Latest News

30 June 2026 (Time)

Today, AI can impressively help anyone to write and read in almost any language. This allows a surface-level exchange of ideas, but comes at a steep price: the loss of honest engagement with the magic organ that makes us human. The challenges of learning a new language are exactly why it is still so important to do so in the AI era.

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27 June 2026 (Greenock Telegraph / Yahoo News)

Pupils from across Inverclyde came together at Moorfoot Primary to celebrate sign language.

Youngsters from the Garvel Deaf Centre, based in Moorfoot, were joined by primary seven pupils from Gourock and Ardgowan Primary, as well as learners from Clydeview Academy, to mark their success in promoting British Sign Language (BSL) this year.

The pupils from Gourock and Ardgowan have been learning sign language from BSL tutor Paul Tipling as they prepare to make the jump from primary school to high school, while pupils from Moorfoot learn it from nursery right through to Primary 7.

Their teachers hope the skills they have picked up will enable them to communicate with their peers from Clydeview Academy's Deaf Education Centre when they move there after summer.

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23 June 2026 (University of Aberdeen)

More than 100 teachers, education professionals and language-sector stakeholders from across the north-east and Scotland gathered at the University of Aberdeen this week for French Forward, the third national Future of French en Écosse conference.

Hosted by the University’s School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture, the event was co-organised with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, and supported by the Institut français d’Ecosse. It created a forum for those working across schools, universities, policy and cultural organisations to share ideas and build a positive future for French teaching and learning in Scotland.

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22 June 2026 (TES)

The declining fortunes of languages in schools have been causing concern for decades - as far back as 2007, the Dearing review was addressing the sharp fall in numbers after languages were made optional at key stage 4.

Analysis of 2026 national entries data, however, reveals a trend that goes against that prevailing narrative: the rise of “other modern languages”, which Tes has been told is a source of “huge, untapped potential” in schools.

What exactly this category comprises can change from year to year, but Ofqual has provided Tes with the languages included in the 2026 data: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarati, Italian, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Panjabi, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish and Urdu.

It has already been well documented that the rise of Spanish has counteracted the decline of the two traditional mainstays of languages teaching in the UK, French and German.

Less well known, however, is the rise, since the Covid pandemic, of other modern languages - and this often refers to the language a pupil speaks at home.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

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19 June 2026 (Rail UK)

Dozens of staff at train operator TransPennine Express (TPE) are learning sign language to help make rail journeys easier for hearing-impaired customers.

So far, more than 70 colleagues, including conductors and customer-facing teams, have completed a course in basic British Sign Language (BSL).

The sessions include teaching everyday phrases such as greetings, numbers and common customer service interactions, as well as terms regularly used on the railway covering tickets, platforms, and delays.

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19 June 2026 (SCILT)

Today SCILT launches its menu of workshops for secondary, primary and mixed-sector groups for 2026-27. The workshop menu offers opportunities to develop knowledge and skills related to aspects of ethos, curriculum and pedagogy. There is the option to build your own workshop and to pick 'n' mix content to meet the needs of your group. We welcome requests from colleagues with whole school, cluster, network or local authority responsibility for sourcing professional learning for primary, secondary and mixed sector groups.

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18 June 2026 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow has a range of opportunities for learners of French. Follow the appropriate link to learn more about current initiatives:

Summer French courses with Alliance Française Glasgow - Alliance Française Glasgow is offering French courses throughout the Summer with two available formats: an early term, beginning on June 22, and 18-hour intensive programmes in August.

New academic year at Alliance Française Glasgow - As the back to school season approaches, the Alliance Française Glasgow is gearing up for the new academic year. Term A begins on 31 August, offering a full range of learning opportunities for all levels of French, from progression classes to workshops on special topics.

Alliance Française Glasgow Open Day (22 August) - Discover the Alliance Française Glasgow at the open day on 22 August. The programme includes taster classes for beginners, free level assessments and a French quiz.

Kultur Ensemble Glasgow - At the beginning of June, Alliance Française Glasgow, Goethe Institut Glasgow and Institut Français d’Ecosse launched Kultur Ensemble Glasgow, a Franco-German cultural alliance creating an enriched Franco-German programming, joint initiatives, and new opportunities for European connection and dialogue. 

18 June 2026 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK Learning Programme 2026 is out now and available for booking immediately.

Download the attached programme, with full details of all the films and a link to the booking form. All information and links are also available at the French Film Festival Learning Programme webpage.

