SCILT > News View > Languages

Employing a Language Assistant in Scotland

16 April 2024 (British Council)

A Language Assistant can make a vital difference to students’ achievement and motivation to learn a language. It can also help schools fulfil Curriculum for Excellence requirements and support the 1+2 languages policy.

Language Assistants are native speakers of French, German, Italian, Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. They bring the language and culture of their home country to life and motivate students to learn and develop their understanding of the world around them.

Visit the British Council website to discover more and submit your application to host a Language Assistant in session 2024-25 by 30 April.

OU TELT course open for registrations

16 April 2024 (Open University)

TEachers Learning to Teach languages (TELT) aims to increase and improve language provision in primary schools. Teachers simultaneously learn a new language and the skills to teach that language in the classroom. The programme is General Teaching Council for Scotland approved, and can count towards postgraduate qualifications.

Available languages are French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Registration is now open for the programme commencing October 2024.

Visit the Open University website for more information.

RZSS Science in the Language Class

16 April 2024 (RZSS)

RZSS Science in the Language Class has three new FREE language linked outreach sessions aimed at upper primary level and available for August 2024 but as places can fill up fast early booking is recommended.

French: A one hour outreach session linked to RZSS work in the French Polynesia Islands with the Partula snail. We don't just work with the big charismatic animals. We can't forget the importance to the ecosystem of the wee beasties. Learn more about the conservation work with activities linked to French.

Gaelic: A one hour outreach session linked to RZSS work in Scotland with the Scottish wildcat. RZSS Highland Wildlife Park has a special centre which is breeding the Scottish wildcat for release to the wild. The first release was in 2023. Learn more about the Scottish wildcat with activities linked to Gaelic.

Spanish: This can be a one hour outreach session or there is the option for a short 2 week course, where in the first week there is a 45 minute live virtual introductory session, followed by a one hour in-person outreach. The session(s) are linked to the RZSS work in South America with the giant armadillo, the giant anteater and the two-toed sloth. Although they seem very different animals, they all belong to a group called Xenarthra which means strange joints! Learn more about this work with activities linked to Spanish.

All are available throughout Scotland including the Islands. However, if further afield (ie not in the Central Belt) then we do need a cluster of schools booking together to come for a few days or a week. Or possibly one school booking a number of sessions over a few days. Sessions are aimed at P4-P7. Maximum number per session is 33. Contact Sandie Robb - srobb@rzss.org.uk for further details and to discuss options. Also see the Science in the Language Class website.

Lingobox Learning Easter activities

14 March 2024 (Lingobox Learning)

Our French Easter Activities blog is now live on the Lingobox Learning website!

The blog is full of great ideas for developing French with your classes in the run up to Easter! You’ll also find our French Easter Bells Story, How to make an Easter Card and How to draw an Easter Egg (all French) on our Youtube channel.

Easter Competition!

To win a 1-year subscription to LingoboxLearning.com, simply:

Try any Easter activity inspired by our suggestions or using our resources
Share a post about it on any social media - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Threads!
Follow Lingobox and mention them in your post @LingoboxLearning (Insta/FB/Threads) @lingbox (Twitter)
Post as many times as you like for multiple entries!

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

French for Teachers

7 March 2024 (Alliance Française)

Are you currently teaching French in a Secondary School and looking for a way to keep your French up to date? Join the Alliance Française Glasgow for our classes dedicated to French Teachers!

This class will enable you to converse in French, discuss the latest trends and topics in French society, review grammar, and connect with other teachers from Scottish schools.

The classes take place online from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with opportunities to meet in person.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol for the September semester.

Easter Study Support 2024

5 March 2024 (eSgoil)

Registration for eSgoil's Easter Study Support 2024 is now open!

Easter Study Support is for Senior Phase learners who are working towards National Qualifications. This year there are seventy-four different webinar Teams, covering a wide range of subjects and levels.

Live, interactive and free, the sessions will support learners towards final exams.

Visit eSgoil's website for the full timetable and to register for the webinars.

Grand Quiz de la Francophonie 2024!

1 March 2024 (Institut français)

March is the month of la Francophonie celebrating the French language and diverse Francophone cultures worldwide.

In the UK the "Grand Quiz de la Francophonie” is back with a special focus on Canada.

DELF/DALF examinations

29 February 2024 (Institut français)

The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) and the DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official diplomas awarded by the French Ministry for Education certifying competency in French for foreign candidates. These language diplomas are useful for the job market as well as for university or international mobility and focus on real life situations and communicative skills.

The Institut français d’Ecosse based in Edinburgh is a leading official examination centre for a wide range of French language proficiency diplomas and certificates for all ages and is accredited by France Éducation International (FEI), the official board that awards DELF/DALF qualifications. We can also provide training for your teachers so they too can become accredited DELF examiners. This can prove interesting for teachers of French as a foreign language, encouraging them to discover and use the action-based approach in class to further stimulate the students

The next sessions for the DELF/DALF will take place in June 2024.

Deadline to enrol: 7 May.

More information about the DELF/DALF qualifications is available on the Institut francais website.

The exam can also be taken in Glasgow at the Alliance Française.

Applications to host a Modern Language Assistant for 2024-25 are open now!

29 February 2024 (British Council)

Hosting a Language Assistant helps enhance language learning, boost student results and build cultural capital. Flexible hosting options are available with different placement lengths and sharing possibilities.

Applications to host a Modern Language Assistant for the 2024-25 academic year are now open (29 February – 30 April). To guarantee a Mandarin Chinese Language Assistant, you must submit your application by 28 March.

Our team is well-equipped to support you and we would love to hear from you if you would like to discuss how we could help make it work for you in 2024-25. To speak to a colleague, please email LanguageAssistants.UK@BritishCouncil.org.

Visit the British Council website to find out more.

Clydeview Academy pupils make a movie about world peace

23 February 2024 (Greenock Telegraph)

A bunch of rookie movie makers have made the cut by reaching the final of a national film competition.

Pupils at Clydeview Academy created their own storyboard to enter a filmmaking contest run by The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET).

The project is entitled Our World and aims to encourage global citizenship, language learning and uptake among pupils.

Language teacher Vanessa Hall, who runs the club with colleague Lucy McCue, said: "It started in August, we were trying to widen pupils' use of language and making a film makes it more fun.

"The storyboard was based on the UN's sustainable goals and the pupils used two languages, Ukrainian and French.

"The theme is based on World Peace and is entitled Open Your Eyes."

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators

22 February 2024 (University of Oxford)

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators is run by Queen's Translation Exchange, University of Oxford. The competition is free to enter and aims to promote language learning across the UK and inspire creativity in the modern languages classroom.

For students of French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish in KS3-5.
In addition to the competition task, teachers receive up to 15 sets of resources for each language on translating poetry, fiction, non-fiction for use in the build-up to the competition.
Deadline for competition entries: 28 March 2024.
Winners selected for 10 geographical areas. National winners selected for each level in each language. All winners and commendations announced on our webpage.
Last year over 14,000 pupils across the UK took part and the feedback from teachers was enormously positive.
Teachers can register to receive classroom resources and competition tasks on the Anthea Bell Prize website.

For more information visit the website or contact: translation.exchange@queens.ox.ac.uk.

French Pop Video Competition 2024

20 February 2024 (Institut français)

The French Pop Video Competition is a national competition organised by Francophonie UK supported by TV5Monde for all primary and secondary students of French in the UK.

Students get to engage with French in a creative and fun way, improving writing skills and vocabulary by creating their own lyrics and practising speaking skills by performing and recording their song/rap.

Visit the Institut français website to learn more and register to take part in the competition by 10 March 2024. The deadline for entries is 1 May 2024.

'Preserving language, reinforcing communities': the school saving one of Louisiana's oldest dialects

14 February 2024 (The Guardian)

Preserving Indian French, as community members call it, has taken on new urgency as climate-related hurricanes and coastal erosion threaten to displace the tribe.

On a recent morning in the southern Louisiana town of Bourg, Cynthia Owens reviewed flashcards with her kindergarten class.

She held up an image of a crocodile. “Caïman”, she said, using the word for crocodile spoken by Indigenous tribes in the region. Caïman, her nine students repeated. Then: “Crocodile”, she said, using the French term. Crocodile, responded the chorus of fidgety five- and six-year-olds.

“Now, who likes apple pie?” she asked. Hands shot up: “J’aime la tarte aux pommes!”

Owens is an instructor at École Pointe-au-Chien, a French-immersion elementary school that opened last fall. Though dual-language programs have been steadily rising across the country in recent years, this is the first one in Louisiana to teach Metropolitan French alongside local French dialects spoken by the Indigenous and Cajun communities it serves.

Hermitage Primary pupils take part in Language Week Scotland

8 February 2024 (Helensburgh Advertiser)

Pupils at a Helensburgh Primary school “thoroughly enjoyed” a week of learning about different cultures around the globe.

Hermitage Primary pupils discovered all about a variety of countries and languages for Language Week Scotland which ran from Monday, January 29 to Friday, February 2.

Children participated in many fun activities including researching and presenting the impact global warming is having on the country their class focused on, listening to and watching short stories and fairy tales in the county’s native language, and learning and performing a traditional dance.

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, Gaelic, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Portuguese

Successful singer visits Fernhill School to inspire youngsters about learning languages

7 February 2024 (Daily Record)

A successful singer has visited Fernhill School to inspire youngsters to learn languages.

As part of Languages Week Scotland, singer-songwriter Christine Bovill visited Fernhill School to discuss how learning languages shaped her unique career and life.

Pupils spent the morning basking in her stories and finding out how despite, initially being a reluctant learner of French, it shaped her life.

After an early career as a school teacher of English and French, Christine finally left the classroom to pursue a career as a live performer.

At the heart of Christine's journey till now has been her devotion to French Song.

Posted in: French, Celebrating Languages, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press

French online ‘Live Lessons’ for primary

1 February 2024 (Argyll & Bute Council)

Gwen McCrossan, PT for 1+2 languages for Argyll & Bute Council, is offering a 5-week block of French online ‘Live Lessons’ for primary learners.

Lessons commence Wednesday 28 February and will last 40 minutes from 1.30 to 2.10 pm. These lessons are aimed at P4 learners upwards. The lessons can be used as consolidation of L2 French or as an introduction to French as an L3. The content can be accessed with no prior knowledge of French but the lessons are reasonably fast paced and include team games, which is why they are not suitable for younger learners.

These lessons have a team teaching element as the games are led by the class teacher in their own classroom. The learning is chunked throughout the lesson between learning online from the expert to consolidating the new learning through playing a game in the class. This keeps the learning active but the teachers feel well supported. All the resources used during the lessons have sound files embedded to support learners and teachers with the pronunciation of key language. Each lesson contains an element of French phonics which practitioners have found to be very beneficial to develop confidence in pronunciation. Suggested follow-up resources and activities are also provided to allow the class teacher to consolidate the learning during the week.

As multiple classes will be attending these lessons, differentiation is not possible. Therefore, it is important that you decide whether the content of the lessons is suitable for your learners. For example, the content may be ideal for a P5 class which needs to revise and consolidate some simple French language. However, it wouldn’t suit a P7 class which had made steady progression in French from P1 onwards.

Content:

(each lesson will have a phonics element embedded)

Lesson 1- Numbers to 16, Greetings & Feelings

Lesson 2- Numbers to 20, Days & Weather

Lesson 3- Numbers to 31, Months & Birthdays, Colours

Lesson 4- Numbers to 31, Family

Lesson 5- Pets & description (Colour, size)

Please complete this form if you would like to sign up for these lessons.

If you would like to learn more about this team teaching model please read this case study which describes last year’s national pilot of this initiative.

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Free French and Spanish trials

29 January 2024 (La Jolie Ronde)

To support Languages Week Scotland 2024, La Jolie Ronde are offering Scottish schools now and throughout February, FREE trials of their French and Spanish Scheme of Work for P3-P6. To take up this offer email: schools@lajolieronde.co.uk (quote SCILT). Plus, parents can book a FREE trial session of a French and/or Spanish class that run through their network of Scottish tutors - your local tutor can be found on the La Jolie Ronde website (for new pupils only).

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

French course for teachers

18 January 2024 (Alliance Française)

Are you currently teaching French in a Secondary School in Scotland and looking for a way to keep your French up to date? The Alliance Française is running a new course commencing 19 February through to June 2024.

'French for Teachers' will enable you to converse in French, discuss the latest trends and topics in French society, review grammar, and connect with other teachers from Scottish schools. Classes will mainly be online, with two dates in-person at the Alliance Française in Glasgow.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to register for the course.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize 2024

16 January 2024 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay prize, established to commemorate and celebrate the life of a long-time member of the Franco-Scottish Society, is for students of Advanced Higher French in all schools and colleges across Scotland. This competition, run by the Franco-Scottish Society and the Alliance Française in Glasgow, aligns with the writing outcomes of the AH French course. Please note that this competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

The essay, written in French, should be no longer than 500 words in length and can be discursive or narrative in style. Three prizes will be offered, and the winner of the first prize will also receive a trophy.

Schools and colleges have until 29 January 2024 to register interest for their students via the Alliance Française website when the essay task for the year will also be distributed to those registered.

Further information about the background to the competition, including judging guidelines and past essay questions, can be found on the SCILT website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators

16 January 2024 (Queen's College Oxford)

Inspired by the life and work of the great translator Anthea Bell, the competition aims to promote language learning across the UK and to inspire creativity in the classroom. By providing teachers with the tools they need to bring translation to life, we hope to motivate more pupils to study modern foreign languages throughout their time at school and beyond.

The Prize is free to enter and open to all secondary schools across the UK. The Prize currently offers French (into Welsh and English), Spanish, German, Italian and Mandarin. Teachers can register for the prize at any point in the year. The competition will run from February to March in 2024.

Visit the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators website for more information.

eSgoil online courses for 2024-25

5 January 2024 (eSgoil)

Looking to broaden your learners' horizons and your school's curricular offer? We are offering a range of language NQs and work-related courses for 2024-25, delivered at no cost via live, online and interactive lessons.

Explore the details in the online brochure.

Writing competitions for language students

18 December 2023 (King's College London)

The Department of Languages, Literature and Cultures at King's College London invites Year 12 or 13 (S5 or S6 in Scotland) students of German, French and Spanish/Portuguese to submit original pieces of work in their chosen language. Prizes include the chance to have their article published.

Follow the appropriate link below to find out more about the competition, the subject topic and how to enter:

The entry deadline for all is 20 February 2024.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Portuguese

Online workshops for senior phase language learners

12 December 2023 (King's College London)

King's College London are hosting a number of online workshops for A-Level and equivalent learners of languages during the Spring term.

As well as film discussion workshops offering students the chance to develop their language skills for film analysis, there are taster events to discover other options available to those considering language studies at university. Follow the relevant link below to find out more and to register for the event:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Learning - Higher Education, News from language & education organisations, Portuguese

Controversial uni modern languages proposal to be discussed

11 December 2023 (BBC)

Controversial University of Aberdeen proposals which could see its modern languages degrees scrapped are set to be discussed.

The university has blamed a steep fall in the number of students studying modern languages for the move.

More than 12,000 people have signed a petition opposing the proposals, and a protest meeting was held on Monday evening.

The university court will meet later to discuss the future of modern languages provision.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize 2024

7 December 2023 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay prize, established to commemorate and celebrate the life of a long-time member of the Franco-Scottish Society, will open in January to students preparing Advanced Higher French in all schools and colleges across Scotland. This competition, run by the Franco-Scottish Society and the Alliance Française in Glasgow, aligns with the writing outcomes of the AH French course. Please note that this competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

Schools and colleges will be asked to register interest for their students at the start of January via the Alliance Française website. Registrations will close on 29 January, when the essay task for the year will also be distributed to registered schools and colleges.

Further information about the background to the competition, including judging guidelines and past essay questions, can be found on the SCILT website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Mathématiques sans Frontières competition

5 December 2023 (Scottish Mathematical Council)

The Scottish Mathematical Council would like to welcome schools to participate in the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition Mathématiques sans Frontières.

We are hopeful that we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition for senior phase pupils which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages. For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

Attached is a discovery training test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières” alongside some more formal competition instructions, and an entry proforma for the competition. Entry deadline: 26 January 2024.

You can also find more information on the Mathématiques sans Frontières website.

French Film Festival learning programme for schools

30 October 2023 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK Learning Programme is once again delighted to bring French-speaking cinema free of charge to schools from 30 October to 15 December 2023!

Each of the four films will be accompanied by new learning packs in French and English. Selected films are all in French with English subtitles.

If you haven't done so already, there's still time to check out the programme and book your screenings. And for budding film critics, there's also the opportunity for pupils in Scotland to submit their film review with the chance to win a prize!

Visit the Festival website for full details.

Daniella Theis: It’s sad to see fewer people learning languages

30 October 2023 (The Herald)

Apart from life itself (and the fact she loves me so much still, despite me pushing her buttons for so many of my younger years) it is probably the greatest gift my mum gave me: her language.

Those that have read more of what I write will have seen me talk of my roots before. I was born and raised in Germany to a German father and an American mother, and moved to the UK in my late teens. Born into this setup, I was blessed with not learning one, but two languages from day one. Part of it was a necessity: my mother didn't speak much German when I arrived, although she is fully fluent now.

However, there was another reason I was pushed towards languages growing up: pure pragmatism. I had a teacher in Germany that warned us that unless we wanted to spend our whole life holidaying on Sylt, an island on the north coast of Germany, we would have to learn to speak a language that wasn’t German. Obviously, learning languages isn’t just to make holidays go more smoothly, but what they said holds true: most people outside of Germany do not speak German and, if we wanted to communicate, we would have to adapt.

It is common for most Germans to learn at least two foreign languages while at school. We learned English in school from when we were about eight or nine, followed by French when I was about 12.

Knowing English was a big part of me moving to the UK and staying here. Growing up bilingual, I took comfort in the knowledge that the culture shock a move to a new country would bring, would at least not be paired with a language barrier, and I was right. That is something I see as a gift, and I’m forever grateful for.

RZSS Programmes for Schools

12 October 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Science in the Language Class - Many free language resources are available on the Science in Language Class website. There are a wide range of resources for Mandarin, Spanish and French along with free outreach sessions. Next year look out for further resources available in German and Gaelic and a new upper primary course for Spanish.

Mandarin course - The Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes.)

Giants - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either Spanish or Mandarin.

Stripy Tails - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either French or Mandarin.

Contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for bookings. All are fully booked to December but there are still a few opportunities left from January 2024.

See the Beyond the Panda webpage for details and resources.

French Pop Video Competition 2024

9 October 2023 (Institut français)

The French Pop Video Competition is a national competition organised by Francophonie UK supported by TV5Monde for all KS1 to KS5 students of French in the UK.

Visit the Institut français website to learn more about the competition and register by 10 March 2024 to take part.

French Teacher Award

9 October 2023 (Institut français)

Nominations are now opened for this year's French Teacher Award!

Each year two teachers of French (one primary, one secondary) are selected in recognition of their significant and committed contribution to French language education in their school and community.

Teachers can apply themselves, or nominate a colleague.

Visit the Institut français website for more information and to submit nominations by 31 October 2023.

eSgoil study support 2023-24

5 October 2023 (eSgoil)

Registration for eSgoil's Study Support programme is now open!

Study Support is for Senior Phase learners who are working towards National Qualifications, with weekly evening webinars during term time covering a wide range of subjects and levels, including Gaelic, French and Spanish.

Visit the eSgoil website for full programme details and to register. Programme commences week beginning 30 October.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

3 October 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for autumn term courses. There are options available for children and adults. Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol.

French courses for children and teens
French courses for adults (online assessment available to establish your level)
Rugby Workshop - 13 October 2023, 1.30 - 3.00pm - if you love the sport and want to develop your rugby vocab this is the event for you! (booking charge applies)

The organisation provides many other opportunities and events to discover French language and culture. Visit their website to find out more.

Discovery Film Festival

2 October 2023 (DCA)

Discovery Film Festival, Scotland’s international film festival for young audiences, is back for its 20th year!

Taking place from 21 October to 5 November, there's another packed programme of the best new films for young audiences from around the world, with free education resource packs to accompany the screenings. The festival will be available both online and at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Visit the website for full programme details.

Invite a team of Strathclyde Language Ambassadors to your school!

28 September 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

At the University of Strathclyde, beyond supporting the Language Ambassadors Online and the Language Explorers Programme, we are still offering on-site visits in 2023-24.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of discovering a new culture and learning and being able to use another language by organising a visit from one of our Language Ambassadors teams to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people in your school. We aim to encourage your learners to engage with young adults who have decided to study languages at university and to have a positive impact on the number of learners who choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Want to book a visit from a Language Ambassadors team in 2023-24? Simply contact Cédric Moreau now!

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Promoting Languages, Strathclyde University, News from language & education organisations

SNP grassroots demand more language teaching provision in schools

9 September 2023 (The Herald)

Ministers are facing a demand from the SNP grassroots to improve language teaching provision in Scottish schools after falling Higher entries for French and German.

A motion on the draft agenda to the party's conference raises concerns over the teaching in European languages for senior pupils at secondary school.

It underlines the importance of language learning as a life skill "particularly if we are striving for membership of the EU post-independence" and calls for native speakers to be recruited as language assistants to help secondary school students gain qualifications.

A total of 4,239 pupils sat French Higher in 2013 with the number falling to 2280 this year, according to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's statistics. In 2013 a total of 1051 entered German Higher compared to 520 this year.

The figures also showed an increasing trend towards pupils taking Spanish, with 1,645 Higher entries in the subject in 2013 rising to 2605 this year (overtaking French).

However, Scotland is considerably lagging behind the Republic of Ireland which has made language teaching a central part of its successful economic strategy with GDP growing by 12% in 2022, compared to 4% for the UK's.

(Note, subscription may be required to access full article)

New job profile on SCILT's website

8 September 2023 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website demonstrate a range of careers where languages are being used. The latest addition comes from Simran Kaur, Equality and Diversity Engagement Officer at the University of Strathclyde.

Simran's language skills have enabled her to work as a translator and they also prove useful in her role at the university where so many different languages are spoken on campus.

Teachers, use Simran's profile along with others on our website to highlight the benefits of language learning to your pupils.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages: new resources to support with performance-talking

1 September 2023 (SQA)

From session 2023-24, the Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking coursework task returns to its usual format, with a duration of approximately 20 minutes. The requirement to discuss aspects of the portfolio has also been reinstated.

We have created two new SQA Academy courses to help you with this coursework task. An updated performance-talking audio presentation is also available from our Understanding Standards website.

SQA Academy course – Performance-talking

This course provides an overview of what the Advanced Higher performance-talking assessment involves – including its purpose, structure, preparation for the assessment, the Subject Topic List (STL) form and how performance-talking is assessed.

SQA Academy course – A day in the life of a visiting assessor

This second course outlines the role of the Modern Languages performance-talking visiting assessor and describes what happens before, during and after the assessment of performance-talking. You may find it useful to share this course with your learners.

Access the courses from the SQA Academy website

SQA Understanding Standards – updated audio presentation

An updated audio presentation on the Advanced Higher performance-talking for session 2023-24 is also available from the Modern Languages pages of the Understanding Standards website (select the language, then ‘presentations’ from the page menu).

View the performance-talking audio presentation.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations, SQA

Remembering Empire

31 August 2023 (STRIDE)

The Remembering Empire project, led by Dr Fiona Barclay at the University of Stirling, uses the findings of research on the French empire in Algeria to produce materials for use by secondary teachers of French. Its aim is to use a complex story of empire to develop Global Citizenship values and support the take-up of languages in Scottish schools.

This article explores the resources in more detail and provides links to the free downloadable materials aimed at two separate ages: S3 and Advanced Higher.

(Note - A link to the Remembering Empire resources can be found in both the S1-S3 and Senior Phase French classroom resource sections of SCILT's website)

French Film Festival free learning programme for schools

31 August 2023 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK Learning Programme is once again delighted to bring French-speaking cinema free of charge to schools this November and December! All the films in the selection are in French with English subtitles.

Each of the four films will be accompanied by new learning packs in French and English.

Download the programme and start planning your screenings now!

FFF 2023 In-School Learning Programme

Student Film Review Awards

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland will once again award prizes for the best film reviews submitted by students in Scotland.

The Learning Programme is grateful for the generous support of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, TotalEnergies, the Institut français worldwide network, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, and SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages).

More information about the Festival can be found on the French Film Festival website.

Concours de la Francophonie 2024

29 August 2023 (Institut français)

Le Concours de la Francophonie 2024 is now open!

The national school competition's aim is to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to enjoy the French language. It has always been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie. In 2023, over 500 pupils from 25 schools all over Scotland took part in the competition.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

The theme of the competition this year is: “Paris Olympic Games 2024: Ouvrons grand les jeux!”

Visit the Institut français website for full details and entry criteria. Submission deadline is 31 January 2024.

CCEd in French @ University of Strathclyde

21 August 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you!

The University of Strathclyde continues to offer a three-year Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) qualification in Italian and in Spanish and from session 2023-24 the course is now also being offered in French.

The CCEd is an intensive beginners’ class that will bring you up to first-year university standard in a year, with the option of continuing your studies into second year and up to university pass degree level within three years.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time on Tuesday evenings.

Further information and application details are now available on the University of Strathclyde's website.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

15 August 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now taking enrolments for French courses commencing in September 2023.

Visit the website for further information and to enrol. If you're unsure of your level you can also take a free online test to assess which class would be most suitable or you can head along to the Open Day on Saturday 2 September from 10:00am until 1:30pm.

Oh là là - concerns over uptake of languages Highers

10 August 2023 (TES)

New Scottish national data shows a drop in uptake of languages at Higher since 2019, the last year before the Covid pandemic.

The decrease in French entries is particularly steep and, after many years as the most popular language in Scottish schools, uptake is now lower than for Spanish.

However, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (widely known as SCILT) says there is better news in National 5 figures, which suggest there may be the beginnings of a comeback from the Covid years.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Rural schools disproportionately affected by lack of language teachers

17 July 2023 (The Herald)

Rural schools are being disproportionately affected by falling numbers of language teachers.

According to the recent Scottish Teacher census, there have been huge drops in the number of English, French, German and Italian teachers since 2010.

Analysis by the Scottish Conservatives found that rural schools account for 58.9% of all losses.

The learning of at least one language is compulsory until the third year of secondary school, and there is growing evidence that they boost brain power and improve performance in other academic areas.

Nationally, English teacher numbers have declined by 141, from 2,788 in 2010 to 2,647, with rural schools losing 153.

In French, 319 teachers were lost, declining from 947 to 628, and 135 affecting local authorities in remote areas.

German teachers declined by 83, from 166 in 2010, across Scotland, 34 of which came from rural schools.

Meanwhile, Italian teachers declined from 10 in 2010 to seven in 2022. There are currently no rural schools with an Italian teacher.

GCSEs: Spanish set to become most popular MFL subject

29 June 2023 (TES)

Spanish is set to overtake French as the most popular GCSE language choice at schools in England, a new report has predicted.

The new Language Trends 2023 report, conducted by the British Council, has found that having been the most selected language at A level for the last four years, Spanish now looks set to replicate that popularity at GCSE level.

While Spanish, French and German remain the most popular languages at GCSE, German is falling increasingly behind, and there were more than 35,000 entries for other modern languages, the highest number recorded so far.

New, ‘real-world’ French GCSE receives Ofqual approval as Pearson leads accessible and inclusive approach to language learning

21 June 2023 (FE News)

A new future-focused French GCSE, designed to better equip all students for life and careers in a global setting, has received full approval from Ofqual for first teaching in 2024.

The reformed qualification from leading awarding body Pearson Edexcel, has been developed in close partnership with schools, language experts and multilinguists to reduce the continued decline in language uptake at GCSE and A level.

Paving the way for updates to Pearson’s language GCSEs in German and Spanish, the new French qualification (for first assessment in 2026), is specifically designed to be more inclusive and accessible to students, with real-world content that reflects and represents the diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities of young learners today.

Coming soon! CCEd in French @ University of Strathclyde

16 June 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you! The University of Strathclyde currently offers a three-year Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) qualification in Italian and in Spanish and plans to offer it in French from session 2023-24.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time on Tuesday evenings.

Further information and application details will be advertised soon via the SCILT bulletin/website and the University of Strathclyde website and communication channels.

For more information and to register your interest, the course contact is Joan-Emilie Lefever-Rhodes (joan.lefever@strath.ac.uk).

Posted in: HE, French, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

French Film Festival UK 2023 Learning Programme

15 June 2023 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK 2023 Learning Programme will once again be bringing French-speaking cinema into schools free of charge this autumn! The programme of four films, each accompanied by learning packs, will run between 30 October and 15 December, thanks to the generous support of TotalEnergies, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, The James T Howard Trust, SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages).

Full details will be available on the French Film Festival website from mid-August.

Online team-teaching model - A sustainable approach to support language delivery in the primary

13 June 2023 (South West EIC / Northern Alliance)

This pilot delivered French, Spanish and Gaelic live lessons using Microsoft Teams in Glow and was offered to schools across Scotland between January and May 2023.

You can now find out about the far-reaching impact of this initiative by reading the case study attached below.

Related Files

Online team-teaching - A sustainable approach to teaching languages (1.45 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Summer classes and workshops at Alliance Française Glasgow

6 June 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for adult classes and workshops for both adults and children taking place this summer.

Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol:

Summer adult classes - classes for complete beginner to advanced, commencing 19 June 2023.
Summer workshops - topic-based workshops for adults to improve their French; fun workshops for primary aged children.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, Language Learning - Primary, News from language & education organisations

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23 - Winners announced!

2 June 2023 (SCILT)

Félicitations to Mearns Castle High, winners of this year’s edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Following the pilot last year, Le Foot was rolled out nationally in 2022-23, engaging over forty schools, from Shetland to Stranraer, and attracting video entries from twenty-four teams across ten schools. Following a shortlisting process conducted by a panel at SCILT, the finalists invited to take part in the live event at the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 1 June came from Biggar High (two teams), Kinross High, Prestwick Academy, Kilmarnock Academy and Mearns Castle High.

As was the case during the pilot edition, Le Foot, an interdisciplinary project incorporating benchmarks, experiences and outcomes in Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing, generated huge enthusiasm in the schools which integrated the project into their S2 and S3 programmes. Again, participation fired the creative imagination of the learners, some of whom had previously shown limited interest in French, while their teachers built on the legacy of the pilot project by creating and sharing a wealth of new resources covering the four key skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, focussing on the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. The pupils who took part, numbering well over one thousand, were encouraged to consider the vital importance of additional languages to a broad range of careers associated with professional sports.

The six teams of pupils were joined at the final by their teachers and classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director of SCILT), Kandi Higgins (Course Leader for PGDE in Modern Languages, University of Strathclyde), Cara Lamb (Course Leader for PGDE in Physical Education, University of Strathclyde) and Mark Cunningham (graduate in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting their football-themed videos in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French, and all pupils present were put through their paces in a range of drills designed and delivered by newly qualified PE teachers from the University’s School of Education. Those in attendance then heard a video message from former Scotland footballer John Collins, who learned French during his two-year spell at AS Monaco, before some closing remarks from Fhiona Mackay (Director of SCILT). The all important winner’s announcement saw Mearns Castle claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

For more information on Le Foot et la Francophonie, including a range of football-themed resources for second and third level BGE French, see the page dedicated to the project on the SCILT website.

Languages and creative arts losing favour with GCSE and A-level students

1 June 2023 (The Guardian)

Languages and the creative arts are falling out of favour among GCSE and A-level students, who are increasingly opting for more vocational subjects such as computing and business studies.

Provisional figures for England show exam entries for German have fallen by 17% for A-level students and 6% for GCSE studies, while Spanish and French have fallen 13% at A-level, although there has been a 5% increase for Spanish GCSEs, and French entries stayed at a similar level.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2023 - Winners announced!

1 June 2023 (SCILT)

The final of this year’s Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize took place on Tuesday 30 May. This prize, run in partnership between the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT, was established in 2021 in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

The awards ceremony was held on Zoom with opening remarks and announcement of the winner by Lord Brodie, President of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland. Mme Laurence Païs, Consule Générale de France and Directrice de l’Institut Français d’Écosse.

First place and runners-up spots were closely contested, with the awards ultimately going to the following:

First place

Lola Guatelli (Robert Gordon’s College)

Runners-up

Toby Reid (Harlaw Academy)
Renata Csapai (St Margaret’s Academy)

Highly commended for reaching the final six were also:

Dishan Aloysius (Holyrood Secondary School)
Maya McGowan (Bearsden Academy)
Ailie Wright (Inverkeithing High School)

Congratulations go to these finalists and to all those who took part in this competition! The standard of French was very high indeed and judging decisions came down to the finest of margins.

The 2023 awards ceremony will shortly be published on both the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT websites.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, SCILT news

A Global Citizenship Approach to French - Free new materials for French learners!!

4 May 2023 (Scotdec / University of Stirling / SCILT)

‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and AH, developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the AHRC to build language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. You can read more about the project and materials on SCILT's website.

Join Scotdec for a series of workshops for BGE and AH French teachers alongside Dr Barclay introducing you to the materials, and providing guidance on discussing themes of colonisation, immigration and refugees within the context of a Global Citizenship approach. More information, dates and sign-up information on the flyer attached below.

In addition, SCILT and Scotdec are joining forces to present a webinar on Active Global Citizenship Through Modern Languages on Thursday 1 June, 4-5pm. As well as general strategies, this webinar will also introduce the Remembering Empire project materials. Register for the free event!

Related Files

Remembering Empire Flyer (129 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Resources, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

RZSS Programmes for Schools

2 May 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda

Although the giant pandas are returning to China at the end of this year, Beyond the Panda is still continuing.

The new Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes).

RZSS Science in the Language Class

Choose from one of the outreach sessions linked to Mandarin, Spanish or French. Resources also available in other languages.

All resources, courses and outreach are free of charge.

Visit the Beyond the Panda website for details.

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

27 April 2023 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

The college offers National 5 courses in French, German and Spanish as well as Higher and Advanced Higher French, German, Italian and Spanish.

See the attached flyer for details.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Modern Lang Online Courses (195 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Open University TeLT programme - Registration now open!

20 April 2023 (Open University)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University, and developed in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. Now in its 7^th year, this professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Students learn a language – French, German, Mandarin or Spanish - and in parallel, get to put primary language pedagogies into practice with their own pupils. The programme is offered at two levels – beginners and post-beginners.

Registration for 2023-24 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 7 September 2023. Modules begin in October.

Visit the TeLT website for full details about how the course works and how to register. For further information please contact: Scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

Modern Language Assistants

17 April 2023 (British Council)

Applications for Modern Language Assistants in 2023/24 are now open for schools, colleges and universities across the UK through the British Council website.

Bringing authentic voices into French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, German, Italian and Irish lessons allows students to see the relevance of these languages alongside their cultural context. What's more, in 2021, 92 per cent of host institutions told us their Language Assistants helped improve exam results. These cultural ambassadors enhance lessons and develop intercultural awareness. From speaking practice to fresh cultural insights, their input and encouragement enriches pupil experience, preparing them for future success.

Please note: The deadline to guarantee a Mandarin Chinese Language Assistant has now passed. We will however accept applications for Mandarin Chinese Language Assistant until 30 April 2023 but there is a chance you may be placed on a waiting list.

Our dedicated team are well-equipped to support with the administrative steps and flexible hosting options are available with different placement lengths and sharing possibilities. Throughout the challenges of the past few years, Language Assistants have proved to be a key tool, and in some cases a ‘lifeline’, for continued pupil engagement with language learning. Back in the classroom, their expertise not only motivates pupils, but provides teachers with in-house professional development and refreshed linguistic materials.

If you have any further questons, please contact us at: LanguageAssistants.UK@BritishCouncil.Org

Visit the British Council website for full details and to apply by 30 April.

Formation d’été des enseignants de français

21 March 2023 (Institut français)

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni and France Éducation international are organising a one-week training course in London where participants will be able to take part in multiple workshops intended to continue to develop their professional practices.

The aim is to support their dynamic career projects to guarantee the success of all students in French. Side events and cultural activities will also be offered to allow participants to meet and share good practices.

Training will take place at our premises in London from 24 to 28 July 2023.

Visit the Institut français website for full details, including fees. Registration deadline: 31 March.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 - Winners announced!

16 March 2023 (Institut français)

Le Concours de la Francophonie 2023 is now closed ! The theme of the competition this year was : “PLAY” - “JOUER” en français.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and to the following institutions who have each won prizes in their own categories:

First prize:

St George’s School for Girls, Edinburgh (S1-S6)
Avenue End Primary, Glasgow (P5-P7)
Glasgow Academy Milngavie, Glasgow (P1 –P4)

Second prize:

Aberdeen Grammar School, Aberdeen (S1-S6)
Kilmodan Primary School & ELCC, Glendaruel (P5-P7)
Doune Primary School, Stirling (P1-P4)

We congratulate all our winners on their French skills and creativity!

It's not too late to register for free online courses in French to celebrate the mois de la francophonie this March. Visit the Institut français website to sign up!

RZSS Programmes for Schools

16 March 2023 (RZSS)

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland runs a variety of opportunities for schools linking language learning and their conservation programmes. Follow the relevant links below to find out more about current initiatives:

'Stripy Tails' Family event at Dewars Centre, Perth on 14^th and 15^th April. StampIT has invited RZSS Stripy Tails along to their youth corner at the ASPS (Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies) Congress. Fascinating facts about the red panda from China and the ring tailed lemur from Madagascar and the programme links to French and Mandarin. Full details on Eventbrite - Stripy Tails at ASPS Congress
Stripy Tails is also one of the 'Science in the Language Class' outreach programmes for schools.
Beyond the Panda, the RZSS Mandarin programme is fully booked for this school year but taking bookings for 23-24. Beyond the Panda is continuing even though the giant pandas will return to China later this year. RZSS is still a science specialist Confucius Classroom offering virtual sessions, in-person outreach and many resources linked to Mandarin language learning. Visit the Beyond the Panda website for more information.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, French, Spanish, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

C’est Frantastique! - One month free access

8 March 2023 (Institut français)

The Institut français partner, Frantastique, is offering a month of online French lessons to celebrate the Mois de la Francophonie! Don't miss this opportunity to improve your French! Visit the Institut français website to sign-up.

Remembering Empire: Free materials to build global citizenship values and competence in French (S3 and AH)

7 March 2023 (University of Stirling)

Looking for free new materials for French learners? ‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and Advanced Higher. Developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, ‘Remembering Empire’ builds language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. By focusing on the establishment of the colony, life there, and the departure of the settlers when Algeria became independent, learners are encouraged to make connections with Scotland’s history of emigration and colonisation, and with the experiences of refugees today.

The S3 programme consists of five sessions and focuses on an electronic comic book, ‘Entre ici et là-bas’, which tells the story of Jeanne, a young French girl whose family are forced to leave Algeria when it becomes independent. Waiting to board a ship, she reflects on her family’s history, from her great-grandfather who arrived in 1871 and built a farm for his family, to her own experiences of the war that led to independence. We hear about the indigenous Arab population and think about how they experienced this history.

Activities based on the comic include:

City/country names and prepositions
Asking questions and naming objects (if you had to leave home suddenly, what would you pack in your suitcase?)
Describing emotions and using être in the present (how do the different characters feel?)
Different daily routines, in Algeria and in France
Using the near future (aller + infinitive) to imagine what the characters might do in the future.

Free resources include the comic (available on Webtoons), a video-recording of the comic being read aloud by a native speaker, lesson plans for all sessions with detailed information and interactive activities, and suggested drama activities led by actors with video guides.

For learners taking Advanced Higher French, Remembering Empire offers full support for the portfolio element, including the two required texts (a play and an interview with the playwright). Five sessions of archive footage, readings and activities in French introduce learners to the history and culture of French Algeria and the war which led to independence, and give the background required to study the play.

Six sessions focus on a French play, Les Pieds Tanqués (2012). Set on a pétanque pitch, the play presents the conflicting memories of the Algerian War. Full resources include the interactive electronic text of the play and notes, a written interview with the playwright, Philippe Chuyen, lesson plans with detailed information and classroom activities, a blank fiche de lecture and character profiles for pupils to complete (plus completed versions for teachers), and a video recording of a live performance. The package also includes a plan for a potential AH Portfolio essay question.

Interested? The materials will be available from April 2023. To express an interest and be contacted then, leave your name and contact details on this form: https://forms.gle/JNoer7PA2zkAjzvg9

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Easter study support 2023

2 March 2023 (e-Sgoil)

Registration for e-Sgoil's Easter study support sessions is now open.

Please note, even if you've been attending term-time evening classes you must register separately for the Easter programme.

Sessions are free to learners. Visit the website to view the timetable and sign up for your preferred sessions. Various classes available for French, German, Gaelic/Gàidhlig and Spanish from National 5 to Advanced Higher.

Vive la Francophonie Quiz 2023

24 February 2023 (Institut français)

Test your French and learn more about the culture of the 88 countries which form the Francophonie! The focus of this year's quiz is Tunisia. Make the most of the Francophonie celebrations and get a chance to win books and other exciting prizes!

The quiz will be available online 18-26 March.

Visit the website for more information and to register to take part.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

French Pop Video Competition 2023 - Deadline extended!

20 February 2023 (Institut français)

With the French Pop Video Competition, students get the chance to practice French in a very different and fun way. Not only do they improve their writing skills and enrich their vocabulary by creating their own lyrics, but they also practice their speaking skills while shooting the video and create lifelong memories related to their French class.

Open to all UK primary and secondary schools. Entries can be from a class, a small group or individuals.

Visit the website for full details and register to take part by 10 March.

Employ a Modern Language Assistant

16 February 2023 (British Council)

Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, German, Irish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish who can help students in the UK build their cultural capital by developing their linguistic and cross-cultural skills.

Applications to host Modern Language Assistants are now open.

Visit the British Council website to discover how the scheme works and the benefits it can bring to your school.

Online French and Spanish Courses for Secondary Teachers

16 February 2023 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe is again offering their online GTCS-accredited course for Secondary teachers.

Participants to this course will meet the GTCS requirements for residency.

The course will run from March to May 2023.

Visit the LFEE website for further information about the course and fees.

Join the Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching (DELTEA) project

14 February 2023 (Universities of Southampton & Reading)

Are you a state school primary languages teacher in England or Scotland? Does your school teach French or Spanish to Year 5/Primary 6 students (children aged 9-10 years)?

Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching (DELTEA) is looking for school partners to work with over our 3-year research project!

If you’re interested in free, research-informed teacher professional development in Digital Literacy skills for the MFL classroom, please get in touch via the form below – we’d love to hear from you! We can also offer some funding for supply cover.

https://forms.office.com/e/scBXAHZus2

You can also visit the project website for more information.

Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022-23

2 February 2023 (Queen's College Oxford)

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators competition aims to promote language learning across UK and inspire creativity in the modern languages classroom. Participation is free and entry criteria is as follows:

For students of French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish in KS3-5.
In addition to competition task, teachers receive up to 15 sets of resources for each language on translating poetry, fiction, non-fiction for use in build-up to competition.
Deadline for competition entries: 3 April 2023.
Winners selected for 10 geographical areas. National winners selected for each level in each language. All winners and commendations announced on our webpage.

Last year over 14,000 pupils across the UK took part and the feedback from teachers was enormously positive. Teachers can register to receive classroom resources and competition tasks on the Queen's College Oxford website or for more information contact translation.exchange@queens.ox.ac.uk.

2023 French Summer School in Rouen for Primary School Teachers

1 February 2023 (Institut français)

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni and l’Alliance française de Rouen are organising a one-week training course for non-specialist primary school teachers of French who would like to build up their confidence in the language. There are two places available for teachers in Scotland.

Training fees and accommodation will be covered by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni. Participants will have to organise and pay for their journey to and from Rouen, France.

Visit the Institut français website for more information and apply by 28 February 2023.

RZSS Programmes for Schools

1 February 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Stripy Tails

Free online resources are now available. Stripy Tails is one of RZSS language comparison projects, comparing the red panda from China with the ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar and links to either Mandarin or French. Resources are for upper primary level but may be useful for lower secondary. The resources all include sound files by senior pupils. See either Beyond the Panda - Stripy Tails or Science in the Language Class - French.

