining modules and programmes in lesser taught languages. It will cover themes such as getting started with a new module in a lesser taught language, teaching ab initio and introducing students to content modules. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience a taster session in a lesser taught language.

More information, programme and registration details

http://www.llas.ac.uk/events/3104

An article in the Scotsman discusses the possible impact of the new Gaelic channel – BBC ALBA – being launched this Friday. Will ALBA will have the impact of S4C, which helped spark a resurgence of the Welsh language?

Read the full Scotsman article online.

The Scotsman education reports Spanish is set to take over from German as the second most popular foreign language in Scottish schools.
French remains the most popular foreign language for pupils, with 4,602 Higher candidates this year, but German seems likely to topple from second place.

There are already more Spanish candidates in fourth year, and the subject is set to overtake German at Higher for the first time next year.

Read more in the Scotsman online

The Scottish Funding Council is calling for a national debate on why and how we learn foreign languages after publishing a report into the supply and demand of modern language courses in colleges and universities.

Read more on this from Scottish Funding Council

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has just published its revised report on Modern Languages in Scotland: Supply and demand in post-school education.

Read more on the report on the Scottish CiLT news page

You can download the full report from the (SFC) website.

The UK’s first initiative (in an Aberdeen school) in early partial immersion in a foreign language (EPPI) has been judged a success. From Primary 1 onwards, children receive some of their education through the medium of French, and some through the medium of English

Read the report ‘Evaluation of Walker Road’ 

Find out more from the BBC news