For practitioners whose access to the films has been blocked by IT security systems in the past, we are working with Education Scotland to enable all schools in Scotland to participate this autumn; so please still book if you would like to participate, even though blocked in the past.

Last year over 33,000 primary and secondary pupils took part, with teachers noting, “A significant positive impact on student engagement with language learning” after participating in the programme.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk

We will also be present at The future of French en Écosse on 22 June 2026 at the University of Aberdeen and hope to see you there!

17 June 2026 (The Conversation)

When an exam board for England, Wales and Northern Ireland recently clarified that students are now permitted to use gender-inclusive or gender-neutral forms in French, Spanish and German exams, it marked more than a technical adjustment to assessment criteria.

These updates highlight an important fact about the nature of languages. They are not fixed systems but evolving, social practices.

The exam board guidance has not been universally embraced. Allowing references to diverse gender identities is perceived by some opponents to be ideologically driven. It has also been criticised that these novel forms, such as the French gender-neutral pronoun “iel”, are not widely used or endorsed by authorities (yet).

These arguments surface some common misunderstandings of how languages work and what language education is for. Two fundamental insights of sociolinguistics – the academic discipline that studies language in its social contexts – are that languages are as diverse as the people who use them, and they are constantly changing and shifting.

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16 June 2026 (We Love Stornoway)

Young people in the Western Isles have played a key role in the development of a pioneering new Gaelic Film and Screen Curriculum launched this week by Screen Scotland, Education Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The curriculum, officially unveiled on Tuesday, (16 June) aims to give Gaelic Medium Education pupils aged three to 18 the opportunity to develop filmmaking, storytelling and digital media skills through the medium of Gaelic.

The launch follows the introduction of the Draft Film and Screen Curriculum in English in September 2025 and marks a significant milestone for Gaelic education and Scotland's growing screen sector.

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16 June 2026 (UK-German Connection)

UK-German Connection offer a range of activities and initiatives to foster partnerships between schools in the UK and Germany. Follow the relevant link below to find out more about their latest opportunities:

• Kicking off Connections - a special grant for football-themed exchange trips for young people in the UK and Germany. Registration of interest now open!
• Partnerships - funded seminars for youth groups (Bonn, September 2026) and schools (Bavaria, November 2026); aiming to bring together youth leaders and school teachers from the UK and Germany who are interested in establishing links with peer groups and developing exchange activities, with a focus on engaging disadvantaged young people.
• School partnership bursaries - funding of up to £1K for UK-German joint activities. Apply by 26 June for activities taking place between 1 September 2026 and 31 December 2026.

Whether you’re just starting out in a partnership, planning a project, exchange or virtual activity, or looking to apply for funding, UK-German Connection is here to help at any stage of your journey with guidance, advice, information and inspiration.

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13 June 2026 (BBC)

A new set of sign language gestures covering animals that live in the seas around the UK has been created to make marine science more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

Rebecca Hegedűs is studying at the University of Exeter Penryn campus in Cornwall, and is one of eight deaf marine biology students around the world who helped created the new signs - with species local to each global region.

The signs added to BSL (British Sign Language) are for words including species like basking shark, sperm whale, grey seal and common dolphin.

Hegedűs said: "It is really important to know these signs because in BSL we don't really have that many signs linked to marine species," she said.

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11 June 2026 (Provided by Argyll & Bute/Highland/Aberdeen City)

Commencing August 2026, and open to all Scottish schools, these courses provide on the job professional learning and help teachers make time for languages in the curriculum. Teachers learn alongside their pupils in real time and are supported to lead the learning in their own class.

Suitable for P4-7 classes. The lesson structure alternates between short bursts of direct teaching from the online teacher, followed by the class teachers leading their own class in a team game. This format allows the learning to remain active and fully engage the learners. Each lesson lasts approximately 40 minutes and will take place in a GLOW Microsoft Team. All resources will be available to download in advance of the session and will be stored in the GLOW Team.

See the flyer for more information and to sign up.

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9 June 2026 (Institut français)

The best of French creativity is coming to the Fringe! Vive le Fringe! will be back from 7 to 29 August 2026 at the Institut français d’Écosse with an electrifying line-up of artists and companies:

• Don't Wait For Me, an award-winning bilingual puppetry show about loss, hope and belonging.
• Bigger, challenging body perception through dance.
• °Up : Violin vs Football, bringing to the stage a freestyle football champion and a violin player.