Bookings taken now for the accompanying FREE Stripy Tails outreach sessions across Scotland in May and June - contact srobb@rzss.org.uk

Giants

Don't forget there is also Giants a similar programme comparing the giant panda and the giant anteater for Mandarin or Spanish. RZSS Beyond the Panda and Science in the Language Class also have many other free resources and outreach programmes.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Spanish

Schools programme

26 January 2023 (Institut français)

All year round, the Institut français d’Écosse offers a variety of language workshops and Immersion days to support pupils and teachers in primary and secondary schools. Give your students the opportunity to be surrounded by the French language and supported by our team of qualified, native-speaking French teachers and friendly staff. Maximum group of 20 pupils.

More information is available on the attached flyer or you can visit the Institut français website.

Related Files

Flyer cinema and workshop 2023 IFE VF (6.74 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Portishead boy joins Mensa after teaching himself to read aged two

23 January 2023 (BBC)

A boy who taught himself to read as a toddler has been accepted as the UK's youngest member of Mensa.

Four-year-old Teddy, from Portishead in Somerset, can count to 100 in six non-native languages, including Mandarin.

Mensa accepts people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on an approved intelligence test.

Teddy's mother, Beth Hobbs, said he learned to read at just 26 months old "by watching children's television and copying the sounds of letters".

French and Spanish free trials

23 January 2023 (La Jolie Ronde)

To support Languages Week Scotland, La Jolie Ronde are offering Schools now and throughout February, FREE trials of their French and Spanish Scheme of Work for P3-P6. To take up this offer email: schools@lajolieronde.co.uk (quote SCILT).

Plus, parents can book a FREE trial session of a French and/or Spanish class run through their network of Scottish tutors - local tutors can be found on La Jolie Ronde's website.

International Exchange Turing applications

19 January 2023 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe & Powerlanguage are preparing two International Exchange Turing applications as consortium managers. This means that we will administer the projects on your behalf and find suitable partner schools, using part of the Organisational Budget.

Schools will receive and manage the travel and subsistence budget, which will cover mobilities for all participating pupils and teachers.

We have two proposals to offer Scottish schools:

Links with a UNESCO World Heritage school and specialist art school in Valencia and also with partners in Italy. This project would benefit learners looking to enhance skills in Music, Art, Digital Literacy and Languages.
Links with schools in France and Spain to support the learning of Geography - for example, coastal regions - History, Languages and Digital Literacy.

We would be delighted to support your school to engage with Turing. Last year, we made a successful application and secured 120 mobilities for learners. We hope to extend and build this capacity in Scotland through two new Turing funding proposals this year.

Please get in touch (info@lfee.net) if you would like to engage in our consortium application and we will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Posted in: French, Italian, Spanish, Cross-Curricular Working, Funding, Language Learning, Study Abroad, News from language & education organisations

Employ a Modern Language Assistant

16 January 2023 (British Council)

Visit the British Council website to discover how the scheme works and the benefits it can bring to your school.

Requests to host Modern Language Assistants will open on 15 February 2023.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

12 January 2023 (Institut français)

Since its launch in 2016 by the Institut français d’Ecosse, le Concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland enjoying French language, has been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie.

Throughout the years, many schools across Scotland have taken part in the competition and we hope to receive great entries this year again!

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French. The theme of the competition this year is : “PLAY” - “JOUER” en français. Deadline extended to 31 January 2023.

Visit the Institut français website or see the attached flyer for more information.

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 VFF (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Formation d’été des enseignants de français

12 January 2023 (Institut français)

Training will take place at our premises in London from 24/07 to 28/07.

Visit the Institut français website for full details, including fees.

MyFrenchFilmFestival 2023

10 January 2023 (MyFrenchFilmFestival)

MyFrenchFilmFestival is back on 13 January 2023 for its 13th edition!

What better way to kick off the year than by enjoying a selection of films at home for free?

From 13 January to 13 February 2023, discover 29 short and feature films online that made a splash at premier international festivals. Comedy, romance, drama, documentary, animation, and classics… there is sure to be something for everyone.

All films will be available with subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and – new this year – Arabic, Ukrainian, and Mandarin.

Visit the MyFrenchFilmFestival website for full programme details.

Mathématiques sans Frontières competition

16 December 2022 (UWS)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS), coupled with the Scottish Mathematical Council, is organising the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland (and rUK). We are hopeful that we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition for S4-S6 pupils which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages. For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

You can also find more information on the UWS Mathématiques sans Frontières website.

RZSS Beyond the Panda

7 December 2022 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda offers a range of FREE courses and outreach visits. Please see beyondthepanda.org.uk for full details.

These include:

5 week course aimed at upper primary but may also be of interest to lower secondary. Four weeks live virtual sessions, followed by an in-person outreach. Linked to Mandarin language learning.

Single outreach sessions which compare two RZSS projects and aimed at upper primary:
Giants: the giant panda from China and the giant anteater from South America - available in either Mandarin or Spanish.
Stripy Tails: (available from April 2023 but bookings open and best to book early) the red panda from China and the ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar - available in either Mandarin or French.

There may also be availability for lower primary and some opportunities for secondary. For any of the sessions, contact srobb@rzzz.org.uk

Please book in well in advance. Fully booked to April 2023 but spaces available in May and June.

French Slogan Writing Competition

6 December 2022 (Durham University)

The Centre for Foreign Language Study at Durham University has launched a competition to all UK learners of French, from Key Stage 4 to Higher Education.

The purpose of the contest is to provide an opportunity for learners of French to use the language creatively while promoting the study of French. In a digital age of short messages and tweets, we therefore want to invite participants to combine French, creativity and succinctness to design a slogan of their own on the themes of “le français: une nouvelle langue, une nouvelle culture, un nouveau monde”.

More information and full competition criteria can be found on the Durham University website. Submission deadline: 6 March 2023.

SEET Euroquiz Project for P6

22 November 2022 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) runs language learning and global citizenship projects for children and young people across Scotland. Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from February to April, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

To enter your team, please complete the Registration Form for schools and return to your local authority Euroquiz organiser. All schools in Scotland will receive this information directly from their local authority organiser. If you have not received a form, or do not know who your local organiser is, please get in touch with SEET: jane@seet.org.uk

We recently provided a CLPL session for interested teachers. Please find a full recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/un8iL3wN7-s

A downloadable flyer for schools is also attached.

More information about Euroquiz available on SEET's website or by emailing jane@seet.org.uk.

Related Files

Euroquiz flyer for schools (5.95 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Spanish and French live virtual lessons for pupils: 10-week block

17 November 2022 (Argyll & Bute/N Ayrshire Councils)

Stacey Arneil, 1+2 Development officer for North Ayrshire has teamed up with Gwen McCrossan, PT for 1+2 languages for Argyll & Bute Council to offer a 10-week pilot of live virtual lessons in French and Spanish. These lessons are suitable for learners from P4 onwards as the content bridges First and Second Level Experiences and Outcomes. The lessons would also suit as a standalone L3 topic. This offer is open to all Scottish primary schools using Glow Teams.

Each lesson will last 45 minutes. The same live lesson will run twice in the same week. You can choose to attend one, or the other. It is not necessary to stick to the same day.

The deadline for sign-up is 21 December 2022.

Follow the link below for more information and to register your class.

Wolof is reclaiming ground in Senegal as the French language wanes

17 November 2022 (The Conversation)

The French language was introduced into Senegal through colonisation. According to Papa Alioune Ndao, professor of linguistics at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar:

"French was taught in Senegal as a mother tongue, as France taught its own children. It 1964 it was decided that French should be taught as a foreign language. This continues to be the status of the French language in education today."

However, the first article of the 2001 Constitution mentions French as the only official language. The other major languages – Malinke, Wolof, Serer, Diola, Soninke and Pular – have the status of “national languages”.

French is the official language of Senegal and is spoken by about one third of the population. National languages are used in the media, in education and in the National Assembly.

However, the golden age of the French language in Senegal seems to be over. Like a coil spring that returns to its original shape after a temporary force is removed, local languages, such as Wolof, are reclaiming territory that was lost to colonisation in the fields of knowledge and work.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

French Film Festival UK Learning Programme 2022

15 November 2022 (French Film Festival)

Over 4500 school students and their teachers are already benefitting from free films and resources offered to all schools by the Festival in partnership with IF Cinema Institut français this autumn and you can too:

All films and resources are completely free of charge
Films for all ages
Available to screen in your own classroom for one month

Visit the French Film Festival website to find out more and book your films.

French Pop Video Competition 2023

15 November 2022 (Institut français)

The French Pop Video Competition is a national competition organised by Francophonie UK in association with the Institut français du Royaume-Uni and supported by TV5Monde.

The competition encourages students to engage with French in a creative way. UK primary and secondary school students can work individually or in groups to create a song in French and shoot a video.

The deadline to submit entries is 1 May 2023.

Once videos have been received regional winners will be selected based on the quality of the lyrics and music, and the originality of video. Regional winners’ music videos will then enter the national competition. Winners of the national competition will be announced during the week of 21 June (World Music Day!).

Visit the competition website for more information and to register to take part.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

11 November 2022 (Institut français)

Institut français d’Ecosse is proud to announce its 2023 edition of Concours de la Francophonie, a school competition at national level aiming at developing communicative skills in French. The theme this year is 'PLAY' ('JOUER' in French) and there will be winners for each category : P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6. Enter by 13 January 2023.

For more information see the attached flyer or contact : ife.francophonie@gmail.com

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

French Film Festival Learning Programme 2022

25 October 2022 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival 2022 Learning Programme, offering a selection of films for schools free of charge, is now live!

Check out and download the programme of films for all ages. The programme runs until Christmas.

Simply choose your titles, complete the booking form, then create your account to have free access to all the films and learning packs that go with them.

For more information contact schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk or visit the French Film Festival website.

DYW Live Sessions: Languages and your career

11 October 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Following last year's 'Languages and your career' workshop, e-Sgoil in partnership with SCILT will be hosting a series of sessions over six weeks from the end of October through to early December 2022.

Schools can sign up for as many or as few as they wish; after a first general session, the remaining five weeks will explore how a different language each week can contribute to success in a range of jobs and career paths. These will be interactive workshops featuring input from people working with the language of focus each week. These sessions aim to introduce learners (S2-S4) to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for more information and to register interest in the sessions.

AMOPA: Parlons français - A competition for students of AH French

11 October 2022 (AMOPA)

Now that school life is back to a “new normal” AMOPA is once again running the Parlons français competition.

“It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!” That’s a quote from a teacher and it’s true!

All we need is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. We will assess it and give everyone some feedback. We also award prizes and certificates.

We hope that taking part supports your pupils’ learning and exam preparation and is not a distraction. They are practising anyway – why not let them get some feedback on that?

As in previous years we will have prizes for the best entries, a certificate for every entrant and a gift for each school taking part too. In the last few years all schools were given a DVD of a French film.

More information is available in the attached pdf document. Entry deadline: 15 February 2023.

Related Files

Parlons français 2023 - A competition for students of AH French (215 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

French Teacher Award

10 October 2022 (Institut français)

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni is delighted to launch the French Teacher Award. This new national prize recognises remarkable success of French language teachers and highlights, honours and thanks their hard work and commitment to encourage the teaching of French in primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom.

So if you've been teaching French for several years and think your hard work and efforts to promote the love of the language should be recognised, or have a French-language teaching colleague whose great work should be valued, register now for the French Teacher Award! Deadline to apply: 28 October 2022.

Visit the website for full details.

Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022-23

3 October 2022 (Queen's College Oxford)

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators competition aims to promote language learning across the UK and to inspire creativity in the classroom. By providing teachers with tools to bring translation to life, and to introduce more authentic texts into the classroom, we hope to motivate more pupils to study modern foreign languages throughout their schooling and beyond.

Schools can register interest in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022-23. You will receive creative translation resources for five languages (French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish) and competition tasks. The resources will be made available in September 2022, January 2023, February 2023, and the competition window will be open from mid-February until the end of March 2023.

Visit the website for more information.

Discovery Film Festival 2022

30 September 2022 (DCA)

Discovery Film Festival, Scotland’s international film festival for young audiences, is back for its 19th year, Sat 22 October to Sun 6 November. There's another packed programme of the best new films for young audiences from around the world - and once again the festival will be available both online and at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Visit the website for full details.

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23

30 September 2022 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce the national roll-out of Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23! Following a successful pilot project with four Glasgow schools last session, we have now opened registrations for expressions of interest in Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23. This interdisciplinary project brings together French and professional football, opening learners’ eyes to the relevance of language learning in the world of international sports, focussing on the four core language skills and building awareness of cultures in French-speaking countries across the globe. To find out more and to register your interest in this competition, which is open to pupils in S2 and S3, please visit the SCILT website.

An initial information session for teachers will take place on Thursday 3 November (3.45 - 4.45pm) and schools will be asked to confirm their participation by Friday 11 November.

French Film Festival 2022

29 September 2022 (French Film Festival)

This year sees the 30th anniversary of 'La fête du cinéma'. The French Film Festival takes place during October and November with both the in-school and in-cinema programmes now ready to book. Four titles are available for in-school screenings and three available in cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The in-school films are provided completely free of charge.

See the attached programmes for full details or visit the website.

Related Files

French Film Festival 2022 In-School Learning Programme (1.07 MB)
French Film Festival 2022 In-Cinema Learning Programme (864 KB)

Posted in: French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

The Language Ambassadors Programme

23 September 2022 (University of Strathclyde/SCILT)

The Language Ambassadors family has grown!

For 2022-2023, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Stirling will be working together to offer an even greater variety for our visits.

In the coming session, we will be back offering on-site visits, as well as virtual visits.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on a range of degree programmes. These include BA Honours in French and Spanish, Professional Education and Languages, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language, Psychology and a European Language, but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your learners to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum. It is free of charge but we expect the school to cover travelling expenses for ambassadors.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language for future study and/or employability;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Visit the Language Ambassadors Programme website to find out more, and how to book a visit for your school starting October 2022.

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau and Cristina Johnston.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

22 September 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published this year's course reports for Advanced Higher French and Advanced Higher Chinese languages.

These can be found on the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage under Course Reports.

New job profile on SCILT's website

20 September 2022 (SCILT)

We have a bank of job profiles on our website from a diverse range of occupations where languages are being used. Teachers use these to promote the benefits of language learning to pupils and to encourage uptake in schools.

Our latest addition comes from architect, Estefanía Macchi, who tells us language skills have opened up opportunities she may not otherwise have had and helped widen the spectrum of sources she can consult for her studies or work.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2022 - Winners announced!

9 September 2022 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society)

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT, ran the second iteration of the Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize in 2022. This prize was established in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

Pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition, which provides a fantastic opportunity for AH French candidates to showcase their French writing skills in a national competition. The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize mirrors elements of the writing marking guidelines for AH French and offers pupils an opportunity to compete for a first-place prize of £500 and recognition on a national stage.

Candidates produced some very high quality essays. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held by Zoom on Tuesday 31 May 2022. A recording of this, along with a list of the winning entries, is now available on the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland website.

This session’s competition will be launched before Christmas and registration for schools will open in January 2023. For more information, please visit our webpage.

e-Sgoil study support 2022-23

1 September 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Online study support sessions for learners in Scotland are again being offered by e-Sgoil. Registration for the autumn term evening webinars opens 5 September.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for details and sign-up information.

Free online French Higher and Advanced Higher workshops funded by the Franco-Scottish Society starting at the end of September

1 September 2022 (Edinburgh College)

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the relevant flyer below for full details:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

New! Early Years Creative Puppetry Case Study

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

We are beyond delighted to share with you our brand new case study that focuses on language learning in the Early Years! The Early Years Creative Puppetry project, or EYCP as it has become lovingly known, focuses on the work of a professional learning partnership (PLP) that took place during the Spring and Summer terms of 2022. The PLP involved around 40 teachers and early years practitioners from 20 schools and early learning centres across Scotland, alongside Tania Czajka, bilingual author, qualified early years practitioner and Teaching Artist and two Professional Development Officers from SCILT.

The EYCP project highlights how the use of puppet-making and bilingual storybooks can be an effective approach to support language learning at Early Level within a play-based setting. Here we share what the project entailed for educators and children, as well as the impact it has had on all participating partners.

You can access the case study directly on our website.

Access this and other case studies for Professional Learning Partnerships on our dedicated webpage.

GCSE results day 2022: Results at a glance

25 August 2022 (TES)

GCSE German, Spanish and French results 2022.

[..] while provisional entries were up this year, the final number of students to sit the exam fell across all three subjects.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

French courses in Glasgow

23 August 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for the new academic year 2022-23.

There are courses for adults and children at all levels along with exam support classes for secondary schools pupils who will be sitting their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French exams.

Classes commence from 12 September 2022. Visit the website for further information.

S4-S6 Language Experience

23 August 2022 (RZSS)

An exciting opportunity for senior students studying French or Mandarin to take part in this programme and to put their language skills into practice.

Two groups will be chosen, one studying French and one studying Mandarin, to create sound files and new resources for a programme called 'Stripy Tails'. Stripy Tails compares two different animals from two different countries and looks at two different languages. The ring-tailed lemurs from Madagascar and the red panda from China, linking French and Mandarin. Further details at beyondthepanda.org.uk If interested contact srobb@rzss.org.uk by 6 September 2022.

University of Dundee Graduate Diplomas in French, German and Spanish by Distance Learning

23 August 2022 (University of Dundee)

Registration for the 2022-24 cohort of the Graduate Diplomas in French, German and Spanish by Distance Learning of the University of Dundee is now open until 23 September 2022.

These 2-year online Graduate Diplomas by Distance Learning for part-time study are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. They are ideally suited for Secondary MFL teachers seeking an additional qualification in French, German, or Spanish.

They aim to provide the challenge of an undergraduate curriculum in the relevant applied language. They carry a rating of 120 SCOTCAT points (SCQF Levels 9-10). The qualification outcome is bench-marked at C1 in the Council of Europe Reference Framework for Languages. Applicants will normally have a pass in Higher the relevant language (or equivalent, such as the French, German, Spanish Intensive/Revision courses by distance-learning).

At the University of Dundee, we have a long-established tradition of language teaching, both with students at the University and via distance learning. We use a combination of online tools to give students a range of experiences in the language. Experienced staff are responsible for the course design, delivery and student support.

I will certainly recommend the Graduate Diploma to others (Diploma student)

For more information visit the Dundee University website: French GradDip, German GradDip, Spanish GradDip or to discuss any aspects of the course or your application, please contact Claire Nicoll c.z.nicoll@dundee.ac.uk or humanities@dundee.ac.uk

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Online language NQ courses and workshops for school pupils

18 August 2022 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, the college is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the attached flyers for full details. Links are also available on the Beyond School Supporting Schools section of the SCILT website.

Related Files

Ed College Flyer Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)
Form French workshops Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)
Form French workshops Advanced Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

‘One in four’ primaries struggle with weekly language teaching

7 July 2022 (TES)

Weekly language learning does not take place in one in four primary schools, according to survey findings published today.

Primary schools have had a legal responsibility to teach languages since 2014, but there is significant variation in schools’ provision, according to the British Council survey of more than 1,500 state primary, state secondary and private schools.

The survey found that, in practice, weekly language learning does not take place in one in four primary schools because of issues such as split teacher time between year groups (whereby Year 5 might have languages for half the year and Year 6 for the other half), staffing issues and extracurricular activities.

The data revealed significant variation in the amount of time primary pupils spent on languages, with some schools spending less than half an hour on teaching per week, whereas ideally pupils would be taught for at least one hour per week by a teacher with degree-level proficiency in the language.

The survey also showed that four in five primary schools had been teaching languages for more than five years, representing a 2 per cent increase on 2021 and a 5 per cent increase on 2019, with pupils making progress in one foreign language in most of these schools.

French is the most commonly taught language at primary, and is significantly ahead of Spanish, although this trend is not mirrored at A level.

The survey also found that the government is on track to meet all its targets for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) - apart from languages.

Le Foot et la Francophonie

31 May 2022 (SCILT)

Congratulations to Lourdes Secondary School, winners of SCILT’s inaugural edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Le Foot has generated huge enthusiasm in the four Glasgow schools involved in the pilot project. During the autumn of 2021, teachers of French at Knightswood Secondary School, Lourdes Secondary School, Shawlands Academy and St. Roch’s Secondary School, supported by staff from SCILT, produced some high quality teaching materials based on football and the French-speaking world. To ensure that this project was truly interdisciplinary, all stakeholders collaborated on a guidance document outlining benchmarks, experiences and outcomes from Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing curricular areas. They were supported in this endeavour by input from Physical Education staff in their respective schools, as well as by Cara Lamb, who leads the PGDE Secondary Physical Education course at the University of Strathclyde.

In January, Le Foot was rolled out in S2 classrooms and on school playing fields. Engagement among pupils who had previously shown limited interest in languages was particularly evident, with one of the teachers involved noting that this was “French disguised as football”! The outstanding resources produced and shared by each school cover the four core skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, encompassing the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. Just as importantly, the 750 pupils who took part learned of the relevance of languages to a range of careers in professional sports – an area in which many have a keen interest.

The competitive final took place at the University of Strathclyde on 12 May. The event involved teams of pupils from each of the schools, together with classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director, SCILT), Jordan Allison (Head of Charity, Kilmarnock FC) and Mark Cunningham (final-year student in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting a football-themed video in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French. They then heard video messages from John Collins, Christophe Berra and Ismaila Soro, before the winner’s announcement saw Lourdes Secondary School claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

Watch this space for information on Le Foot et la Francophonie being rolled out nationally in 2022-23, together with further details on how your school can get involved.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news, Sport

ADRIFT: Essential World Cinema

12 May 2022 (CinemaAttic)

ADRIFT is an exciting new film season organised by CinemaAttic. A six-week celebration of contemporary and classic cinema from around the world, workshops with filmmakers and special events to delight Scottish audiences from 26 May to 30 June 2022.

The programme comprises:

Film currents (a selection of 8 contemporary features from around the world)
Cult classics (an unmissable 16mm double-bill of Chris Marker & Luis Buñuel films)
Short films (two selections of shorts)
Workshops (three interactive workshops bringing experimental animators from Spain & Latin America to Edinburgh and Glasgow)

Visit CinemaAttic's ADRIFT webpage for full details and booking information.

Just what languages are spoken in the UK? (It's more than English)

8 May 2022 (The Travel)

If one goes to the United Kingdom - what language can one expect people to speak? The easy answer is of course English - and naturally, everyone speaks English there. But there are actually many languages in the British Isles. For the purposes of this article, we will include the British Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - even though technically they are not part of the UK.

Posted in: French, Gaelic, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Languages in the press, Scots

Parents more influential over MFL success than teachers

3 May 2022 (TES)

A study of 1,300 Year 8 pupils has revealed that parents' beliefs are a bigger influence on children's views of themselves as language learners than are teacher opinions.

Parents are twice as likely as teachers to influence pupils' success in modern foreign languages (MFL), according to research by the University of Cambridge published today.

The Cambridge researchers say their findings show that measures to reverse the national decline in language learning at GCSE and A level should target families rather than just children.

Professor Linda Fisher, from the university's Faculty of Education, said: "Students' personal commitment to languages is determined by their experiences, their beliefs and their emotional response to speaking or using them. Slightly surprisingly, the people who feed into that most appear to be their parents."

"This can be a positive or negative influence, depending on the parents' own views. Its importance underlines the fact that if we want more young people to learn languages, we need to pay attention to wider social and cultural attitudes to languages beyond the classroom. Waning interest in these subjects is a public communication challenge; it's not just about what happens in schools."

French Slogan Writing Competition

3 May 2022 (Durham University)

UK learners of French, from National 5 upwards, are invited to invent a slogan in French on the themes of ‘le français et moi’ and ‘apprendre le français’. Make it catchy, concise and creative with an accompanying image.

Visit the Durham University website for more information and submit entries by 23 May 2022.

How language assistants can transform MFL teaching

27 April 2022 (TES/British Council)

Language assistants can be a critical tool for unlocking the joy of language learning in the classroom.

The benefits of learning a language at school are vast.

Of 2,000 UK adults surveyed for a study commissioned by the British Council in November 2020, 73 per cent cited how much easier it made international travel, 70 per cent said it boosted the ability to appreciate and understand different cultures, and 72 per cent said it could broaden career opportunities, too. In fact, people with a second language have a salary up to 7 per cent higher than their colleagues that don't.

And the benefits of learning a language go beyond the practical. Research also shows that learning a language can improve concentration and alertness, it can make us more empathetic, and far more creative and eloquent in our native tongue.

All of which is perhaps why nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of those adults surveyed by YouGov wished they had continued with the foreign language skills they first developed in school.

For teachers, though, the reality is that trying to inspire and motivate students to study modern languages in the classroom can sometimes feel like an uphill battle.

French courses from the Institut français

29 March 2022 (Institut français)

Spring term classes for adults will kick start on 19 April with general French classes, Translation club, Workshops, Literary classes and Lunch hour conversation.

Visit the website for full details and enrolment.

French language learning with Alliance Française

29 March 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow offers a range of opportunities to learn about French culture and the French language. Follow the relevant link below for more information on the latest offerings:

Term D French language courses for adults (commencing 19 April)
Virtual Tour – The Palace of Versailles (Wednesday 18 May, 6-7.30pm) - Online event to celebrate the European Night of Museums 2022.

Information about the organisation's other activities can be found on their website.

Online language NQ courses for school pupils with Edinburgh College

25 March 2022 (Edinburgh College)

Edinburgh College offers a range of online NQ language courses. These can be accessed across Scotland and all Scottish school pupils qualify for a full fee waiver. The courses provide a great option for pupils whose schools may not currently offer the language course on their curriculum.

The following options are available, with German and Italian new additions this year at Advanced Higher level:

Advanced Higher and Higher: French, German, Italian and Spanish
National 5: French, German and Spanish

Exam arrangements: Though enrolled with Edinburgh College, pupils still sit their exams at their own school (including the Adv Higher speaking exam).

See the attached flyer for more information and how to enrol.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Flyer - Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Employ a Modern Language Assistant in 2022-23

24 March 2022 (British Council)

Bring language and culture to life by hosting a Modern Language Assistant in 2022-23!

Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, German, Irish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish who can help students in the UK develop their linguistic and cross-cultural skills.

Requests for hosting a Modern Language Assistant in 2022-23 close on 3 May 2022. Should you wish to host a Mandarin Language Assistant, requests should be submitted by the earlier deadline of 31 March 2022.

Registration now open for OU/SCILT TeLT programme

18 March 2022 (SCILT/OU)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. This professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Registration for 2022-23 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 8 September. Modules begin in October. More details here on how to register.

Information sessions for local authority officers and prospective applicants will take place in May and June. Dates are to be confirmed.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages revision support

14 March 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published updated revision support notes for learners of Advanced Higher modern languages.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. Updated documents can be found in the 2022 revision support for learners dropdown section.

"Vive la Francophonie" quiz is back in 2022!

8 March 2022 (Francophonie UK)

To celebrate the International Francophonie Day on Sunday 20 March 2022, the Francophonie Groupe UK is again launching the quiz Vive la Francophonie!

Every year this quiz allows thousands of people in the UK to test their knowledge on the Francophone world in a fun way. In 2022, a special focus will be given to France.

Open to all learners and speakers of French in the UK, including UK primary and secondary schools, the quiz will be available from Sunday 20 March 2022 to Friday 25 March 2022.

The quiz will be available in two categories:

a school-aged appropriate version (30 questions for KS2 and KS3)
a version for the general public (65 questions for KS4, KS5 and adults)

Two winners will be selected in each category after Friday 25 March 2022.

Host a Modern Language Assistant in 2022-23

3 March 2022 (British Council)

Applications for Modern Language Assistants in 2022/23 are now open for schools, colleges and universities across the UK through the British Council website until 2 May 2022.

Building cultural capital with MFL

Join us on 16 March for our free webinar exploring how to maximise the potential of MFL to build cultural capital, develop learner confidence and improve exam results. Keep up to date with the conversation on Twitter with #CulturalCapitalMFL. Register here for the webinar.

How Language Assistants can make a difference

Contact us

Please contact us at LanguageAssistants.UK@BritishCouncil.Org if you have any further questions.

La Francophonie 2022

1 March 2022 (Alliance Française)

The 27th edition of International Francophonie Week/La semaine de la Francophonie takes place 12-20 March!

Looking for ideas to celebrate the richness and diversity of the French language? The Alliance Française along with the Institut français have a selection of special events on-site and online to honour the French Language and Francophone cultures.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more details.

Investment in Languages Education Could Return Double for UK Economy

22 February 2022 (RAND Corporation)

A new study from the University of Cambridge and the not-for-profit research institute RAND Europe, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, shows that investing in languages education in the UK will return more than the investment cost, even under conservative assumptions.

By quantifying the wider economic benefits to the UK economy of extending languages education in schools, researchers found that the benefit-to-cost ratios for increasing Arabic, Mandarin, French or Spanish education are estimated to be at least 2:1, meaning that spending £1 could return about £2.

Researchers used a macroeconomic model to examine UK economic performance between now and 2050 if more pupils aged between 11 and 16 — Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) — learned to speak one of four different languages so they could later use it effectively in business. The modelling was based on the Government's successful Mandarin Excellence Programme, in which extra hours are devoted to language learning without affecting other EBacc subjects and lessons are fast-paced and engaging.

Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2021-22

22 February 2022 (University of Oxford)

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022 is now open! Teachers from all over the UK can submit their students' translations of poetry, fiction and non-fiction in French, German, Italian [new!], Mandarin and Spanish, covering all year groups at secondary school from age 11 to 18. Submission deadline is 8 April 2022.

Visit the competition website for more information and to register interest.

Host a Modern Language Assistant in 2022-23

8 February 2022 (British Council)

The British Council Language Assistants team is delighted to announce that applications are open for host institutions to request a Modern Language Assistant for the 2022-23 academic year. The programme has a proud history of supporting the teaching and learning of languages in Scotland and has had a positive impact on the young people who have worked with language assistants in the classroom. Language assistants can support host institutions’ language departments in many ways:

Targeted speaking practice
Intercultural project work
Resource material development
Refreshing teachers’ contemporary vocabulary and language use
Bringing language alive for our young people

If you want to see our assistants in action, please follow the link to our website where there are videos of assistants in various locations around Scotland.

You will also find detailed guidance on how the programme works and how to request an assistant.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Languageassistants.UK@britishcouncil.org

Mary Queen of Scots letter in French to be sold

28 January 2022 (BBC)

A letter written in French from Mary Queen of Scots almost 600 years ago is up for sale.

The queen sent it from Carlisle Castle two months after her escape from Lochleven Castle in Perthshire in 1568, where she had been imprisoned for nearly a year.

The document, which could fetch up to £18,000, is an appeal from her to the French ambassador in England.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland - French Essay Prize 2022 - Register your interest now!

28 January 2022 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland)

Following on from the inaugural French essay competition in 2021, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland wish again to award an essay prize in 2022 to commemorate the long life and work of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon and her service to the Franco-Scottish Community.

This competition is aimed at Advanced Higher learners of French. This year, we would like you to reflect on the changes that you would like to see happen within your lifetime. All essay submissions must present a reflection on society in France and Scotland.

The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £500, and their essay will also be published in the annual Bulletin of the Franco-Scottish Society. Two runner-up prizes of £100 will be awarded by SCILT.

A maximum of three entries can be submitted from each school. Register your interest for your school to get involved by 5pm on 25 February.

Visit the Eventbrite webpage for further information and how to register.

Calling all P6 teachers!

27 January 2022 (SEET)

Have you signed up to take part in SEET's Euroquiz this year? There may still be time to register your team. Please visit our website or email jane@seet.org.uk for more information.

About Euroquiz

Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, sport, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from February to April, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

Plan for pupils to learn 1,700 words for language GCSEs gets go-ahead

14 January 2022 (The Guardian)

The government is to push ahead with changes to languages teaching in schools that will result in pupils in England memorising lists of 1,700 words to pass GCSEs in Spanish, French or German.

The decision by the Department for Education (DfE) comes despite opposition from language associations, teaching unions and headteachers at state and independent schools, as well as concerns it could cause an exodus of languages teachers from the profession.

Simon Hyde, the general secretary of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference of independent schools, said his members feared the narrow focus on grammar and vocabulary would put pupils off studying modern foreign languages (MFL).

“This model will not give students the confidence in their language, both at examination level and as a life skill, to take forward into further studies, careers and personal endeavours,” Hyde said.

MyFrenchFilmFestival 2022

14 January 2022 (MyFrenchFilmFestival)

This year's MyFrenchFilmFestival has now launched!

Running from 14 January until 14 February 2022, movie enthusiasts around the world will be able to access films selected in the 12th edition of the world's first online French-language film festival.

With 30 films on offer: features and shorts, all subtitled in 10 languages, there's something for everyone.

There is a charge for feature films, however all short films are free to view. Choose the winner of the Audience Prize by voting for your favourite.

Visit the MyFrenchFilmFestival website for more details and register to access the film selection.

LFEE Europe online course for secondary teachers

13 January 2022 (LFEE)

In consultation with GTCS, LFEE Europe will be offering the 3-week Immersion Course Programme for Secondary Teachers of French and Spanish as an online course. This online course meets GTC Scotland’s policy requirements for language residency.

Visit the LFEE Europe website for full details of the programme and register by 11 February 2022.

Alliance Française French classes for the new term

13 January 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow offers a range of French classes for adults, young people and children. Enrolment is now open for the new term commencing 7 February 2022. For more information about upcoming sessions click on the relevant link below:

The organisation also provides a variety of cultural events. Visit their website for more details.

Pick the habit: the best podcasts to get you into a new hobby

11 January 2022 (The Guardian)

Want to learn a language, start gardening, read more, or get into meditation for the new year? There’s a podcast for that …

Coffee Break Languages

Radio Lingua was among the first to recognise the potential of podcasts for language learning, launching Coffee Break Spanish in 2006. Now the network has a huge range of free materials for learners at every level – and not just Spanish but also French, German, Italian, Chinese, Swedish and English.

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Languages in the press

The Language Ambassadors

14 December 2021 (University of Strathclyde/SCILT)

The Language Ambassadors are back……and they have gone VIRTUAL!

Get your learners involved to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Virtual Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your learners to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities online, such as:

A virtual presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Visit our website to find out more, and how to book a virtual visit for your school!

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau.

Language GCSEs: Under 100 'to take French, German in Wales by 2030'

9 December 2021 (BBC)

Schools in Wales could have fewer than 100 French and German GCSE entries by 2030, a report has found.

The Language Trends Wales report, which reviews foreign language teaching, called for a national strategy on languages amid a drop in GCSE entries.

The report found GCSE entries for French and German had almost halved between 2015 and 2021.

The Welsh government said the new curriculum would help expand international language teaching.

Entries for GCSE French and German declined by 11% and 12% in the past year alone, and while GCSE Spanish saw a noticeable increase over the period, numbers have "see-sawed" recently, the report said.

French Pop Video Competition 2022

9 December 2021 (Institut français)

Give the mic to your students and shoot a music video with them! If you believe your class has got talent, this competition is for you!

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni, in association with Francophonie UK, is inviting all teachers of French to submit a short video or animated clip of their class's own French rap or song.

Get the chance to be streamed on our dedicated UK YouTube channel and to compete for the national Francophonie UK School Music Awards as part of the Fête de la Musique in June 2022!

Visit the website for more information and to register for the competition. Submission deadline: 15 April 2022.

Teach abroad as an English Language Assistant

9 December 2021 (British Council)

Apply to be an English Language Assistant in 2022-23! Placements are open to candidates with language skills in French, German, Italian and Spanish – as well as selected destinations open to those from other disciplines.

Visit the British Council website to find out more and check eligibility. Apply by 1 February 2022.

Mathématiques sans Frontières

3 December 2021 (UWS)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is once again organising the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland (and also branching out to England and Northern Ireland!).

We are hopeful that, after an interrupted competition in 2021, we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages.

For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

Please find attached a training (“Discovery”) test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières” and one entry form for the competition proper.

S4 classes should attempt questions 1-10 and S5 classes questions 1-13. A whole class should attempt the test with questions divided up between groups to ensure that the questions can be completed in the allotted time of 90 minutes. Question 1 will require an explanation in a foreign language. We hope that this encourages cross-curricular working and teamwork. Answers are also attached, in French, which provides another opportunity for teamwork in the translation.

The competition proper will be held on Thursday 10 March 2022. Social-distancing restrictions permitting, the prize-giving will be held in June at UWS when the achievements of the top ten schools at each level are recognised. All schools competing will receive a certificate.

Schools who would like to register for the competition are kindly requested to complete the proforma attached and return by 28 January 2021.

We will send out the actual test as a PDF file by e-mail on the Friday prior to the test. This has proved to be very popular and we intend continuing to issue the test in this format. We would therefore kindly ask you to ensure that the e-mail address provided is legible or, preferably, typed. It would also be beneficial to provide an alternative e-mail address, possibly a personal address, which may help prevent firewall issues.

We hope you will give serious consideration to entering the competition and look forward to hearing from you.

Oral revision courses 2022

30 November 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is running online Revision Courses in February for pupils who are due to sit their Higher and Advanced Higher oral examinations in 2022.

Visit their website for more information and to book.

Write Away! - Call for submissions

26 November 2021 (Light Bulb Languages)

Write Away! is an exciting project from Light Bulb Languages. It's a magazine celebrating the writing that primary children do in their language lessons.

Submissions for issue 8 are now being accepted. Visit the website for submission guidelines and submit work by Friday 10 December 2021.

Previous issues of Write Away! can also be viewed on the website along with lots of language resources for the primary classroom.

Little Night of Ideas 2022 - Call for participation

25 November 2021 (Institut français)

The Institut français du Royaume-Uni invites primary and secondary schools in the UK to reflect on the topics of the Night of Ideas 2022 and submit short audio clips (1 min 30 max) based on a set of questions and answers around one of the four sub-themes.

Selected clips will feature during the Little Night of Ideas event to be staged simultaneously in Paris, London, Edinburgh and multiple cities across the world, taking place on Thursday 27 January 2022.

Visit the website for more information and to register participation by 29 November 2021.

Learning Languages by Distance Learning at the University of Dundee

23 November 2021 (University of Dundee)

At the University of Dundee, we have a long-established tradition of language teaching, both with students at the University and via distance learning. We offer the opportunity of learning languages at various levels via Distance learning. We use a combination of online tools to give students a range of experiences in the language. Experienced staff are responsible for the course design, delivery and student support.

Short Courses:

If you are interested in starting to learn a new language, you could enrol in our 25-Week Intensive distance learning courses (Languages modules offered in Chinese, French, Gaelic, German and Spanish). These courses start in the week commencing 10 January 2022. Registration is now open.
If you already have some knowledge of Chinese, French, Gaelic, German or Spanish, such as a rusty Higher, GCSE, or O-level, then you may consider enrolling in the 10-week revision languages courses. These courses start in the week commencing 25 April 2022. 10-Week Revision Courses. Registration is now open.

2-Year online French, German and Spanish Graduate Diplomas

These 2-Year Graduate Diplomas by Distance Learning for part-time study are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. They are ideally suited for Secondary MFL teachers seeking an additional qualification in French, German or Spanish, and also attract a wide range of professionals from across Britain, Europe and beyond.

The Graduate Diplomas aim to provide the challenges of an undergraduate curriculum in the relevant language. At the end of their studies, students achieve an advanced understanding and knowledge of the language being studied.

Through an interdisciplinary process (Teaching Spanish in addition to French for example) and by interacting and exchanging ideas with other students from other parts of the UK, Europe and Overseas, students will be able to develop a critical understanding of their practice and education as a whole.

The Graduate Diplomas carry a rating of 120 SCOTCAT points (SCQF Levels 9-10). The qualification outcome is bench-marked at C1 in the Council of Europe Reference Framework for Languages. Applicants will normally have a pass at Higher level (or equivalent) in the language. This level can be achieved through completion of one of the University of Dundee‘s Distance Learning Intensive or Revision courses Languages | University of Dundee.

The diplomas place emphasis on reflection, inquiry, critical analysis, personal consideration of research findings and actively promotes the values, principles and practices of equality, social justice, integrity, trust and respect, and professional commitment in all areas of work.

Registration of the 2022-2024 Graduate Diplomas (2-Year part-time French , German and Spanish graduate-level diploma courses) is now open. The diplomas start in the week commencing 26 September 2022.

For more information visit the University of Dundee website, or to discuss any aspects of the courses or your application , please contact humanities@dundee.ac.uk.

Film screening: Petite Maman

18 November 2021 (Birds Eye View/GFT)

Supported by Birds’ Eye View’s Reclaim The Frame programme, Glasgow Film Theatre will be screening Petite Maman from 19 November to 2 December.

The much-anticipated latest treasure from Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Girlhood), Petite Maman is a sublime modern fairytale about the quiet wonder of mother-daughter relationships. After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a mysterious friend in the woods. Together they embark on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps Nelly come to terms with this newfound loss. A favourite of the 2021 Berlin Film Festival, Sciamma’s new masterwork examines childhood, memory and loss with a typically delicate touch, elegantly weaved together into an enchanting and moving depiction of love and acceptance.

The film is in French with English subtitles and is suitable for all.

Visit the GFT website for more information and to book.

International Day of Teachers of French - 2021 Competition

18 November 2021 (Institut français)

The Institut français, the agency in charge of promoting French culture and language abroad, is proud to launch the International Day of Teachers of French Competition to thank teachers of French throughout the UK for their dedicated efforts teaching and promoting the French language and culture, as well as Francophone values.

Enter the competition before the Journée Internationale des Professeurs de français on Friday 26 November 2021 for a chance to win resources and a place on a professional learning workshop.

French dictionary accused of ‘wokeism’ over gender-inclusive pronoun

17 November 2021 (The Guardian)

A French reference dictionary has defended its official recognition of a gender-inclusive pronoun, after traditionalists pounced on what they called the latest incursion of US-inspired “wokeism”.

While the everyday use of “iel” – a neologism combining the French words for he and she (“il” and “elle”) – remains largely anecdotal for now, critics deem it a linguistic affront that needs to be banned.

The education minister denounced the move by the Petit Robert dictionary, supporting a lawmaker’s demand that French-language guardians at the Académie Française weigh in.

“Inclusive writing is not the future of the French language,” Jean-Michel Blanquer tweeted. “Our students, who are consolidating their basic knowledge, cannot have that as a reference,” he added.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

SQA vacancies - Visiting Assessors (VAs) of Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking

9 November 2021 (SQA)

SQA is currently recruiting additional Visiting Assessors (VAs) of Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking. VAs who have previously carried out this role do not need to reapply.

We would welcome applications for the following languages:

French
Gaelic (Learners)
German
Mandarin (Simplified)
Spanish

VAs will receive training/support and will complete a training exercise prior to attending a briefing event on Saturday 29 January 2022 in Glasgow.

Centre visits (dependent on Scottish Government health guidance) will be completed throughout mid-February to late March 2022. Up to 5 release days may be required to fulfil this role (number of release days is flexible).

Release fees and/or own time fees would be paid, as well as travel expenses.

Further detail, including selection criteria, is available via the link below, where you can submit your application. Deadline: 12 December.

If you need any further information, please contact elaine.clusker@sqa.org.uk.

Opportunities from LFEE

9 November 2021 (LFEE )

Festival of Languages… connecting with schools from Scotland, France, Spain and Germany…

Our first Connected Learning Festival celebrates the learning and teaching of English, French and Spanish for upper primary and secondary school pupils.

Through short videos and 3D animations, our characters and their avatars take teachers and their learners from the comfort of their classroom to our virtual land where everything is possible!

Please click on the link below for free access to the Characters presentations in English, French and Spanish.

https://connectlearn.eu/learn-more/meet-characters/

Share what learners produce with other schools from other countries on Padlet. Practitioners are given ideas on how to record what is produced by their learners and to create an exhibition which can be shared on Padlet and/or within their own school.

The Turing Programme... Send your learners to France, Spain and Germany….

LFEE Europe will build a consortium to support pupil mobilities in 2022 – 2023.

Should you be interested in sending your learners to one of the above 3 countries, get in touch with us. We will put in a bid which, if successful, will allow schools to get funding to send pupils abroad. The grant will cover all costs for pupils and accompanying teachers: travel expenses and subsistence.

We have partnered with many primary and secondary schools in France, Spain and Germany where the trip will take place. Alternatively, you can find a partner of your choice.

Should you be interested, please email us on: info@lfee.net

It would be good to write a little description of a specific theme/project you might be interested in exploring whilst abroad: sustainability, history, geography etc.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Funding, Immersion, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Competition Time - Win a French Storybook

8 November 2021 (Little Linguist)

Joyeux Noël, Petite taupe ! is a simple story in French about a mole who is feeling lonely on Christmas Eve. One by one her friends arrive, each bringing something to help her celebrate Christmas. French story-book expert, Nathalie Paris from Nattalingo has selected this book to feature in our competition this month as she thinks it's an excellent choice for Christmas.

Visit the Little Linguist website to enter by 15 November 2021 for your chance to win the book.

Poésíæ 2022

4 November 2021 (Poesiae)

Poésíæ and Poésíært, the global poems recitation and art competitions, start on 4 January 2022.

The competitions are free to enter and open to all pupils aged 7-15. Teachers can select from the suggested poems offered in French, German, Italian, Spanish, English or Welsh. Pupils can enter the recital strand of the competition or, for those less confident in doing so, the art competition offers pupils a different medium to express their understanding of the poem.

Visit the Poésíæ website for more information.

Film series about Climate Change and Sustainability

2 November 2021 (Goethe-Institut)

In a cooperation between the Goethe-Institut Dublin and Glasgow, the Alliance Française Dublin, the Alliance Française Glasgow, the Institut Français Ecosse and the Climate Crisis Film Festival, a series of seven films is available on Goethe on Demand accompanying the COP26.

This online film series exemplarily addresses different aspects in the context of climate change and environmental policy. All films are free to access from 1 November and are in the original language with English subtitles.

Resources and activities for COP26

29 October 2021 (Highland Council)

The Northern Alliance has put together the following resources which they are happy to share with schools nationally to link in with COP26.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Citizenship, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

NEW French Dossier! Climate change and the COP26 Conference

29 October 2021 (PowerLanguage)

The PowerLanguage team has created a new French Dossier to help you tackle some topical and essential climate issues with your class, ahead of COP26 in Glasgow. Why not encourage your learners to prepare a podcast or video to present themselves and mention some of the things they care about and want to protect? Adults are welcome to send their testimonies too! You and your learners can use any language you are learning.

Visit the PowerLanguage website for more information. *Please note the French Dossier is only available to PowerLanguage members.*

A Conversation with Lilian Thuram

29 October 2021 (SCILT)

On Thursday, 10 June 2021, SCILT hosted an online conversation with the French anti-racism campaigner and World Cup winning footballer, Lilian Thuram, to mark the launch of My Black Stars, a translation of Thuram’s bestselling 2010 volume, Mes Etoiles Noires. Over the past decade, the Lilian Thuram Foundation for Education against Racism has been at the forefront of the fight for racial equality in France, and this was a great opportunity to bring its work to the attention of an English-language audience.

The conversation, led by Cédric Moreau and David Murphy, from Modern Languages at the University of Strathclyde, took place in French, and a video of the event is now available on YouTube (with the option of French or English sub-titles).

This should be a great resource for French teachers looking to introduce students to issues around racism and inclusion. In addition, the publisher of My Black Stars has a great resource on its blog: a recording of Lilian Thuram reading the introduction to the book in French, plus readings in English by students from the Universities of Strathclyde and Stirling of some sample chapters.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Resources, SCILT news

SCHOLAR Modern Languages homework sessions

25 October 2021 (SCHOLAR)

SCHOLAR is hoping to supplement the work of e-Sgoil by covering some areas which they do not. We are offering online homework sessions for Higher German and National 5 French, German and Spanish. The sessions should help prepare learners for dealing with Reading, Directed Writing and Listening. The sessions will be on Mondays at 6pm.

Led by Douglas Angus, our online tutor, the first session will be:

Monday 1 November 2021 - Higher Reading and Translation. The sessions are interactive, and for Higher a dictionary would be useful to have handy!
Monday 8 November 2021 - Reading at National 5 for French, German and Spanish.

Access is through the SCHOLAR website, but no registration is needed to join in!

Discovery Film Festival - 'Migrants' short animation

25 October 2021 (Highland Council/DCA)

Migrants (a French production) is an 8 minute animation about 2 polar bears who are forced to leave their home due to climate change and they meet brown bears. The film is particularly relevant for COP26 and 1+2 Languages, exploring the issues of global warming. Migrants could be used for primary and secondary. There are excellent free resources to download too with lots of cross curricular activities for primary, and second and third level resources for French.

Originally the film was part of the Shorts for Middles ones Bundle that could be purchased to stream online by schools. However, Migrants has now been made available to stream for £1 during the film festival, up until 7 November. Anyone who wants to watch the film has to create an account and has 48hrs to watch the film once they select Play Now. They can watch the film as many times as they want in the 48hr period.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Teach children Polish and Arabic to reflect ‘modern Britain’, schools minister says

18 October 2021 (iNews)

The teaching of foreign languages in schools should be more reflective of “modern Britain”, with greater numbers of pupils learning languages such as Arabic and Polish, the schools minister has said.

Robin Walker said he wanted to expand the “breadth” of languages being offered in England’s schools.

Mr Walker, who was appointed schools minister in last month’s reshuffle, made the comments after a visit to Cardinal Hume Catholic School in Gateshead – one of the “hubs” which the Government is using to roll out new methods for teaching languages.

He told i England had an opportunity to “drive up the capability of people to engage with language teaching”, and that there was scope for teaching more languages beyond the traditional big three of French, Spanish and German.

“One of the things we should be looking at is that actually the UK has a lot of people who speak multiple languages,” Mr Walker said.

“It was interesting looking at the figures from the language school we visited… not only were they entering lots of students in French and Spanish, but they were also entering smaller numbers in Polish, in Arabic, in GCSEs in home second languages.

“One of the things I’m interested in exploring is how we can make modern foreign languages reflect modern Britain a little bit more, and reflect the breadth of languages that we have in our communities, but also our aspirations around the world.”

'Urgent' action needed to reverse decline in pupils studying languages

7 October 2021 (BBC)

More than 70 Irish teachers and speakers have warned of a "critical decline" in pupils studying Irish and other languages in schools.

They are calling for the Department of Education (DE) to recommend that all pupils should study a language at GCSE.

It is currently not compulsory.

Signatories to the open letter from the Irish language body, Gael Linn, said "urgent and decisive action" was needed to reverse a decline in pupils studying languages.

A survey carried out by the BBC in 2019 found that more than a third of schools in Northern Ireland had stopped offering French, German or Spanish at GCSE in the previous five years.

Separate exam figures also showed the number of pupils taking modern languages at GCSE had fallen by more than 40% in the past 15 years.

A more recent study from the British Council said that teaching children modern languages at primary school "all but collapsed" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A scheme to teach primary pupils additional languages was scrapped by DE due to financial cuts in 2015.

Creative Puppetry with French in the Early Years

7 October 2021 (SCILT)

Calling all P1 teachers and Early Years Practitioners! Would you like to be involved in developing language learning in your school through storytelling and creative puppetry? This new project could be something for you!

SCILT, in collaboration with Tania Czajka, is looking to recruit P1 teachers and EYPs to take part in an exciting project which explores French in the Early Years with puppet making. Tania, an experienced Early Years Practitioner, author of bilingual book 'Lapin is Hungry', teaching artist and creator of Le Petit Monde theatre has devised this creative approach to support teachers and EYPs in teaching languages at Early Level. This approach is based on the bilingual book ‘Lapin is Hungry’ with the creative puppetry element integrated throughout. Pupils will have the opportunity to create their own puppets based on the characters in the book and develop their French language skills through play. Please note that all art and craft resources will be provided free of charge to all participating schools.

If you would like to register your interest, please follow the link below.

Posted in: Early Years, French, Bilingualism, SCILT news

French Film Festival Learning Programme 2021

5 October 2021 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK’s Learning Programme will be bringing French-speaking cinema into schools again FREE of charge this autumn, between 25 October and 10 December. To accompany the selection of films for different age groups, practitioners will be able to download learning resources to use with their classes.

Students are also invited to submit a review of a film screened in this year's learning programme. The best reviews will be awarded a prize from the Franco-Scottish Society.

See the attached brochures for more information about the programme for schools and how to book.

Related Files

French Film Festival 2021 Learning Programme for Schools (1018 KB)
French Film Festival 2021 Cinemas Learning Programme Brochure (985 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Pas de souci! The French war on saying ‘no worries’

5 October 2021 (The Conversation)

The quirks of the French language are an eternal puzzle for many foreign learners. But what students often don’t know is that they are also the matter of heated debates and controversies within France itself.

The evolution of the language and the variety of linguistic practices throughout society in France are commented upon with passion in the press, and governed by the famous Académie Française – the semi-official authority on the French language whose members, known as “immortals”, issue decrees on how it should be used.

Among the phenomena to which purists take much exception, probably none is more contentious than the now highly frequent use of “pas de souci!”, an expression mirroring the English “no problem!” or “no worries!”

The noun souci normally means worry, care or concern, but “pas de souci!” can be used in all sorts of contexts, including as an equivalent of English “all right” or even “you’re welcome”, to signify that the speaker has taken note of the other’s statement or expressed intention.

For instance, if I am sitting in a café and order a coffee, the waiter may answer “pas de souci!” to acknowledge my order. There is of course no concern or no worry at stake here.

Some, including the Académie Française, say this expression is a mistake; the immortals have ruled that it is a phrase heard “too often”, when the speaker could instead simply say “oui”.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Faktendetektive / Fact scouts - competition

30 September 2021 (Goethe-Institut)

What is fake news? Are our favorite YouTubers always telling the truth? Can we always tell if a post on Instagram or Tik Tok is true or false? Why do fake news exist? How can we identify them?

To answer these questions, we are looking for “fake news hunters” in Germany, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Are you a German, English, French or Spanish teacher? Then you are welcome to participate with your students, aged 15-19.

Submit your short video or text entry by 15 October 2021.

Visit the competition website for more information.

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators

24 September 2021 (Queen's College Oxford)

Registration is now open for the second year of the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, open to all teachers of French, German, Italian [new this year!], Mandarin and Spanish.

The prize launches this month with ready-made teaching resources designed to be used around European Day of Languages (26 September) and International Translation Day (30 September). The prize is for students of French, German, Italian, Mandarin, or Spanish aged 11-18.

Bringing more international culture into the classroom is a central aim of the prize, and so all texts will be rich in cultural content, and creativity in the translation will be rewarded.

All interested teachers will receive a teaching pack for the first lessons, to be run any time from late September onwards. Following the first lesson, which focuses on translating poetry, teachers will be asked to confirm their registration for two further teaching packs (on translating fiction and non-fiction) and for the competition phase. The competition phase will be open from 21 February to 1 April 2022.

For more information and to register, please see the prize webpage.

Euroscola

21 September 2021 (European Parliament)

Euroscola is an educational project that brings together secondary school pupils from all other the EU (including the UK, as a former member) to part in a simulation of the work of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Although forced to cancel all onsite sessions which were due to take place since March 2020, the European Parliament is now holding online sessions, called "Euroscola Online", in order to enable students and teachers alike to take part in the Euroscola programme remotely, while keeping its educational and interactive nature focused on EU issues.

Each Euroscola Online session, led by two facilitators present in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, lasts two hours.

It alternates between presentations, short videos, a question-and-answer session with a MEP, a discussion with an expert from the European Parliament, opinion polls and interactive discussion sessions.

Sessions are scheduled to take place during November and December 2021. Schools interested in participating in one of the online sessions should contact the UK representative, whose contact details can be found on the Euroscola website.

Alternatively, schools can follow the sessions online via the livestream which will be available on the European Parliament website and social media platforms.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages coursework

21 September 2021 (SQA)

The SQA has published Advanced Higher Modern Languages Portfolio Answer Booklets. These can be found under the Coursework section of the SQA's AH Modern Languages webpage.

Evening language courses at Dundee

17 September 2021 (University of Dundee)

Registration for the following year-long courses at the University of Dundee is now open until 27 September 2021:

French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and British Sign Language (BSL).

For more information, please visit: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/languages/courses/forall/

To register please go to: https://www.buyat.dundee.ac.uk/short-courses/languages-for-all

If you have any queries, please contact: Veronique Malcolm : v.malcolm@dundee.ac.uk

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, News from language & education organisations, Japanese, BSL

Filmhouse cinema programme for secondary pupils

16 September 2021 (Glasgow Filmhouse)

Glasgow Filmhouse is delighted to be re-opening its doors to schools with an engaging programme of films for all ages and stages. As well as welcoming regular partners such as the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival, French Film Festival UK and Into Film, the Filmhouse will be showcasing films picked by the education team to mark Black History Month, COP 26 and to celebrate Christmas!

Visit the website for more information about the programme for schools and to book screenings.

e-Sgoil study support webinars 2021

14 September 2021 (e-Sgoil)

During Autumn 2021 e-Sgoil is offering a programme of real time interactive Study Support Webinars.

A variety of subjects are on offer at different levels from National 4 to Advanced Higher.

The webinars include sessions for students of French, Spanish and Gaelic. Classes have just started so there's still time for pupils to register.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for more information.

World Wide Napier magazine - Call for submissions

2 September 2021 (Napier University)

World Wide Napier, the magazine in foreign languages designed by language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for issue eight of the publication. The next issue's overarching theme is 'Revolution'. Pick a subject associated with revolution and turn it into an engaging article.

Students at secondary school, college or university are invited to submit contributions by email by 10 November 2021.

Visit the World Wide Napier website for more information and submission guidelines.

French courses for children and teens

2 September 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow offers French courses for children aged between 3 and 17 years old as well as Exam Support classes for secondary schools pupils sitting their National 5 or Higher French exams at the end of the academic year and who need extra support with their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Follow the relevant link below to find out more about these course options:

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Alliance Française French classes 2021-22

24 August 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for the next academic year. There are a range of courses on offer for adults and children, including exam support sessions for young people. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

New term classes for adults (commencing 13 September 2021)
New term classes for children (commencing 20 September 2021)
Exam support classes

The organisation also holds conversation classes, talks, cultural events and the opportunity to obtain formal proof of your level in French by sitting the DELF/DALF official diplomas awarded by the French Ministry for Education certifying competency in French for foreign candidates. More information can be found on the Alliance Française website.

French Workshops for Higher and Advanced Higher

24 August 2021 (Edinburgh College)

With funding from the Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is pleased to offer free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils, which will be delivered from September 2021. Their aim is to provide additional support to pupils who get limited time for speaking practice so that they feel more confident for their speaking exam. Open to any Higher or Advanced Higher French pupil who would benefit from additional input, wherever they are in Scotland.

Follow the appropriate link below for further information and an application form:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

New job profile on SCILT's website

20 August 2021 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website demonstrate a range of careers where languages are being used. The latest addition comes from Niall Rachman who tells us how languages help in his work daily and have boosted his confidence and communication skills. Delivering training in a customer-focused role, these skills are incredibly useful.

Teachers, use Niall's profile along with others on our website to highlight the benefits of language learning to your pupils.

Posted in: French, Italian, Spanish, Business, Careers, Language Learning for Work

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2021 - Winners announced!

16 August 2021 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society)

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT (Scotland's National Centre for Languages), established an essay prize in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community and to mark her one hundredth birthday.

Pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition and produced a high quality of essays. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held by Zoom on Tuesday 15 June 2021. A recording of this, along with a list of the winning entries, is now available on the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland website.

Language learning gives me ‘richer experiences with a broader mindset’

4 August 2021 (British Council)

How do international experiences and language learning shape our perception of the world? We asked Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, British Ambassador to China and Generation UK: China Network Champion.

Edinburgh Art Festival: Anti-Brexit project sees Auld Lang Syne sung in Gaelic and EU languages

26 July 2021 (The Telegraph)

Concerns have been raised about the politicisation of Edinburgh's arts festivals after an anti-Brexit exhibit was set up with financial backing from the SNP Government.

Auld Lang Syne is to be sung in Gaelic and languages from all 27 EU member states as part of an installation at this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival, which opens on Thursday, in what organisers say is an attempt to “underscore the political concerns” about the UK’s departure.

A choir of recorded voices from across the continent will sing the traditional New Year’s anthem, written by Robert Burns, in an exhibition called ‘Sound of the Union’.

Posted in: French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish

Online language NQ courses with Edinburgh College

18 June 2021 (Edinburgh College)

Higher and Advanced Higher French workshops

Follow the appropriate link below for further information and an application form:

Free online language NQ courses for school pupils with Edinburgh College

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College. The following options are available:

National 5 and Higher: French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Advanced Higher: French and Spanish.
Exam arrangements: Though enrolled with Edinburgh College, pupils still sit their exams at their own school (including the Adv Higher speaking exam).

These online courses can be accessed across Scotland and all Scottish school pupils qualify for a full fee waiver.

See the online modern languages course flyer for more information.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Lilian Thuram: Amid England-Scotland debate, France legend and anti-racism campaigner has say on taking knee - and much more

13 June 2021 (The Scotsman)

It can feel as if there are two Lilian Thurams.

One is the iconic French footballer. A defender who, across a stellar career that took him from Monaco to Parma, Juventus and finally Barcelona, became his country’s most capped player, and the cornerstone of the World Cup triumph in 1998 and the European Championships two years later.

The other Thuram is the devoted and passionate rights campaigner that the 49-year-old has become since his playing days ended. A man who established a Foundation For Education Against Racism, and has turned to the written word, with his first book, My Black Stars, now translated into English.

Yet, Thuram – inspired to write it because slaves were the only people of his skin colour he was told about in school, not scientists, explorers, philosophers and the so many more black pioneers that he has chronicled – doesn’t have to think twice when asked about the legacy he hopes for.

“It isn’t difficult,” he said, speaking after the book’s launch hosted by Scotland s National Centre for Languages/University of Strathclyde this week. “I’m extremely proud of winning the World Cup, and all that I did in my career. But at the end of the day being a footballer was my job. Fighting for equality is my life, though, what makes me proudest, and how I would like to be remembered.”

Posted in: French, SCILT, Strathclyde University, Languages in the press

France plots an EU presidency en français, s’il vous plaît

7 June 2021 (Politico)

Meetings in French. Notes in French. Debates in French. More French classes for EU civil servants.

Forget Euro English. Forget Globish. France is determined to make 2022 the year of the French language.

Ah, je m’excuse : l’année de la langue française

Seven months before taking over the EU’s rotating Council presidency, the French government is mulling plans to revive the declining use and visibility of la langue de Molière.

The French government is earmarking money to offer more French classes to EU civil servants. Officials are contemplating hosting French-language debates featuring the country’s crème de la crème.

And then there are the meetings.

During the country’s presidency, French diplomats said all key meetings of the Council of the EU will be conducted in French (with translations available). Notes and minutes will be French-first. Even preparatory meetings will be conducted in French.

If a letter arrives from the European Commission in English, it will go unanswered — Le français est nécessaire.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

School trips to UK from EU could halve as Brexit hits cultural exchanges

4 June 2021 (The Guardian)

French and German educational trip organisers bringing as many as 750,000 school pupils to the UK every year have warned that tougher post-Brexit entry requirements are likely to cut the number of young Europeans visiting Britain by half.

“We’ve already seen a big fall-off in interest,” said Edward Hisbergues, the sales manager of a leading French operator, PG Trips. “My business was 90% UK, 10% Ireland; now it’s all about Ireland. Schools are inquiring about visits to the Netherlands or Malta.”

The British government has rejected requests from organisers to exempt children taking part in short organised educational trips from new passport and visa measures due to come into effect on 1 October, saying they are needed to strengthen Britain’s borders.

The organisers said many thousands of UK host families, language schools, hotels and other businesses around the country, and especially in cities such as Canterbury that specialise in the educational market, risked suffering a significant economic impact.

They also said the new border restrictions could inflict broader and longer-term damage to Britain’s relations with Europe.

School trips “foster intercultural understanding and reduce prejudice”, wrote the German federation of leading school trip organisers, whose members run 7,000 trips a year to the UK representing more than 1.5m overnight stays.

“They forge lifelong connections with the UK, increase tolerance for people, cultures and different ways of living and thinking, and help the acquisition of language skills in the internationally most important language.”

Hisbergues said school trips abroad “really open eyes. They can inspire kids and change the course of young lives.”

Radio Lingua resources

14 May 2021 (Radio Lingua)

This week's round-up of resources from the team at Radio Lingua:

Q and A videos

Each week we are publishing Question and Answer videos, discussing language learning queries from our listeners. This week we talked about the use of Bitte in German, how to apologise in Spanish, Italian possessive adjectives and the phrase ça te dit in French. You can watch all these videos on our YouTube channel here.

Travel Diaries

This week sees us on our fourth episode of our Spanish and German Travel Diaries. Join our Spanish travellers as they head to the wondrous Machu Picchu, while our German tourists reach the historic city of Würzburg.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

French Film Festival UK 2021

13 May 2021 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK’s Learning Programme continues to bring French-speaking cinema to Scotland’s schools throughout May and June 2021.

A selection of films on DVD are available on request and will be sent directly to schools. To accompany the selection of films for different age groups, school screenings are enhanced by online learning resources prepared by Lise Morel. Participating teachers will be able to download these Learning Packs as PDFs to use in the classroom. These resources have been designed in accordance with the Modern Languages Experience and Outcomes for Curriculum for Excellence.

Please note that for schools within attainment challenge authorities, this resource is available free of charge. For further information, email schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

6 May 2021 (Radio Lingua)

Here’s a round up of the latest news from Radio Lingua:

French

Did you have a chance to watch our new Question and Answer video last week? Our latest video about how to form questions in French is sure to be of use to your learners. You can find it on our YouTube channel here and if you have any language questions the team could answer in future videos, simply submit your request here: coffeebreakquestions.com.
Our Coffee Break French Facebook page focused on pronunciation last week and how words which have very different spelling are pronounced the same way. Why don’t you use our short gap-fill exercise in which you have to put the words vert, verre and vers into 3 sentences with your learners? Click here.

Spanish

Our second episode of the latest Spanish Travel Diaries has now been published and this week our intrepid travellers are in the city of Cuzco. Did you know there is a unique piedra de 12 ángulo there? Find out more about this city here.
In our new Spanish Q and A video, Marina and Mark talk about the various ways to ask for the bill. Which phrases would you normally use?

Italian

If you are learning or teaching Italian, we are sure you will find our latest short videos helpful, as we take a specific language point and talk it through with our native speaker Francesca. This week’s lesson looks at the difference between giorno and giornata.
Do your learners confuse when to use bene or buono? This Facebook Grammar Activity post gives you the chance to practise in class.

German

The second episode of our new German Travel Diaries series finds us in Cologne. You can find out how Karl and Birgit spent their time in this beautiful city.
We shared a post all about Modalpartikel with our German learners on Facebook last week. Modalpartikel are words which add stress to a sentence, but which don’t really change the meaning. This means they can be quite hard to translate. Click here to see some examples of these words being used in sentences

Coffee Break English

We are delighted to announce a new podcast for pre-intermediate learners of English, which is sure to be of use to learners in your schools and the wider school community. You can check out the first three lessons now.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

French language learning with the Alliance Française and Institut français

4 May 2021 (Alliance Française/Institut français)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow and Institut français in Edinburgh offer a range of opportunities for learners of French. The following are some of their forthcoming activities.

AF online Summer Classes for adults between June and September 2021
To celebrate the Cannes Festival in July, IFcinéma à la carte is offering a special selection of French films from 10 May to 10 June 2021
A selection of online resources including cinema reviews, podcasts, virtual tours of French museums and monuments, a baking workshop and news about the IF Beyond Words literary festival from 17 May 2021

Further information can be found on the Alliance Française website.

Radio Lingua resources

29 April 2021 (Radio Lingua)

Travel Diaries

We hope you enjoyed the second seasons of both our French and Italian Travel Diaries podcasts which finished last week. However, you can still access our trips round Northern France here, or join our travellers as they end their trip in Trento here.

It is with much excitement then, that we announce the release of two new Travel Diaries and would love you to join us on season 2 of our Spanish Travel Diaries round western South America. You can listen here as we set off from Lima in Peru.

Or, you may prefer to join us on a virtual river cruise through Germany and Austria in our German Travel Diaries, as we have also released Season 2 which you can access for free here.

Q and A videos

We have recently launched a new series of Question and Answer videos on your YouTube channel which are sure to be helpful to you and your learners. Our latest videos cover topics from how to say “I miss you” in French, the difference between muy and mucho in Spanish, how to say good luck in German and the differences between potere and riuscire in Italian.

If you have a language query, you can get in touch with us at coffeebreakquestions.com and we may feature this on a future video.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Stornoway Primary School Boy Wins Gaelic Award Four Years After Arriving From Syria

26 April 2021 (Stornoway Gazette)

A Stornoway Primary School Pupil, whose family moved to Lewis from war-torn Syria, has gone viral this week after receiving an award for the progress he has made in learning Gaelic.

Ten year old Abdullah Al Nakeeb moved to Stornoway from Homs, four years ago. Now in Primary Six, Abdullah has a good grasp of the local language.

The Al Nakeeb family said: “We are really proud of Abdullah, he loves going to school here and Gaelic has become one of his favourite subjects.

"Addullah always works really hard and it is nice to see him get praise for all his efforts.

“We never expected our son to learn the language but since moving here he has managed to pick up Gaelic very quickly.

"His younger brother Majd has also got a good grasp of the language and received a certificate for his progress in December.

“Hopefully Abdullah’s brothers will continue to follow in his footsteps, it would be great to have them all speaking a new language.”

Online training scholarships for British French teachers

24 April 2021 (Institut français)

This year, the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in London / Institut français in the United Kingdom are supporting 15 grants for online training in partnership with "CAVILAM-Alliance française". Aimed at primary and secondary school teachers from all over the UK, the training consists of a face-to-face course on issues that are essential for the teachers of the 21st-century, such as holding face-to-face and virtual classes.⠀⠀

Visit the Institut français website for more information and apply by 9 May 2021.

e-Sgoil Study Support

21 April 2021 (e-Sgoil)

e-Sgoil's Term 4 study support sessions for senior phase students in Scotland will commence 26 April 2021. They offer a wide range of real-time, interactive Study Support webinar lessons to help consolidate pupils' school-based learning. The timetable includes sessions for N5, Higher and Advanced Higher French and Spanish.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for full details and to book. Pupils will need their Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number.

Employ a language assistant at your school, college or university

20 April 2021 (British Council)

Bring language and culture to life by hosting a Modern Language Assistant in 2021-22!

Modern Language Assistants are speakers of French, German, Irish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish who can help students in the UK develop their linguistic and cross-cultural skills.

Requests for hosting a Modern Language Assistant in 2021-22 close on 30 April 2021 at 23:59 BST.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply.

French Pop Video Competition 2021

20 April 2021 (Institut français du Royaume-Uni)

Are you looking for an exciting languages project for your students after half term? The Institut français du Royaume-Uni has launched the French Pop Video Competition 2021, a video song contest for all primary and secondary school students in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands.

The competition deadline has been extended and teachers now have until 30 April 2021 to submit their students’ video clips in 3 age-categories with a chance to win books, tablets, and attend a special Francophonie UK School Music Awards live music ceremony with the Institut français on the occasion of Fête de la Musique 2021!

Can you sing or rap in French ? Do you have video skills? Then this competition is for you!

To top it all, with the support of Francophonie UK, the Institut français and Alliances françaises du Royaume-Uni will offer a limited number of FREE "Learning French through music" workshops for state-sector schools entering the competition. If you are interested, please contact education@institut-francais.org.uk

Please spread the word to your students and colleagues, we look forward to your successful participation!

Related Files

Flyer French Video Pop Competition_2021 (2.56 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, Celebrating Languages

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages: OU-SCILT Programme

1 April 2021 (Open University/SCILT)

Registration for the Open University (OU) and SCILT online CPD programme in primary languages, known as TELT, is now open for the 2021 intake. The modules begin on 2 October with induction activities starting on 20 September, and finish in July 2022. The fee in Scotland is £264.00 per module place. Please request registration packs by 30 June 2021.

You can find important information about the programme at our dedicated TELT programme website. There you can see which languages and levels we offer, FAQs and what our past students say.

To register, please contact the OU corporate registrations team by writing to corporate-enquiries@open.ac.uk. NB please also copy scotland-languages@open.ac.uk into your email.

Please note it is important for prospective TELT students to plan ahead and ensure that they will be able to dedicate sufficient time to their study, because, once the module start date has passed, deferral is not possible. The fee will still be payable and cannot be refunded if students decide to defer or withdraw from studying the module.

Should you have any questions about this programme please contact scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators

1 April 2021 (University of Oxford)

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators is a brand new competition for MFL learners aged 11-18. The scheme is inspired by the life and work of the great translator Anthea Bell. It aims to promote language-learning across the UK and to inspire creativity in the classroom. By providing teachers with the tools they need to bring translation to life, we hope to motivate more pupils to study modern foreign languages to National 5, Highers and beyond.

In its first year, the prize is for learners of French, German, Mandarin and Spanish.

All interested teachers receive teaching packs for the prize, with ready-made resources designed to be used in class, for home learning or for extra-curricular activities.

See the attached document for more information and visit the website to register.

Related Files

Anthea Bell Prize 2021 (146 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Translation, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

25 March 2021 (Radio Lingua)

Reading Club for Schools

We are continuing to publish a daily French or Spanish Cultural Reading text for schools on our RLN Education Facebook page. We’d love to hear your thoughts on their use in schools so we’ve sent a short questionnaire to all those who signed up.

French

Have you been listening to our brand new episode from Season 2 of the Coffee Break French Travel Diaries? In this episode, our friends spend their final day in Normandy visiting the Abbaye aux Hommes before wandering around the around streets of the city centre. Discover many interesting phrases using the verb être, including être fou de qqch and être inspiré par qqch. We also learn about the difference between en fait, en effet, and au fait. Listen to the episode here to find out more.
As you know Saturday 20th March marked United Nations French Language Day.The day was also marked by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie as being the International Day of La Francophonie, celebrating Francophone culture around the world. To recognise the event, we're taking a look back at our blog post where we share four aspects of québécois French which prove that learning another dialect of a language can be a wonderfully enriching experience. Click here to learn more about some of the differences between phrases you'd hear in France compared to those you might encounter in Quebec, the one province of Canada whose sole official language is French.

Spanish

If you are looking for some challenges for individual pupils, be sure to check out our One Minute Spanish course where they can work independently through this 10 lesson series in short, easy-to-follow video lessons. They can learn just enough Spanish to express themselves in a variety of situations. The course is also the perfect starting point to get a taste of this amazing language. Click here to access all 10 lessons for free over on our YouTube channel.
Do your pupils know lots of vocabulary about household chores? In last week’s Spanish vocabulary post on Facebook, we reviewed some words related to just that topic. Do you know how to talk about doing the dishes, ironing, and sweeping the floor in Spanish? It might not be the most appealing type of vocabulary to learn, but it’s definitely useful. Click here to read the full post, including a list of 13 different chores.

Italian

The adventure continues for Simone and Anna as they they finally make it to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the latest episode of the Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries, Season 2. Join them as they make the most of the view before having lunch in a mountain retreat while enjoying a bombardino. There's much more food-related vocabulary in this episode as well as some interesting grammar points which Mark and Francesca explore. Click here to listen now .
One classic question that all Italian learners are bound to ask at some point in their language-learning journey is ‘what is the difference between essere and stare?’. To help our learners practise the use of these two verbs, we shared a quick gap-fill exercise on Facebook last week, and 40 of our Italian learners had a go at answering. Click here to try it yourself

German

Listening to songs in German is an effective and enjoyable way to practise and develop your language skills. It can help improve your listening comprehension and your pronunciation and, on top of this, music is catchy! This means that the new words, phrases and structures that you hear within a song may be easier to remember and reuse in your own speaking or writing. The only difficulty is that there are an almost infinite number of songs which exist throughout the German-speaking world which can make it difficult to know where to start. In this article, we’ve done the hard work for you as we have found a selection of songs to listen to which will help you practise your German.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Six Nations 2021: France v Scotland - What do you know about Scotland's French connections?

25 March 2021 (BBC)

Scotland tackle France on Friday aiming to put an end to their 22-year wait for success in Paris.

The hosts need a thumping victory to clinch the Six Nations title, while Scotland can earn a best-ever second-place finish if they can pull-off an eight-point winning margin.

Over the years, Scotland's players and Townsend have enjoyed an eventful relationship with France, but how much do you know about their French connections?

Test your knowledge with our quiz.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

French Film Festival UK 2021

25 March 2021 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK’s Learning Programme is delighted to bring French-speaking cinema to Scotland’s schools between April and June 2021.

Please note that for schools within attainment challenge authorities, this resource is available free of charge. For further information, email schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk

Posted in: French, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Cultural Diversity, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

18 March 2021 (Radio Lingua)

French

Our French Travel Diary series continues this week with episode 5 where our friends take a guided Jeep tour of the Normandy landing beaches. From a language point of view, the word dont and the verb accueillir are discussed. You can listen here.
In our cultural post on Facebook last week, our French community learned about les 'giboulées' de mars: a weather phenomenon which takes place in France and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere around this time of year. Have you heard this French phrase before? Click here to read more.

Spanish

If you’re looking for some supplementary material for your intermediate learners, then Season 3 of Coffee Break Spanish may be of interest to you. There’s a topic discussed in each episode as well as our very own Spanish telenovela called Verano Español. Have a listen to episode 1 here.
We hope you continue to find our social media posts of use to you and your learners. Over on our Instagram page, we shared a Spanish idiom: estar de mala leche. Do you know what it means in English? Click here to find out in the full post, which is also linked to our blog article about food-related idioms in Spanish.

Italian

Italian Travel Diaries also continue this week. Join Anna and Simone in Episode 5 as they have a go at ice skating on the Lago di Dobbiaco. Of course, we guarantee you'll pick up some interesting grammar points and pieces of vocabulary along the way. All’idea di, tanto che and per sicurezza are just some of the useful phrases which Mark and Francesca discuss in this episode.
Last week our Italian vocabulary post was based on the topic of feminine nouns when talking about jobs. In Italian, the spelling and pronunciation of some job titles change depending on a person’s gender, while some others are always written the same way, regardless of gender. Click here to learn more about this in our post.

German

Would you like to give your learners some extra practice on asking how someone is feeling in German? To ask someone how they are you can say wie geht's dir?, or in a more formal situation, wie geht es Ihnen? In this episode from Season 1 of Coffee Break German To Go, our host Julia asks this question to passers-by in the streets of Berlin. We hear lots of interesting responses from the native German speakers featured in the episode. Take a look at the video and use the answers of our interviewees to help your learners.
In our cultural post last Friday, we played a little game of ‘guess who?’ on Facebook. We gave them some clues and asked them to guess which Austrian figure we were describing. Here’s one of the clues to get your started: Er war Arzt, Religionskritiker und Kulturtheoretiker. Click here to see the rest of the clues and to have a go at guessing.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

French online in a fun and friendly environment

18 March 2021 (Language for Fun)

At La Jolie Ronde, Sandra has been teaching extracurricular French classes for around 11 years, working locally in Livingston and Falkirk. Originally from France, she employs her passion for languages through her teaching programme tailored to all age groups, with pupils ranging from the age of 2 up to 16 years old. She also offers ongoing classes after pupils leave school so they can fit French lessons into their busy day and continue their French.

Sandra also runs a second business called Language for Fun, where she provides French classes to adults. Whether you are beginner or advanced, Language for Fun offers four different levels of French teaching and support for adults looking to pick up a second language.

Sandra has recently been recognised for the quality of her lessons and teaching by receiving the La Jolie Ronde Licensee of the Year Award for Scotland and the North of England. This award demonstrates the work Sandra puts into her teaching and her business.

Through teaching French to around 100 pupils a week, Sandra hopes to share not only her passion as a French teacher, but also the opportunity for everyone to learn French. She is proud of Language For Fun individually tailored Virtual Learning Environment, where French can easily be learnt from the comfort of your own home, in a fun and friendly teaching environment.

If you would like to redeem your FREE hour taster session (reference_SfkSUCoE) offered to SCILT readers, please contact Sandra directly by text on 07503 465 341; by email sandra@languageforfun.uk or via her Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/French-for-fun-Livingston-298150100848787/.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, News from language & education organisations

Obituary: Jacqueline Munro-Lafon, doyenne of the French community in Scotland

17 March 2021 (The Herald)

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon was the doyenne of the French community in Scotland, an iconic and much-loved figure. On February 13 she died peacefully in Glasgow, in the presence of her son and daughter-in-law, a fortnight after her hundredth birthday.

Jacqueline Lafon was born in 1921, in Paris like four generations of her family before. Her father was a wine merchant, and the family lived in the Latin Quarter, that alluring fusion of bourgeois elegance, intellectual enquiry, and student buzz. After leaving school, she undertook a journalism degree, her life seemingly mapped out. The Second World War was to change everything.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Radio Lingua resources

11 March 2021 (Radio Lingua)

French

We hope you have been enjoying season two of our French Travel Diaries. Our latest instalment continues in northwestern France, as our travellers head toward the port city of Caen. Share someuseful vocabulary featured in Charlotte’s diary entry this week, including: démarrer qqch, se reconvertir and requinquer qqn Listen here.

In the latest chapter of La Vérité éclate toujours you can hear some interesting structures in the pluperfect tense and examples of modal verbs in the conditional perfect tense, such as: elle aurait dû (she should have), elle n’aurait jamais pu (she never could have). Click here to catch up on the episode if you missed it.
If you are looking for ways to bring more culture into your classroom, follow us on social media for some ideas. Last week, we tried something a bit different and asked our Facebook community to share one piece of cultural knowledge from the French-speaking world with their fellow learners.One learner shared a fact about different types of cheese in France, while other learners shared their favourite French-language Netflix shows. Click here to read their recommendations and cultural curiosities, and leave your own too.

Spanish

Are you teaching the topic of hobbies and pastimes with your learners? If so, our Coffee Break Spanish season to go asks the question ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? (What do you do in your free time?). Your pupils can hear native speakers give their answers by , checking out this episode from Season 1 of Coffee Break Spanish To Go over on our YouTube channel.
Do you have a favourite word in your own language? How about in Spanish? Mine is paulatinamente! We asked our learners to share their favourite Spanish word with us on Facebook last week, and absolutely loved reading everyone’s answers. Why don’t you ask your learners their opinions? You can read more answers here or even leave us your own..

Italian

We're back with the latest episode from Season 2 of the Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries! This time, Simone and Anna are visiting the village of Ortisei where they go sledging and enjoy a traditional dinner with canederli. Listen out for a range of adjectives mentioned in this diary entry, including accogliente, fiabesco and innevato. As always, Coffee Break Italian hosts, Mark and Francesca are on hand to explain the language featured in Simone's diary entry throughout the episode. The next instalment is ready and waiting for you, just click here to get started..
Over on our Instagram page last week, we shared an Italian idiom with our community: sogni d’oro. When someone is heading to bed, you might wish them 'sweet dreams' in English, but, in Italian, you wish people 'dreams of gold'... che bello! Click here to see the full post and many more like this.

German

Do you have any pupils who want to the basics of German but don't have time to commit to one of our Coffee Break German courses? Or perhaps you would simply like a taster of the language. If so then check out our One Minute German course where you can do exactly that. Throughout the 10 lessons you can learn to use the basics of the language confidently and accurately in short, easy-to-follow video lessons. You’ll learn just enough German to express yourself in a variety of situations. It's the perfect starting point to get a taste of this wonderful language! Click here to access all 10 lessons for free over on our YouTube channel.
What do you know about the iconic edelweiss flower? Our cultural post last week on the Coffee Break German Facebook page talked all about this tiny, white flower and what makes it so special, particularly in Austria. Click here to find out more about it.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

e-Sgoil Easter study support

11 March 2021 (e-Sgoil)

e-Sgoil is offering an Easter programme (6-16 April) of real-time, interactive webinars covering Nat 4 to Advanced Higher, for Scottish learners in the Senior Phase. The programme is not designed to deliver whole course content but will focus on key aspects of the subject(s) and hints and tips on how to be successful in assessments.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for full programme details and to book.

Survey for schools and teachers of French in the UK

8 March 2021 (Institut français)

We need to hear your voice!

In order to assess the needs of UK schools in relation to their provision of MFL French, and how we can best support them post-Brexit, the French Embassy in the UK / Institut français du Royaume-Uni is conducting a nation-wide survey aimed at all primary and secondary schools offering MFL French in the UK.

Please take a few minutes to fill in this form and many thanks in advance for sharing the link with your colleagues and school contacts.

Mois de la Francophonie 2021 – Royaume-Uni

8 March 2021 (Institut français)

Every year on 20 March, countries around the world celebrate Francophonie through cultural events honouring the French language. On this occasion, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, the Institut français d’Ecosse, the UK network of Alliances Françaises and the Francophonie UK partners in the UK, dedicate the whole month of March to events and initiatives celebrating the language of Molière, Ramuz and Senghor!

This year, festivities include the National Finals of the Joutes Oratoires Lycéennes, the 3rd edition of the French Pop Video Competition open to all primary and secondary schools across the 4 nations, the return of the Grand Quiz de la Francophonie, a panel discussion on the importance of learning languages for the UK post-Brexit, an exclusive webinar on how to integrate the diversity of Francophone cultures in the French language classroom, the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators and much more.

Full programme details can be found on the Institut français website. Find out now how you can get involved in celebrating la Francophonie!

French senior citizens link up with language students in lockdown

7 March 2021 (The Guardian)

After spending a third of his placement in France stuck in lockdown, modern languages student Elliot Bellman was worried that his conversation skills might suffer. But his weekly chats with Mme Tolu, a Parisian care home resident in her 80s, have helped keep his fluency up to scratch.

“During the pandemic it’s difficult to travel and have those normal experiences, going out and talking to new people,” said Bellman, 20, a third year student at the University of Warwick. “So this allows me to keep talking to someone in French. And Mme Tolu doesn’t have any family around her any more, so I feel like I am helping somewhat with the loneliness. It’s mutually beneficial.”

He is one of 107 students across the world who have been matched with a senior citizen in France as part of the ShareAmi scheme, which aims to combat the isolation felt by many older people during France’s strict lockdowns while helping language students unable to travel abroad to develop their skills.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Languages in the press

Fête de la Francophonie

1 March 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is hosting a selection of events between 9-22 March for the 24th edition of the International Francophonie Week, including a special Quiz in partnership with the Institut Français d'Ecosse.

Visit the website for more information.

Radio Lingua resources

25 February 2021 (Radio Lingua)

Reading Club for schools resources

We hope you are continuing to enjoy our short Reading texts which are a useful supplement for your Senior Phase learners of Spanish and French. Last week we published an article about La Fête des Voisins and another about how to make the perfect Tortilla Española. Each text is available to download for free and comes with an audio file and answer scheme here.

French

It still looks like a while before we can travel abroad again. In the meantime, we published our latest episode of our second series of Travel Diaries in French. Episode two is en route to Rouen in Normandy and includes an explanation about the phrase manger sur le pouce. You can set this link as extra listening practice for your pupils.
Have you been following our crime series La vérité éclate toujours for Advanced learners of French? Meet a brand new character in this week’s episode by clicking here.

Spanish

We know that translation is an essential skill for all learners of languages. However, there are sometimes words and phrases which are just not translatable at all. Have a look at our blog post ¡Es intraducible! and share this with your learners to help them understand the challenge of trying to translate word for word.
Did you see our Live lesson, where Marina and Mark practised Listening and Writing as a dictation exercise? This type of activity is very useful and could be used during online lessons. You will find the video on our YouTube channel here.

Italian

Our Italian Travel Diaries also continue. In this episode, our hosts visit the medieval castle in Thun. Listen here to find out more.
Each week on our Facebook page for Italian, we publish a grammar post. Last week we looked at expressions of time. Why don’t you challenge your learners to the translation challenge ?

German

If you want to introduce your learners of German to film in the foreign language, look no further than our blog article in which we list our top six film recommendations for German learners. Click here to read the full article.
Each Tuesday we publish a language idiom over on Instagram, and last week was the phrase auf Wolke sieben sein, where we would say to be on cloud nine, but in German it is to be on cloud seven. Click here to read the full post

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Multilingual Debate 2021

25 February 2021 (Heriot-Watt University)

The event takes the form of a formal debate with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. The teams deliver their views in their various native languages (French, German, Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, British Sign Language (BSL)).