Visit the Institut français website for more information and bookings.

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4 June 2026 (Civil Service Languages Network)

British Council, GCHQ and the Civil Service Languages Network are working together to promote language learning among pupils in UK schools.

Your S2/S3 (Y8/9) pupils, who may be considering their options, and S4/S5 (Y10/11) students, prior to choosing their Higher/AHs, are invited to our open, online events – see dates below. There, they will hear from speakers with different roles across government who have used languages in their career, and how either studying a language in school, or speaking a heritage language, has enriched their life and career.

Pupils will have the chance to ask the speakers questions (via their teacher) through a Q&A session.

You can see some example videos here:

• Rosemary Pennells (British Embassy Tokyo) S2/S3 (Y8/9)
• Nerys Jones (British Embassy Berlin) S4/S5 (Y10/11) Government Languages Outreach talk

The online events are free of charge, and if you are unable to attend the events there are recordings which you can use instead.

To express interest, and help us keep in touch, please complete the form.

We look forward to welcoming your pupils to our events!

Summer term 2026

S2/S3 (Y8/9): Monday 29 June 2026, 09:00-10:00

S4/S5 (Y10/11): Wednesday 1 July 2026, 09:00-10:00

Autumn term 2026

S2/S3/S4/S5 joint event: Friday 25 September 2026 (for European Day of Languages on 26 Sept), 09:00-10:00

S4/S5 (Y10/11): Wednesday 11 November 2026, 09:15-10:15

S2/S3 (Y8/9): Thursday 19 November 2026, 09:00-10:00

Spring term 2027

S2/S3 (Y8/9): Wednesday 13 January 2027, 09:00-10:00

S4/S5 (Y10/11): Tuesday 19 January 2027, 09:00-10:00

S2/S3 (Y8/9): Thursday 11 February 2027, 09:15-10:15

Summer term 2027

S2/S3 (Y8/9): Monday 28 June 2027, 09:00-10:00

S4/5 (Y10/11): Thursday 1 July 2027, 09:00-10:00

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23 April 2026 (Institut français)

Created by the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages (EDL) has been celebrated every year on 26 September since 2001, in partnership with the European Commission.

The 2026 edition of the European Day of Languages in Scotland will be held at the Institut français d'Écosse in Edinburgh, with the following events taking place:

A professional conference (Tuesday, 22 September 2026 @5pm)

An update on the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC), a systematic review led by Education Scotland to evolve the national curriculum. More information and registration.

Event for pupils in S2 and S3 (Thursday 24 and Friday 25 September 2026)

Interactive Activities: Dynamic "language corners" featuring up to 8 different countries, including Czech, Italian, French, German, Irish, Polish, Romanian, and Spanish.

Contact for more information Charlotte HYVERNAUD education.ifecosse@institut-francais.org.uk 

The events take place at the Institut français d'Écosse, West Parliament Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1RN. Entrance on George IV Bridge.

26 March 2026 (GCHQ)

The GCHQ Virtual Language Outreach sessions are aimed at Year 8/9s (S2/S3).

In these one-hour long sessions your pupils will hear about the importance of languages, GCHQ and the work our Language Analysts do. After that they will do a scenario challenge in a language they are currently studying, so please ensure you choose the correct language on offer. We will end with a Q&A session.

Visit the website for available dates and to register.

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15 August 2025 (SCILT)

SCILT’s 2025-26 menu of professional learning workshops for groups launches today!

Free to book for groups of primary or secondary teachers working in local authority schools. Sessions are designed and facilitated by our friendly and experienced Professional Development Officers.  

Select a workshop from the menu below, or request a bespoke input tailored to your audience – the choice is yours. Choose your workshop theme(s), pick your dates and submit your workshop request. We’ll confirm arrangements with you promptly.  

These workshops offer a chance for groups of colleagues to dive into professional learning that explores engaging language pedagogies and examples of current practice.  

Requests from professional learning leads in schools, clusters, local authorities and SCIS welcomed all year round…starting now! 

Primary 

• Developing a multilingual ethos in your primary school
• First steps in teaching primary languages
• Next steps in teaching primary languages
• Assessment as learning in primary languages
• Getting outdoors with primary languages

Secondary

• Teaching Sprints – Small change, big impact
• Developing a multilingual and multicultural ethos
• BYOW: Build Your Own Workshop!
• The Big Question

For workshop descriptors, and to book one or more session for the group of teachers that you support, find the link the professional learning request form below.

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