The Multilingual Debates 2021 will take place online via Zoom on Wednesday 24 March and Friday 26 March.

Visit the Heriot-Watt Multilingual Debate webpage for more information and to register for the free event.

Ciné Club

25 February 2021 (High Commission of Canada)

To celebrate la Francophonie the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom and Délégation générale du Québec in London, with the support of the Francophonie UK group, is offering free screenings of six Canadian / Quebec films and documentaries during March.

Visit the event website for more information about the screenings on offer and to book tickets.

eSgoil Easter study support

25 February 2021 (eSgoil)

Calling all teachers of Advanced Higher French, Spanish or German!

e-Sgoil is currently planning it's Easter Study Support programme. We are looking for experienced teachers who could deliver AH Webinars. There are three one hour sessions over the two weeks (6-16th April).

Please get in touch for further information - email damacleod1a@gnes.net

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Concours de la Francophonie 2021

18 February 2021 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse launches le Concours de la Francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

The competition is open to all Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French. Enter by submitting a short video of classroom activity in French by 15 March 2021.

Visit the Institut français d’Ecosse website for more information.

Radio Lingua resources

11 February 2021 (Radio Lingua)

French

It's time for some virtual travel once more! This Thursday (11th February) we're launching a brand new series of the Coffee Break French Travel Diaries and you can join Swiss student Charlotte and her friends Lucas and Théo as they take a trip through historic locations in northwestern France. They'll visit the castles of the Loire Valley, the Normandy beaches and the Mont St-Michel among other fascinating locations, and you can improve your French as you join them on this journey. Episode 1 of the new series will be available from Thursday 11th February and you'll find it in the podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts.
Do you know your famous French-speakers? We played a fun game of ‘Guess Who?’ on the Coffee Break French Facebook page last week, in which we provided learners with some clues and they had to guess who we were describing. Here’s one clue to get you started: j'ai combattu dans la guerre de Cent Ans. Think you know who it is? Click here to see the full post and to have a guess. A great idea to share with your remote learners!

Spanish

¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (What's the weather like today?) Can your learners answer this question confidently in Spanish? We're taking you back to Lesson 21 from Season 1 of Coffee Break Spanish this week to talk about this very common conversation starter. Join Coffee Break Spanish teacher Mark and student Kara where we learn not only some useful phrases for talking about the weather, but also an explanation of the constructions behind these phrases so that you can build on these in future. By the end of this episode you'll be able to plan your activities around the weather forecast in the Spanish-speaking area you're visiting. Share the link with your classes for some extra online practice.
Each week we share a cultural post last week on our social media pages and last week we thought it would be interesting to learn about the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla, who was known as the ‘master of light’ for his dazzling works. We asked members of our community to have a look online at some of Soralla’s paintings, and to let us know what they thought of his work. We had a very positive reaction, with lots of our learners saying me gustan mucho sus pinturas. Click here to see the full post. You could share this with your learners of Spanish or simply enjoy finding out more for yourself.

Italian

Our Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries Season 2 also launches on Friday 12th February. Have you managed to guess where we're going yet? Here's a clue - you may need to wrap up in your winter clothes this time! We hope you're looking forward to discovering a different part of Italy and building your language skills along the way. The podcast episodes will be published weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy this season’s journey and encourage your intermediate learners to join you.
Have you heard of the English expression ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’? If you want to convey this idea in Italian, you can use the expression volere è potere (literally ‘to want is to be able to’). This expression was the topic of our latest weekly #tuesdayidiom post on Instagram. Click here to see the full post and to access the rest of our Instagram content.

German

Was war der letzte Film, den du gesehen hast? (What was the last film you saw?) Many of us have more time to watch films and TV shows at the moment and so this may be a common topic of conversation among your German-speaking friends. Think about the last film you watched and how you could describe it in German. How would you review the film? Which adjectives would you use to describe it to your friends? As a starting point, take a look at this episode from Season 2 of Coffee Break German To Go where our German host, Julia, takes to the streets of Berlin to ask passers-by about the last film they watched. You may hear some useful words and phrases which you could use to talk about the last film you or your learners saw.
Our Friday German culture post got the weekend off to a great start last week. We were learning all about Schlager (German pop) and the Schlagerkönigin (Schlager queen), German singer, Helene Fischer. We shared a link to Fischer’s song Atemlos durch die Nacht, which became synonymous with the genre after its release in 2014. Click here to view the full post and have a listen (or a dance) to the upbeat song.

Reading Texts

Have you been downloading our free reading texts for secondary schools? Each day on the RLN Education Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rlneducation we are posting a new cultural text, with accompanying audio and answer scheme. Just follow the link to sign up and give your learners some extra reading material while they are learning remotely.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon essay competition

11 February 2021 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society Scotland)

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon essay competition flyer

In honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland wish to award an essay prize in her name this year to mark her one hundredth birthday.

This competition is aimed at Advanced Higher learners of French. All essay submissions must present a reflection on life and society from 1921 to 2021 in France and Scotland, to take into account Madame Munro-Lafon’s life and interests.

A maximum of three entries can be submitted from each school. Register your interest for your school to get involved by 5pm on 1 March.

Visit the Eventbrite webpage for further information and how to register.

Survey for schools and teachers of French in the UK

10 February 2021 (Institut français du Royaume-Uni)

We need to hear your voice!

In order to assess the needs of UK schools in relation to their provision of MFL French, and how we can best support them post-Brexit, the French Embassy in the UK / Institut français du Royaume-Uni is conducting a nation-wide survey aimed at all primary and secondary schools offering MFL French in the UK.

Please take a few minutes to fill in this form and many thanks in advance for sharing the link with your colleagues and school contacts.

Posted in: French, Language Teaching, Brexit

Latest SLEA recipient announced!

9 February 2021 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce Renfrew High School in Renfrewshire as the latest recipient of the Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) in recognition of their successful partnership working in promoting languages as a key skill for employment.

The school received a Bronze Award for the 'Braehead Brochure' project with their partner Braehead shopping centre. The awarding panel commented: “Renfrew High School’s project and submission is a really interesting and practical one. It has a strong sense of purpose and a tangible, useful outcome.”

Congratulations to everyone involved on their excellent achievement!

The SLEA, developed by SCILT in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, encourages innovation and creativity in the promotion of language skills through meaningful engagement between employers and schools. Read more about Renfrew High School's project, and find out how to submit your own entry for the Award, on the SCILT website.

Radio Lingua resources

4 February 2021 (Radio Lingua)

Reading resources for Senior Phase

Each day on the RLN Facebook page we are releasing a short cultural reading text, freely available to teachers. To access the downloadable and one page pdf, along with the audio file and an answer scheme, just follow the link on the text. The texts will alternate between French and Spanish each day and are ideal to share with pupils working remotely.

French

We’ve released a brand new episode of La Vérité éclate toujours here, our series for advanced learners of French. In this episode, we hear many examples of the following relative pronouns: dans laquelle, sur lequel, que and qui, as well as an example of the ne explétif in a comparative structure .
As language learners, we all know the power of verbs: the more verbs you learn in different tenses, the greater number of topics you are able to talk about in French. Our Coffee Break French Verbfix course is here to help your learners stay on top of your verbs so that they can use them accurately and effectively in both written and spoken French. Click here to get started with the lesson.

Spanish

On our Coffee Break Spanish Facebook page last week we talked about the phrase por los pelos. This extremely useful expression literally means ‘by the hairs’ but really means ‘by very little’. So, for example, you can say that someone passed an exam por los pelos if they only just scraped through. Click here to see the full post and encourage your learners to use this phrase in their written or spoken language this week.
For beginner learners of Spanish it’s important to know which prepositions to use when talking about different modes of transport. In English we travel ‘by foot’ or ‘by train’, but what about in Spanish? Click here to read our most recent Grammar Builder Facebook post, in which we explain the simple rule for getting this right.

Italian

Last Friday we took a virtual trip up Italy’s tallest mountain, Monte Bianco, from the comfort of the Coffee Break Italian Facebook page. We shared a link to a website which has a gallery of stunning photos of the famous Alpine mountain, and we asked the Coffee Break Italian community to share any of their experiences in the mountains in the comments section. Click here to see the full post. Perhaps you can share this with your learners or use this idea for another aspect of Italian you’re teaching?
Everyone knows that Italians are renowned for placing a lot of importance on la famiglia so, check out our Facebook post discussing some basic family-related vocabulary in Italian last week.. Click here to see the full post and ask your learners to have a go at writing a sentence about their family in Italian.

German

Take a look at this episode from Season 1 of Coffee Break German where we help you learn how to speak confidently about birthdays and dates in German. Not only that, native speaker Thomas also teaches learner Mark how to talk about the important topic of jobs. In our Grammar Guru segment, Kirsten focuses on prepositions which can take either the accusative or dative case, and Julia visits Vienna in the Cultural Correspondent segment to round off the episode. This is a great introduction for beginner learners of German, or for pupils to spend time at home consolidating language they’ve already met.
Continuing with the theme of birthdays, we found out how to wish someone a happy birthday in German in one our recent weekly Word Builder post. We also provided our community with some useful birthday-related vocabulary so you can take everything you learn in the episode above a step further. Click here to see the full post.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Local teacher celebrates Scotland’s languages landscape

4 February 2021 (La Jolie Ronde)

An enterprising teacher in Hamilton, has celebrated Languages Week Scotland 2021 by holding French online storytelling sessions, all free of charge, for young children in the area.

Sandrine Bache, who runs her French School “La Jolie Ronde French – Hamilton”, teaches extracurricular French classes in two local nurseries and in venues in Hamilton to aged 3 to 12 plus, following the award winning La Jolie Ronde programme.

With ongoing Government school closures and strict guidelines for outsider providers, disruption to extracurricular classes continues. Against all the odds stacked against her and venturing into unknow “ed-tech” territory, Sandrine was determined to keep her students bilingual journey moving, so took her classes online to resounding success from both students and parents.

Languages Week Scotland runs every February with aim of amplifying the voices of people, organisations and events that celebrate multilingualism and the many ways it manifests in Scottish communities.

Sandrine says “Languages Week usually takes place and is enjoyed each year across Scotland’s schools, however, with lockdown firmly in place and many parents at home with their children, rather than not do anything to celebrate this wonderful event, I decided to hold some fun online storytelling events so both children and families could join in. Today our “les petites histoires (little stories) was all about creatures in “la forêt” (the forest). As well as speaking in French to introduce the animals, I also use BSL, British Sign Language, which I feel is so important particularly for Early Years children. The session was so well received and attended by lots of children and families enjoying and engaging I definitely going to continue with my French tales”.

Sandrine, who is a French native and originally born on the outskirt of Paris, has always had a passion for languages which stemmed from when she was introduced to English when she was just five years old. She then later studied English, Spanish and Italian finally concentrating on English at University.

Moving to Scotland eight years ago, she is proud mum to her eight-year-old son who unsurprisingly is bilingual.

Sandrine has several online French classes, for all ages, running across the week and weekend.

For more information about Sandrine’s classes including her FREE Taster Sessions, please email: thelis@hotmail.fr

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, News from language & education organisations

Languages Week Scotland 2021 quiz

1 February 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow has produced a fun and instructive digital quiz on a variety of French related topics such as language, sport, music, gastronomy, and more to celebrate Languages Week Scotland.

Interested schools should visit the website for information on how to obtain a link to the quiz, which will be available beyond Languages Week.

New French and Spanish reading resources

28 January 2021 (Radio Lingua)

As we continue through these interesting times of online learning, we are delighted to announce that we will be sharing with teachers a free reading resource each day starting on Monday 1 February. Each cultural text will have accompanying comprehension questions, a translation challenge and an audio file , as well as an answer grid. These texts will be available on the RLN Education website, but each day the link to the new text will be posted on our Facebook page here. We hope you find them a useful addition to your online resources and your learners enjoy the cultural content.

Engage with the wider school community and develop blended learning

28 January 2021 (PowerLanguage)

In order to support Schools and their wider communities, we have created a new package to strengthen Home Learning and promote Home-School Partnership.

Our Online Home Learning Courses for Families - available in French or Spanish - have been successfully running in many parts of Scotland since 2016. They were designed to develop the partnership between Schools, pupils and the wider community. Parents and carers can embark on a meaningful and exciting language journey shared by all family members!

The courses are accessible online or through an App. They each contain 6 lessons which follow a gentle progression, reinforcing the key language introduced in Primary Schools.

In each lesson, new structures are presented in French or Spanish, as well as in English, by a native tutor or in an animation. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube

The cultural podcasts introduce slices of French or Spanish life and focus on playground games, songs, special monuments and various landscapes. Small tasks are attached to each video. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube.

Families can assess their progress through short challenges at the end of each lesson. One of the 3 challenges can be delivered at School or in a blended learning context, thus reinforcing the link between School and home learning.

A case study on the impact of this Course on families and schools was produced in Scotland in 2016 by Scotland’s National Language Centre (SCILT). Find out more at: https://scilt.org.uk/Parents/Forpractitioners/FifeCouncilFamilyLearning/tabid/8319/Default.aspx

You can also watch this video to see the impact of our Course for Families on a school and its wider community in Western Australia.

Cost: in order to make the Course available to all, a licence can be bought by the School and shared with their wider community in the form of a coupon.

The cost of the licence is £100 per course (French or Spanish) and covers up to 200 families (users).

The coupon will give parents, carers and learners access to all videos and resources for a 3-month duration from the date of activation.

Schools will be responsible for sharing the coupon with parents and carers within 6 months of the date of purchase of the course.

Some schools which have previously purchased this Course used their Pupil Equity Funding to cover the cost.

Level: The course is available in French or Spanish for primary school learners and their families who are beginners/post beginners.

Please contact us by email: info@powerlanguage.net or visit our website powerlanguage.courses

Online course for secondary teachers of French & Spanish

28 January 2021 (LFEE)

In light of the continuing COVID crisis, LFEE in consultation with the GTS has decided to offer their three week immersion course as an online alternative from 26 April to 18 June 2021.

More information can be found on the attached document. Applicants should register by 19 February 2021.

Related Files

Online course for Scottish Secondary Teachers of French and Spanish (108 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Welcome back to a new year of language learning with Coffee Break Languages!

21 January 2021 (Radio Lingua)

French

Chapter 15 of our advanced course for French learners, La Vérité éclate toujours has now been published. As we follow the intriguing story, we come into contact with some words and phrases which will help you take your language skills to the next level. Manigancer (to scheme/plot), tueur à gages (hitman), and en avoir vu de toutes les couleurs (to have been through a lot) are just some of the words and expressions you can expect to hear in this episode. Click here to listen to the full episode when it's available.
To toast the start of the new year, we welcomed back our Coffee Break French Facebook community after the holiday period with a post all about how to talk about raising a toast in French. You’ve probably heard the word santé, but do you know any other ways to say ‘cheers’ in French? Click here to see the full post and learn some new vocabulary.

Spanish

Looking for a quick fix of Spanish to fill those small pockets of downtime during your day? Take a look at our Coffee Break Spanish Espresso series in which we cover key grammar and vocabulary points in just 10-15 minutes. In Episode 3 we learn everything we need to know about how to use the tricky word ni in Spanish. Not only that, our native Spanish speaker, Fernanda helps us get to grips with the subjunctive after es importante que. To round off the episode, we share a Spanish quote of the week, this time, focusing on the theme of the fear of danger. Intrigued? Click here to listen to the full episode.
Are you and your learners following us on Instagram for some language learning tips? We kicked off the year with a brand-new Tuesday idiom post. The idiom was the Spanish phrase estar en su salsa which literally means ‘to be in one’s sauce’. Can you work out in which contexts you would actually use this idiom? Click here to find out in the full post.

Italian

As we are still unable to travel, we can still do so virtually! Our new series of Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries will launch very soon. This time, we'll be transporting you to a completely different part of the Italian-speaking world to explore the area and improve your language skills with some brand new characters. Can you guess where we might be going and what we might be doing? We can't wait for our Coffee Break Italian Community to join us on another virtual journey, starting on Friday 12th February. In the meantime, you can catch up on Giulia and Paolo's Tuscan adventure by clicking here to access Season 1, if you haven't already done so. A presto!
For our first Coffee Break Italian Facebook post of 2021, we decided to talk all about the Italian word ciaspolata, which translates rather long-windedly as 'the activity of going for a walk in the snow while wearing snowshoes. Ti piace la neve? Click here to let us know in a comment on the post.

German

We're revisiting Episode 6 from our Coffee Break German Magazine series this week to draw your attention to author Michael Ende, who wrote one of the most famous works of fiction for younger readers, The Neverending Story, among other books. Click here to find out more about Ende and his work in this edition of the Magazine. Not only do we gain an insight into his work, we also learn about German word order with the help of our question from listener, Soumaya.
We jumped straight back into improving our German grammar this year with a post all about using umlauts (the two dots on the German ö, ü and ä). We provided our learners with a list of sentences and asked them to pick whether a certain word in the sentence should be written with or without an umlaut. Here’s an example: Hast du heute schön/schon etwas gegessen?. Click here to have a go yourself

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

SCILT Live Lessons for Senior Phase Learners

14 January 2021 (SCILT/eSgoil)

During the current lockdown, SCILT is delighted to support our partners at eSgoil by offering live language lessons. These will be available to all Senior Phase learners in Scotland – learners can register through the eSgoil website.

Daytime Study Support

Higher French – Thursdays at 11.15
National 5 French – Tuesdays at 11.15
Higher Spanish – Tuesdays at 14.15
National 5 Spanish – Wednesdays at 09.30

You can register for Daytime Study Support Sessions here- http://www.e-sgoil.com/daytimestudysupport2020/

SCILT is continuing to offer evening support sessions for Advanced Higher:

Advanced Higher Spanish – Wednesdays at 17.00
Advanced Higher French – Thursdays at 17.00

You can register for Evening Study Support Sessions here - http://www.e-sgoil.com/studysupport2020/

eSgoil is offering a wide range of support for learners of all ages throughout lockdown, and SCILT is proud to support them and Scotland’s educational community through these challenging times.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Worldwide Napier magazine - call for submissions

14 January 2021 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Worldwide Napier, the magazine in foreign languages designed by language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for its seventh issue. The next issue's overarching theme is Oblivion. Pick a subject associated with oblivion and turn it into an engaging article.

Students at secondary school, college or university are invited to submit contributions by email by 1 March 2021.

Visit the website for more information.

Online French resources

12 January 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow has collated a selection of online resources to explore French culture and language learning at home. There's something for all ages - check out the links on the website.

Engage with the wider school community and develop blended learning

12 January 2021 (PowerLanguage)

In order to support Schools and their wider communities, we have created a new package to help with home learning.

Our PowerLanguage Online Course for Families - available in French or Spanish - has been successfully running in many parts of Scotland since 2016. It was designed to develop the partnership between Schools, pupils and the wider community. Parents and carers can embark on a meaningful and exciting language journey shared by all family members!

The course is accessible online or through an App. It contains 6 lessons which follow a gentle progression, reinforcing the key language introduced in Primary Schools.
In each lesson, new structures are presented in French or Spanish, as well as in English, by a native tutor or in an animation. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube
The cultural podcasts introduce slices of French/Spanish life and focus on playground games, songs, special monuments and various landscapes. Small tasks are attached to each video. Watch an extract on Vimeo or Youtube.
Families can assess their progress through short challenges at the end of each lesson. One of the 3 challenges can be delivered at School, thus reinforcing the link between School and home learning.

A case study on the impact of this Course on families and schools was produced in Scotland in 2016 by Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT).

You can also watch this video to see the impact of our Course for Families on a school and its wider community in Western Australia.

Cost: in order to make the Course available to all, a licence can be bought by the School and shared with their wider community. The annual cost is £100 per course (French or Spanish). Schools can also buy the course for a one-off fee of £500 per course for indefinite use. (Schools who have previously purchased this Course used some of their PEF funding to cover the cost).

Level: The course is available in French or Spanish for primary school learners and their families who are beginners/post beginners.

Scottish Schools may wish to launch this Course in advance of Languages Week Scotland (1-5 February 2021).

Please contact us info@powerlanguage.net to find out more or visit our website.

La Jolie Ronde French and Spanish Free Trials

11 January 2021 (La Jolie Ronde)

During Languages Week Scotland, 1-5 February 2021, FREE TRIALS will be available of La Jolie Ronde's two award winning French and Spanish resources.

La Jolie Ronde Languages for Children is a leading early language learning organisation offering a proven method of teaching young children French and Spanish. La Jolie Ronde’s award winning programmes are unique, modern and of the highest quality. FREE TRIALS on their resources are available as follows:

Little Languages Resource (P1-P3)
French and Spanish Resource (P4-P7)
French or Spanish free taster Online class

For more information email schools@lajolieronde.co.uk

#scotlandloveslanguages

University of Dundee distance learning courses

11 January 2021 (University of Dundee)

Registration for the University of Dundee 25-Week Intensive courses by distance learning in French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish is now open and extended until 15 January 2021.

These courses are accredited at 20 SCQF credits. They will take students from the basics up to a standard equivalent to a Scottish Higher and beyond. They are taught by online distance learning via the University of Dundee virtual learning environment. From week 1, students on the courses will have a weekly online session with a native language tutor to give them the chance to practice what they have learnt and to clarify any queries they may have.

More information is available on the University of Dundee website.

French Pop Video Competition 2021

7 January 2021 (Institut français)

Do you think you could sing or rap in French? Do you have the skills to make a video clip for your song? If so, this competition is for you!

Open to any student or groups of students in full time primary or secondary education in the UK. Entries will be judged in 3 age-group categories: 7-11, 12-15, and 16-18.

Visit the competition website for more information. Register and submit entries by 31 March 2021.

French oral revision courses

7 January 2021 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow is running online revision courses during January and February for those scheduled to sit Higher and Advanced Higher French exams in 2021.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol.

Radio Lingua resources

11 December 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Festive Phrases

How would you like to share with your learners a festive phrase in 25 different languages? This December we have launched a brand new, updated version of our Festive Phrases series over on our YouTube channel, where we're releasing a new video every day until Christmas Day. Each of these videos will feature a Festive Phrase for you to learn over the next 25 days. Catch up on the first week of our Festive Phrases here. While you're there, leave us a festive phrase in the comments section in the language you're learning.
Our Live Lessons continue this week, but don’t forget, you can catch up on them on our YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe while you're there so that you're notified as soon as we publish new videos.

French

We continue with our To Go series and this week’s question is As-tu déjà mangé quelque chose de bizarre ? This video works well for perfect tense practice and food topics. Take a look at the video here where we hear a range of interesting responses from passers-by in the streets of Nantes. You'll be sure to improve your food-related vocabulary
Are you and your advanced learners following our crime drama La Vérité éclate toujours? Our latest episode has been released and is full of challenging language. Listen out for the following adjectives: comblé (fulfilled), épanoui (blooming), and roublard (sneaky) featured in the episode. click here to find out more information.

Spanish

In a similar vein, if you’re looking for a challenge for more advanced learners of Spanish, then check out Season 4 of Coffee Break Spanish. Developed with advanced learners in mind, teacher Mark and native Spanish speaker Carmen help you master the trickiest parts of the Spanish language. This course centres around a story involving characters from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, and through the story, you'll pick up a huge range of advanced vocabulary, develop a wonderful repertoire of idiomatic expressions and deepen your understanding of complex grammar points. Have a listen to the episodes of Season 4 to get a taste of what our advanced course has to offer.
Each week on our Facebook page, we publish language and cultural information. Last week we took a virtual trip to a very luxurious location, where we learned all about the world’s most expensive restaurant, called Sublimotion. But, do you know where in the Spanish-speaking world the restaurant is located? Click here to find out, and to hear about our community members’ favourite places to eat.

Italian

We hope you're hungry as the latest episode of Coffee Break Italian To Go is all about food, specifically, the strangest food we've ever eaten. With this in mind, Francesca is in the streets of Stresa, approaching passers-by with the following question: qual è la cosa più strana che hai mai mangiato? Can you encourage your learners to give their own detailed answers to this question in Italian? Take some inspiration and key vocabulary from the answers we received in Episode 9 which you can access by clicking here.

German

If you’re looking for an different cultural focus for your German learners, we have a historical episode of our Coffee Break German Magazine to share with you this week. Following the events of World War 2, the monumental task of clearing and reconstructing towns and cities fell to the Trümmerfrauen, literally “rubble women”. In Episode 3 of the Coffee Break German Magazine we look at this fascinating period of German history. Not only this, Andrea answers listener Maddie’s question about compound words, and Olivera introduces an interesting idiomatic expression in the Sahnehäubchen.
Our cultural post got us all in the festive spirit last week, as we were talking about der Vorweihnachtszeit, or the ‘pre-Christmas season’. We shared a classic recipe for something which will make your home smell like a German Christmas market this year. Can you guess what the recipe was for? Glühwein, of course! Click here to see the full post, and click here to try the recipe yourself at home.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Covid: Students and retirees form long-distance friendships

10 December 2020 (BBC)

Millie Jacoby met her new "French grandma" for the first time last week via video call.

The 21-year-old British student signed up to a scheme pairing language students with elderly French people, some of whom have been left isolated by the coronavirus pandemic.

"I thought it would be a great way to improve my language skills and get to know somebody who was possibly lonely," Millie said.

"My French grandma, as we call them, is in a retirement home and might not be having too much social interaction because of the pandemic so I thought it was the perfect time to do something like this."

Despite the 70-year age gap between the Warwick University student and the senior citizen living near Paris, they instantly hit it off.

"She was just so lovely from the first few sentences," Millie told the BBC.

Euroquiz 2021

8 December 2020 (SEET)

Have you registered your teams for the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) Euroquiz competition? The annual project is open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

Visit the SEET website for more information and to register.

Radio Lingua resources

4 December 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Festive Phrases

This Advent we have updated our Festive Phrases videos on our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/coffeebreaklanguages

Each day at 9 am sees the release of a new language, and the short video teaches your learners to say Merry Christmas in that language. The new videos show more recent figures on the number of speakers of that language and where in the world it is spoken.

Live Lessons

Our live lessons continue on Facebook and Youtube. Our latest lessons focused on dictation, an excellent method to improve both listening skills and accuracy in writing. Catch up with our latest French exercise here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef4NkT3eeQk

French

At this time of year, thoughts turn to hopes of travelling again soon. Where would you like to go? Pierre-Benoît discusses this topic with native French speakers in Episode 8 of Coffee Break French To Go. Quelle serait ta destination idéale ? Can your pupils understand the answers? On the second playing of the video, the French subtitles are shown to help you explain new or complex, but natural language. You can watch the episode for free here.
If you’re following La Vérité éclate toujours, our crime drama for advanced learners of French, you’ll find the latest instalment available. Don’t forget to pay close attention to the language used along the way, in particular, some subjunctive triggers including avant que, faire en sorte que and le temps que.

Spanish

Are you or your learners following us on our social media accounts for free language learning advice? Last week over on the Coffee Break Spanish Facebook page, we had a great reaction from the community to our Monday vocabulary post. We shared a colourful graphic about Autumn weather, and how to talk about the weather in Spanish. We asked all of our learners what the weather was like where they are, and we had lots of great answers. Click here to view the the handy graphic.
What are you thankful for? Last week’s Knowledge Builder post on the Coffee Break Spanish Facebook page was all about the Spanish saying: es de bien nacido ser agradecido. The saying expresses the importance of saying thank you; an appropriate saying for this time of year with the US having celebrated Thanksgiving last week. Click here to read the full post in which we provide a list of different ways to give thanks in Spanish.

Italian

As with our French To Go series, our latest episode of Coffee Break Italian To Go has been published. This week’s question is - Se potessi andare in qualsiasi posto del mondo, dove andresti? (If you could you anywhere in the world, where would you go?). We're dreaming about our ideal holiday destination in this latest episode .Take some ideas from the words and phrases used by native Italian speakers featured in the episode.
In our Grammar Builder post on Coffee Break Italian’s Facebook page last week, we reviewed a very important aspect of Italian grammar. We looked at the verb essere and the fact that it needs to agree with the subject in gender and number when used as an auxiliary verb in the passato prossimo. We gave three example sentences and asked our community to fill the gaps and post their answers in the comments section. Click here to see how they got on, and ask your learners for their own answers.

German

Have you been talking about your town with your German learners? Was gibt es hier zu sehen? (What is there to see here?) or was gibt es hier zu tun? (What is there to do here?) are two useful questions for your pupils. If they would struggle to respond to these questions in German then take a look back at Episode 17 from Season 1 of Coffee Break German where you’ll learn how to talk about what there is to do in your town. By the end of the lesson, you'll also be able to ask important information at the tourist information office when you're visiting a brand new German-speaking area yourself.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Oral revision courses 2021

30 November 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is holding special online Revision Courses in January/February for pupils who are due to sit their Higher and Advanced Higher oral examinations in 2021.

Visit the website for more information and to book.

Radio Lingua resources

27 November 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Here's this week's selection of free resources from the team at Radio Lingua:

French

If you are looking for some authentic but challenging content for your French learners, why don’t you take a look at the latest episode of Coffee Break French To Go Season 2: qu’est-ce qui t’embête le plus ? is this week’s question with Pierre Benoît. Throughout the episode, you'll pick up some useful words and phrases to help you express the things that annoy people the most in life. Click here to hear what annoys the French native speakers we spoke to in the streets of Nantes.
For advanced learners of French - teachers and pupils alike - the wait for Part 2 of La Vérité éclate toujours is over! The second part of our crime drama for advanced learners of French is now available and episode 11 of the podcast is published in the usual podcast feeds here.

Spanish

This week we're revisiting Episode 9 of our Coffee Break Spanish Magazine series aimed at intermediate to advanced learners. In each episode we present cultural topics and grammar study in an enjoyable way, allowing you and your pupils to build your vocabulary and increase your range of expression. We're revisiting Episode 9 this week and we're working up an appetite as we're heading to Mexico to talk about food.Click here to access the episode

Italian

As with our French episode, in this latest episode of Coffee Break Italian To Go Francesca asks the question: cosa ti fa arrabbiare? (What makes you angry?) Join native Italian speakers in the streets of Stresa as they share some interesting words and phrases to express the things that make them angry. Listen to what they have to say about this topic here. You can share this episode with your learners to see how much they understand at the first playing, and then use the subtitles the second time to help discuss any new language or grammar points.
If you’re thinking of starting to learn Italian, or have pupils who are interested, why don’t you try out the very first season of Coffee Break Italian. Whatever your language level, you'll be sure to pick up some useful tips in this episode where Mark and Francesca equip you with everything you need to know to acquire the important skill of using the phone in Italian. This episode also features a Caffè Culturale section in which Francesca talks about Italian opera.

German

Don't miss out on the valuable content included in Seasons 1 and 2 of our Coffee Break German To Go series. Developed for beginner and intermediate learners of German, we help you put what you've been learning into practice with access to interviews featuring native German speakers. We cover a different topic in each lesson so by the end of the series you and your learners will be well equipped with the necessary vocabulary and expressions to share your opinions in German. Access all episode from Seasons 1 and 2 for free here
In Season 2 of Coffee Break German for lower intermediate learners, we take a closer look at grammatical constructions to help you develop a better understanding of how the language works so that you can communicate more confidently in German. This week, we're revisiting Episode 13 from Season 2 to learn how to translate 'much', 'many', 'some', 'few', and lots more quantifying words – something learners often find difficult. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to talk confidently in German using the words viel(e), wenig(e), etwas, manche, and say how much chocolate you eat, how many glasses of water you drink, or how many portions of fruit you have.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

20 November 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Live Lessons

Do you and your learners need some help with sounding more like a native speaker when talking in the foreign language? This week saw two live lesson with a focus on pronunciation. You can view the German video here and the Spanish one, where we looked at how to pronounce the r / rr sound here.

French

We're more than halfway through our brand new series of Coffee Break French To Go! In Episode 6, we're discussing different times of the year as we're asking passers-by which season they prefer - summer or winter. Préféres-tu l’été ou l’hiver ? - Do your learners prefer summer or winter? To find out how to express your own opinion in French, join Pierre-Benoît in the latest episode and ask your pupils to state their preference.
We are always looking to include different sayings and expressions in our teaching, so why don’t you have a look at our Coffee Break French Facebook page where last week we looked at the expression: faire froid dans le dos, which is the equivalent of ‘to send shivers down your spine’. We asked our community to comment below the post with something that sends shivers down their spine, and we received some great replies, like this one from Jean: Quand je vois une araignée, ça me fait froid dans le dos. Can you encourage your pupils to come up with their own example? Click here to view the full post for some inspiration.

Spanish

If you finished our Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries and are missing being virtually in Spain, why not join Mark and the Coffee Break Spanish team 'on the road' in the south of Spain with our popular En Marcha series for intermediate learners of Spanish. Throughout the season we visit some beautiful places in the Málaga area and talk to people who live or work in the area or who are visiting the area. In Episode 2 we find out what it's like to live and work in Málaga as Mark talks to Sara who works in the Tourism department of the Ayuntamiento de Málaga. These conversations feature authentic Spanish, with a whole range of different accents and speeds of delivery, so it’s the perfect way to improve your listening comprehension. ¡Vamos!
In our Spanish Grammar Builder post last week, we recapped the different uses of the words bien and bueno, which can often be quite confusing for learners. Click here to see the full post and a full explanation of when to use bien and bueno.

Italian

Preferisci l’estate o l’inverno? - Do you prefer summer or winter? This is the question Francesca asks native Italians in the streets of Stresa in the latest episode of Coffee Break Italian To Go for intermediate learners. Click here to hear how native Italians express their thoughts on these seasons and listen out for any new words or phrases you're not familiar with.
Have you ever had a dream that you’ve set aside, which will hopefully come true one day? In Italian, this type of dream is called a sogno nel cassetto, literally a 'dream in the drawer’. We love the idea of keeping a dream in a drawer until it’s ready to come true! Do you have any 'dreams in the drawer'? Click here to see the full post and to see the impressive dreams shared by our community.

German

If you’re looking for help with Grammar in German for yourself or learners, have a look at Season 2 of Coffee Break German for lower intermediate learners. This week, we're revisiting episode 13 from Season 2 to learn how to translate 'much', 'many', 'some', 'few', and lots more quantifying words – something learners often find difficult. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to talk confidently in German using the words viel(e), wenig(e), etwas, manche, and say how much chocolate you eat, how many glasses of water you drink, or how many portions of fruit you have.
Do you know the English translations of the German words nach and zu? They are both translated as ‘to’ which means it can be quite tricky for an English-speaking German learner to know when to use each word. In our Grammar Builder Facebook post last week, we gave our community an explanation of the differences in use between these two small words. Click here to see the post, then try and come up with two example sentences using nach or zu correctly.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

The Language Ambassadors

19 November 2020 (University of Strathclyde)

photo of the Language Ambassadors

The Language Ambassadors are back……and they have gone VIRTUAL!

Get your pupils involved to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Virtual Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your pupils to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities online, such as:

A virtual presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

From Harris to Hamilton, from Orkney to Paisley, book a virtual visit today by completing our request form!

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau.

Radio Lingua resources

13 November 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Here's this week's selection of free resources from the Radio Lingua team.

French

Are you talking to your learners about the benefits of continuing to study a language? It might be useful to hear how native French speakers respond to the question: pour toi, est-il important d’apprendre une langue étrangère ? (Is learning a foreign language important to you?). How would you respond to this question in French? Take some ideas from the responses we receive in the episode by watching here.
With autumn well and truly here in the northern hemisphere, we thought that it would be useful to share some autumn-related vocabulary with our community over on the Coffee Break French Facebook page last week. Do you know the French words for rain, pumpkin, wind, chestnuts and dead leaves? Try and test yourself, then click here to view the post and see if you were right.

Spanish

We're going back to basics this week as we're revisiting Episode 14 from Season 1 of Coffee Break Spanish to talk about the town. In this episode we look at places in the town and help learners talk about places in their own town with a very catchy song. After listening to this lesson you'll be able to tell Spanish speakers all there is to offer in the town where you live.
As we mentioned in last week's newsletter, on the 2nd of November, countries around Latin America celebrate El día de los muertos, or the Day of the Dead. We decided to base all of last week’s Spanish Facebook posts around this event, starting with a vocabulary list at the start of the week. Click here to learn a bit more about El día de los muertos, and learn some interesting vocabulary associated with this celebration, from calacas and calaveras to ofrendas.

Italian

As with our French series, this time with we're talking about the importance of languages. Francesca asks the question: pensi che sia importante studiare le lingue straniere? (Do you think that studying foreign languages is important?) and we received many interesting responses. Click here to take a look at what native Italians had to say about the subject . Their responses might help your learners see the benefits of continuing to study languages.
Over on the Coffee Break Languages Instagram page last week, it was time to share an Italian idiom with our followers. The idiom was tutto fa brodo, which translates literally as ‘everything makes broth’ but is used to express the idea that everything, no matter what it is, can be made into something useful. Had you heard of this idiom before? Can you use it in a sentence? Click here to see the full post.

German

If you're looking for some authentic material to use with your beginner or intermediate learners of German then you can take your German 'on the road' with Seasons 1 and 2 of Coffee Break German To Go. In these series, our German presenter, Julia engages with a range of native speakers on location in Germany. We hear their views on a range of topics from family to sport, food, languages, work and more. There are 10 video episodes ready and waiting for you in each season. Access all episode from series 1 and 2 for free here,
How many different ways of greeting people do you know in German? Have you heard of the phrase Grüß Gott? Used in rural areas of South Germany and in Austria, this greeting literally means “God greet you”. Last week, we challenged our Facebook community to come up with any more regional greetings that they knew, and to share them with their fellow learners.

Facebook Lives

Next week our Facebook Lives are focusing on pronunciation. If you can’t watch the Live, the videos are available to view on YouTube any time after the event.

Wednesday 18 November at 15.30 is German pronunciation
Thursday 19 November at 15.30 is Spanish pronunciation

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

6 November 2020 (Radio Lingua)

French

Are you teaching negatives in French to your classes? We cover ne … plus meaning “no longer”, and ne … que meaning 'only', as well as about ne … plus que? in this episode of Walk, Talk and Learn French,
Qu’as-tu fait hier ? (What did you do yesterday?). Being able to use the perfect tense accurately is fundamental for pupils studying for national qualifications.? Click here to watch Episode 4 from our new season of Coffee Break French To Go, to see the ways in which native speakers use the past tenses in their responses.

Spanish

We have come to the end of this series of the Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries. We hope that you've enjoyed discovering some beautiful locations in the north of Spain from the comfort of your own home as we’ve not been able to travel ourselves this year. We arrive in the vibrant city of Santiago de Compostela and take a look at the Spanish language throughout the episode including the word picoteo and the lo + adjective grammatical structure. Listen to Episode 10 for free here
Our Coffee Break Spanish To Go series allows you to take your Spanish 'on the road'. Learners can join Spanish host Marina, as she takes to the streets in Spain to interview native speakers on a number of interesting topics. From the responses we hear, your learners can develop their comprehension skills and learn new natural words and phrases. Access Series 1 and 2 for free here

Italian

In a similar vein to our French series, in the latest episode of Coffee break Italian To Go, Francesca asks passers-by in the streets of Stresa: cos’hai fatto ieri? (What did you do yesterday?). We hear lots of interesting responses which will help our intermediate Italian learners with the use of the past tense. Click here to see how native Italian speakers responded to this question
Have you joined our Facebook community? We introduced a very useful little expression in a Facebook post last week. The expression was farcela, which means ‘to make it’ or ‘to manage’. Here’s an example of the expression used in context: L'esame era difficile, ma ce l'abbiamo fatta. Can you use farcela in a sentence? Click here to see a more detailed explanation of how to use this phrase

German

Join us in the 10th and final episode for this series of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries. Karin and her family are back in the camper van, driving the last few kilometres of their memorable 450km trip. As they make it to their last stop in Lindau, Karin reflects on the time she has spent travelling with her family and the wonderful places they have visited - einen besseren Familienurlaub kann man sich kaum wünschen (one could hardly wish for a better family holiday). While listening to Mark and Andrea discuss the language in Karin's diary entry, listen out for the use of the perfect tense.
Our cultural post on Facebook last week talked about the popular German Jahrmarkt-Süßigkeit (funfair candy): gebrannte Mandeln (candied almonds). Have you ever tried this delicious treat? If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine the sweet smell wafting through a cosy Christmas market. Click here to see the full post on Facebook, and click here for a recipe to make your own gebrannte Mandeln.

Languages and Music

Have you ever tried listening to music in a foreign language as a way of developing your vocabulary and range of expression? Here at Coffee Break Languages we love combining music with language learning which is why we created our Tune for Tuesday series on our blog. In each article, we introduce you to some new styles of music from around the world, while helping you develop your language skills. You can find our full range of carefully selected songs in French, Spanish, Italian and German over on our blog. Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist while you're there.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Radio Lingua resources

30 October 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Here is this week's selection of resources from the team at Radio Lingua:

French

Do you teach daily routines in French to your classes? In the second episode of Season 2 of Coffee Break French To Go, Pierre-Benoît asked passers-by about their daily routine with the question: C’est quoi une journée typique pour toi? (What is a typical day for you?). How would you answer this in French? Click here to get some inspiration from the answers we received in the streets of Nantes to share with your pupils.
Last Friday we decided that the best way to end the week would be with some music, so we asked the Coffee Break French Facebook followers to share the cheeriest French-language songs that they know. We had some great responses in the comments section such as Je veux by Zaz and Alors on danse by Stromae. Click here to see even more toe-tapping recommendations. Please send us any of your own!

Spanish

We also recently released Season 2 of Coffee Break Spanish To Go for intermediate learners which you can access for free here. In each episode Marina interviews native speakers about a range of topics but this time she's in the city of Málaga, in the south of Spain. These videos are great starter activities for beginner learners of Spanish.
Do you follow us on Instagram? Last week, we shared a Spanish idiom over there with our followers: en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. Have you heard of this expression before? It’s equivalent to the English expression ‘in the blink of an eye’. Follow us by searching for @coffeebreaklanguages on Instagram to help your learners build up a bank of useful and natural phrases to use in their classwork.

Italian

We're also back with Episode 2 of our brand-new season of Coffee Break Italian To Go for intermediate learners of Italian. This week, our host Francesca is talking to native Italian speakers in the streets of Stresa to ask the following question: com’è la tua giornata tipica? (What is your daily routine?). Watch the video and listen to the podcast version here to find out what our respondents get up to on a daily basis.
Last week in our Grammar Builder post on Facebook, we talked about the verbs portare and prendere: ‘to bring’ and ‘to take’ in English. We provided our community with a gap-filling exercise as an opportunity to practise using these two verbs. See if you can complete this sentence with the correct verb: Laura ____ la sua borsa dalla sedia. What do you think? Click here to see the answer in the comments section, and to have a go at two more exercises. Follow us on Facebook for some more ideas and practice.

German

Last Friday, we asked our Facebook learners if they had any cultural recommendations to share with their fellow German learners, whether it be a TV series, book or film. As we said in the post, “no one understands the challenges and tricks to do with learning a language better than the community you're learning with.” Click here to see some great suggestions left in the comments.

Live Lessons

We have started our next series of Live lessons which may be difficult for teachers to access during the day. However the videos will be available to view on both YouTube and Facebook. You can download our full schedule of live lessons planned for October to December from the website: click here for more information.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

P1 & P2 French language teachers needed for Creative Puppetry Research Project

29 October 2020 (Le Petit Monde)

Cover of Lapin is Hungry book

For her Masters in Education’s Final Year Project, Teaching Artist Tania is planning to conduct a case study to research if a play and creative puppetry based approach to learning can bring changes to Early Years language teaching and learning and if any, which ones. Health & Well-Being potential effects will also be analysed and discussed.

For this:

She is looking to remotely collaborate with 2 teachers of French language (one P1 and one P2) to deliver 4 lessons each and 2 suitable observers of the sessions. Ideally, the school will be within the Central Belt.
The project will be based on the bilingual picture book Lapin is Hungry, which contains food vocabulary and greeting words. Pupils and teachers will make simple puppets and playfully re-enact the story, speaking French in the process.
Lessons will be planned and evaluated through a community of practice method (via online chats) and could be part of the usual time allocated to French learning.
Teachers’ time could count as CLPL hours.
Possible timeline: sparingly from November with lessons delivered in Jan / Feb 2021.

To register your interest or ask any questions, please fill in this short form.

Posted in: Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Methodologies, Research, News from language & education organisations

Learn French with Alliance Française Glasgow

28 October 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow provides a range of language learning opportunities for adults and children. Follow the appropriate link below to find out more about forthcoming classes:

Free taster sessions (5 & 10 November) - If you have reservations about joining an online class, we are offering free taster sessions so you can find out all the necessary information on how our current classes are being run before enrolling for a course.
Adult classes (commencing 16 November) - Enrolling now for the next term.
l’heure du conte (10 November and 8 December) - Join us to hear our librarian’s historiettes/short stories, comfortably wrapped in a blanket at home with your little ones. Free and suitable for all.

Visit the Alliance Française Glasgow website to discover the full range of activities and events on offer.

French Film Festival 2020

23 October 2020 (French Film Festival)

Running from 4 November to 17 December online and in cinemas up and down the UK, the 2020 Fête du cinéma offers a range of films, documentaries and shorts along with a selection specifically aimed at French language learners in schools.

Visit the French Film Festival website for full programme details.

Tutoring sessions - Higher French & Advanced Higher Spanish

19 October 2020 (Language Learning Scotland)

Language Learning Scotland has added free drop-in tutoring sessions for Higher French and Advanced Higher Spanish to their offering. Open to S5/S6 students these sessions begin week commencing 19 October 2020.

Visit the website to find out more and to sign up.

Discovery Film Festival 2020

18 October 2020 (Discovery Film Festival)

Welcome to the 17th edition of Discovery Film Festival – the first to be online – and another collection of the finest films handpicked for young audiences from around the world.

All films in the online festival programme will be accessible from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November 2020. There's an exciting collection of shorts and brand-new features with accompanying curriculum-linked resource packs. The added benefit this year is that current restrictions and the move online means access to our programme will now be possible for schools across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The school's programme includes some new shorts for language practice! Visit the festival website for full programme details.

Radio Lingua resources

9 October 2020 (Radio Lingua)

This week's selection of freely available resources from the team at Radio Lingua:

French

Have you been following our Advanced French novel? This week sees a brand new episode of La Vérité éclate toujours and secrets are revealed! Listen to Chapter 10 here . Don't forget to pay attention to the spoken register of French featured in this dialogue with words such as les flics (cops) and colloquial questions including comment ça ? (how come?) and où ça ? (where's that?).
As we know, learning new verbs and how to conjugate them is key to pupils’ success in developing their range of expression in another language. Knowing which verb to use and of course, how to conjugate it can often be tricky for language learners. That is why we developed our French Verb Fix course, in a bid to help learners 'fix' their verbs with conjugations of various verbs in the present, perfect, imperfect and future tenses. We use the art of repetition, interactive quizzes and even musical backing tracks, to help our learners build their confidence when learning and using verbs. Take a look at the very first lesson of the series where we focus on the verb parler meaning “to speak” or “to talk”. This is an example of a regular -er verb so we not only learn how to conjugate parler in the present, perfect, imperfect and future tenses, but also how to conjugate hundreds, if not thousands, of other regular -er verbs.

Spanish

Our latest episode of our Spanish Travel Diaries takes our couple from San Vicente de la Barquera in Cantabria as they make their way to the village of Lastres in Asturias and visit the Bufones de Arenillas geysers and the Playa de Gulpiyuri – an inland beach. Mark and Anabel talk about these places being de ensueño (dreamlike) and discuss the use of the verb madrugar (to get up early) among many other interesting expressions and phrases. Access the podcast| Access the course
The Coffee Break Spanish team is in the classical Spanish city of Salamanca for Season 2 of Coffee Break Spanish To Go. Our host Marina, takes to the streets of this beautiful city and approaches native Spanish speakers to hear their views on a number of interesting topics such as, food, film, languages and much more. You can catch up on all 10 episodes for free on our YouTube channel.

Italian

Are you an intermediate learner of Italian? If so then take a look at our Coffee Break Italian Magazine. In each of the 10 episodes, CBI hosts Mark and Francesca present cultural topics and grammar study, allowing you to build your vocabulary and increase your range of expression. We cover a whole range of topics and in Episode 2 we head south to the region of Puglia and, more specifically, to the area known as Il Gargano. Francesca and Mark also have some advice on how to learn vocabulary, based on listener, Tricia’s question. The episode concludes with a scioglilingua – a tongue twister.
Are you following our Coffee Break Italian Facebook page? Our community enjoyed a task we set for them on Italian diminutives, which are used to make nouns sound ‘smaller’. We provided them with three words and asked them to pick the correct diminutive ending from -ino, -ina, -ini or -ine, based on the nouns’ gender and number. Click here to have a go.

German

It’s also Episode 6 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries where we head to spend a day in Garmisch-Partenkirchenm, one of the most popular German skiing areas. Although skiing isn't on the cards for the family, they still have a fantastic, fun-filled day and even make some new friends. As Mark and Andrea discuss Karin's travel diary entry, we hear examples of the pluperfect tense as well as some interesting expressions and vocabulary including the word hetzen and the demonstrative pronoun diejenige. Listen to the podcast | Access the course
If you have completed Seasons 1 and 2 of Coffee Break German and are ready to take the next step then our Magazine might be the right course for you. In each of the 10 episodes, CBG hosts Mark and Andrea focus on a text, based around a particular topic, and discuss the interesting language points alongside some useful cultural information. In this musical episode, our theme is Schlager, an immensely popular style of music with catchy melodies and happy-go-lucky lyrics. Find out more about this cultural phenomenon, and learn about reflexive verbs and using the perfect or Präteritum with als.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Class acts: three lockdown teaching stars discuss being back in school

3 October 2020 (The Guardian)

Staff who made headlines for their dedication during closures talk about the joy of reuniting with pupils and the impact of more restrictions.

[..] When James Innes, AKA the “Joe Wicks for French”, made the decision to share videos of his French lessons online over lockdown, he had no idea that he would return to his school a YouTube sensation.

Autumn immersion week

1 October 2020 (Language Learning Scotland)

Calling all S5 and S6 Modern Languages students studying French, German Spanish and Mandarin. From 12-16 October 2020, Language Learning Scotland is running a virtual language immersion week. Come along to learn more about the culture, the course and so much more!

Meet like-minded language lovers and hear talks from native young people and industry professionals. Get help and advice on navigating your way through Higher and Advanced Higher with tips for memorising grammar and vocabulary.

Visit the LLS website for more information and to apply.

eSgoil study support webinars

1 October 2020 (eSgoil/SCILT)

SCILT is proud to partner with colleagues at e-Sgoil in order to offer additional support to sixth year language learners.

Free live webinar lessons for young people studying Advanced Higher French and Spanish are available on line for eight weeks from the beginning of November.

Advanced Higher Spanish

Wednesdays 5 pm from 4 November 2020

Advanced Higher French

Thursdays 5 pm from 5 November 2020

Going by the response to previous live-streamed lessons, interest is likely to be high. Please encourage young people to sign up as quickly as possible to guarantee their place. They will need their pupil Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number to register.

More information and the registration link can be found on the eSgoil website.

Radio Lingua resources

24 September 2020 (Radio Lingua)

The team at Radio Lingua has collated this week's selection of their language learning resources which are freely available.

French

The Coffee Break French team is busy preparing materials for Season 2 of our Coffee Break French To Go series in which Pierre-Benoît is talking to locals in Nantes, the town where he studied. Ahead of the launch, why not take a look back at Season 1? Join Pierre-Benoît in the town of Pornic, in the west of France and take a look at this episode where we're talking sport. Quel est ton sport préféré ?
In our cultural Facebook post, we were talking about la bise. Despite the need to practise social distancing at the moment, it’s important to know how to do la bise when life goes back to normal. How many kisses should one give? This depends on where you are in the French-speaking world. Here’s a useful video which explains everything you need to know to prepare yourself for la bise in the future.

Spanish

Have you seen our Coffee Break Spanish to Go videos? They are ideal for authentic content in your classes or for sharing for online learning. We took to the streets of Málaga in the south of Spain to ask native Spanish speakers their thoughts on a number of topics. In Episode 9 we ask passers-by: ¿qué haces en tu tiempo libre? - what do you do in your free time?
Every Tuesday on our Coffee Break Languages Instagram account, we share an idiom of the week. Our latest idiom was a piece of cake to remember… in Spanish to say something is really easy, we can say that it is ‘eaten bread’ or pan comido. Why don’t you follow our account or share with your learners? Click here to view the post and see the responses we received.
In Episode 4 of the Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries, we’re leaving Bilbao behind and heading to the capital city of the Cantabria region of Spain – Santander! Listen out for the interesting vocabulary featured in this episode, as well as some useful phrases such as costarle a alguien (to find something difficult). This is a great way to improve your own Spanish or to challenge your advanced learners. Access the podcast | Access the course

Italian

One of last week's Facebook posts was centred around the following question: cosa fai nella vita? which literally means: 'what do you do in life?' This question can be used to ask ‘what do you do?' or 'what is your job?'. We loved hearing about our learners’ jobs in the comments. Check out the post here and try answering the question.
It's almost time to release Coffee Break Italian To Go Season 2! In the meantime, we're catching up on episodes featured in Season 1 and this week, we're asking passers-by: di dove sei? (where are you from?). Do you know how to explain where you come from in Italian? Watch Episode 2 to find out how to structure a response to this question in Italian.

German

In Episode 4 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Karin and her family approach the Austrian border. They explore the new area and take in the nature around them before having some family fun on the Sommerrodelbahn (summer toboggan on metal tracks). Listen out for an example of the pluperfect tense as well as the preposition bei. Los geht's! Listen to the podcast | Access the course
Join Mark and Coffee Break German To Go host, Julia as they take a trip to the beautiful town of Potsdam, where Julia grew up. Mark puts his German into practice with Julia’s help and together they visit various parts of Potsdam including the Russische Kolonie Alexandrowka, the Holländisches Viertel, and Park Sanssouci. We’ve provided English captions for the whole video, and all German used in the video has both German and English subtitles. Click here to watch the video, explore Potsdam and brush up your German along the way.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching

La Fête du Cinéma d’Animation

24 September 2020 (Alliance Française)

The online animated film festival is back with a selection of Francophone animated films which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home!

From Wednesday 14 to Saturday 31 October you can access and stream for free 2 films and 11 short films.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information.

Radio Lingua resources

17 September 2020 (Radio Lingua)

Here's this week's selection of free language learning resources from the team at Radio Lingua.

French

In the latest instalment of La Vérité éclate toujours, our course for advanced learners of French, there’s a huge rebondissement (plot twist) as we discover the identity of the mystery visitor. Tune in to find out.
Do you know how to thank someone for something in French? Find out exactly when to use when to use merci de and merci pour in this episode of Walk, Talk and Learn French, the series in which we WALK around the streets of France, we TALK about the language we see around us to help you and your pupils LEARN more French!

Spanish

Have you been following our Spanish Travel Diaries? As we all missed out on our trips to Spain, join, Victoria and Abel as they travel through the north of Spain. This episode takes us to the Basque city of Bilbao Access the podcast | Access the course
The video content included in our Coffee Break Spanish To Go series features our Spanish presenter, Marina in the streets of Salamanca asking passers-by their opinion on a variety of topics. We have two seasons available which are free to watch on our YouTube channel.and are an excellent resource to show authentic Spanish to your learners.

Italian

Our Italian Travel Diaries series has now been published and you can access all ten episodes. We discover a different area of Tuscany while discussing the language used in diary entries from protagonists Giulia and Paolo as they travel around the wonderful region. Have a listen to the free podcasts
While we're busy preparing materials for Season 2 of Coffee Break Italian To Go, we're taking a look back at lessons from Season 1. This time, we're talking about family as Francesca is in Milan asking passers-by: hai fratelli?. How would you answer this question in Italian? Click here to take some inspiration from responses we received from native Italian speakers.

German

Join Karin, Johannes, Alex, and Janina in this week’s episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries exploring the Wendelstein and the Wasserfall Tatzelwurm before relaxing by the Lagerfeuer (campfire) on the banks of the lake bei Sonnenuntergang (at sunset). As we enjoy the journey, Mark and Andrea review the language used in Karin’s travel diary, this time, focusing on methods of transport and prepositions in German. Listen to the podcast | Access the course
For beginner learners of German, our Coffee Break German To Go Season 1 features simpler questions and answers. In Episode 2, Julia asks the question: woher kommst du? (Where do you come from?). Wondering how you would respond to this question in German? Check out the episode by clicking here.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Les Pépites internationales

17 September 2020 (Institut français)

The Institut français is partnering with the Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse (SLPJ) in Montreuil to promote French-speaking children's literature to French learners around the world.

In addition to literary selections for 3-14 year olds and associated teaching materials, videoconferences between classes and several authors and illustrators from the book selection are available during October and November 2020.

Visit the Pépites internationales website for more information.

The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators

17 September 2020 (University of Oxford)

The Queen’s College Translation Exchange is inviting expressions of interest in our new competition for schools, The Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators. The prize launches this month with ready-made resources designed to be used around European Day of Languages (26 September) and International Translation Day (30 September). The competition is for students of French, German, Mandarin, or Spanish across four levels in Key Stages 3-5.

The competition is inspired by the 'Juvenes Translatores' competition run by the European Commission, for which UK students are no longer eligible.

More information can be found on the attached document or on the competition website.

Related Files

Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators (538 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Translation, News from language & education organisations

Worldwide Napier magazine - call for submissions

16 September 2020 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Worldwide Napier, the magazine in foreign languages designed by language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for its sixth issue, desirably on cultural icons of the XXI Century, our next issue's overarching theme.

Students at secondary school, college or university are invited to submit contributions by 1 November 2020.

More information is available on the attached document.

Related Files

wwn call for submission_issue 6 (109 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, FE, HE, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

e-Sgoil Study Support Webinars

11 September 2020 (e-Sgoil)

Young people from across Scotland are participating in a series of live study support webinar lessons being delivered by e-Sgoil.

Building on the success of the e-Sgoil ‘lockdown’ offer - where over 3,000 young people from across the country participated in real-time e-Sgoil lessons from their homes - the package of study support seeks to complement the work being done by schools by providing free, live, interactive webinar lessons in an extensive range of courses at Level 5 (National 5) and Level 6 (Higher).

Twenty courses are currently on offer in the evenings, in a range of subjects including French, Gaelic, Gaidhlig, Mandarin, Spanish, Business Management, Chemistry, Computing Science, Eachdraidh, English, History, Maths, Music, Physics and RMPS.

e-Sgoil Study Support live webinar lessons are scheduled to run for a period of eight weeks in the first instance and employ a ‘flipped’ learning approach, where participants undertake prior learning using supplied resources before attending the real-time 45-minute webinar lesson, hosted in Glow. All e-Sgoil live webinar lessons are delivered by subject specialists and are scheduled after school in the evening.

Angus Mclennan, Head Teacher of e-Sgoil commented:
“e-Sgoil is delighted to offer Senior Phase pupils from across Scotland the opportunity to participate in a wide-range of live webinar lessons that will reinforce school-based learning. Each webinar lesson is a stand-alone learning experience, so new participants are welcome to sign-up to join future sessions”.

Young people can sign-up directly by simply accessing the e-Sgoil Study Support registration form at www.e-sgoil.com

(Pupil Glow login details and Scottish Candidate Number (SCN) are required as part of the registration process).

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Online French exam support classes

8 September 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow will be running online classes to support pupils studying for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams and students studying French at university. Follow the relevant link below for more information.

National 5, Higher & Advanced Higher exam support classes (commencing 21 September 2020)
Oral course and Grammar/Translating skills course for university students (commencing 9 September 2020)

Posted in: Senior Phase, HE, French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

StampIT language learning resources

7 September 2020 (StampIT)

StampIT offers resources to help teach primary learners different languages using the medium of stamps. Follow the relevant link below to find out more about the latest additions to the resource bank:

Let's Look at China - StampIT’s new Let’s Look at China Mandarin learning pack with workbooks, Powerpoint presentation for teachers; detailed CfE links across literacy, arts, language and social studies aimed at upper primary level. Investigates the culture and language of China.
Find out all about StampIT - Sandie Robb, Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies Development Officer and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Language Project Coordinator, explains the concept in this video and how the various courses and resources can assist with language learning but also include links to the wider curriculum.

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations, Japanese

Virtual after school programme

26 August 2020 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has created a virtual after school programme (VASCO programme) to offer live language sessions in French and Spanish for primary pupils.

For more information, see the attached flyer.

Related Files

LFEE Virtual After School Programme for Languages (61.8 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Learning - Primary, News from language & education organisations

Coronavirus: Covid-19 cuts short students' year abroad studying

24 August 2020 (BBC)

Swapping Port Talbot for Paris was a big deal for Maia Evans. It was the first time she'd left home and the reason she chose to study French.

So you can imagine the 21-year-old's frustration when she had to abruptly leave her class, leave her adopted French family and leave France altogether when coronavirus took hold.

"I was loving it," recalled Maia. "The children were great, my family was lovely and my French was improving massively. Then France shut down overnight."

When Maia bid au revoir to Aberavon Beach she was excited to immerse herself in French culture - not just living with different people for the first time, but people who spoke another language.

It was going to be more Seine and Sacre-Coeur than the steelworks and Swansea Bay of home for Maia and she enjoyed every second in Paris' bustling suburbs.

GCSEs 2020: French and Spanish revival continues

20 August 2020 (TES)

New figures show more pupils were entered for GCSE French and Spanish this year than in 2019.

Combined GCSE entries for the main modern languages have risen again this year, with Spanish seeing the biggest increase.

Tables published this morning by Ofqual show that there were 3 per cent more pupils entering either French, Spanish or German in 2020 in England than in the exams of 2019.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages: OU-SCILT Programme

20 August 2020 (Open University/SCILT)

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages (TELT) is an innovative, distance learning professional learning programme offered by the Open University in partnership with SCILT. The course begins in October and lasts nine months. TELT is open to all primary teachers, and secondary teachers with a secondment in primary, across Scotland. The course materials and tutorials are all delivered online, and we hope to be able to have an optional face to face day school in May 2021 dependent on pandemic safety advice at that time.

Typically Scottish local authorities sponsor their teachers, however a small number of previous participants have financed themselves. If you are interested in finding out if sponsorship is available for you please contact the Languages Development Officer in your local authority.

For more information about self-funding please contact Scotland-languages@open.ac.uk

The aim of the programme is to increase and improve language provision in primary schools. Teachers simultaneously learn a new language and the skills to teach that language in the classroom. The languages strand is offered in four languages – French, German, Mandarin and Spanish – and at two levels – beginners and post-beginners. The pedagogy strand covers a diverse range of pedagogical approaches i.e. embedding an additional language, exploring target language cultures, play and games, interdisciplinary contexts.

What’s the course really like though? Hear what Mel and Gwen, two previous participants have to say.

The modules all begin on 3 October, with some induction activities ahead of that, and the fee per module place in Scotland is £258.00

Details of the commitment in terms of time and effort on these modules at the TELT website’s FAQs.

Potential sponsors can use an online Expression of Interest form to let us know about any teachers who are interested in the programme and would have their fees paid by sponsorship from their local authority or individual school. The deadline to submit Expressions of Interest for sponsored places is 31 August. Submitting the Expression of Interest form doesn't commit organisations to going ahead with sponsorship at this stage, or to a particular number of places. Formal registration paperwork would be issued after submission this online form, and the number of places can be increased or decreased following that.

Teachers who are interested but would be paying their own fees (self-funding), should contact scotland-languages@open.ac.uk The registration deadline for self-funding students is 10 September.

Visit the Open University TELT webpage for more information on the programme.

Similarly, for any other questions you have please don’t hesitate to contact scotland-languages@open.ac.uk

French Film Festival UK 2020

18 August 2020 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK’s Learning programme has always been a class act, bringing French-speaking cinema to thousands of pupils and teachers over the years. In these challenging times instead of welcoming school groups to participating cinemas we will bring the festival to you on either DVDs or blu-rays which can be shown to suit your schedules over a two month period. They will be available from 26 October until 18 December 2020. Accompanying a selection of films for different age groups, teachers can find learning resources online prepared by Lise Morel and Edinburgh Film House.

Visit the Festival website for more information about the programme and to book your dates and titles.

StampIT website updated

10 August 2020 (StampIT)

StampIT is the Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies youth programme where children can discover a world of stamps through interactive games and activities. StampIT also provides a number of ideas for teachers to use stamps across the curriculum. Stamps are a great medium for learning about a wide range of subjects including arts, music, history, geography, science, sport, culture and languages.

StampIT is launching ‘Stamp over October’. This series develops various skills and increases knowledge across the curriculum for the broad general education phase. The range of activities cover experiences and outcomes in many areas within expressive arts; language and literacy; mathematics; sciences; social studies and technologies. The activities will also last beyond October!

See the attached flyers for more information and visit the website for a range of games and activities for learners of French, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese.

Related Files

StampIT - new activities (304 KB)
Stamp over October flyer (826 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations, Japanese

Heriot-Watt’s search for £9m cuts puts university’s languages department at risk

6 August 2020 (The Times)

A Scottish university is reviewing the future of its entire foreign languages department as it looks at how to cut its wage bill by £9 million over two years.

Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh, widely seen as Scotland’s centre of excellence for translation studies, has commissioned an external review into French, German, Spanish and Chinese classes.

Back to school offer

14 July 2020 (La Jolie Ronde)

As schools return from the Summer break, La Jolie Ronde Languages For Children continues their support to Scotland's schools and teachers with a Back To School Offer. Schools can receive 20% off all French & Spanish resources until 20 September. Simply use promo code:

For French Resources: BTSFRENCH
for Spanish Resources: BTSSPANISH

at checkout on their online shop or if you'd like an invoice please email your order to quoting SCILT/back to school.

Terms: Not applicable on any current promos, structured course books or for Licensees

Posted in: Primary, French, Resources

Furloughed Eurostar staff become French teachers

24 June 2020 (BBC)

Eurostar staff furloughed during the lockdown are helping London schools with online French lessons.

Rail staff not currently working, including train drivers, have volunteered to help pupils learning at home online.

Only a limited number of Eurostar's services to France and Belgium are running - and about 30 staff have been helping with French lessons.

‘I just need a connection’: the refugees teaching languages across borders

17 June 2020 (The Guardian)

A unique platform lets teachers from Venezuela to Syria to Burundi earn a living teaching their language online.

Louisa Waugh and Ghaith Alhallak have met for language lessons in seven countries. “We counted it up the other day,” says Waugh, recalling the list of places from which she has video-called Alhallak: Britain, Mali, Senegal and Greece. Alhallak has answered from Lebanon, France and Italy, where he is now studying for a master’s degree in political science at the University of Padua.

“You just need a connection,” he says.

The 770 students and 64 teachers at NaTakallam - “we speak” in Arabic – conduct their lessons entirely online, allowing refugees to speak to students who might not otherwise have contact with displaced people. The service also circumvents restrictions on work for refugees and asylum seekers in their new countries of residence, which means they can earn money.

“I really see it as solving two problems,” says one of NaTakallam’s founders, Aline Sara. “Refugees need access to an income, but with no work permit they’re often stuck in limbo. Yet they have innate talents within them in the form of their language, their story and culture, while so many people want flexible language practice,” she says. “There’s an idea that people always want to train and help refugees, but really they can help us.”

University of Dundee Graduate Diplomas in French, German and Spanish by Distance Learning

17 June 2020 (University of Dundee)

Registration for the 2020-22 cohort of the Graduate Diplomas in French, German and Spanish by Distance Learning of the University of Dundee is now open until 11 September 2020.

These 2 years online Graduate Diplomas by Distance Learning for part-time study are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. They are ideally suited for Secondary MFL teachers seeking an additional qualification in French, German or Spanish.

'A must for any modern languages teacher.' (Diploma student)

They aim to provide the challenge of an undergraduate curriculum in the relevant practical language. They carry a rating of 120 SCOTCAT points (SCQF Levels 9-10). The qualification outcome is bench-marked at C1 in the Council of Europe Reference Framework for Languages. Applicants will normally have a pass in Higher the relevant language (or equivalent, such as the Dundee Intensive/Revision languages courses by distance-learning).

'I myself am a language teacher. I have been teaching English in Japan for the last 9 years, so it is with a teacher’s perspective in mind that I tell you that the preparation, delivery and assessment of this diploma was excellent.' (French Diploma student)

'The materials were totally relevant as I need the course for teaching and the topics match that very well. I really enjoyed doing the course and would think about doing it for French (down the road)!' (German Diploma student)

'The course is very interesting with its amazing variety of tasks from different domains in different forms and it has opened my eyes to a brand new world so rich with talented people, their literature and arts. Thank you so much for working so hard in making the whole experience so fulfilling and enriching.' (Spanish Diploma student)

For more information visit the Dundee University website or to discuss any aspects of the course or your application, please contact Claire Nicoll c.z.nicoll@dundee.ac.uk

IFcinéma à la carte

9 June 2020 (Institut français)

The French and African online film festival, « IFcinéma à la carte » is free and open to all.

From Friday 12 June to Monday 13 July 2020, 11 short films and 10 feature films from France and Africa are available online, free of charge and without registration.

The films are subtitled in various languages (English and Spanish at least as well as, in some cases, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, etc.) and accessible worldwide.

Visit the website for more information about the programme.

Coronavirus: French teacher's Hebridean lockdown

9 June 2020 (BBC)

A French language assistant who remained in the Western Isles during the coronavirus lockdown has been praised for the unique contribution she has made to young people's education.

Mathilde Forgerit arrived in Lewis last August for what was her first experience of teaching French abroad.

During the pandemic she has been able to use the islands' digital learning facilities to deliver classes to young people in other parts of Scotland too.

She said that despite being far from her family, the kindness of islanders stopped her from feeling isolated.

[..] Mathilde returned home to France last week, but the comhairle said she had left behind a positive language learning legacy across island schools.

Senior education officer Mary Clare Ferguson said: "She proved to be such an asset and a natural teacher.

"The pupils loved working with her and gained so much insight from a young person about her life in France, her culture and language. She really motivated them to improve their language skills."

Transform your playground into an outdoor classroom

1 June 2020 (La Jolie Ronde)

Outdoor play is great for encouraging children to be physically active as well as improving health and well-being. So why not transform your playground into an outdoor classroom with one of La Jolie Ronde's award-winning language learning Theme Days? The Theme Days are perfect for small groups of children, across the school, to join in a fun and worthwhile language learning activity, in either French or Spanish, plus "no specialist language skills" required so any teacher or teaching assistant can participate.

Schools why not replace Sports Day with our Olympic Theme Day? Create your own mini Olympic games! Perfect for pupils to learn all about the history of the games. Includes: Mini Olympic events, templates for coloured flashcards of the events, role play activities, templates for passes, ideas for certificates, 3 board games to revise language learning.

French - www.language-resources.co.uk/products/theme-days-fr-olympics

Spanish - www.language-resources.co.uk/products/theme-days-es-olympics

If you're wanting an abundance of playground games, then our Around My School Theme Day ticks all boxes - Such a great topic for everyone to have fun with! There are plenty of outdoor activities in this Theme Day. Includes: Video clips of French/Spanish children showing us their school, lots of typical French/Spanish playground games, a school treasure hunt, and a fun non-uniform day activity to reinforce items of clothing & colours. Buy here:

French - https://www.language-resources.co.uk/products/theme-days-fr-around-my-school

Spanish - https://www.language-resources.co.uk/products/theme-days-es-around-my-school

Celebrate on 14 July, with our Bastille Day Theme Day. Perfect for teaching pupils all about France's very important holiday. Includes: the story of the storming of the Bastille, ideas for a Bastille Day picnic, traditional French games like pétanque, instructions for making French flags and rosettes. Buy here:

French - www.language-resources.co.uk/products/theme-days-fr-bastille

***SPECIAL OFFER FOR SCILT - We're giving you 20% OFF all our Theme Day, simply use promotional code TD20 at checkout.

We can invoice you as well - simply email your order to schools@lajolieronde.co.uk quoting SCILT.

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Watch new PowerLanguage Challenge videos

25 May 2020 (PowerLanguage)

Pupils in Scotland have been using their language skills to produce some quality videos. Take a look at these podcasts made by learners, for learners. Why not take up the challenge in your school?

Online French classes

14 May 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française offers a variety of opportunities for learners of French. Follow the relevant link below to find out more:

Online Summer French classes for adults (June-September 2020, suitable for adults of all levels)
Frantastique (daily short, fun French lessons - 15 day free trial available)
Orthodidacte (online tool to learn and practise spelling and grammar of the French language - free 7 day trial available)

For information on all other initiatives offered by the organisation, visit the main website.

French Institute in Scotland's new cultural blog

26 March 2020 (Institut français)

Created with the hope that it will provide you with content to keep in touch with French culture and activities during the confinement period, this blog will also allow you to know our team better by offering articles written by different members of staff on their favourite topics. Please get in touch with us at frenchclassesife@gmail.com and tell us what you’d like to see or hear from us on our blog and social media! Don’t forget to take care of each other, to keep your spirits up and to stay safe and healthy.

Two new posts will be uploaded each day at 10am and 3pm.

The Great Languages Challenge

26 March 2020 (British Council)

The Great Languages Challenge can be completed during a planned lesson or also set as a language-themed homework task. We even have a blank version available that students can use to design their own challenges for their classmates or peers in their partner school overseas.

Modern Languages webinars

19 March 2020 (SCILT/CISS)

Along with our partners at e-Sgoil, the SCILT and CISS teams are currently working on live webinars to support youngsters working on National Qualifications in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic. This will compliment the work already being done by teachers across the country so that youngsters due to sit National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications do not have their learning interrupted. We will give further information via our usual networks and social media.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish

Francophone culture teaching and learning materials

2 March 2020 (University of Stirling)

An English and French fourth-year student at the University of Stirling is carrying out research for her final year dissertation on the representation of the francophone cultures in the French language learning materials of S1/S2 and S5/S6 and the role of culture teaching in French language classes. For this investigation, she has prepared an interview for secondary French teachers asking about the French language learning materials they use in class, the way they teach culture and the cultural aspects that they teach.

If you would like to support her research, please complete the questionnaire.

Spring break revision courses

25 February 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is running semi-intensive revision courses in April for Secondary School pupils and University students who are due to sit their French examinations in 2020.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol by 30 March 2020.

French pop video competition 2020

24 February 2020 (Institut français)

Do you think you could sing or rap in French? Do you have the skills to make a video clip for your song? If so, this competition is for you!

The competition is open to any student or groups of students in full time education in the national-curriculum primary and secondary schools of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Channel Islands, in 3 age-group categories: 7-11, 12-15, and 16-18.

Entries should be original compositions around 3 minutes long and must be performed in French.

Visit the competition website for more information and submit entries by 3 April 2020.

Le Grand Quiz de la Francophonie 2020 - Spécial Québec

18 February 2020 (Francophonie UK)

Vive la Francophonie Quiz is back!

Last year's quiz was a huge success, with more than 787 entries (individuals or collectives) around the UK.

This year the quiz is prepared by the Québec Government Office in London, together with the group Francophonie UK; so expect lots of question about la Belle Province, and not only about poutine, maple sirup, circus or Céline Dion!

There will also be the same number of questions about la Francophonie and french speaking countries.

The quiz is a fun way to test your French (or the French of your students) and learn more about the culture of the 88 countries part of l'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)!

This quiz is open to UK learners of French in the United Kingdom. For the first time, we are also introducing a new category open to anyone living in the UK (all ages). Here are the categories:

● UK Secondary Schools : KS3 pupils (S1,S2, and S3 in Scotland) - can enter as teams or individuals

● UK participating Alliances Françaises and Instituts Français : all students, teens and adults

● UK people interested in French and French speaking countries

Registration is open until 13 March 2020. The quiz will be available online during la Francophonie week, from 14 to 22 March 2020.

Wee Write 2020

14 February 2020 (Aye Write, Wee Write)

As part of Glasgow's wider Aye Write annual book festival, Wee Write is specifically aimed at children and young people.

Award winning authors, Wee Write favourites and brand new faces will bring books alive at The Mitchell Library and inspire a lifelong love of reading in children. All schools are able to book sessions at the event with Glasgow schools receiving a discounted admission. This year's Wee Write event for schools runs from 2 - 6 March, with a family day also being held on Saturday 7 March.

There are several Scots and Gaelic sessions to be enjoyed and schools can book story sessions at local libraries in a range of foreign languages.

Visit the Wee Write website for more information and booking details.

Modern Language Assistants 2020-21 applications open

14 February 2020 (British Council)

The British Council Language Assistants team is now welcoming requests from host schools, colleges, universities and local authorities for the 2020-21 academic year.

Language Assistants are an invaluable resource for the development of language skills and the raising of inter-cultural awareness. Language Assistants can help learners build their confidence while gaining new cultural insights. Assistants are native speakers of French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin from our 14 partner countries around the globe.

Visit the website to apply or contact the Language Assistants team for more information at Languageassistants.UK@britishcouncil.org

British Council Language Assistants banner

New job profile on SCILT's website

7 February 2020 (SCILT)

We have a variety of job profiles on our website showcasing careers where languages are in use. The latest addition to our collection comes from Cassandra Scott, an independent translator based in Edinburgh.

Cassandra tells us in a competitive job market it's pays to stand out from the crowd with a skill that not everyone has. So if offered the chance to learn a language, her advice is take it!

Teachers share her profile with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.

Short term international youth volunteering opportunity - France

31 January 2020 (Red Cross)

The International Youth Volunteering Programme has one exciting 5 month volunteering opportunity in France coming up in March 2020 (ending August 2020).

As part of the European Solidarity Corps (EuSC) scheme, all IYVP placements are fully funded, with travel, accommodation, health insurance costs all covered and volunteers receive a small monthly allowance to cover additional expenses.

This is the perfect opportunity for those interested in gaining valuable skills, having new experiences and giving back to the community. Experience is not a requirement, although the placements can be challenging and require adaptability and resilience. This volunteer will also need a good-high level of French language skills. We’re particularly keen to hear from young people who are passionate about the work but may not otherwise have the opportunity to volunteer overseas.

The volunteer will be part of the education team, helping to raise awareness of first aid, health issues, international humanitarian law and much more. They will be supported by other French volunteers, and will also be able to take part in other activities in the Red Cross branch.

If you are interested in applying, please visit the volunteer recruitment portal. The deadline for applications is Sunday 16 February 2020.

Any questions? Please email us at IYVP@redcross.org.uk.

Language competitions

22 January 2020 (RZSS)

RZSS and our partner StampIT have launched language competitions. All are based on a fantastic activity which covers many curriculum objectives starting with just one postage stamp. Tell the story of a Spanish, French, Chinese or in fact any country/language stamp. Full details are on the attached pdf leaflets. There are specific leaflets for Spanish, French and Mandarin. There is also another leaflet 'Stamps from around the World' and for this competition any topic (including any language) can be entered. This activity links to the RZSS & StampIT language series.

The competition will continue to run each year, therefore there is no time limit for entries. However for entries to be shown in the 2020 Scottish Annual Congress, please send by 1 March 2020. Entries are encouraged from all age groups. Example pages are shown but younger pupils can still enter and possibly draw around the stamp and write a word or two in the language as appropriate. Pupils can enter more than one of the competitions.

Check out the attached leaflets for more information on each of the competitions. If anyone has difficulty in finding stamps, please contact Sandie Robb - SRobb@rzss.org.uk.

Multilingual Debate 2020

21 January 2020 (Heriot-Watt University)

Heriot-Watt University's Multilingual Debate is an annual event that showcases the interpreting skills of undergraduate and postgraduate students. The event takes the form of a formal debate with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. The teams deliver their views in their various native languages (French, German, Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, British Sign Language (BSL)).

The audience is mainly made up of pupils coming from Scottish and English secondary schools, along with university undergraduate students considering entering the interpreting profession, as well as government and local authority representatives, The audience participates by listening to the arguments, putting questions to the speakers in the languages represented and voting on the motion.

The Multilingual Debate 2020 will take place on Wednesday 25 March at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus. Two sessions are available and bookings are now being taken. Schools can book up to 15 tickets free of charge.

Visit the website for more information.

Immersion courses in France and Spain

17 January 2020 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has been an international course provider since 2002. Our team of experienced and fully qualified native teachers are committed to promoting French and Spanish language and culture throughout Europe.

Teachers wishing to apply for courses in France and Spain for 2020-2021 can also benefit from Erasmus+ funding to cover the tuition fee, accommodation, subsistence and travel costs. The next funding application deadline is 5 February 2020.

Please contact LFEE Europe as soon as possible to pre-register and receive guidelines to help your application.

For more information, see the course brochure.

Worldwide Napier magazine - Call for submissions

10 January 2020 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Worldwide Napier, the magazine in foreign languages designed by language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for its fifth issue, desirably on [changing] places, our next issue main focus.

Students from secondary schools, colleges and other universities are invited to submit articles, written individually or collaboratively in the language(s) they are studying. The magazine will be published by the end of April and will be available in digital and hard copy format, distributed for free in Scottish schools, Edinburgh cafés and cultural institutions.

See the attached flyer and poster for more information. Submission deadline is 1 March 2020.

Related Files

Worldwide Napier call for submission_issue 5 (88.2 KB)
WWN issue 5 poster (215 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

New job profile on the SCILT website

10 January 2020 (SCILT)

We have a range of job profiles on our website showcasing careers where languages are being used. The latest addition to our collection comes from Ruth Sillars-Mathouillot, a Relationship Manager for a bank based in Luxembourg.

Ruth tells us language learning offers an enriching experience, providing the ability to socialise with people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Teachers use this resource with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.

Winter 2020: C’est la rentrée!

9 January 2020 (Institut français)

The Institut français in Edinburgh is now enrolling for winter term classes commencing 13 January 2020.

Visit the website for information on the courses available and to enrol.

Mandarin eclipses French, say private school heads

8 January 2020 (TES)

Mandarin is the best language for pupils to learn in today’s world, while French lags far behind in importance, according to girls’ school headteachers cited in a poll published today.

The survey, conducted by the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), which represents independent all-girls schools across the UK, found that 38 per cent of heads feel Mandarin is the most important modern language for pupils to learn.

This is despite pupils' quicker progress in European languages, according to a language expert, who also argues that more job opportunities area available for French and German speakers.

Spanish was the second most popular option among the headteachers polled, with 31 per cent choosing it as the most important language, while 7.1 per cent chose Russian.

Just 2 per cent of those surveyed said French is the most important language for pupils to know.

A further 21 per cent selected “other”, with many commenting that any modern foreign language is useful for pupils.

[..] But Teresa Tinsley, who wrote the British Council’s 2019 Language Trends report, said schools needed to consider the practicalities of opting for Mandarin over languages spoken by geographical neighbours, such as French and German.

[..] Ms Tinsley said she supported the introduction of Mandarin to give pupils more variety in the languages they learnt, but said European languages tended to support pupils’ literacy in English, which could not be said of Asian languages.

(Note - subscription required to read full article).

French Pop Video Competition 2020

6 January 2020 (Institut français)

Do you think you could sing or rap in French? Do you have the skills to make a video clip for your song? If so, this competition is for you!

Entries should be original compositions around 3 minutes long and must be performed in French.

Visit the competition website for more information and submit entries by 3 April 2020.

French classes in Glasgow

6 January 2020 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is currently enrolling for the following courses/examinations. Click on the relevant link for more information.

New term courses for adults and children (commencing February)
Higher and Advanced Higher oral revision courses (January/February)
Grammar, oral and translation revision classes for university students (January/February)
DELF/DALF official certification of competency (register February for March session)

For further information about the organisation, visit the Alliance Française website.

Why we offer Mandarin and Spanish, not German and French

20 December 2019 (TES)

Secondary head Chris Woolf explains why he ditched the modern language stalwarts in favour of giving all students the chance to learn Mandarin and Spanish.

It was very quiet. There was no one to talk to. There were no phones to ring. There was no one knocking on the door. Getting in early to make some progress before students and staff arrived for the day was pointless: they wouldn’t be here for another nine months. It was June 2015 and I had been appointed founding headteacher of Pinner High School.

Much of the next year was spent making and enacting plans. But foremost in my mind, on those quiet days when the school had not yet come into being, was the curriculum. What should it look like?

A lot of it would be traditional, of course: English, maths, science. However, there was an opportunity to make it a bit more exciting, too. This is how we came to ditch French and German, teaching Mandarin and Spanish to every child in the school instead.

Mandarin teaching has increased over the past 20 years but it is still offered by only a minority of state schools. Even then, it is usually in addition to the more traditional languages. We didn’t want it to be an add-on – we wanted it to be the main event.

Meanwhile, the number of students taking Spanish at GCSE has soared, while French has fallen markedly. But trying to counter the former and respond to the latter were not our only drivers.

Governors asked appropriately challenging questions. Why? What’s wrong with French and German? Through telling audiences about our language options as I toured local primaries to promote the school, I honed my response. When schools first started teaching modern foreign languages, we looked to our nearest neighbours in Europe for the most useful ones to learn: French and German.

But the world has changed. If we look to the future, we want jobseekers of the 2020s to be equipped for success, and that means a more dynamic approach. Teaching students in an English-speaking school Mandarin and Spanish means that they get to study the top three most widely spoken languages in the world. That must be a good thing.

Having settled on Mandarin and Spanish, I had to consider who would be eligible for these languages. This was an easy decision: everyone. We are a truly inclusive school and we believe that everyone can access the same curriculum, given the proper support.

Then I had to actually make it happen. I had expected recruiting Mandarin teachers to be difficult. However, when I advertised, there was a strong field to pick from and we now have brilliant colleagues.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Parlons français 2020

6 December 2019 (AMOPA)

The competition for Advanced Higher students of French has now been running for over ten years and is back again for 2020!

To enter, all that's needed is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. Judges will assess it, provide feedback to everyone and some will be awarded prizes and certificates. It is hoped that taking part will be a useful exercise to support pupils' learning and preparation and not a distraction. Since they are practising anyway, why not let them have some feedback on that?

For more information and how to enter see the attached flyer.

Related Files

Parlons francais 2020 (673 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

New job profile on the SCILT website

6 December 2019 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website cover a range of careers where languages are in use. Our most recent addition comes from Marion Geoffray, a theatre maker and drama teacher, who is the artistic director of Theatre Sans Accents, an innovative bilingual theatre company in Edinburgh.

Marion performs in several languages and believes immersing yourself in the language and culture is the most effective way to learn and to have fun!

Teachers use this resource with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.

French courses in Glasgow

2 December 2019 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is currently enrolling for the following courses taking place during January and February 2020. Click on the relevant link for more information.

Posted in: Senior Phase, HE, French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

UNIQ Spring and Summer Schools 2020

29 November 2019 (University of Oxford)

UNIQ Spring and Summer gives students in UK state schools and colleges an opportunity to sample the Oxford undergraduate student experience. Applicants will live in an Oxford college for a week, attend lectures and seminars in their chosen subject area, and receive expert advice on the Oxford application and interview process. The timetable also allows plenty of time for social activities.

For those unable to attend the Oxford campus, the UNIQ Digital programme provides comprehensive information and guidance on the university admissions process, and aims to provide a realistic view of Oxford student life through videos, activities and quizzes.

A wide range of courses are on offer, including several language study options.

Visit the UNIQ website for more information about the programmes on offer and to apply. Applications are open from 2 December 2019 to 27 January 2020.

French oral revision courses

11 November 2019 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

Alliance Française are running special revision courses in January and February for pupils sitting their Higher or Advanced Higher oral examinations in 2020.

Higher
Wednesday 4.30-6.30pm: 29th January to 19th February inclusive

£75/pupil

Advanced Higher
Monday 5-7pm: 27th January to 17th February inclusive

£75/pupil

Posted in: French, Qualifications

Win a trip to Paris

8 November 2019 (ULIP)

Studying French at AS/A Level (or equivalent) and fancy a weekend away to the City of Light?

The University of London Institute in Paris’ (ULIP) annual Win a Trip to Paris competition is now open for students of AS/A-Level French (or equivalent)! The weekend offers the perfect chance to explore the French capital, try out your taste for croissants, and see what it might be like to live and study for your undergraduate degree in one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities.

This year's competition focuses on an important forthcoming event that will take place in Paris. To spur creativity, we have changed our format: this year we are inviting you to create an image caption. Be imaginative and bold! For your chance to spend a weekend in Paris, simply answer two questions and add your snappy caption under the image before midnight UK time 31 January 2020.

Visit the ULIP website for more information and to enter.

The best languages to study for future job opportunities

6 November 2019 (The Telegraph)

Your Year 9 French teacher was right: learning a language can open a lot of doors. Not only will your fluency allow you to travel to distant corners of the globe, but having a degree in a language can make you highly employable.

Mastering a language has always been impressive to employers: it shows tenacity and commitment, but can also come in handy if they work with overseas clients.

Now, language skills are more sought after than ever, given the potential impact of Brexit on British industry, according to the CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Report 2018. “The need for languages has been heightened by the UK’s departure from the European Union,” the report states.

The British Council has also stressed the need for young people to learn a foreign language in order for Britain to become a “truly global nation”. In their most recent Languages for the Future report in 2017, the British Council listed the following as the most important languages for the UK’s prosperity: Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese and Russian.

Even though multilingualism is needed for the UK’s prosperity, just 1 in 3 Britons can hold a conversation in a foreign language, according to the report from the British Council.

So, those who can speak another language are more needed than ever - as is clear from the 2018 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Report, which surveyed almost 500 British employers and calculated which languages are most desirable to them. The following are the results from that report and, thus, the best languages to study for graduate employment.

French and German GCSEs to be marked less harshly, Ofqual rules

5 November 2019 (The Guardian)

French and German GCSEs are to be marked less severely from next year amid concerns that students are being put off studying modern foreign languages (MFL) because it is more difficult to get top grades in these than in other subjects.

The qualifications regulator Ofqual has ruled there should be an adjustment to grading standards in French and German GCSEs – entries for which have declined dramatically – but not in Spanish where numbers have been more buoyant.

The government also announced a review of the content of its recently reformed GCSEs in MFL after complaints from teachers that some of the questions are too difficult – particularly in listening and reading assessments – and may be discouraging students.

Ofqual said there were no plans to adjust GCSE grades retrospectively, but the regulator will now work with the examination boards in the run-up to next year’s exam season to bring the grading of French and German GCSEs in line with other subjects.

School leaders welcomed the move and called for a comparable adjustment in languages at A-level, where there has been a similar decline. The GCSE grading adjustments may need to be phased in over a longer period, and will affect grades 4 and above.

“We have conducted a thorough review of the evidence that GCSE French, German and Spanish are severely graded in comparison to other subjects,” an Ofqual statement said. “On the balance of the evidence we have gathered, we have judged that there is a sufficiently strong case to make an adjustment to grading standards in French and German, but not Spanish.”

The Ofqual announcement comes amid mounting concern about the dramatic decline in the study of modern foreign languages in schools in England over the past 15 years, with entries for language GCSEs down 48%. German has declined by 65%, while French is down by 62%.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, England, Language Learning, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Concours de la Francophonie

28 October 2019 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse has launched their annual Concours de la Francophonie for schools, which aims to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

Entries can be submitted in four categories: P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6.

The submission deadline is 20 January 2020.

This school competition is sponsored by TOTAL E&P, the Franco Scottish Society and is organised in partnership with the Alliance française de Glasgow, SALT, SCILT and the University of Edinburgh.

Visit the Institut français website for more information and to discover previous competition winners.

French classes in Glasgow

25 October 2019 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow currently has the following opportunities for French language learners. Click on the relevant link for more information:

Term B courses now enrolling - classes for adults commence 18 November
A1-A2 revision class - 13 November. Limited space, so book early!
French Film Festival debate and screening - attend a competitive debate followed by the screening of the documentary Libre on 13 November (free, but registration required)

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information about the organisation and the activities they offer.

Africa in Motion Film Festival 2019

25 October 2019 (African in Motion Film Festival)

The Africa in Motion Film Festival takes place from 25 October to 3 November. Screenings in Glasgow and Edinburgh include several foreign language films.

Visit the website for full details of this year's programme.

Get ready for Hallowe'en!

25 October 2019 (Various)

A selection of spooktastic activities to celebrate Hallowe’en in the languages classroom:

Halloween poetry - SCILT's French, German and Spanish Halloween poetry resources
Eight evil lessons for Hallowe’en – resources from the Scots Language Centre
Four French Hallowe’en activities – FluentU provides a great source of seasonal vocabulary and activities
Spanish Hallowe’en activities – Spanish Playground offers a range of materials for the primary classroom
French, Spanish and German teaching ideas for Halloween and Day of the Dead – a selection of activities from TES contributors (note some incur a small charge)
Día de los Muertos – Spanish Mama’s website contains crafts, videos and lesson ideas to celebrate Day of the Dead
Hallowee’en around the World – learn about Hallowe’en traditions in Mexico, China, Italy and Romania

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources

The Ramshorn and Graveyard Digital Trail - now available!

23 October 2019 (SCILT)

If you find yourself in the Merchant City area of Glasgow why not complete our new 'The Ramshorn and Graveyard' digital trail? Pupils from Glasgow Gaelic School, Holyrood Secondary, Shawlands Academy and St Roch's Secondary worked with SCILT and Global Treasure Apps to create a multilingual trail around the new SCILT and CISS premises. The trail encourages visitors to learn about the history of the area by following clues set by the pupils, and gives people the chance to test their language skills.

The Ramshorn and Graveyard Digital Trail is available to download from Global Treasure Apps in Arabic, English, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish and Urdu.

Find Global Treasure Apps on the App store or Google Play.

Posted in: Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, SCILT, Technology, SCILT news, Arabic, Polish, Urdu

If Britain’s young love Europe so much why aren’t they learning the lingo?

18 October 2019 (Life Spectator)

Most of my friends are moderate Remainers. There’s the odd fanatic, the sort who go on marches demanding a People’s Vote. What I can’t understand is why none of them can speak French, German, or indeed any European language.

They go on holiday to Europe, but only to those parts where they won’t have to speak the lingo because fortunately Johnny Foreigner has had the good sense to learn English.

Something else that confuses me is the belief, most pungently articulated by David Aaronovitch, that Brexit will be reversed in a few years because those stuck-in-the-past Gammons will shuffle off this mortal coil to be replaced in the electorate by a shiny new Briton: young, cosmopolitan and forward-looking, who believe the sun shines out of the Brussels’ class. In which case, why are fewer school children than ever bothering to learn a foreign language?

According to a report in the BBC this year, the learning of foreign languages is at its lowest level in UK secondary schools since the turn of the millennium. Since 2013 there has been a decline of between 30 to 50 per cent in the numbers taking GCSE language courses with German and French suffering most. That’s in England; in Northern Ireland the drop in pupils learning modern languages at GSCE is 40% while in Scotland there has been a 19% decline since 2014. And there was me thinking those two countries couldn’t get enough of all things European.

Furthermore, in March this year the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Modern Languages released a report stating that since 2000 more than fifty UK universities have cut language courses, or done away with departments entirely.

I blame the parents. In 2013 a report revealed that only a quarter of British adults were capable of holding even a basic conversation in a language other than English; of those, French was the most common, followed by German.

French Film Festival 2019

17 October 2019 (French Film Festival)

The 27th French Film Festival takes place throughout the UK during November and December 2019.

Visit the Festival website to discover screenings near you. Educational packs are available to accompany the following films:

La Famille Bélier
Gus petit oiseau, grand voyage
Une colonie

Discovery Film Festival 2019

8 October 2019 (Discovery Film Festival)

This year's Discovery Film Festival takes place from 19 October to 3 November. Now in its sixteenth year, the festival brings another selection of the best films for young audiences from around the world. With several native language films on offer, and a programme for schools, language learners have a great opportunity to test their listening and comprehension skills.

Into Film Festival 2019

3 October 2019 (Into Film)

The Into Film Festival is a free, annual, nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds.

Taking place from 6-22 November 2019 in various locations across the country, film titles will include premieres and the latest blockbusters alongside old favourites, documentaries, animations, short films, modern foreign language titles and much more, all mapped against curricula from across the four UK nations, and supported by the Festival's various educational resources.

Visit the website to discover screenings near you.

French classes in Glasgow

24 September 2019 (Alliance Française)

The autumn term has now started at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. Below is information on some of the upcoming events and activities this session. Click on the appropriate link for more information:

To find out more about the full range of courses and activities on offer, visit the Alliance Française website.

Translanguaging has made it to Scottish primary education and it is alive and 'coleando'!

11 September 2019 (Creative Multilingualism)

All the World is Our Stage: primary pupils never lost in translanguaging, a multilingual performance showcasing heritage and school languages, has brought pupils and teachers from Whinhill Primary School together with actress-singer, Rebecca Cameron, and creative language learning social enterprise, The Language Hub.

Warm and welcome feelings and emotions engulfed me the first time I set foot in Whinhill. Bilingual signs in English and Gaelic adorn the school, leaving no wall silent, and as you venture inside, the building also speaks through imagery and words in French. What a pleasure to the eye, and a delicacy for the soul!

The school currently offers Gaelic and French under the 1+2 language approach to language learning, and hosts a Gaelic Medium Education (GME) unit allowing pupils to learn through the medium of Scottish Gaelic.

The multilingual realities of our pupils is not always acknowledged, or even recognised, in the school context. English as the societal and school language can stifle pupils’ heritage languages. This project sought to combat that by raising awareness about multilingualism and celebrating linguistic diversity through the performing arts.

Visit the website to read the full article, which contains links to the resources used in the project.

World Wide Napier magazine - call for submissions

10 September 2019 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Building on the success of the first three issues, Worldwide Napier, a magazine in foreign languages designed by our language students to encourage language studies, is currently looking for contributions in French, German and Spanish for its fourth issue.

Students from secondary schools, colleges and other universities are invited to submit articles, written individually or collaboratively in the language they are studying. The magazine will be published by the end of December and will be available in digital and hard copy format, distributed for free in Scottish schools, Edinburgh cafés and cultural institutions.

See the attached flyer for more information. Submission deadline is 1 November 2019.

Related Files

WWN call for submissions - Issue 4 (194 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, FE, HE, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

SQA Advanced Higher Spanish and French Course Reports

9 September 2019 (SQA)

SQA has published Advanced Higher Spanish and French course reports for the 2019 exam diet.

The reports provide information on candidates’ performance.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage to access the reports.

Yakety Yak Language Cafés

26 August 2019 (Yakety Yak)

Improve your foreign language conversation in a local café, in a small group with an experienced tutor.

We meet

in the relaxed atmosphere of local cafes and bistros in Edinburgh and Glasgow
in small groups of similar level of fluency
with a tutor who is a native speaker for each group
each session normally has a minimum of 2 tutors to cater for most abilities
No need to book - just drop in. However, if it is your first time with us, we recommend you phone or email us to discuss your level and the best session for you first

Conversation classes commence from 2 September 2019. Visit the website for details of sessions running in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

What are the most popular subjects in Scotland?

23 August 2019 (TESS)

Earlier this month the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) published annual data on qualifications at all levels.

Tes Scotland has examined the figures to find the most popular subjects at Higher level in 2019, a list that includes all 27 subjects with at least 1,000 entries. Also included are four subjects which had more than 1,000 entries in 2016 – the first year that only the new version of the Higher was run – but which have now dipped below 1,000 entries.

In brackets are the number of Higher entries for each of the 31 subjects in 2016. This offers a better comparison that the figures for 2015, the first year in which the new version of Higher was offered, as for that year only the old Higher was also available.

Finally, below that, we also take a look at which subjects are losing popularity at Higher level, and which are on the rise, by calculating the percentage difference between entries in 2016 and 2019 for each of the 31 subjects.

The figures suggest that social subjects are being squeezed, with geography, in particular, seeing a fall in entries of almost 16 per cent between 2016 and 2019.

But there are even bigger falls in some subjects, including computing science (27.5 per cent) and French (25.4 per cent) and – the biggest fall proportionally – philosophy (34.8 per cent).

Few subjects have seen rises in entries, with Spanish among those to increase (17.5 per cent), although by far the biggest rise proportionally is in politics (55.3%).

For context, overall entries fell from 197,750 in 2016 to 185,914 in 2019, a drop of almost 6 per cent. In italics are all the subjects where the percentage drop in entries is Higher than the overall percentage drop in entries across all subjects.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

New job profile on the SCILT website

23 August 2019 (SCILT)

We have job profiles on our website covering a wide range of careers where languages are in use. Our latest addition comes from Stephanie Mitchell, a Civil Servant in the Scottish Government who has previously worked in Europe and Asia, thanks to her language skills. Stephanie shares her experiences and how vital languages have been throughout her life and career.

Teachers use this resource with your pupils to support the Developing the Young Workforce initiative and highlight the benefits of language learning as a life skill.

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Business, Careers, Language Learning for Work, SCILT news

UK must regain strength in language skills after GCSE results, says British Academy

21 August 2019 (British Academy)

As nationwide GCSE results are published, the British Academy today responds to the modest rise in students choosing to study a language in England.

A rise of 4% in entries for language GCSEs has been driven by growth in French and Spanish, although in entries in German continue to decline.

The British Academy highlights these positive signs in language take-up, but cautions that there is still a long way to go to turn around the long-term decline in language-learning in the UK, noting that 10% fewer pupils took a language GCSE in England this year than in 2014.

The fall in language GCSEs has knock-on effects for take-up at A level, which declined 5% in 2019 compared to last year, and subsequently affects the provision of modern languages in higher education, where at least 10 language departments have closed in the last decade.

While French and Spanish GCSE saw increases in entry numbers, rates of entry for other language GCSEs continued to show a small decline, suggesting that more pupils could be encouraged to take exams in languages that are a vital part of the vibrant multilingual heritage of Britain such as Polish, Arabic and Urdu.

A-level results: Spanish overtakes French

15 August 2019 (TES)

Spanish has overtaken French as the most popular modern foreign language at A level for the first time, figures show.

A total of 8,625 candidates were entered for Spanish A level this year, compared with 8,355 entries in French. In Spanish, the number of entries increased by 4.5 per cent compared with last year, while in French, the number of entries fell by 4.1 per cent.

The change could partly be due to higher numbers of specialist Spanish teachers. Data from the Teaching Regulation Agency’s annual report and accounts published in August showed that 1,365 Spanish-born teachers received QTS in 2018-19 compared with 46 French teachers.

The news backs up provisional A-level entry data from Ofqual released in May, which showed that while Spanish rose from 7,705 to 7,995, French fell slightly, from 7,945 to 7,680.

It also echoes predictions in a report by the British Council in December 2018 that Spanish would overtake French as the UK’s most popular language at A level.

(Note - subscription required to access the full article).

May I have a word about… our love affair with the French language

11 August 2019 (The Guardian)

There’s nothing quite so guffaw-making to an Anglo-Saxon sensibility in need of its funny bone being tickled than a French worthy having a fit of the vapours.

Last week didn’t disappoint. And all over the delightful word “love”. Apparently, French online advertisers prefer it to “l’amour”, which has got the culture minister, Franck Riester, in a right royal Gallic tizzy. “In this linguistic globalisation, our duty is to refuse any tendency to move towards a single [world] language [and] any weakening of the diversity, as of cultures, in France and elsewhere.”

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Language travel still popular for UK students, with Spain gaining foothold

8 August 2019 (The Pie News)

Despite headlines reporting drops in language studies in schools across the UK, youngsters from secondary schools around the UK are continuing to travel overseas in busloads, educational tour operators have said. And Spain – and its language – is becoming increasingly popular.

However, concerns surrounding Brexit and safety have caused issues of their own, and the lower uptake of languages at GCSE level is reflected in language travel industry trends.

The British Council’s Language Trends 2019 report found that entries for GCSE languages had declined by 19% over the past five years. French and German GCSE candidate levels saw reductions of 30%, the report explained.

“Spanish language trips are getting very close to the demand for French language”

At A-level, between 2017 and 2018, German was down by 16%, French by 7%, and Spanish by 3%. However, provisional entry figures for 2019 show Spanish candidate numbers increasing by 10% and French increasing by 4%.

German instead is set to continue to fall by 2.5%.

Of the 776 primary schools and 845 secondary schools surveyed for this report, 8% said they had offered school trips abroad in the previous year.

In last year’s survey, that number was 12%, but more respondents were included in the 2019 report.

Michelle Evans, head of product & marketing at educational tour operator NST noted that a large proportion of its language trips were for students under GCSE age.

“Teachers are trying to engage the students in lower secondary years in languages, so that they can encourage them to take that subject at GCSE,” she told The PIE News.

French classes in Edinburgh

8 August 2019 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse is now enrolling for their autumn term classes. Unsure of your level? Take the free online placement test. Visit the website for more information.

French courses in Glasgow

7 August 2019 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for autumn term courses. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Open days - have your level of French assessed and meet the team (27, 28 and 31 August)
La rentrée - classes for adults and children commencing 16 September
Children's classes Southside - classes for playgroup and primary school ages
French classes in East Kilbride - complete beginners class at South Lanarkshire College and a conversation class for prior learners
Conversation class in Cumbernauld - for those with prior knowledge of the language

Posted in: French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

SQA results day 2019

6 August 2019 (TESS)

Higher computing entries fall by 21%. Setting aside computing, the sciences fared better in terms of changes in uptake than the social subjects.

French experienced a 10% dip in entries, whilst Spanish saw a 9% increase from last year.

OU/SCILT primary languages course

31 May 2019 (SCILT/OU)

We are happy to announce that registration is now open for the OU/SCILT primary languages course, which will be running again from October 2019. In light of positive feedback and popularity of the first year of the course, we are now also delighted to offer a second year, post-beginners’ course. The latter would be suitable for those who have successfully completed year 1 and wish to continue their studies, or for those who are looking to begin studying at a more advanced level.

The courses will run from October 2019 to July 2020, and will develop language and pedagogy skills; language learning is provided by the Open University and pedagogy is provided by SCILT. The courses are aligned to the Scottish curriculum and support the 1+2 languages approach.
Both courses are delivered online with two opportunities to attend face-to-face day schools.
Learning is very flexible and participants can study at a time and place of their choosing.
Each course carries a fee of £252, reflecting the input and student support for the language and pedagogy strands from both organisations.

Funding may be sponsored through your school or Local Authority who can register on your behalf. Initial registration information must be submitted to the OU by Monday 17 June 2019 and LAs should contact Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.
Students also have the option to fund the fee themselves. In this case, an interested teacher should contact the OU directly at Scotland-Languages@open.ac.uk.

Here is some further information:

Beginners level

will be offered in a choice of four languages - French, German, Spanish and Mandarin plus study of primary pedagogy with direct application in the classroom.
takes students to the end of the equivalent to level A1 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages.
allows students to gain 15 university credits for the language study.
also gives students the option to gain GTCS recognition for the pedagogy study; all students will receive a certificate on successful completion from SCILT.
study hours will be approximately five hours per week, including time spent on the direct application of the new skills in the classroom.

Post-beginners level

teachers who have started studying one language in the beginners level of the course would need to continue studying the same language at post-beginners level.
teachers who already have some basic knowledge in one of the four languages can directly enrol on the post-beginners level course to further develop their skills in that language and learn about primary languages pedagogy (without having to have studied beginners level).
will follow the same format as the beginners level course and will be offered in the same four languages (French, German, Mandarin and Spanish).
will teach primary languages pedagogy in more depth and cover:
- the skills of writing and reading,
- IDL with a special focus on outdoor learning as well as links with other key subject areas through CLIL,
- learning and teaching of languages in multilingual contexts/communities.
will have the same:
- number of study hours,
- assessment structure,
- accreditation with 15 university credits,
- optional GTCS recognition for the pedagogy strand, as above ;
in their language study, students will reach the equivalent of the end of level A2 of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages (end of post-beginner level).
after completing both courses, students would then be in a good position to go on to study one of the standard language courses at the OU should they want to improve their knowledge of the language even further.

Course codes are as follows:

Beginners level	LXT192 French	LXT193 German	LXT197 Mandarin	LXT194 Spanish
Post-beginners level	LXT191 (language choice will come as a second step once students have registered)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Qualifications, Teacher Education, SCILT news

New job profile on the SCILT website

9 November 2018 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.

We have a new profile from David Cant, Managing Director of Albion (Overseas) Ltd, a company which helps UK businesses to enter the Russian market. After learning French and German at school, David tells us that he took up Russian by chance at university - a choice which became life-changing.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how languages can play a part.

SCHOLAR online tutor sessions for Modern Languages

7 November 2018 (SCHOLAR)

SCHOLAR online tutor sessions for Modern Languages start again on Monday 12 November 2018. At 6pm it will be Higher, and the session will be on translation. It will be accompanied by worksheets sent out in advance to teachers for pupils to help prepare for the interactive parts of the session. Languages addressed are French, German and Spanish at both levels. Access is by: http://heriot-watt.adobeconnect.com/scholartutorsessions/, and you do not need a SCHOLAR password to attend, just log in as a guest.

The new ‘Directed Writing’ for Higher will form a session on 26 November, again at 6pm.

Advanced Higher translation and the overall purpose question will form a session on 3 December.

Queen Elizabeth II Can Speak This Foreign Language After Learning It Privately

5 November 2018 (International Business Times)

Queen Elizabeth II can speak at least one foreign language fluently after getting a private education by governess Marion Crawford.

Harriet Mallinson, a journalist for Express, revealed that Her Majesty can speak French fluently. French is regarded as the official language in 29 countries. But the Queen has used her knowledge in the language during her visits to France and Canada.

In 2014, the Queen went to Paris for a state visit and met with former President Francois Hollande. The two discussed the weather in French. During her fifth French State Visit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the monarch also gave an address in both English and French. A year later, the Queen spoke with a schoolgirl from Dagenham in French.

But Mallinson noted that the most impressive instance was when the Queen went to Quebec in Canada and gave a speech in French for a straight 10 minutes. French language expert Camille Chevalier-Karfis commented on the Queen’s French-speaking videos.

“Her reading skills were excellent – both pronunciation and rhythm were very good, but you could feel she was quite tense,” she said.

In related news, the Queen isn’t the only royal that can speak French fluently. Prince Charles and the Queen’s three other children can all speak the language.

La Jolie Ronde free trials

29 October 2018 (La Jolie Ronde)

FREE TRIALS available of La Jolie Ronde's two award winning French and Spanish resources and classes.

La Jolie Ronde Languages For Children is a leading early language learning organisation offering a proven method of teaching young children French and Spanish. La Jolie Ronde’s award winning programmes are unique, modern and of the highest quality. FREE TRIALS on their resources are available as follows:

P1-P3 - Little Languages Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE

Little Languages is a unique resource for introducing languages to P1-P3. It provides the perfect solution for introducing some of the different languages and cultures from around the world. To support the non-specialist and as a guide to aid the expert language teacher, Little Languages enables you to start teaching straightaway!

Activities demonstrated in French and Spanish:

Additional vocabulary & songs in Italian, Chinese, Hindi and African Shona
Includes fun, play-based activities including IWB material
Real life DVD clips featuring children from around the world

Product contains detailed lesson plans in a sturdy ring binder & software featuring:

Lesson plans
Resources
IWB activities and games
Colourful classroom wall frieze (5 x 2m lengths)
DVD clips
Also includes French and Spanish traditional and original songs plus songs from other languages

P4-P7 - French and Spanish Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE

La Jolie Ronde’s award winning resource contains everything you need to help plan and implement your policy for teaching a language in one go. The resource is a flexible four-year programme providing support to teachers with no previous experience of teaching languages and a guide for the more experienced, who can modify to suit. One of the biggest benefits of the resource is that everything is already pre-prepared and planned, so you can literally start teaching straightaway!

Perfect for the non-specialist or an aid for the more experienced languages teacher
Split into two schemes – for years P4-P5 and P6-P7
Plenty of material to fill two years and four years
Pre-prepared lessons, divided into short sessions for flexibility
Comprehensive and detailed lesson notes

FREE French or Spanish Class

Years of development, dedication and experience in the sector of early language learning, La Jolie Ronde has become the market leader, committed to offering the best possible start to young learners. Through their loyal network of over 560 tutors, who teach in over 1,660 centres, they currently teach in the region of 20,500 children. To find your nearest French or Spanish class and book your FREE TASTER CLASS, visit La Jolie Ronde website.

For your FREE RESOURCE OR CLASS TRIALS simply email your request to La Jolie Ronde quoting SCILT - email schools@lajolieronde.co.uk

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Euroquiz

25 October 2018 (SEET)

SEET is delighted to announce that registration is now open for Euroquiz 2018-19!

Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in every local authority from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May.

See the attached flyer to find out more about how your school can get involved and visit the website to watch the Euroquiz Highlights Film for a taste of the Euroquiz journey, including interviews with previous participants and teachers.

Related Files

SEET Euroquiz (499 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

New session French courses in Glasgow

25 October 2018 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for Term B courses running from 12 November 2018 to 26 January 2019. This includes a new class for complete beginners on Monday evenings.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol.

ELAPSE – Embedding Languages across Primary and Secondary Education

23 October 2018 (ALL)

In September, we received some fantastic news from the British Council – ALL is part of a successful KA2 ERASMUS +application and along with our partners has been awarded funding for the ELAPSE project.

ELAPSE (Embedding Languages Across Primary and Secondary Education) aims to develop primary and secondary language teachers’ awareness of CLIL and soft CLIL methodology transnationally and build teachers’ confidence and expertise to adopt a cross-curricular approach to the planning and delivery of language lessons. It will involve the creation of a good practice guide as well as resources for teachers of English, French, German and Spanish as additional languages while focusing on Literacy, Numeracy, STEM subjects and Health and Wellbeing. There will also be an online course and training opportunities for teachers in participating countries.

Get ready for Hallowe'en!

23 October 2018 (Various)

It's that time of year again and to help celebrate Hallowe'en in the languages classroom we've compiled a range of spooky resources! Click on the relevant link below for more information:

Spooky goings on! (Primary Languages Network) - the network regularly produces seasonal resources for their members. For Hallowe’en this year non-network members can download the activity sheet as a “freebie” from the Active Lingo shop (just select your target language) and search for the sheet “Spooky Statements”.
Five songs for Days of the Dead for elementary Spanish classes (Mundo de Pepita)
MFL Halloween treats (TES) – resources in French, German and Spanish, some free, some paid.
Euroclub Schools Halloween Zone (Euroclub Schools) - Halloween quiz with French, Spanish and Italian vocab).
German ghost stories (FluentU) – some link to written narrative, some to audio versions. Contains list of spooky vocab.
Le Chat Noir (Talk in French) - spooky French-English short story with audio narration.
Hallowe'en activities with Camembear (Headstart Languages) - find out about Hallowe'en in France.
Rachel Hawkes language learning website (Rachel Hawkes) - scroll down for Spanish Hallowe’en activities.
German and Spanish Halloween vocabulary ppts (Teaching Ideas)
Eight Evil Lessons for Halloween (Scots Language Centre)
Chinese Halloween vocabulary (Transparent Language)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, Scots

How studying languages got Callum a job at Cardiff City

10 October 2018 (BBC)

There has been a further drop in the number of students from Wales taking language courses at university, according to admissions service Ucas.

The numbers starting foreign language courses was down by a third on the same time last year, in latest figures.

Cardiff University has been working with schools to encourage more pupils to take up subjects such as French.

Helping them is former student Callum Davies, now a player liaison officer at Cardiff City FC. He learnt modern foreign languages at school and spent a year in the south of France as part of the Erasmus programme while doing his degree course at Cardiff University.

He works helping French-speaking players and their families settle in the city.

Africa in Motion Film Festival 2018

10 October 2018 (Africa in Motion Film Festival)

Africa in Motion is Scotland’s major annual celebration of African cinema, and is delighted to return for the 13th year to bring audiences in Edinburgh and Glasgow a wide variety of creative stories from across the African continent.

Screenings will take place from 26 October to 4 November. Several films in the programme will offer the opportunity to brush up your language skills in French, Arabic, Japanese and Swahili.

Find full programme details on the website.

French Film Festival 2018

9 October 2018 (French Film Festival)

The 26th French Film Festival takes place during November throughout the UK.

School screenings are supported by free Learning Resources prepared by Institut français d’Écosse and Edinburgh Filmhouse. These resources have been designed in accordance with the Modern Languages outcomes and experiences for the Curriculum for Excellence.

Visit the website for full programme details, booking information and to download the accompanying learning resources.

Pas de 'fake news' – too many English words rile French defenders

4 October 2018 (The Guardian)

Defenders of the French language are calling on their compatriots to stop using the English term “fake news”, recommending instead that they refer to “information fallacieuse”.

The Commission for the Enrichment of the French Language (CELF) also proffered a newly coined expression, “infox”, for those who find “information fallacieuse” a bit of a mouthful.

“The Anglo-Saxon expression ‘fake news’, which refers to a range of behaviours contributing to the misinformation of the public, has rapidly prospered in French,” the commission lamented. “This is an occasion to draw on the resources of the language to find French equivalents.”

The encroachment of English expressions is a regular topic of debate in France, where young people, in particular, often sprinkle their conversations with English turns of phrase.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

New language hub which helps dementia sufferers to open on Glasgow’s south side

3 October 2018 (Glasgow Live)

A new language hub which will help empower older adults living with dementia in Glasgow has opened on the south side of the city.

Lingo Flamingo, based on Deanston Drive in the Shawlands area, will be offering a selection of immersive foreign language courses for all ages.

And all profits from the classes will be used to fund dementia-friendly classes in care homes across Glasgow and beyond.

SQA course reports for Advanced Higher Modern Languages 2018

1 October 2018 (SQA)

The course reports for Advanced Higher Chinese, French, Gaelic (Learners), German, Italian and Spanish are now available on the SQA website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish

Lefèvre Trust school grants for French study visits

24 September 2018 (British Council Scotland)

British Council Scotland are working in partnership with the Lefèvre Trust to offer a limited number of grants to Scottish secondary schools to facilitate reciprocal visits to partner schools in France. The opportunity marks the final round of Lefèvre funding and recognises the recently re-signed Memorandum of Understanding between Scotland and France.

Schools interested in applying should have an existing link to France through a partnership or exchange. Projects with a STEM focus, and from schools in underprivileged areas, are encouraged.

Posted in: French, Partnership Working

News from the Alliance Française

21 September 2018 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française offers a range of courses and activities for French language learners. Click on the relevant link below to find out more about upcoming events:

Oral revision and grammar for university students (commencing 17 October 2018)
DELF/DALF international exams
Daily e-lessons with Fantastique (Free trial available)
European Day of Languages celebration event (26 September)
Lapin is Hungry - special workshop for children (12 October)
French film festival debate and screening 'Merci Patron (14 November)

Visit the main Alliance Française website for more information about the organisation and their initiatives.

SCHOLAR online tutor sessions for Modern Languages

19 September 2018 (SCHOLAR)

The schedule of online tutor sessions for Higher and Advanced Higher Modern Languages 2018-19 is now available online.

Into Film Festival 2018

18 September 2018 (Into Film)

The Into Film Festival is a free, annual, nationwide celebration of film and education for 5-19 year olds.

This year's festival takes place from 7-23 November with UK-wide events and screenings. There are some foreign language options included in the 'Visions of Europe' selection of the programme.

Visit the website for more information and to find events near you.

Lefèvre Trust school grants for French study visits

13 September 2018 (British Council)

The British Council is working in partnership with the Lefèvre Trust to offer a limited number of grants to Scottish secondary schools to facilitate reciprocal visits to partner schools in France. The opportunity marks the final round of Lefèvre funding and recognises the recently re-signed Memorandum of Understanding between Scotland and France.

Schools interested in applying should have an existing link to France through a partnership or exchange. Projects with a STEM focus, and from schools in underprivileged areas, are encouraged.

A French study visit is the ideal way to instil a love of the French language in learners, give them exposure to authentic language usage and enable them to experience French culture first-hand. Pupils can also benefit from:

raised levels of language proficiency in preparation for exams
improved confidence in speaking French by practising with peers at the partner school
increased motivation in continuing to learn French by exchanging language and culture in an authentic environment
strengthened partnership and development of new cross-curricular projects for the whole school.

Visit the British Council website for more information and apply by 19 November 2018.

Worldwide Napier magazine - Call for contributions

12 September 2018 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Do you have young linguists with a passion for writing? Then here's a great opportunity for budding authors!

Worldwide Napier is a free magazine showcasing the work of language students at Edinburgh Napier University.

Senior pupils at secondary school are invited to submit contributions for the second edition of the magazine in French, German and Spanish by 31 October 2018.

You can read the first issue online and see the attached introductory letter and poster for more information.

Related Files

Worldwide Napier call for submission_issue 2 (305 KB)
Worldwide Napier issue 2 poster (158 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Maths Week Scotland - Mathématiques sans frontières / Maths wi nae borders

7 September 2018 (North Lanarkshire Council)

As part of Maths Week Scotland, pupils of all ages can participate in the 'Maths wi nae borders' competition, which requires students to respond to one of the questions in either Gaelic or Scots.

The new competition is inspired by 'Mathématiques sans frontières'. North Lanarkshire Council, the University of the West of Scotland and Heriot Watt University work together to encourage young language learners to apply their knowledge in a Maths setting.

This stimulating and light-hearted competition for secondary schools combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in both their Maths and Language Learning. S4 classes attempt 10 questions and S5 classes 13 questions. Ideally a whole class should tackle groups of questions in order to complete the test within the 60 minutes allowed.

The first question require an explanation in a foreign language. It is hoped that this competition will encourage cross-curricular working and teamwork.

This year 42 teams from 27 schools took part in 'Mathématiques sans Frontières', the winning team in S4 was Girvan Academy and the S5 winners and overall winning school was Grange Academy.

Look out for the e-mail invitation inviting you to take part in January 2019.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations, Scots

Consternation over suggested French grammar change

4 September 2018 (BBC)

The suggestion by a pair of Belgian teachers to drop a rule of grammar drilled into every French speaker at an early age has led to some amusement and consternation in France.

The teachers say rules for past participles that follow the verb avoir (to have) should be simplified.

The change would save some 80 hours of teaching time, they argue.

It has been endorsed by the linguistic authorities of Belgium's French-speaking Wallonia region and Brussels.

Currently, the rule is that the past participle of a verb does not agree with the direct object of a sentence if it comes after it, but it does when the object comes before the participle.

So for instance, in the sentence j'ai mangé des frites (I ate chips), mangé remains the same. But in the sentence les frites que j'ai mangées (the chips that I have eaten), the participle agrees with the word chips, which is feminine and plural.

The two teachers, Arnaud Hoedt et Jérôme Piron, argue the rule is overly complicated and inconsistent, and that the participle should remain unchanged regardless of the position of the object in the sentence if used with the verb to have.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Languages in the press

SCHOLAR

3 September 2018 (SCHOLAR)

SCHOLAR has updated the Higher French, German and Spanish pages to reflect the changes to Higher which are now in place. SCHOLAR on-line tutor, Douglas Angus, will be hosting a webinar on Monday 17 September at 6pm for an hour to look at the changes, and to talk about the implications for teaching and learning of the new format for Higher Modern Languages. To take part in this event please log in as guest. The webinar will be broadcast live and recorded so it can be downloaded if you miss it.

There will be sessions for pupils at Higher and Advanced Higher level this year again, starting in November. For Higher, amongst the sessions will be on on the Assignment-Writing and for Advanced Higher on on the Portfolio and Specialist Study. Meanwhile, last year’s sessions are still available on the SCHOLAR website, but are open to all and do not require a password.

Juvenes Translatores 2018

1 September 2018 (European Commission)

The European Commission has just launched Juvenes Translatores 2018, a translation contest for schools in the European Union.

Schools wishing to participate must respond by registering electronically on the website between 1 September and 20 October 2018.

Selected schools will be able to enter between two and five students, who must have been born in 2001. Each student can choose to translate from any official EU language into any other official EU language.

Further information, rules and criteria can be found on the Juvenes Translatores website.

French courses in Edinburgh now enrolling

29 August 2018 (Institut français)

Ready for la rentrée? The Institut français will be commencing classes for adults and children on 18 September 2018.

Open Days are available on 8 and 10 September where you can meet the teachers, have your level assessed and see the premises.

Visit the Institut français website for more information.

Graduate distance learning Diplomas in French or German or Spanish

20 August 2018 (University of Dundee)

New intake: The online Graduate Diplomas in French, German or Spanish are accredited by the General Teaching Council Scotland GTCS for teachers wishing to teach another language. The course runs 2 years part-time and starts in October 2018, University of Dundee.

The courses are taught online and via Skype and suitable for learners with an entry level comparable to a Higher or equivalent. On completion graduates are expected to be at C1 level (CEFR) .

For further information please see the distance learning page of the University of Dundee website.

Please contact us at humanities@dundee.ac.uk if you wish to discuss any aspect of the courses, or your application.

Dawn and Meg are on course for fabulous French lessons

17 August 2018 (The Courier)

A French language summer school has ensured that two Fife primary school teachers are fired up to teach their eager pupils le français.

As pupils across Courier Country head back to school this week, one Fife primary school will be saying “Bienvenue” to the new academic year. Teachers Dawn Allan and Meg Allan (no relation) spent a week in France on a highly sought-after immersion language course, with the aim of enhancing their French lessons at Leuchars Primary School.

Dawn takes up the story: “Meg and I completed a 10-week French evening course at Bell Baxter High School in Cupar two years ago and that was when we first heard about the possibility of attending immersion courses in France or Spain, organised by Le Français en Ecosse,” she says.

New job profiles on the SCILT website

17 August 2018 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.

We have two new profiles for the start of the new school session:

Lorne Gillies is an award winning journalist whose language skills have enabled her to connect with people around the world, whilst helping her understanding of English.
Ian Ross is a specialist in international trade and investment. Dealing with several Chinese companies, he tells us cultural awareness is as important as learning the language.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how languages can play a part.

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Business, Careers, Language Learning - Benefits, Language Learning for Work, SCILT news, Japanese

Vive le Fringe ! 2018

16 August 2018 (Institut français)

From 3-27 August, the Institut français d'Ecosse will be hosting Fringe shows from exciting French, Scottish, and European artists based locally and on the continent.

Edinburgh-based Ludens Ensemble will perform Forbidden Stories, a devised multimedia performance, which questions cultural homogeneity, notions of otherness, and religious and nationalist tensions in the context of the partition of Greek and Turk communities on Cyprus.

(Mes)Dames, a contemporary dance piece choreographed by Constant Vigier, Scottish Ballet First Artist trained at the Opera national de Paris School of Dance, and set to the music of Christine and the Queens and Perfume Genius, offers a feminist gaze on the place of woman and femininity in modern society.

Berlin’s Duo Mimikry, composed of Nicolas Rocher and Elias Elastisch, bring Visual Short Stories, a series of non-verbal comedy vignettes, to the Institut français d’Ecosse. The French and German pair uses their expert miming skills and filmlike narrative techniques to deliver pitch black visual comedy.

Rounding out the programming in the Institut’s largest performance space, the Emilienne Moreau-Evrard room, is Out of Place, a show about a man who, despite his best efforts, never seems to find his place in life. Created and performed by Guérassim Dichliev, a gifted mime and physical comedian who trained at the Marcel Marceau International School of Miming, this one-clown show draws upon his experiences of displacement, both working in the theatre and living as a Bulgarian national in Paris for more than 25 years.

In SWAP/TROC, the Paisley-based Sita Pieraccini (much praised for Bird, performed as part of the 2016 Made in Scotland showcase) joins forces with the French clown Corentin Boisset to create a new work to be performed in the Institut’s dedicated children’s space, the Théâtre des Enfants. This poetic and subtle clown show will see Sita and Corentin desperately sashaying their way through the airport’s no man’s land in search of what one lost, and the other found.

Finally, for the youngest of audiences, the Crazy Comics Puppets will transform the Kieffer room into a puppet theatre, performing two different shows, The Carnival of the Animalsand A Cake for Cubitus. Rodrigue and Janvier, two French bande dessinée authors will bring to life some of the most iconic characters from French comics, alternating between English on odd days and French on even days. In addition to these shows aimed at children 5 and up, Rodrigue will also be delivering a series of free illustration masterclasses for participants of all ages and experience levels alongside Janvier and local Scottish writer Scott MacKay.

See the Institut français d'Ecosse website for more information.

A-levels: proportion of students in England getting C or above falls

16 August 2018 (The Guardian)

The proportion of students in England gaining C grades or above in A-levels fell back this year, driven by a relatively weaker performance among girls, as schools and students continue to grapple with the introduction of new, more intensive exams.

[..] Modern languages continued their baleful downward trend, with nearly 8% fewer entries in French, German and Spanish. More A-level students took Chinese this year than German.

Concours de la francophonie 2019

16 August 2018 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French. Entry deadline: January 2019.

Visit the Institut français d’Ecosse website for more information.

Institut français d'Ecosse After School Club

16 August 2018 (Institut français)

Paris, c'est parti!

This is the Autumn theme for the new Institut français d'Ecosse After School Club!

The programme, aimed at children from P1 to P7, is the fruit of a collaboration between French Drama company Theatre Sans Accents, the puppet theatre company Le Petit Monde and the institute.

So needless to say, fun and creativity will be at the fore front of all the activities!

For more information, please visit the Institut français d'Ecosse website and click on the 'Autumn Classes 2018' PDF for details.

The lessons Gaelic schools can teach us about learning

15 August 2018 (The National)

[..] Gaelic medium education succeeds in producing new generations of fluent Gaelic speakers because, as its name suggests, it makes use of the Gaelic language to teach other subjects. Kids don’t sit in classes where they are taught Gaelic in the same way that French or other foreign languages are taught in schools.

The difference in the fluency level that is achieved is stark. I was taught Gaelic the old-fashioned way, and am the proud possessor of a Gaelic Learner’s O Grade and a Gaelic Learner’s Higher. I was taught Gaelic in much the same way kids in modern Scottish schools are taught French or German, in a dedicated class, a couple of hours a week. The result is that although I can puzzle out a written text in the language and have a reasonably sized Gaelic vocabulary, I struggle to follow a Gaelic conversation and can’t express myself orally.

French courses in Glasgow now enrolling

13 August 2018 (Alliance Française)

Enrolments are now being taken at the Alliance Française for la Rentrée. Click on the appropriate link below to find out more.

French classes for adults and children (starting Monday 10 September 2018).
New classes for the new term (including conversation, grammar and phonetics classes)

Visit the Alliance Française main website for information about their other available activities.

The care home residents proving it's never too late to learn a new language

25 July 2018 (The Guardian)

French and Italian classes are improving self-confidence and wellbeing as well as cognition – even for those with dementia.

Concours de la francophonie 2018 - final report

17 July 2018 (Institut français d'Ecosse)

The Concours de la francophonie was launched in 2016 by the Institut français d'Ecosse to support and encourage teachers and learners in primary and secondary schools and to showcase the vitality of French learning in Scottish schools in the context of the 1+2 policy.

To enter the competition schools sent in a short film of a class activity in French.

See the attached document for full details of the 2018 competition, winners and photographs.

Related Files

Concours de la francophonie 2018 final report (1.33 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, 1+2, French, Celebrating Languages, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Never mind the Brexiteurs: why it’s time to learn French

28 June 2018 (The Guardian)

English children are increasingly unwilling to learn the language of Molière and MC Solaar, according to the British Council, which reports that within a few years Spanish will overtake it as the most-studied foreign language. At A-level, takeup has already fallen to 8,300, from 21,300 in 1997, while Spanish has climbed to 7,600.

Laziness seems to have a lot to do with it. As Vicky Gough, a schools adviser at the British Council, put it, “There is a perception of Spanish being easier to pick up than other languages, which may account in part for its popularity.” Which, one might say, confirms another perception: that the kids of today want everything handed to them on a plate, from chauffeur service to and from school, to first-class university degrees.

Posted in: French, Spanish, Language Learning, Languages in the press, Brexit

Spanish exam entries on track to surpass French in English schools

27 June 2018 (The Guardian)

Spanish is expected to overtake French as the main foreign language studied in classrooms in England in the next few years, and experts say German could face extinction from school timetables.

A report by the British Council says that although the study of languages continues to decline, Spanish is bucking the trend, with entries up in both GCSEs and A-levels.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, England, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Yell pupils pick up French language awards

20 June 2018 (Shetland News)

TEN pupils at Mid Yell Junior High School received prizes on Monday (18 June) as part of a celebration of the teaching and use of French in Scottish schools.

The S2 students, winners of this year's Concours de la francophonie competition, received their prizes during a special award ceremony at the school in the presence of education attaché of the French Embassy in the UK Thomas Chaurin and Shetland Gas Plant facilities management co-ordinator Jenny Wink, who was also representing sponsor Total E&P UK.

The VIP visit came after the Yell bairns were unable to attend the official award ceremony in Edinburgh in March.

With the majority of children now learning French from P1 in Scotland, la francophonie is said to be thriving.

‘Language Linking, Global Thinking’: The Life-Changing Impacts of Travel

14 June 2018 (University of Stirling)

As you’ll have gathered from this blog, a good number of our students opt to apply for English Language Assistantships every year, whether between their 2nd and 3rd years or as graduates. For the past few years, some of our ELA students have also participated in SCILT’s ‘Language Linking, Global Thinking’ scheme during their year as assistants and we thought it’d be good to get a sense of what this actually involves – from the perspective of the students involved.

International youth event in Berlin: Youth for Peace

7 June 2018 (UK-German Connection)

Are you interested in Europe, history and peace? Do you want to learn more about World War I and its consequences? Do you want to know how other societies experienced the war and how you can personally contribute to a peaceful future in and around Europe?

To commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, the Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO), along with partners, is organising an International Youth Meeting in Berlin. The event will bring together 500 young people from across Europe and beyond to discuss topics such as war, peace and history in an international setting. It will take place from Wednesday 14 November – Sunday 18 November, 2018.

As a partner organisation, UK-German Connection are recruiting a group of 18-22 year olds from the UK to attend this youth event.

Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information and apply by 17 June 2018.

150 hours to learn Mandarin – and teach it

7 June 2018 (TES)

Hundreds of primary school teachers will have the chance to learn and teach new languages within seven months, under a scheme being expanded after a successful trial.

The distance-learning programme - the first of its kind in the UK – sees primary teachers study either French, Spanish, German or Mandarin and develop the skills to teach the language in the primary classroom at the same time.

After a pilot involving 54 teachers from 49 Scottish schools across nine local authorities in 2017-18, next year the scheme will be available throughout Scotland. Welsh and Northern Irish schools are also expected to sign up.

Teachers taking part will spend about five hours a week from October to June - around 150 hours in total - but they will start teaching the languages to pupils before completing the course.

The scheme, run by The Open University and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, will be launched in Edinburgh today.

Press Release: Teachers to learn to teach languages in the classroom

7 June 2018 (SCILT/OU)

An innovative scheme teaching primary teachers languages and how to teach those languages to pupils is being expanded across Scotland for the first time. The first of its kind in the UK, the distance learning programme will see primary teachers study French, Spanish, German or Mandarin and develop the skills to teach the language in the classroom at the same time.

Launching across Scotland today (Thursday 7 June) at an event in Edinburgh where guests will hear from pupils and teachers, the programme is now available to primary school teachers in all local authorities following a successful pilot which featured 54 teachers from 49 schools across nine local authorities in 2017/18. The programme is a partnership between The Open University and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages based at the University of Strathclyde.

Designed to support the Scottish Government’s ‘1+2’ language policy, which aims to enable all pupils to learn two additional languages from primary level onwards, the programme will link up with the cultural organisations of France, Spain, Germany and China to facilitate immersive summer schools for participating teachers. At the same time, schools will also have the opportunity to make connections with schools in the countries whose language pupils are learning.

Dr Sylvia Warnecke, lecturer in languages and programme lead at The Open University, said:

“The key thing about this programme is its flexibility, meaning that teachers in every part of Scotland – whether urban or rural – will be able to learn together and share their experiences and ideas, helping each other to bring the language they’re learning to life in the classroom.

“We’ve already had teachers from the pilot project tell us that their pupils love it and are really engaged. They have been instrumental in starting after school language clubs and making links with schools in other countries. It’s exciting that all teachers, schools and pupils in every part of Scotland now have the chance to learn together through this programme.”

Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT, said:

“We see this as an important collaboration between our two universities, local authorities and teachers. The course is focused on developing teachers’ confidence so they are able to create exciting and motivating lessons for their pupils. In this way we can make sure that languages feature as an integral part of the Scottish curriculum and that youngsters are given their full entitlement to language learning.

“The teachers’ commitment to developing their skills is humbling. Their willingness to embrace their own learning in order to benefit their pupils’ experience highlights the professionalism and dedication that is the mark of the teaching profession.”

Gwen McCrossan, Principal Teacher for 1+2 Languages, Argyll & Bute, said:

“This course is ideal for the geographical situation of Argyll & Bute. We are delighted to be able to take part, as it provides a quality learning experience for teachers who would otherwise find it difficult to access language training. The course is also unique because it is tailor-made for primary school.”

The pilot project has been shortlisted in the partnership category in this year’s Herald Higher Education Awards. Such is the interest in the programme following its pilot phase and ahead of its wider rollout, it is expected that teachers from Wales and Northern Ireland will join the next presentation starting in October 2018.

A short video featuring teachers who participated in the pilot talking about their experience of the programme is available on YouTube.

Further information on how to sign-up for next year's course is available on SCILT's website

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, 1+2, CPD, Cross-Sector Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Partnership Working, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Summer camps and intensive language classes

29 May 2018 (Institut français d’Écosse )

Institut français d’Écosse is offering summer camps and intensive language classes this July. Young people can choose from a fun drama and language camp, an intensive three day language course or a four-week long course this summer.

Posted in: French, Language Learning - Primary, Language Learning - Secondary, News from language & education organisations

'Chocolatine' vs 'pain au chocolat': French pastry war spills over into parliament

24 May 2018 (The Local)

The age-old French war over what to call France's famous chocolate-filled pastry treat - known to most as a "pain au chocolat" - has reached French parliament, where a group of MPs are fighting to have the the rival term "chocolatine" officially recognised.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Word Wizard Final 2018: Motivating young people in their language learning

18 May 2018 (SCILT/CISS)

S1-S3 pupils from across Scotland took part in the national final of Word Wizard at the Scottish Parliament on 11 May 2018. Word Wizard is a multilingual spelling competition for pupils learning French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish. Forty-eight learners from ten local authorities and independent schools competed in the final in front of an audience of teachers, supporters and guests.

Each year pupils and teachers report that the competition increases motivation, enhances language performance and improves attitudes to language learning. Word Wizard promotes literacy skills amongst pupils and helps schools develop partnership working with universities.

A teacher entering pupils into the final commented: “It provided our pupils with a huge sense of motivation and excitement for learning languages.”

A pupil competing in the final said: “I liked learning new vocabulary and getting to show it off to everyone.”

Word Wizard is organised by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages based at University of Strathclyde, in partnership with the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland.

Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT said of the competition: “It’s wonderful to see so many young people taking part in the Word Wizard competition representing a wide range of local authorities. Having an understanding of another language can really transform a person’s life and encourages the development of a whole range of important skills. Through such events, SCILT aims to offer teachers really motivating ways of enhancing the curriculum so that Scottish young people can reap the benefits of learning languages.”

Word Wizard supports the Scottish Government initiative, “Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2 approach” by offering a diversity of languages as recommended by the report. The targets laid out in the Scottish Attainment Challenge are about achieving equity in educational outcomes, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. One of the key drivers is improved literacy.

In March 2018, 190 pupils from 14 local authorities and independent schools competed in semi-finals in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh to battle it out for a place at the prestigious final.

Word Wizard is supported by the University Council for Modern Languages Scotland (UCMLS) and the final was sponsored by Joan McAlpine MSP

Full details of the winners and further information on the competition can be found on the SCILT website.

Summer French classes in Glasgow

9 May 2018 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow are holding summer classes for both children and adults. Follow the relevant link below to find out more information:

Visit the Alliance Française main website for more information about the activities and opportunities they offer.

New job profile on SCILT's website

4 May 2018 (SCILT)

For relevant, labour-market focused career advice on languages, direct from the workplace, read our latest Job Profile on Michael Dewar, whose love of languages has led to him working as a language tutor. Teachers, use this resource in your classroom to enhance learning about the world of work.

Tories attack language teaching ‘failures’

26 April 2018 (The Times)

The number of pupils taking Higher French and German has fallen as interest in Italian and Chinese rises.

The number of pupils studying any Higher modern languages fell 6.2 per cent between 2016 and last year. Pupils studying Higher French fell by 14 per cent to 3,918 and German was down 13 per cent from 1,020 to 89. The number of students taking Higher Spanish hit 2,809, up 8 per cent on 2016; Italian rose 21 per cent to 264; Chinese languages grew in popularity by 16 per cent to 129; and Urdu rose by 13 per cent to 104. Those learning Gaelic at Higher level fell by 18 per cent, to 69.

(Subscription required to read full article).

Summer workshops for children

23 April 2018 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow is pleased to announce it will be running special French workshops for children aged 5-10 in late June / early July.

This is an ideal opportunity for children of all levels to find out more about French language and culture through fun activities such as arts & crafts, songs, games, etc.

Visit the website for further information.

Free trials available of La Jolie Ronde's two award winning resources and classes

20 April 2018 (La Jolie Ronde)

La Jolie Ronde Languages for Children has been at the forefront of Primary Languages since 1983. It offers language learning through weekly extra-curricular French and Spanish classes, the supply of early years and primary language teaching resources and educational visits to Northern France.

P1-P3 - Little Languages Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE

Little Languages is a brand new and unique resource for introducing languages to P1-P3. It provides the perfect solution for introducing some of the different languages and cultures from around the world. To support the non-specialist and as a guide to aid the expert language teacher, Little Languages enables you to start teaching straightaway!

Activities demonstrated in French and Spanish:

Additional vocabulary & songs in Italian, Chinese, Indian & African
Includes fun, play-based activities including IWB material
Real life DVD clips featuring children from around the world

Product contains detailed lesson plans in a sturdy ring binder & software featuring:

Lesson plans
Resources
IWB activities and games
Colourful classroom wall frieze (5 x 2m lengths)
DVD clips
Also includes French and Spanish traditional and original songs plus songs from other languages

P4-P7 - French and Spanish Resource - FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE

Perfect for the non-specialist or an aid for the more experienced languages teacher
Split into two schemes – for years P4-P5 and P6-P7
Plenty of material to fill two years and four years
Pre-prepared lessons, divided into short sessions for flexibility
Comprehensive and detailed lesson notes

For your FREE TRIALS simply email your request to La Jolie Ronde quoting SCILT

FREE French or Spanish Class

Years of development, dedication and experience in the sector of early language learning, La Jolie Ronde has become the market leader, committed to offering the best possible start to young learners. Through their loyal network of over 560 tutors, who teach in over 1,660 centres across the UK and Ireland, they currently teach in the region of 20,500 children. To find your nearest French or Spanish class and book your FREE TASTER CLASS, visit La Jolie Ronde website.

Posted in: French, Spanish, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Glasgow hotel to teach staff 10 new languages so they can welcome international guests

16 April 2018 (Glasgow Live)

A city centre hotel is extending a warm welcome to guests from all over the world - and in 10 different languages too.

Apex City of Glasgow’s concierge and reception staff are learning key phrases from 10 of the most commonly spoken languages among the hotel’s guests.

The move is part of a #WarmerWelcome project rolled out across Apex hotels, the Bath Street branch included.

Staff will be learning a how to speak in German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Swedish, Norwegian, Japanese and Danish.

Language Leaders - training week in Cavilam

16 April 2018 (Institut français)

For the third year, the Institut français is offering grants to six Language Leaders of Scotland to attend a one week training course in France.

The course will take place at the Cavilam Alliance française de Vichy from 30 July to 3 August 2018.

The Cavilam is an international centre of excellence for French teachers and teachers' trainers which welcomes teachers from all over the world.

This course is open to all practitioners with a leading role on your 1+2 strategy: in a school, a cluster, or at the council or regional level.

Further information regarding the grants, programme, accommodation/transport and how to apply can be found in the attached documents. Please note that the Institut français covers only the course fee.

The application deadline is 11 May 2018.

Related Files

Programme CAVILAM 2018 (385 KB)
Choix des ateliers CAVILAM 2018 (349 KB)
Course in CAVILAM grant application (64.1 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, 1+2, CPD, Immersion, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Worldwide Napier magazine

5 April 2018 (Edinburgh Napier University)

Edinburgh Napier University is delighted to announce the publication of the very first issue of Worldwide Napier, a free magazine in which our students in languages (French, German, Italian and Spanish) showcase some of their work. It is available now on digital and soon a few print copies will circulate within Edinburgh.

Secondary school pupils are being invited to contribute articles for the forthcoming issues. View the magazine online and see the attached introductory letter for more information.

Related Files

Worldwide Napier letter for language coordinators April 2018 (219 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, HE, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Pupils' French connection on language learning day

5 April 2018 (Dumbarton Reporter)

Budding linguists at St Mary’s Primary School in Alexandria celebrated their language skills with a French learning day.

Pupils were put into mixed groups of P1-3 and P4-7 and spent the day taking part in various activities including games, STEM tasks and letting their creative sides loose with some art.

The children also welcomed their parents into school for an afternoon to involve them in the fun and to show off their newly-acquired language skills.

THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN is live!

4 April 2018 (The Language Magician)

THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN online game was launched at Language World UK on 23 March 2018, and the game with many of its resources are already available on the website – free for teachers to access thanks to Erasmus+ funding.

THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN is an online game that draws in Primary children of all ages and challenges their language skills - in French, German, Italian, Spanish or English. It’s a game they like to play again so that they can do better, and it is also a tool for teachers to capture data about how their pupils do.

A final conference of the project is to be held in London on 19 May 2018, by which time all the accompanying project resources will be available.

To find out more about the game and conference see the attached flyer or visit the LANGUAGE MAGICIAN website.

Related Files

THE LANGUAGE MAGICIAN (196 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Technology, News from language & education organisations

Franco-German game night

29 March 2018 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut in Glasgow invites you to join them for an evening of fun and friendly competition as they play modern board games from France and Germany!

This event takes place on 18 April 2018 and is primarily aimed at learners of French or German who would like to practice their speaking skills. However, anyone is welcome and choice of language will be adapted to the group.

The event is free to attend, but registration is essential.

Visit the website for more information and to register.

French classes in Glasgow and Edinburgh

27 March 2018 (Alliance Française / Institut français)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow and the Institut français en Ecosse in Edinburgh are now enrolling for Term D French classes.

There are a range of courses available to suit all levels. Classes commence 16 April 2018.

Visit the appropriate website through the links below for more information and to book your place.

Alliance Française (Glasgow)
Institut français (Edinburgh)

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

English-speaking Macron campaigns for French to be global language

20 March 2018 (The Telegraph)

Emmanuel Macron launched an international drive to promote French as a “world language” on Tuesday, urging Francophone countries to resist the temptation to turn to English.

“France today should be proud of being one country among others that learns, speaks and writes in French,” he told the Académie Française, an august body of luminaries that has struggled for decades to turn back the relentless tide of English expressions flooding into French. “French should become the language that creates tomorrow’s world.”

However, French commentators were quick to point out that the 40-year-old president, a fluent English-speaker, is himself fond of using English expressions.

“France is back” and “start-up nation” have become catch-phrases associated with him.

1+2 Case Study - James Young High School

16 March 2018 (SCILT)

The James Young High School (JYHS) is a six year, non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive school with four associated primary schools in West Lothian. This case study focuses on the partnership approach between the secondary and associate primaries in the implementation of the 1+2 policy.

In the JYHS cluster all learners study French as L2 throughout the broad general education until the end of S3 and German is delivered as an L3 on the continuum model.

Read the case study on the 1+2 section of our website.

Posted in: 1+2, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, SCILT news

SCHOLAR Modern Language webinar

16 March 2018 (SCHOLAR)

SCHOLAR’s last Modern Language webinar of the session is for Advanced Higher French, German and Spanish. Douglas Angus will give advice on tackling the reading paper, in particular the overall purpose question. Afterwards he will look at suggestions for revising for the final exam, and answer any questions on writing either the discursive writing or the folio.

The session is on Monday 19 March at 6pm. Like all the other sessions, it is recorded and available on the SCHOLAR website. Enter as a guest. No password necessary!

OU/SCILT languages course for primary practitioners

15 March 2018 (Open University in Scotland/SCILT)

Due to the success of the initial pilot of the course developed by the OU and SCILT, LXT192/4 Learning to teach languages in primary school (French/Spanish), we are delighted to now be able to extend the offer to all Local Authorities. The course will be offered for the following languages: French (LXT192), German (LXT193), Spanish (LXT194) and Mandarin (LXT197).

For the next presentation of this course starting in October 2018, registration will open on 1 April 2018. The course fee is £240.00 per student.

The course will be available to all primary practitioners but also secondary teachers who teach at primary level. We have produced an FAQ document with further detail about the course for your information.

In order to make the enrolment process as smooth as possible, we advise that in the first instance Development Officers contact Sylvia Warnecke at the Open University (s.warnecke@open.ac.uk ) with a list of the names and email addresses of teachers planning to study this in their Local Authority. We aim to complete enrolment by late June 2018 to allow time for planning staffing and timetabling.

And last but not least, we are planning to offer teachers, who enrol on the course, a summer school experience which will offer immersion in the language to boost confidence and provide ample opportunities to learn more about the cultures in which the language they are studying is spoken. The summer school is not part of the course, it is optional and can be booked separately. More information on this will be published in due course.

Policy makers, local councils, local authorities, MSPs and Consulates may also be interested in an event celebrating last years' pilot course, Primary school teachers learning to teach languages - A celebration, being held in Edinburgh on 7 June 2018.

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Partnership Working, Teacher Education, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

Multilingual Debate 2018

15 March 2018 (Heriot-Watt University)

The Multilingual Debate 2018 takes place on Wednesday 21 March at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus. As with previous years, the event is being streamed live over the internet. Schools should visit the website for information on how to participate in the online stream.

Employ a language assistant for 2018/19

12 March 2018 (British Council)

Language Assistants provide an interactive language resource for your classroom. We recruit our assistants directly from their home countries, meaning their language and resources are always up-to-date and, importantly, authentic.

Native speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese and Irish, they help pupils to build their confidence, develop conversational skills, boost motivation for learning, and better understand other cultures. Feedback from schools with a Language Assistant noted an improvement in pupils’ listening and speaking skills.

Not only that, many teachers have found that having a native speaker to talk to and share teaching ideas with can reinvigorate both their teaching practice and their own love for language learning.

So, with applications now open for the 2018/2019 academic year, there hasn’t been a better time to ensure your classroom has access to the best language learning resource around – a native speaker.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply for your language assistant by 31 March 2018. Please note that the deadline for Chinese Language Assistants is 1 June 2018.

Le Petit Monde - Puppet shows & Picture Book Launch

12 March 2018 (Le Petit Monde )

Le Petit Monde, bilingual puppet theatre company, will be on tour with The Wonderful World of Lapin throughout Scotland as part of the Puppet Animation Festival during the Easter holidays.

Artistic Director and now author Tania has also written Lapin is Hungry, a bilingual picture book based on her French puppet characters. The Book Launch Party will be on the 21st April at the Institut Francais d'Ecosse in Edinburgh.

The company is preparing Teaching Packs and is planning to tour schools with shows and book readings. Please get in touch with Tania for more details.

Posted in: Early Years, French, News from language & education organisations

Opportunities from Alliance Française for teachers and students

22 February 2018 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

Read the latest newsletter from Alliance Française.

The newsletter provides information on exam preparation and revision courses for secondary pupils and university students, spring break workshops for children, CPD workshops for primary teachers and twilight training in French for primary schools, as well as an online courses to learn French.

Vive la Francophonie Quiz is back!

20 February 2018 (Institut français d’Écosse )

Vive la Francophonie Quiz is back! The Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, in collaboration with Francophonie UK, is pleased to offer a quiz during la Semaine de la Francophonie 2018 to celebrate the French language and the French-speaking countries.

This quiz is open to S1/S2/S3 learners.

It will be available online during la Semaine de la Francophonie week, from 17 to 25 March 2018, and will take a maximum of 45 minutes to complete.

How to take part: register your team (up to 10 participants maximum per team) online before 15 March through the link below.

You need to register each team separately.

Reminder emails and a link to the quiz page will be sent shortly before these dates.

Bonne chance à tous,

Macron's French language crusade bolsters imperialism – Congo novelist

19 February 2018 (Guardian)

Alain Mabanckou, the acclaimed Congolese writer, has rejected Emmanuel Macron’s project to boost French speaking worldwide, calling instead for a complete overhaul of the club of French-speaking countries known as la Francophonie, which he said had become an instrument of French imperialism propping up African dictators.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Concours de la francophonie 2018 - winners announced

5 February 2018 (Institut français d’Écosse )

The winners of Le concours de la francophonie 2018 have been announced. Please see attached file for the full list.

This competition was launched in 2016 to support and encourage teachers and learners in primary and secondary schools and to showcase their progress as teaching of modern languages in primary schools becomes the new norm. The competition was designed to encourage wide participation: schools need to submit a short video of a class production in French. The selection takes place in two phases, a semi-final at the council level, with a special semi-final for independent schools, and a national final, which took place on 1st February.

The international day of la francophonie is celebrated all over the world on 20 March to celebrate the French language.

Posted in: French, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning - Primary, Language Learning - Secondary, News from language & education organisations

French Holiday Mini Camps

1 February 2018 (Institut Français Écosse)

The Institut français d’Ecosse has joined forces with Theatre Sans Accents to offer French holiday mini camps for primary and secondary school learners in February, April, and July 2018.

Exam Preparation Classes

1 February 2018 (Institut Français Écosse)

IFE offers Exam preparation classes for National 5, Higher and Advanded Higher French during holidays:

from 12 to 16 February 2018, Mon TO Fri, 2-4pm
from 9 to 13 April 2018, Mon TO Fri, 2-4pm

The team also offer regular classes for S4/S5/S6 on Tuesdays from 4.15 to 5.15pm.

Posted in: French, Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Opportunities from Alliance Française for teachers and students

9 January 2018 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

Read the latest newsletter from Alliance Française and find out more about enrolling for the new term of French classes for adults and children..

The newsletter provides information on oral revision courses for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils, CPD workshops for primary teachers and twilight training in French for primary schools.

Posted in: French, CPD, News from language & education organisations

AMOPA Advanced Higher French speaking competition

8 January 2018 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

The AMOPA Advanced Higher French speaking competition is been running for seven years and is going from strength to strength. We are delighted to open the competition again this year, with support from Total.

It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!

To enter, all you need to do is submit a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. The panel will assess it and give everyone some feedback. We also award prizes and certificates.

We hope that taking part in the competition is a way to support your pupils’ learning and exam preparation, and it's a great opportunity for them to receive feedback. Once again we will have prizes for the best entries and a gift for each school taking part.

Related Files

AMOPA AH Speaking competition (498 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Awards, News from language & education organisations

French the new lingua franca of the world – vraiment?

2 December 2017 (Guardian)

Are we turning into a French-speaking planet? That was the surprising possibility raised by president Emmanuel Macron on a recent visit to Burkina Faso. “French will be the first language of Africa,” he said, plausibly, before adding, “perhaps the world.” Ah, oui? C’est vrai?

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Concours de la francophonie

1 December 2017 (Institut Français Écosse)

We launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

Many schools across Scotland have taken part in 2016 and 2017 and we hope to receive great entries this year again.

Who can take part? All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

4 Categories: P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6

Eligible entries: A video in French of maximum 5 minutes. The learners should speak/sing clearly in French. The level of French will be adapted to the learners, not too easy, not too difficult. We will also value the participation of ALL learners in the class and the creativity of the piece.

In primary, you may want to film a regular activity in French: a song you have prepared in class, a game, or a small dialogue etc.

In secondary, students need to show their communication skills in French, so a song is not receivable at that level. Students may want to conduct interviews in their school or create a short drama or else.

How to take part?

State schools: your council will organise a semi-final to choose their local champions in January 2018. Send your entry before Christmas holiday to your Modern Languages Development Officer or your QIO.

Independent schools: a jury composed of representatives of the Alliance Française de Glasgow and the Institut français d’Écosse will choose the Independent schools champions in January 2018. Send your video to concours@ifecosse.org.uk before 19 December 2017.

Semi-final winning entries will enter a national competition in early February 2018.

Prizes:

first prize in each category: invitation to attend a special French immersion day on 23 March 2018 in Edinburgh to celebrate the international day of la francophonie. Transport and lunch for the entire classroom will be offered. Winners will take part in French workshops and will receive a selection of French books.
second prize in each category: a selection of French books

This school competition is sponsored by TOTAL E&P, the Franco Scottish Society and is organised in partnership with the Alliance française de Glasgow, SALT, SCILT, the University of Edinburgh and TV5 Monde.

Posted in: French, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

Opportunities from Alliance Française for teachers and students

27 November 2017 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

Read the latest newsletter from Alliance Française and find out more about current CLPL opportunities for teachers. These include the twilight training in primary schools and a new programme of workshops for primary teachers.

The newsletter provides information on oral revision courses for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils and on the Concours de la francophonie 2018.

Posted in: French, CPD, News from language & education organisations

'Sexist' inclusive writing row riles France

23 November 2017 (BBC News)

The French, as is well known, are obsessed by one thing - language. The latest topic to consume a nation of lexicologists is "inclusive writing". This is the attempt to erase all trace of sexism in a language where gender is a central feature - French nouns are either masculine or feminine, dictating all adjectives and some verbal forms (a point that is sometimes made painfully clear to foreigners who happen to get those wrong).

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

CLPL for primary teachers in 2018

21 November 2017 (Alliance Française Glasgow )

Alliance Française is running a new programme of CLPL workshops in French for Primary School teachers in 2018.

10 topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers.
Suitable as a follow-up to one of our Beginners 1 classes or for French teachers in Primary schools.
4.15-5.45pm between 6th February and 23rd April included. Days of the week will vary; a detailed programme is available below.
The cost to attend 10 workshops is £75/teacher.
Option to enrol in less than 10 CPDs, please contact us for more information.
Certificates of attendance will be given once the programme is completed.
Places are limited so booking early is highly recommended.

If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française as soon as possible:
Alliance Française Glasgow - 3 Park Circus, G3 6AX Glasgow
0141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Tuesday 6th February 2018: Phonetics / La phonétique
Thursday 15th February: Daily life in a Primary School / La vie quotidienne dans une école primaire
Thursday 22nd February: Songs from France and the Francophone world / Les chansons françaises/francophones
Thursday 1st March: Conducting an activity in French (PE, maths, arts, etc.) / Le français comme langue d’enseignement
Tuesday 6th March: Celebrations & calendar / Les fêtes et le calendrier
Tuesday 13th March: Resources and activities for year-round festive events / Ressources et activités pour les fêtes
Monday 19th March: Indoors and outdoors games / Les jeux d’intérieur et d’extérieur
Monday 26th March: Films, Cartoons & TV5 Monde / Les films, dessins animés & TV5 Monde
Monday 16th April: Storytelling in French / Raconter des histoires
Monday 23rd April: French regions & their delicacies / Les régions de France & leurs spécialités

Posted in: Primary, French, CPD, News from language & education organisations

French schoolteachers push for 'gender neutral' grammar in row with language purists

8 November 2017 (The Telegraph)

French grammar is sexist, according to hundreds of French teachers who insist they will no longer mark alternatives to male-dominated rules as wrong.

The call from 314 French teachers placed them on collision course with the Académie Française, the hallowed guardians of the French language, which has warned that moves to make French more gender-neutral is placing it in "mortal peril".

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Tiptoe into French language with bilingual picture book 'Lapin is hungry'

6 November 2017 (Le Petit Monde)

Le Petit Monde, the puppet theatre company specialised in introducing Artistic Director Tania Czajka's native French language to young children since 2008, is currently working on a picture book based on its puppet characters.

Like all Tania's shows, the story is bilingual, features lots of healthy foods and, crucially, can be understood by all non French speakers.

Accompanied by an illustrated glossary, an audio version and a Teaching Pack, it will make a great resource for Early Years French lessons.

Tania and her team are currently crowdfunding to get Lapin is Hungry published. Schools can pledge in exchange of signed copies, shows, workshops and other goodies!

For more information on how to support this unique project, please visit the link below or contact Tania directly.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, News from language & education organisations

Resource for French learners - interview with Matthew Fitt, translator of Harry Potter into Scots

6 November 2017 (La Gazette du Sorcier)

This interview, in French, with Matthew Fitt, who has translated Harry Potter into Scots, will be of real interest to Harry Potter fans and a great opportunity for for learners to test their French.

Posted in: French, Resources

Word Wizard 2018 - new semi-final added!

3 November 2017 (SCILT/CISS)

SCILT's Word Wizard competition is returning for its fifth year and we are delighted to announce we are adding a fourth semi-final date!

In addition to the semi-finals already taking place at the Universities of Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee, in collaboration with the UCMLS, this year we will be holding another semi-final at Edinburgh College.

Word Wizard is a multilingual spelling competition open to S1-S3 pupils learning French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin or Spanish. The competition provides a perfect opportunity for language teachers to address The Attainment Challenge by allowing pupils of all levels the chance to excel in language learning. Word Wizard develops skills in acquisition of vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, recall and public speaking; not to mention the many literacy outcomes it addresses. This hugely motivating competition encourages links with other curricular areas and with health and wellbeing, culminating in a high profile celebration of language learning.

Visit SCILT's Word Wizard webpage to find out more about this year's competition and to register your school.

CLPL opportunities from Alliance Française

27 October 2017 (Alliance Française)

Read the latest newsletter from Alliance Française and find out more about current CLPL opportunities. These include the new term of language classes, new programme of training for primary teachers and information on DELF international diplomas.

Related Files

Alliance Francaise update November 2017 (208 KB)

Posted in: French, Language Learning - Adults, News from language & education organisations

GTCS Professional Recognition for LFEE Programmes

23 October 2017 (LFEE)

LFEE were delighted – and very proud - to collect a GTCS Professional Recognition Accredited Programme Award last month for our three-week French/Spanish Immersion Programmes and the 12-month Modern Languages Immersion and Methodology Programme. This is following on from having achieved course accreditation three years ago.

Representatives from ten Local Authorities from across Scotland attended the PowerLanguage conference to witness the launch of the NEW PowerLanguage Schools (PLS) website. Feedback from those present was extremely positive and the new site is now available to other practitioners!

Our “off the shelf” L3 in Mandarin was also very popular and will be available in Spanish soon.

Last but not least, we’re very excited to say that Caroline Gordon has joined our team 2 days a week and will be helping us with communication and social media amongst other things!

Contact us for information regarding any of the above projects. We look forward to hearing from you!
photo of LFEE staff with GTCS certificate of recognition

photo of LFEE staff with GTCS certificate of recognition

Young Europeans Award

23 October 2017 (UK-German Connection)

Calling all pupils interested in European issues! Take part in the Young Europeans Award and win a trip to Warsaw!

This initiative aims to encourage dialogue and exchange between young people in the 'Weimar Triangle' countries - Germany, France and Poland. For the 2017-18 round, the UK has been invited to take part as a guest country.

Teams of young people from within schools in Germany, France, Poland and the UK are invited to enter the competition (with support from their school) in groups of 6+ by sending in a collaborative creative project of their choice addressing the statement: 'To be or not to be...a European'.

Winning teams will have the opportunity to visit the Polish capital, Warsaw.

Applications should be submitted by 1 March 2018.

To find out more about the initiative and how to take part, visit the UK-German Connection website.

Teachers become learners with new languages project

17 October 2017 (Open University/SCILT)

Primary school teachers are being given the confidence to teach languages to their pupils through a new project run by The Open University (OU) in Scotland and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages.

Fifty one teachers from schools across nine local authorities are participating in ‘Learning to teach Languages in Primary School’ which will see them learn French or Spanish as well as how to teach the language in class.

The project aims to support the Scottish Government’s “1+2” Language Policy, which has the objective that every pupil will learn two modern foreign languages alongside their mother tongue from primary school onwards.

NEW: Training in French in your Primary School

12 October 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow is now offering special training designed for Primary School teachers to help them (re-)validate their professional development and accreditation.

Our team can travel to your school for a twilight to teach a 10-hour programme (2hrs per week over 5 weeks) suited for beginners/false beginners.

As well as working on your pronunciation and vocabulary skills, this course will provide you with "ready to teach" ideas and materials which can also be transferred to other languages in the 1+2 context.

Visit the Alliance Française website for further details.

European Youth Event (EYE) 2018

11 October 2017 (European Parliament)

There's still time to apply for the third European Youth Event (EYE) which will be taking place 1-2 June 2018 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

EYE provides a unique opportunity for young Europeans, aged between 16 and 30, to make their voices heard and to come up with innovative ideas for the future of Europe.

EYE2018 includes a wide range of activities in English, French and German run under the motto "The plan is to fan this spark into a flame." (Hamilton, My Shot). The activities centre around five main themes:

Young and old: Keeping up with the digital revolution
Rich and poor: Calling for a fair share
Apart and together: Working out for a stronger Europe
Safe and dangerous: Staying alive in turbulent times
Local and global: Protecting our planet

Visit the EYE2018 website for more information. Groups of at least 10 young people who want to take part need to register on the website between October and December 2017.

Euroquiz 2018

9 October 2017 (SEET)

Euroquiz, the annual project for P6 pupils in Scotland, is once again open for those wishing to participate in 2018.

The project, which sees team of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world, includes coverage of foreign languages, history, geography, sport, culture and European affairs.

Heats take place in every local authority from January to March 2018, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May 2018.

Visit the Scottish European Education Trust (SEET) website for more information about Euroquiz and how to register your school to take part.

Gender neutral version of French sparks backlash

7 October 2017 (The Independent)

A new gender-neutral version of the French language has caused anger among purists.

A member of the prestigious Académie Française has hit back at the adaption, which looks to reduce the masculine domination of grammatical gender.

The French Academy is France’s 400-year-old voice of authority on language and its sole British member, Sir Michael Edwards, has deemed the gender neutral words “gibberish”.

As reported by The Times, the French government department responsible for equal rights said the masculine ending was a form of sexual tyranny.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Alliance Française newsletter - September 2017

19 September 2017 (Alliance Française)

The autumn term has just begun at the Alliance Française in Glasgow. In their latest newsletter, find out more about the upcoming courses and events taking place, including:

Beginner course for primary school teachers
Grammar course and oral skills course for university students
October break workshop for children
DELF/DALF exams
Distance learning with 'Frantastique' - access a free trial

For all this, and more, see the newsletter online.

Beginners 1 French Course for Primary School Teachers

7 September 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française Glasgow is running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between October and December 2017.

This course is suitable for complete beginners.

20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French.
The course will take take place on Thursdays 3.45 - 5.45 pm between 5 October and 14 December 2017.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol.

French and Spanish courses for nursery and primary teachers

7 September 2017 (SALT)

Offered by Smalltalk Languages, this course is aimed at nursery/primary staff who are currently introducing French/Spanish as part of their curriculum for excellence/1+2 languages programme or intend to do so. Suitable for both complete beginners and people with prior knowledge of the language, the main focus of the course will be on language learning and practical methodology.

On the day participants will look at language from the children’s perspective. They will be shown how to build both their own and the children’s confidence in language skills while learning the importance of adapting and manipulating language for maximum effect.

Visit the SALT website for available dates and locations.

Bilingual story book readings

1 September 2017 (The Language Hub)

The Language Hub in Glasgow provides regular bilingual story book sessions at Hillhead Library. The sessions are free to attend and, whilst aimed at pre-school children, everyone is welcome.

The next event takes place on 5 September with a Spanish/English reading of 'The Gruffalo'.

Further readings of different stories in a range of languages will take place during the Autumn. For details of all the available sessions from September to November visit the Language Hub's website.

Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2017: Open Word - Open World

28 August 2017 (Michael Kerins)

This exciting new project will run from 20 to 31 October 2017. The idea is to create new writing using vocabulary that differs by the addition of only one letter - one single letter and the meaning changes. Not only in English - but in a wide variety of languages.

To find out more about the project and how you can participate, visit the website or contact michael.kerins@gmail.com.

N5 Modern Languages: assignment-writing understanding standards materials

25 August 2017 (SQA)

Eight pieces of candidate evidence with commentaries for the new Assignment – writing component of the National 5 Modern Languages course for 2017-18 have been published on SQA’s Understanding Standards website. These contain examples in French, German and Spanish. Further examples in other languages will be published as soon as these are developed.

European Youth Event (EYE) 2018

24 August 2017 (European Parliament)

The third European Youth Event (EYE) will be taking place 1-2 June 2018 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. It provides a unique opportunity for young Europeans, aged between 16 and 30, to make their voices heard and to come up with innovative ideas for the future of Europe.

EYE2018 includes a wide range of activities in English, French and German run under the motto "The plan is to fan this spark into a flame." (Hamilton, My Shot). The activities centre around five main themes:

Young and old: Keeping up with the digital revolution
Rich and poor: Calling for a fair share
Apart and together: Working out for a stronger Europe
Safe and dangerous: Staying alive in turbulent times
Local and global: Protecting our planet

Visit the EYE2018 website for more information. Groups of at least 10 young people who want to take part need to register on the website between October and December 2017.

Vocab Express League of Champions 2017

21 August 2017 (Vocab Express)

The next League of Champions competition from Vocab Express will be taking place from 28 September to 4 October 2017.

It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.

The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.

The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 150 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students. Free spaces are still currently available!

Visit the website for more information and to register your school.

Teachers can also sign up for guest access to a free trial of the Vocab Express platform using their school or academic e-mail address.

New job profile on SCILT's website

18 August 2017 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.

Our latest addition comes from Emma Gallacher, whose language skills have taken her from Scotland to the Costa Blanca, where she now works as receptionist for an established Real Estate firm. She firmly believes learning the language has enabled her to settle and integrate into the Spanish way of life.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Concours de la francophonie 2018

18 August 2017 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse is pleased to launch this year's concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

Visit the Institut français website to find out more about the competition and how to enter by 19 December 2017.

French classes in Edinburgh

15 August 2017 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse is enrolling for their autumn classes commencing September 2017.

Classes and workshops are offered for all ages (toddlers to adults), from complete beginners to fluent speakers.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol.

Concours de la francophonie 2017 - final report

15 August 2017 (Institut français)

The Concours de la francophonie was launched in 2016 by the Institut français d'Ecosse to showcase the vitality of the French language in Scottish schools and to encourage all learners from P1 to S6.

To enter the competition schools sent in a short film of a class activity in French.

See the attached document for full details of the 2017 competition, winners and photographs.

Related Files

Concours de la francophonie 2017 final report (1.17 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

French drama workshops

15 August 2017 (Theatre sans Accents)

Whether you want to perfect your French or your English, Theatre Sans Accents has the right workshop to suit your needs and your level!

No need to be fluent or an experienced actor, everyone is welcomed in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere!

Bookings are now being taken for Autumn term classes, with early bird discounts available.

Follow the appropriate link below to find out more about classes for adults and children:

For children:

Les Cabotins (age 5+)
Les Histrions (age 12+)

For adults:

Les Thespiens (intermediate/advanced - French)
The Thespians (intermediate/advanced - English)

You can find out more about Theatre sans Accents and their other activities on the website.

Autumn term French classes

14 August 2017 (Alliance Française)

French classes for adults and children will start at the Alliance Française in Glasgow on 11 September 2017.

Visit the website for full details and to find out about Open Days where you can visit, meet staff and have your language level assessed to establish the best course for you.

Foreign languages set for less ‘harsh grading’

11 August 2017 (TES)

Move set to encourage take-up of subjects and create more language teachers.

The number of top grades awarded in modern foreign language A levels is likely to increase this summer, after a change brought in by Ofqual to help non-native speakers.

Exam boards have been asked to increase the proportion of students expected to achieve a grade A and above by one percentage point for French, German and Spanish A levels.

The exam regulator decided to intervene after carrying out research that showed native speakers were far more likely to achieve A* or A grades than non-native speakers.

If the ability of this year’s cohort is consistent with previous years, the uplift will be applied to the three A-level subjects.

However, relatively few candidates look set to benefit: a Tes analysis of last year’s A-level results suggests that an adjustment last summer would have resulted in around 200 extra A and A* grades being awarded.

The move from Ofqual has been widely welcomed across the sector, but headteacher organisations argue that it should not be the last word in solving what they see as a long-standing problem.

Languages under pressure after fall in pupils taking German and French

9 August 2017 (The Herald)

THE number of pupils choosing key modern languages has fallen sharply.

Figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) show the number of entries for Higher French dropped from 4,581 in 2016 to 3,918 this year.

The figures for German have also fallen, with entries declining from 1,019 to 890 year-on-year.

However, the increasing popularity of Spanish has continued, with entries rising from 2,600 last year to 2,809.

Entries at the lower National 5 level for French and German have also fallen.

The Future of French in the EU and Beyond

7 August 2017 (Language Magazine)

While the 2016 UK European Union (EU) Membership Referendum launched the current public conversation on the status of English in the EU, it has been—just as much, if not more—a conversation on the future of French within the EU.

In order to understand the significance of this conversation about language, and languages, it is necessary to begin with the significance of multilingualism as a core value of the EU, which has implemented and supported plurilingualism, often referred to as “mother tongue plus two,” as a pragmatic educational objective.

In alignment with this core value of multilingualism, Europe accounts for more than half (53.9%) of the global language-services sector, which is valued at USD 38.2 billion per year, and the French Hewlett-Packard’s Application and Content Localization group (HPPACG) is the third-largest language-services provider in the world.

From the original four official languages of the European Community, the number has grown to 24, with English, French, and German (in alphabetical order) the informal de facto working/procedural languages, and the French government has long been an active advocate for the use of French.

But as the UK prepares to leave the EU, leaving no member nation with English registered as its official language, the role of English within the EU has been questioned, with suggestions made that French and German should be the sole working/procedural languages.

Posted in: French, German, Language Skills, Languages in the press, Brexit

Which language should we teach in school?

2 August 2017 (MEITS blog)

Increasing motivation for language learning in UK schools and encouraging children to maintain their languages study past the point at which they have the chance to stop is an ongoing challenge. One important question here is: to what extent are success and motivation linked to the particular language pupils study?

The myth of the monolingual Brit, who refuses to speak foreign languages, has been supplemented in recent years by the narrative that we are not only unwilling, but also unable to speak foreign languages. For example, the 2012 European Survey on Language Competences, which sought to provide comparable data on standards of achievement in 15-year old learners across 16 participating countries, showed pupils in England languishing at the bottom of the table, where the learning of the first foreign language (French) was concerned.

The figures, however, tell a slightly different story when we consider the learning of the second foreign language. For example, Sweden, which had topped the charts for English proficiency, languished at the bottom when it came to the learning of the second foreign language (Spanish); learners in English secondary schools who were studying German as a second language did better.

Leaving aside the difficulty of providing robust data from such surveys, this study provides support for the idea that the language learned really does matter. Motivation for English learning is so strong in most parts of the world that for many learners it is now a life skill as much as a foreign language. Motivation for studying the second and third foreign languages, however, can be as difficult to achieve in other parts of the world as it is for the first in our own setting.

In Europe and the rest of the world English’s position as the foreign language of choice remains unassailable. For example, the 2017 Eurodice Report, which provides key data on teaching languages at school in Europe, reports that in 2014 virtually all EU students (97.3 %) studied English during the entire period of lower secondary education. After that came French (33.7 %), German (23.1 %) and Spanish (19.1 %), with other languages rarely studied.

The question of which language should we teach our learners in England remains a source of debate.

SQA update - National 5 Modern Languages

SQA (23 June 2017)

The following documents will be available for all National 5 Modern Languages courses by the afternoon of Friday 23 June:

Coursework assessment task - assignment (writing)
Coursework assessment task - performance (talking)
Course support notes

The course support notes will be added to the National 5 course specification as an appendix. The course specification will then be updated to version 2.0 and the date will change to June 2017, but there is no further change to the content of this document.

European Youth Event (EYE) 2018

23 June 2017 (European Parliament)

Young and old: Keeping up with the digital revolution
Rich and poor: Calling for a fair share
Apart and together: Working out for a stronger Europe
Safe and dangerous: Staying alive in turbulent times
Local and global: Protecting our planet

Visit the EYE2018 website for more information. Groups of at least 10 young people who want to take part need to register on the website between October and December 2017.

New earpiece translates foreign languages as you have a conversation

20 June 2017 (The Independent)

A new device that delivers foreign language translations directly to your ear almost instantly has just gone on sale.

The Translate One2One has been hailed as a real-world equivalent of the Babel fish, the famous fictional creature from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

It’s powered by IBM’s supercomputer, Watson, and takes between three and five seconds to complete a translation and play it to you.

It currently works across English, Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German and Chinese.

However, both people in a conversation need to be wearing one.

Lingmo International, the company behind it, claims the Translate One2One is clever enough to avoid common translation stumbling blocks.

French summer classes in Glasgow

19 June 2017 (Alliance Française)

There are still places available on the Summer Classes being run by the Alliance Française de Glasgow between June and September 2017. Classes are available for all levels.

Semi-Intensive Courses: enrol in a 4-week French programme suitable for complete beginners, or reinforce your language skills with revisions.

Intensive Courses: brush-up on your French with revisions over the course of 3 days.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol.

Modern Language Assistants (MLA) Projects 2016-17

15 June 2017 (SCILT / British Council)

Every year language assistants try to make languages really come alive for young people in Scotland's schools, e.g. by initiating a language exchange, participating in language competitions, or by organising immersion days.

In this blog you can browse through the work of last year's assistants. You can search the slides either by language or by school year group. Enjoy, and we hope you will be inspired to follow in their footsteps!

Robot priest unveiled in Germany to mark 500 years since Reformation

30 May 2017 (The Guardian)

Five hundred years after revolutionary printing presses spread news of Martin Luther’s radical call for church reform across Europe, technology is again challenging religious tradition in the small German town of Wittenberg.

A robot priest that delivers blessings in five languages and beams light from its hands has been unveiled as part of an exhibition to mark the anniversary of the start of the Reformation, a Europe-wide religious, political and cultural upheaval sparked when Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door in the town.

Half a millennium later, the robot, called BlessU-2, is intended to trigger debate about the future of the church and the potential of artificial intelligence.

The item includes a short video demonstration in German.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Europe, Language Skills, Technology, Languages in the press, Polish

French summer classes 2017

30 May 2017 (Institut français)

During August the Institut français in Edinburgh is running adults classes for all levels and aims. Whether you are looking to brush up your French over the summer or for some intensive classes, there's something for you.

This year a new intensive course is being launched which might be of particular interest for teachers. This 15 hour course will take place over three days from 8 to 10 August. GTCS registered teachers benefit from a concession fee.

All enrolments before July 11 can benefit from an 'early bird' rate.

See the summer programme for details.

Further information about the Institut français and their full range of activities can be found on their website.

French workshops for Higher and Advanced Higher students

30 May 2017 (Institut français)

The Institut français is offering a series of 4 workshops from September to December 2017 to help S5 and S6 students preparing for their exam.

Visit the Institut français website for further details and to apply by 23 June.

Which language would ease our way in the post-Brexit world?

24 May 2017 (The Guardian)

We Brits are pretty settled in our role as monoglots. Our default tactic of “speak English slowly and loudly so others can understand you” served us well enough – and then Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, put the boot in by claiming recently that “English is losing importance.”

Is this really the case? Experts are divided.

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Languages in the press, Russian, Arabic, Brexit

Volunteering opportunity for French-speaker

23 May 2017 (Xchange Scotland)

Xchange Scotland, a Glasgow-based youth-led charity, is offering a brand-new, unique volunteering opportunity. Thanks to a strong partnership with French organisation Solidarites Jeunesses, six young French volunteers will be coming to Glasgow for a two-week long placement.

Xchange Scotland are looking for local French-speaking volunteers/students who would like to join the group of French volunteers and practise their language skills as well as help with project organisation. The level of French language of local volunteers should be preferably between A2-C2 level. This is an opportunity for local volunteers to practise French language with native speakers here in Glasgow as well as develop organisation and communication skills.

The participants will, for the duration of the project, be based in Auchindrain and join the museum’s outdoor workforce there. This is a small team consisting of young people (many with disabilities) undergoing training, which operates under the direction and supervision of a highly-experienced agricultural worker. This approach offers participants the chance to vary the work they do and gain experience in a variety of activities. The project aims to develop skills and intercultural understanding and also benefit the local community in Auchindrian.

Volunteers will be based in Auchindrain for two weeks from 31st July to 13th August 2017.

More information is available in the attached file or by email to Chiara Varesio.

Related Files

Information for team leaders on Xchange Scotland (337 KB)

Posted in: French, Extra-Curricular, News from language & education organisations

French summer workshop for children

23 May 2017 (Alliance Française de Glasgow)

Alliance Française de Glasgow are pleased to announce it will be running a special summer workshop for primary school children (P1-P7) in early July.

This is a great opportunity for the children to improve their language skills, experience life and culture in France as well as make new friends through fun activities!

Intensive and semi-intensive summer classes in French

23 May 2017 (Alliance Française de Glasgow)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Summer Classes suitable for all levels between June and September 2017.

Semi-Intensive Courses: enrol in a 4-week French programme suitable for complete beginners, or reinforce your language skills with revisions.

Intensive Courses: brush-up on your French with revisions over the course of 3 days.

Euroscola dates for autumn 2017

16 May 2017 (European Parliament)

Euroscola brings together about 600 students from all over the European Union for a day in Strasbourg discussing aspects of European integration, in multilingual working groups of 100 students. It is open to students aged 16-18 and the European Parliament offers a subsidy towards the costs of the journey to Strasbourg.

As working groups consist of students from several member states it is essential that participants have a sound knowledge of at least one other European Union language. For practical purposes knowledge of French is necessary as during the "committee" meetings in the afternoon, students are expected to think and speak in a language other than their mother tongue. The debates are held mainly in French and English.

Dates for the autumn term 2017 are now available.

To find out more and to apply, visit the Euroscola website.

Falkirk win at Euroquiz final

16 May 2017 (SEET)

Congratulations to the P6 team from Comely Park Primary School, who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s National Euroquiz Final 2017, which took place in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament on 15th May 2017.

Team members Tamsin Gold, Edwin Walker, Robyn Dewar-Young and Jaymie Jones were crowned SEET’s Euroquiz Champions 2017 at the national final. The winners were closely followed by St Leonard’s Primary School team from South Lanarkshire, in a nail-biting final round. Sciennes Primary School from Edinburgh also did incredibly well, winning the prize for third place.

Euroquiz is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust, a non-political charity, which promotes education about language learning, Europe and the wider world amongst Scotland’s young people.

See the attached press release for full details about this year's competition and participating schools.

If your school might like to take part in future competitions, visit the SEET website for more information.

Related Files

Euroquiz Press Release Final 2017 (587 KB)

Young Language Learner Award - 2017

15 May 2017 (B small publishing)

The Young Language Learner Awards are back!

B small publishing are inviting children and young people to write a four-page story in a foreign language they are learning (choose from Chinese, English, French, German, Italian or Spanish) to be in with a chance of winning books worth £50.

One winner will be picked from the under 6 category and one winner from the 6 and over entries.

Visit the website for full details and to submit entries by 15 June 2017.

Language Perfect World Championships 2017

12 May 2017 (ALL)

This year's Language Perfect World Championships take place from 15 - 25 May.

Students participate in the world's largest online languages event over 10 days with the chance to earn certificates and qualify for awards and prizes by translating between their target language and English. The competition is relevant for everyone, whatever their ability.

The first 500 schools to register will receive 50 free entries. (ALL members can register all students for free).

Find out more about the competition via the ALL webpage and the competition website.

Leaving Certificate language students ‘learning off’ exam answers

11 May 2017 (Irish Examiner)

(Relates to Ireland) In a series of reports on student performance in language exams last June, chief examiners say students must learn how to adapt, instead of using learned-off answers.

The issues were most acute in the 2016 Leaving Certificate exams in Spanish, French, and Italian.

There are many positive aspects, particularly about the competencies of more able students of the six languages, which also included German, Japanese, and Russian.

But in oral exams, which are worth between 20% and 25% of marks in language subjects, a common concern is that students have prepared answers.

The Spanish Leaving Certificate examiner reported, for example, that a number of students had been taught in a “rote-learning” manner that prevented the natural flow of conversation.

“Many candidates had prepared a range of topics in the general conversation, but, when gently disengaged from rote-learned topics, found it difficult to communicate effectively in the target language,” the reports said.

The reports are published today by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), whose chief examiner in Leaving Certificate French said most students were well-prepared for the orals and had a high degree of proficiency and fluency.

However, at the other end of the scale, some of the 25,758 students examined in the subject had difficulty answering even simple questions.

New job profile on SCILT's website

28 April 2017 (SCILT)

The job profiles on our website cover a range of professions where languages are being used.

Our latest addition comes from Charlie Foot, founder of Bili, the online language exchange platform for schools. Charlie explains how speaking to people in their own language creates opportunities for much deeper connections and cultural understanding.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

French summer classes in Glasgow

27 April 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is holding a number of classes/exams during summer 2017. Follow the appropriate link below to find out more information:

To find out more about the Alliance Française, visit their website.

uTalk takes language learning to new heights with Emirates, the world’s largest international airline

26 April 2017 (uTalk)

London-based language experts uTalk are helping passengers on Emirates Airline prepare for arrival with new inflight language videos. They’ve produced a series of films, which can be seen on all Emirates flights, giving travellers an introduction to five languages, with beginner lessons covering first words, food and drink and getting around.

Franco-German Film Series at the CCA

24 April 2017 (Alliance Française)

This year’s film collaboration between the Goethe Institut and the Alliance Française will stand under the heading of comedy.

Though the sense of humor varies according to national history and culture, it still manages to reach people regardless of age, gender, race and across country borders.

Visit the Alliance Française website to find out more about the 4 films being screened during May and June at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow.

The events are free, but registration is essential.

A-level language grades skewed by results of native speakers – study

21 April 2017 (The Guardian)

For years the British stereotype of Germans has been that they get the best of everything, from sun-loungers to football trophies – and now it seems they have been achieving the best A-level grades.

Research published by the exam regulator Ofqual has found that German-speaking children in the UK have been sitting A-level exams in their native language – and winning a disproportionate amount of A and A* grades on offer.

The Ofqual research estimated that about 17% of the students taking German A-levels in Britain may be native speakers, and gained about half of the top A* grades on offer – making it harder for non-native speakers sitting the exam.

The new research is good news for pupils taking this summer’s A-levels, with Ofqual suggesting it could increase the number of top grades it hands out, to ensure a level playing field between grades awarded in modern foreign languages and other subjects.

“If the ability of the cohorts is similar to previous years we would anticipate small increases in the proportion of students getting top grades in each subject this August,” Ofqual said in a statement.

The researchers found similar results in French and Spanish, with native speakers gaining higher than average GCSE scores. In Spanish, native speakers are almost 10 times more likely to achieve a grade A or A* than non-native speakers. Native-speaking Germans are 28 times more likely to achieve a grade A, and 11 times more likely to get an A*.

The research comes after complaints from leading schools that modern foreign languages are graded less generously than other subjects. But until now there has been no effort to account for native speakers as exam candidates.

New job profile on the SCILT website

21 April 2017 (SCILT)

We have a selection of job profiles on our website demonstrating languages being used in a wide range of professions.

Our latest addition comes from David Rodger, Area Manager at Amazon Germany. He tells how people engage with you and realise you're on their side if you demonstrate the willingness to understand their language and culture.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Photo exhibition workshops for primary schools: “Objectif sport”

20 April 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is organising educational workshops around sport and the French language in May and June. Through games and activities in French, pupils will learn about sport, sporting events and the values attached to them.

The workshops are designed for primary school pupils and their teachers (P3/P6) who visit the photo exhibition and are free of charge.

See the attached flyer for more information and booking instructions.

Related Files

AF Glasgow Photo Exhibition Workshops for P3-P6 Pupils (700 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Dingwall Academy's pioneering sign language work hailed at Holyrood

2 April 2017 (Ross-shire Journal)

Dingwall Academy’s leadership in promoting British Sign Language (BSL) has been applauded by the Scottish Parliament – after the school was highly praised by Strathpeffer-based MSP, Maree Todd.

She used the recent debate on the consultation on the Draft BSL National Plan to highlight the initiative of Dingwall Academy’s unit. During her speech, she used BSL to welcome former Dingwall Academy pupil, Caitlin Bogan, who was watching the debate from the viewing gallery.

The MSP later said: “We should all be proud of what is being done in the Highlands. Dingwall Academy is one of the few schools to deliver a BSL unit – all students in first year, including my son Gregor this year, take BSL classes as a taster along with other languages, including French, Gaelic and German.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Gaelic, German, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

New job profile on the SCILT website

31 March 2017 (SCILT)

We have a selection of job profiles on our website demonstrating languages being used in a wide range of professions.

Our latest addition comes from Jane Robb, PhD student at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich. Jane has studied several languages, including French, German and Spanish and says her Spanish language skills enable her to conduct fieldwork and live and work in Guatemala.

Teachers use our profiles in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Call for applications - Trends in Translation

30 March 2017 (ALL)

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Embassy in London, the Institut Français du Royaume-Uni and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are looking for the next generation of translators into English.

Higher Education Institutions across the UK are being invited to nominate their most promising undergraduate student(s) to take part in a one-day exclusive Masterclass in Translation to be held at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, on Thursday, 27th April 2017 with the opportunity for two Masterclass students to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair this year.

This call is open to undergraduate students only. Students must have a proficiency in either German or French (Level B1 and higher, according to CEFR). A combination of the two languages is very welcome but not required.

The candidates and the nominators are asked to complete the application form and send it electronically to application@lond.diplo.de by Tuesday 18 April 2017.

For full terms and conditions, visit the Association for Language Learning (ALL) website.

French at the Alliance Française in Glasgow

27 March 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française has a number of upcoming opportunities for French language learners in Glasgow. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Spring Break Revision Classes April 2017 (3-7 April) - preparation courses for pupils sitting Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French this year and University students due to sit exams later this year.
Easter workshop for primary school pupils (3-7 April) - children will learn about French language and culture through fun Easter-themed activities.
Term D adult courses now enrolling - classes available at all levels from Beginner to Advanced, along with specialised courses such as Conversation, Current Affairs, Grammar and Phonetics. New term commences 18 April 2017.
New adult classes - Beginners, Lunchtime Conversation Class, Phonetics Class, Grammar Class commencing from 18 April 2017.

For further information about the Alliance Française and their full range of activities, visit their website.

Les Resultats ! Le Quiz de la Francophonie

24 March 2017 (Institut français / Canadian High Commission)

The Canadian High Commission in London, who organised the Quiz de la francophonie this year, have just announced the names of the winning schools who are all from Scotland!

Congratulations to:

Sir E. Scott School ( Les Gateaux Gris)
Mid Yell JHS ( Les Petits Crofters)
Westhill Academy ( les Grenouilles 2 E)

Thank you to all participants and well done to the winning schools who will receive their prizes in due course.

Posted in: French, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Scottish schools celebrate French language in Edinburgh on Friday 17 March 2017

17 March 2017 (Institut français d’Écosse )

Three winning schools of the “Concours de la francophonie” will receive their prizes at the special Award ceremony hosted at the University of Edinburgh on Friday 17 March by Emmanuel Cocher, Consul general of France in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

La francophonie is thriving in Scotland as a majority of children now learn French from P1. To celebrate this renewed engagement with languages, the Institut français d’Écosse launched in 2016 a national French competition, to celebrate the international day of la francophonie with all young learners across Scotland.

This student-led competition is designed to value creativity in French and allow a large participation of all primary and secondary schools. Learners are invited to film a short piece, dialogue, song, play, report or any other production in French. The competition is organised in two phases: Local Authorities choose their local champions and a national jury select the winners. For this second edition, various Local Authorities including Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council, and various independent schools.

87 learners from three of the four winning schools will attend the ceremony, on 17 March at the Outreach Center at the University of Edinburgh. The ceremony will be preceded by various activities in French conducted by 4^th year students of French at the University of Edinburgh and teachers of the Institut français d’Écosse.

The winning schools are:

P1/P4
Glasgow City Council – Holy Cross Primary School – P4

P5/P7
Argyll and Bute Council – Dunoon Primary School – P5
Falkirk Council – Antonine Primary School – P5

S1/S3
Shetland Islands Council – Mid Yell Junior School – S3
The Institut français will visit Mid Yell Junior School in June to give their award and prizes to the winners and offer them French activities.

Emmanuel Cocher, Consul general of France and Director of the Institut français d’Écosse said: “La journée mondiale de la francophonie, the international day of la francophonie, is indeed a very special day which brings together French speakers, learners and teachers, to celebrate the French language and the dialogue between cultures.” He added: “Thanks to the 1+2 policy, all students now learn two additional languages in schools and a clear majority have chosen French as their first modern language. This ambitious and exciting policy will have a positive impact on language uptake in schools, and will open new horizons to all young Scots.”

The organisers:

The Institut français d’Écosse is the agency of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Scotland, promoting French language and culture. The Institut français d’Écosse supports French language teaching and learning in Scotland.

Additional information is available on www.ifecosse.org.uk

The partners:

SCILT, Scotland’s National Center for Languages

SALT, Scottish Association for Language Teaching

Alliance française de Glasgow

The Department of European Languages and Culture of the University of Edinburgh

TV5 MONDE

The sponsors:

Total E&P UK

The Franco-Scottish Society

The national jury for the 2017 edition:

Louise Glen, Senior Education Officer, Education Scotland

Hannah Doughty, Professional Development Officer, SCILT

Maryse Payen Roy, Committee Member, SALT

Valérie Laplanche Ferguson, Teacher, Institut français d’Écosse

The international day of la Francophonie is celebrated all around the world on 20 March. http://www.20mars.francophonie.org/

Related Files

2017 Programme Prix Francophonie (615 KB)

Posted in: French, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

Summary of SQA Course Reports for Higher and AH Modern Languages 2016

16 March 2017 (SCILT)

We have summarised the Course Reports for Higher and Advanced Higher Modern Languages and Gàidhlig. These reports highlight areas where candidates performed well in the 2016 exam and areas where they encountered difficulty.

They contain sound advice for both teachers and pupils in the run up to this year's exam diet.

The full report for each language can be accessed on the SQA website under the Verification and Course Reports tab.

The summary reports are attached below and can also be found on the Senior Phase, Essentials for Planning page on the SCILT website under the SQA Qualifications tab.

Related Files

Summary of SQA Course Reports for Higher Modern Languages 2016 (422 KB)
Summary of SQA Course Reports for Higher Gaidhlig (386 KB)
Summary of SQA Course Reports for AH Modern Languages (419 KB)
Summary of SQA Course Reports for AH Gaidhlig (382 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, SCILT news, SQA, Urdu

Visit the French Zone at Language Show Scotland in Glasgow

3 March 2017 (Institut français)

The French Zone is happy to welcome you to Stand 208 at Language Show Live, 10-11 March 2017, and to offer you a variety of French resources from the Institut français and other key actors of French teaching and learning.

Visit the Institut français website for more information.

French at the Alliance Française de Glasgow

2 March 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française has a number of upcoming opportunities for French language learners in Glasgow. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Spring Break Revision Classes April 2017 (3-7 April) - preparation courses for pupils sitting Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French this year.
Easter workshop for primary school pupils (3-7 April) - children will learn about French language and culture through fun Easter-themed activities.
Screening of 2 documentary films with directors in attendance. The first one is on gender inequality and could be of interest to Advanced Higher pupils, the second gives a good insight into one of the most famous newspapers in France:
- Screening of the documentary ’’Des Femmes et des Hommes’’ (10 March)
- Screening of ’’Les gens du Monde’’ (30 March)

To find out more about the Alliance Française and all their activities, visit their website.

Articulate Language Camps 2017

1 March 2017 (Articulate Language Camps)

Articulate Language Camps run an International Camp (12-17 year olds) and Launch Camp (6-11 year olds) each summer in Scotland.

The International camp brings together young people aged 12-17 from across Europe and beyond to share their language and culture and provides the opportunity to learn French, Spanish, German, Italian or English.

The Launch camp gives young campers the chance to experience the same languages in a fun and interactive way, learning through digital media projects and outdoor activities.

Find out more in the Articulate Language Camps videos on YouTube where you will also find links to their online brochure and registration form. Follow the relevant link below for more information about each camp:

International Camp (ages 12-17)
Launch Camp (ages 6-11)

You can find out more about Articulate Language Camps by visiting their main website.

Fairtrade Fortnight

28 February 2017 (SCILT / Traidcraft)

#mfltwitterati it’s Fairtrade Fortnight! Please tweet @scottishcilt and @FairtradeUKEd the lesson ideas and resources that you’re using with your learners as a meaningful context for language learning #Fairtrade.

We’ve already found these from @traidcraft, tell us what you think.

Explore the world of cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire with a range of teaching resources for learners of French at 2nd level, 3rd level and in the Senior Phase.
Explore a range of resources relating to Apicoop - honey and blueberry producers in Chile. Aimed at 2nd level learners of Spanish materials include a poster, an advert and a game.

Vive la francophonie 2017

27 February 2017 (Institut français)

Each year the embassies of the francophone countries organise a UK-wide quiz for S2 and S3 students entitled Vive la francophonie. This year's competition will take place on 13 March.

It is simple for schools to take part:

Enrol your team
The quiz will be online on 13 March any time from 10am to 2pm. It should take maximum an hour to answer the questions.

The top 3 teams with the most answers right, in the shortest time, wins!

Visit the website to find out more about the competition and to register your students by 8 March.

New student profile on SCILT's website

24 February 2017 (SCILT)

We have a range of Job Profiles on our website designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Our latest addition comes from Emma Therer, a student of German and Linguistics, whose aim is to become a translator and interpreter. She believes languages are key in getting to know people and to learn about other cultures.

Read her profile and others on our website now.

Languages Teacher Training Scholarships

23 February 2017 (British Council)

Are you passionate about French, German or Spanish? If so, you could receive a languages scholarship of £27,500 to train as a secondary school teacher in England.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply by 31 July 2017.

Absolutely Fabulous 25th anniversary: watch a clip from the show in six different languages

20 February 2017 (The Independent)

Edina and Patsy remain fabulous in every language.

Absolutely Fabulous is now coming up to its 25th anniversary, with the BBC Worldwide Showcase commemorating the occasion by releasing a clip which cuts together a scene in six different European languages: English, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, and French.

It's all part of an effort to celebrate its expansive global success, which last year saw the release of the pair's own feature film debut in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie; launching stars Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders on their escape to the French Riviera after an incident at a fashion launch party sends Kate Moss tumbling into the Thames.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press

Learn French at the Institut français d'Ecosse

17 February 2017 (Institut français d'Ecosse)

The Institut français offers classes and workshops for all ages (toddlers to adults), from complete beginners to fluent speakers.

Enrolment is open for Spring term classes beginning in April.

Students undertaking National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers can also register for a preparation course running 3-7 April.

Visit the website for full details and to enrol.

Translation Course for University Students March 2017

17 February 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new translation course specifically designed for students who are currently studying French at University. This course will increase language skills and should greatly help prepare for exams where translation is involved.

This new 5-week course will take place on Wednesdays between 3.45-5.45pm starting Wednesday 1 March.

Visit the website for more information and to enrol by Saturday 25 February.

New job profile on SCILT's website

17 February 2017 (SCILT)

For relevant, labour-market focused career advice on languages, direct from the workplace, read our latest Job Profile from Katie Targett-Adams, a professional singer and harpist currently based in Hong Kong. Teachers, use this resource in your classroom to enhance learning about the world of work.

Boost language attainment with a Modern Language Assistant

8 February 2017 (British Council)

Modern Language Assistants bring authentic language and culture to the classroom. In a recent survey of host schools, Heads of Languages reported improved exam results – raising standards in under-performing students and motivating talented students to achieve more. The support of an Assistant is particularly valuable with the on-going focus on languages in the 1+2 initiative, and can particularly help to complement the development of language teaching in primary schools.

The British Council Language Assistants programme draws on over 100 years of experience with overseas education authorities to provide a trusted, high quality service.

Applications are now open! For more information visit the British Council website.

In 2016 the Erasmus+ UK National Agency awarded nearly €1.2m+ to Scotland’s schools and colleges for Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships, and 70% of Scottish applications for school-only partnerships were successful. The next Erasmus+ funding deadline is 29 March. If you are planning to apply, access our tailored guidance for school-only applications and school education applications; pre-recorded videos; and telephone support sessions.

Le concours de la francophonie competition winners

8 February 2017 (SALT / Institut français)

Winners of the 2017 Concours de la francophonie, a competition run by the Institut français d'Ecosse for schools in Scotland, have now been announced!

Visit the SALT website for more information about the winners in each category.

English rugby referees learning French - Wayne Barnes

7 February 2017 (BBC)

English rugby referees are taking French lessons in order to improve their communication skills during games, says top official Wayne Barnes.

There has been criticism by players of some Six Nations referees only being able to speak in English.

However, Barnes, 37, says RFU officials "want to be better communicators".

"We are not just training and reviewing, we are actually doing some French lessons as a group," he told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

One of the world's leading referees, Barnes has been taking charge of international matches since 2006.

And while he argues that speaking a range of languages fluently is unfeasible for a referee, he feels steps can be taken to improve communication.

Posted in: French, Language Learning for Work, Languages in the press, Sport

Many Languages, One World - 2017 student essay contest

7 February 2017 (Many Languages One World)

The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), in collaboration with ELS Educational Services, Inc., (ELS) invites students, 18 years and older, who are enrolled in a full-time course of study at a college or university, to participate in the Many Languages, One World Essay Contest.

The essay should discuss global citizenship and cultural understanding, and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these and must be written in one of the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish).

Visit the Many Languages, One World website for more information about the competition and how to enter. Submission deadline is 16 March 2017.

The made-up language with just one speaker

3 February 2017 (BBC)

When it comes to learning languages, it's often thought the Swedes are rather good at it, the Dutch brilliant, and the British, rather poor. Student, Melissa May, who is from southern England, is perhaps the exception that proves the rule. Not content with mastering many languages including German, French and Spanish, she decided to invent a completely new one, with its own unique script. It is called Skénavánns. She told James Menendez about it.

Teacher Volunteers Wanted

1 February 2017 (NUS Scotland)

The Scottish Migrant Institute has been set up as a teaching hub to provide training and education to the asylum seeker, refugee and migrant community. These evening and weekend classes, hosted at the University of Strathclyde, offer a range of subjects to adults who want to learn in their spare time. They are currently recruiting volunteers to teach French and Spanish – this would be an ideal opportunity for ML teachers or students who have some spare time to commit.

For more information please contact Lord Apetsi, NUS Scotland Asylum Seeker & Refugee Officer. An information event will be held at the University of Strathclyde in March/April (date to be confirmed).

Posted in: French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations, Refugees

Yakety Yak Language Cafés in Glasgow

31 January 2017 (Yakety Yak)

Yakety Yak has some new venues for French and Italian language cafés in Glasgow.

Visit their website for more information.

New Job Profile on SCILT's website

27 January 2017 (SCILT)

Inspire the future generation with relevant career advice on languages direct from the workplace via the Job Profiles on our website. These resources are designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Our latest addition comes from modern languages teacher, Olivia Ingleby, who tells how language skills helped her discover new places, cultures and the varied opportunities that brought prior to becoming a languages teacher.

Choice of subjects is ‘not narrowing under CfE’

27 January 2017 (TESS)

Education directors have dismissed fears that pupils’ subject choices are narrowing under Curriculum for Excellence, insisting they have “far greater” choice than in the past.

MSPs have raised concerns that many pupils are only taking six subjects in S4 under new national qualifications, whereas eight would have been typical under the previous system.

Terry Lanagan, executive officer for education directors’ body ADES, said it was a mistake to look at S4 in isolation, since the “senior phase” was built around pupils accruing qualifications over a three-year period.

The former West Dunbartonshire education director also highlighted that schools could take more flexible approaches, such as joining forces to offer certain subjects or bringing in college lecturers to work with pupils. Greater priority was now given to so-called vocational qualifications, he added.

[..] Figures published in December show the numbers of secondary teachers by main subject taught from 2008-16. TESS examined subjects with more than 500 teachers in 2016 and found that French, computing and home economics are under extreme pressure.

The article can be read in full in TESS online, issue 27 January 2017 (subscription required).

French classes for the new semester

26 January 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow has a number of upcoming courses for the new term. Follow the appropriate link below for more information:

Revision courses for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils

CPDs for primary school teachers

General French classes

For more information about the Alliance Française visit their website.

New STEM job profile on SCILT's website

20 January 2017 (SCILT)

If you're looking for relevant career advice on languages direct from the workplace, read the Job Profiles on our website. These resources are designed for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work and how language skills can play a part.

Our latest addition comes from John Barry, a former petroleum engineer and manager with Shell, who explains how his language skills helped him to develop his career with the company.

Scottish Education Awards 2017

19 January 2017 (Scottish Education Awards)

The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education. They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

There's still time to submit nominations for the Awards, so get your entries in for the Making Languages Come Alive (Primary) and Gaelic Education/Duais Foghlam Gàidhlig.awards before the closing date of 15 February 2017.

Visit the Scottish Education Award website to make your nomination.

Glasgow Film Festival 2017

18 January 2017 (Glasgow Film)

The programme for Glasgow Film Festival 2017 has just been announced!

More than 310 separate events and screenings of films from 38 countries will show across the city from 15 – 26 February in one of the UK’s biggest film festivals. The event offers several special screenings for schools, which this year includes the following foreign language options:

Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods (PG) - 6-8 February (French, English subtitles)
Ma Revolution (N/C 15+) - 3-8 February (French, English subtitles)
The Olive Tree (N/C 15+) - 7 February (Spanish/German with English subtitles)
Shorts for Wee Ones (N/C 3+) - 9 February (English, French or dialogue free)
The Golden Dream (N/C 12+) - 9 February (Spanish & Tzotzil with English subtitles)
Zip Zap & The Captain's Island (N/C 8+) - 9 February (Spanish)

There are also CPD opportunities for teachers and workshops for pupils. Visit the 'What's on for Schools' page of the GFT website for full details and to book.

Tickets go on sale to Glasgow Film Festival Members at noon on Thursday 19 January and on general sale at 10am on Monday 23 January.

Visit the GFT website for more information.

SQA update to AH Modern Languages guidance on past paper usage

16 January 2017 (SQA)

The SQA has produced updated guidance documents on the use of past paper questions for Advanced Higher Modern Languages (Chinese, Italian, French, Spanish, German and Gaelic learners).

These can be found on the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage under the 'Specimen Question Papers and Marking Instructions' section.

SQA Marker Opportunities

12 January 2017 (SQA)

SQA currently has Marker vacancies in the following areas:

AH French Paper 1 and Paper 2 (Reading and Translation and Listening and Discursive Writing) - this is a MFI Central Marking event which takes place from Thursday 1 June - Sunday 4 June 2017 inclusive
AH French Portfolio - this is traditionally marked and the Marker meeting take place on Wednesday 10 May 2017.

If you would like to be considered for AH French marking please complete the online application form stating which components you would like to mark confirming your availability to attend either the marking meeting and or the central marking event.

Details can be found in the marker advert on the SQA website.

Current markers who wish to be considered for a change of level should also complete an application form confirming current delivery of AH French for at least 2 years.

New term French classes in Glasgow

9 January 2017 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow has a number of upcoming courses for the new term. Follow the appropriate link below for more information:

Revision courses for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils

CPDs for primary school teachers

General French classes

For more information about the Alliance Française visit their website.

Mathématiques sans frontières

6 January 2017 (North Lanarkshire Council)

North Lanarkshire Council and Heriot Watt University are once again jointly organising the world-wide Maths and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland.

Schools are invited to participate in this stimulating and light-hearted competition for S4 and S5 which combines Maths and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils.

The competition itself will be held on Tuesday 7 March 2017 and schools wishing to participate should complete the proforma attached and return by 27 January 2017. There is also a training test available for download.

See the attachments for more information and to register your school.

LFEE Europe immersion courses in France and Spain 2017-18

6 January 2017 (LFEE)

For more information see the attached flyer or visit the LFEE website.

Related Files

LFEE Europe Brochure 2017-18 for UK teachers (187 KB)

Posted in: French, Spanish, CPD, Europe, Funding, Immersion, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Parents think Mandarin is most useful language for children, survey says

5 January 2017 (BT)

Mandarin Chinese is the most useful non-European language for children to learn, UK parents believe.

It will boost their child's career prospects, according to 51%of parents, while 56% felt it would open their children's minds to an "exciting and dynamic" culture.

Arabic and Japanese, which both picked by 14% of parents, were the other key non-European languages.

The figures were gained after 1,138 UK adults with children aged under 18 were questioned in a Populus survey commissioned by the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP).

French, Spanish and German were the top choices overall for young people in the UK to learn after being picked by 57%, 54% and 40% of parents respectively.

French writing competition launched from space!

2 January 2017 (Culturethèque)

An exciting French writing competition has just been launched by French astronaut, Thomas Pesquet, from the International Space Station.

Young people, up to the age of 25, are invited to write a short piece in French based on le Petit Prince and submit their entries by 28 February 2017.

See Thomas speaking about the competition on the launch video and find out how to enter on the Culturethèque website.

Heriot-Watt Multilingual Debate 2017

12 December 2016 (Heriot-Watt University)

Heriot-Watt University's Multilingual Debate is an annual event showcasing the interpreting skills of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The 2017 Debates will take place on Wednesday 22 March with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. There are two Debates; one in the morning, one in the afternoon.

The Multilingual Debates are open to schools, colleges and universities and aim to stimulate interest and dialogue among young people in the international politics and social issues of the modern world whilst also setting language acquisition in a realistic context.

The topics for the 2017 Debates have just been announced and can be viewed on the YouTube video.

Visit the Heriot-Watt website for further information.

Quebec student exchange proposal

28 November 2016 (SALT)

Éducation Internationale (EI), a non-profit cooperative in education founded by Québec Local Education authorities (or school boards), would like to develop student exchanges between Québec and the UK, with a particular focus on Scotland and Wales. If you think this might be of interest to your authority, there is more detailed information, including contact details, in the document on the SALT website.

SEET update

28 November 2016 (SEET)

Find out the latest about the Our Europe and Euroquiz competitions for Scottish schools in SEET's November 2016 newsletter.

French Film Festival Aberdeen

23 November 2016 (TOTAL E&P UK)

TOTAL E&P UK Ltd are proud to be once again supporting the French Film Festival at the Belmont Cinema, in Aberdeen. Now in its 24th year, the Festival will run from Thursday 24 November to Sunday 4 December.

An important and popular part of this cultural showcase are the school screenings. Designed to encourage younger audiences to explore the study of modern languages, Total host private screenings for primary and secondary school children to encourage them to learn French. Over 500 pupils from Aberdeen City and Shire attended two separate screenings of The New Kid (Le nouveau) and Long Way North (Tout en haut du monde) at the City’s arts cinema. These TEP UK sponsored cinema trips provide pupils with the exclusive opportunity to continue their French learning outside of the classroom as well as offering an insight into French culture.

Virginie Jégat, Communications Coordinator at Total said “Here at Total E&P UK we see on daily basis the benefit of languages in the workplace. The ability to speak a language adds huge value to the business experience, whilst increasing cultural understanding. The French Film Festival is a unique event in Aberdeen and it is ideal that we can use the context of film culture to inspire the younger generation”.

Richard Mowe, Director of the French Film Festival UK said: “The Festival is the most comprehensive and diverse showcases for French-speaking cinema in the UK and this year has expanded to more than 30 different locations. Aberdeen has always been a vibrant hub of the Festival thanks to Total E&P UK’s support, particularly in programmes for young people. Vive le cinéma!”

Total is a global company with over 30 nationalities working in their UK head office in Aberdeen. As a multicultural and diverse organisation, we are committed to encouraging the younger generation to consider the energy industry as an attractive career option. The French Film Festival is an ideal opportunity to showcase language as an equally important aspect of study alongside the role Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects have in today’s curriculum.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Concours de la Francophonie 2017

23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)

L’Institut Français d’Écosse and the Alliance Française de Glasgow, in partnership with SCILT, are delighted to launch the 2nd edition of the Concours de la Francophonie which encourages young French learners and their teachers across Scotland to celebrate French language and the international Journée mondiale de la francophonie taking place in March each year..

To participate, you need to submit a short video (max 5mins) in French such as a dialogue, a song a short drama piece, etc. There are four categories:

P1-P4,
P5-P7,
S1-S3
S4-S6.

The four winning teams will be invited to the University of Edinburgh on Friday 17 March 2017 to take part in a special day of workshops in French and the awards ceremony.

For more information and to enter the competition by 14 December visit the Alliance Française or Institut Français website.

French grammar and oral courses for university students

23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)

Studying French at university? Brush up on your grammar and oral skills at the AF !

We will be running two new courses for grammar and oral practice specifically designed for students who are currently studying French at university.

The courses will run for 5 weeks during January/February 2017.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol.

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers in 2017

23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPD workshops in French for Primary school teachers between February and April 2017.

Ten topics will be covered, tailored to the needs of Primary school teachers.

For more information and to enrol, visit the Alliance Française website.

French oral revision courses: Higher and Advanced Higher

23 November 2016 (Alliance Française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Higher and Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who will be sitting their French oral examinations in 2017.

The sessions will take place during February 2017.

Visit the Alliance Française website for further information and to enrol.

Language within

18 November 2016 (What's on Glasgow)

Language classes for adults, kids and teens in the heart of Glasgow. Choose from English, Italian, Spanish, French and Gaelic.

Visit the website for more information.

Language assistants risk being lost in translation

11 November 2016 (TESS)

Most schools still do not have access to a modern language assistant, new figures show, amid fears that the scheme will wither away if a key source of funding is stopped.

Native speakers of foreign languages have long come to Scotland to work in schools and help teachers to bring those subjects to life. But as local authorities cut budgets, their numbers fell as low as 72 by 2013-14.

Figures obtained by TESS show that the provisional number of modern language assistants (MLAs) has risen to 146 this year, including 23 in independent schools.

The data from British Council Scotland – which arranges for MLAs to work in the country – show increased numbers in all five languages that are part of the scheme: French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish.

But there is still some way to go to match the 278 MLAs that were working in schools in 2005-06 – the highest number since existing records began in 2003.

The picture also varies markedly around the country: 18 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities have no MLAs, while Edinburgh has the most with 25, and even a small council like Angus has as many as 19.

Lucy Young, head of education at British Council Scotland, said that councils often used funding from the Scottish government’s 1+2 languages programme to recruit MLAs at an annual cost of about £10,000 per assistant.

Under the programme – being rolled out in all primary schools – pupils are expected to have knowledge of two languages other than their own by the time they reach secondary.

But this key funding is due to be stopped in 2020 – putting schools’ access to MLAs at risk.

Read the full article on TESS online, 11 November 2016 (subscription required).

New job profile on the SCILT website

11 November 2016 (SCILT)

Our Job Profiles are designed to be used in the classroom to enhance learning about the world of work. They provide really relevant careers advice on languages, direct from the workplace, and cover a range of sectors. See our latest addition:

Claire Murphy, Translator - a translator at the European Commission, Claire speaks Spanish, German and Italian and is currently learning French. She explains how cultural knowledge is as important as language skills in her role.

See this and other job profiles on our website now.

LFEE Europe immersion courses 2017-2018 in France and Spain for primary and secondary teachers

8 November 2016 (LFEE)

The dates for our immersion courses 2017-2018 have just been released. Please visit the LFEE website to find out new dates and further information or see the attached brochure.

Successful applicants receive a grant from the British Council that covers all costs, including flights, accommodation and subsistence, as well as the course fee.

NEW: Immersion follow up

If you have already attended our immersion course in France in the past and wish to attend another course with us, we have created a follow up immersion which will take place in the beautiful city of Avignon in Provence. Please contact us for further information.

Should you wish to participate in our immersion courses in France or Spain from July 2017 to April 2018, please pre-register at immersions@lfee.net and we will send you further information on how to apply to the Erasmus+ European funding for schools.

Do not hesitate to visit our website and blog for more information and to see what your colleagues have said about their course last summer.

A bientôt!

Related Files

LFEE Europe Brochure 2017-18 for UK teachers (180 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, CPD, Funding, Immersion, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Word Wizard 2017 - registrations now open!

4 November 2016 (SCILT/CISS)

SCILT's Word Wizard competition is returning for a fourth year and we are delighted to announce that registrations are now open!

Visit SCILT's Word Wizard webpage to find out more about this year's competition and to register your school.

Euroquiz 2016-17

24 October 2016 (SEET)

SEET is very pleased to announce that Euroquiz 2016-17 has now officially launched! We run an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, promoting education about Europe and encouraging the development of foreign language skills and intercultural competencies amongst young people in Scotland.

If you are interested in finding out more about Euroquiz, visit the SEET website where you can watch our promo video, or contact jane@seet.org.uk. Primary schools will receive information via their local authority including a registration form.

Concours de la francophonie 2017

21 October 2016 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Écosse is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of our new Concours de la francophonie to encourage all young French learners and their teachers across Scotland.

The competition is open to primary and secondary pupils and involves producing a short video in French which should be submitted by 14 December 2016.

See the attached flyer for more information about the competition and how to take part. You can also see pictures from the first edition competition on the Institut français website.

Related Files

Concours de la francophonie 2017 (486 KB)

Parlez-vous Brexit? EU negotiator wants Brits to talk French

21 October 2016 (Reuters)

The European Union's lead Brexit negotiator would like British and EU officials to work in French rather than English during the divorce talks, an EU official familiar with Brussels' Brexit task force told Reuters on Friday.

After the report caused waves during British Prime Minister Theresa May's first EU summit in Brussels, Michel Barnier took to Twitter to deny - in English - having expressed such a view. However, he noted that language rules would be agreed by negotiators only once May launches the formal Brexit process next year.

The source told Reuters that people working with the former French foreign minister understood he would prefer his native tongue. "Barnier wants French to be the working language in Brexit negotiations with Britain," the EU official said.

French Film Festival school screenings

17 October 2016 (Institut français)

This year's French Film Festival takes place from 4 November - 1 December and is the only festival of francophone films in the UK.

There are screenings for primary and secondary school pupils taking place around Scotland during this time.

See the attached flyer for details of the school screenings and contact information for bookings.

Visit the French Film Festival website for the full programme.

Related Files

French Film Festival 2016 Tour Leaflet (1.21 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

SCHOLAR support for Advanced Higher modern languages

11 October 2016 (SCHOLAR / Heriot-Watt)

SCHOLAR would like to bring to your attention their support for learners at Advanced Higher French, German and Spanish tackling the Specialist Study and Portfolio. Within the ‘Culture’ area, there is an extensive set of activities taking learners through every aspect of these areas. There is also a record, downloadable as a word document in both French and German, to help learners keep a record in the target language. This has the aim of helping them both prepare for the visit of the external examiner, and collect information to allow them to present their evidence for the Specialist Study Unit in the target language.

Search for Scholar HW, or use the login link.

DELF/DALF French exams

10 October 2016 (Alliance Française)

The next session for the DELF/DALF will take place in December 2016.

The DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) and the DALF (Diplôme Approfondi en Langue Française) are official diplomas awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify foreign candidates’ proficiency in French. They are available at varying levels, including the DELF Junior for children learning the language.

The exams can be taken at:

Alliance Française (Glasgow)
Institut Français (Edinburgh)

Follow the relevant link above for more information and to enrol for the exam by Friday 28 October 2016.

Theatre workshops in French

4 October 2016 (Institut français)

Drama games, improvisation, play readings... Edinburgh-based company Théâtre Sans Accents encourages you to go beyond language boundaries and explore a theatrical language made from a plurality of accents. Keep yours, and discover French in another way!

The workshops are suitable for intermediate/advanced level. The first takes place on Wednesday 12 October with further workshops scheduled in November and December.

Visit the Institut français website for more information.

I fell in love with a Frenchman – but didn’t speak the language

2 October 2016 (The Guardian)

Author Lauren Collins explains how she and her French husband translated their feelings without resorting to Franglais.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Motivation, Translation, Languages in the press

Euroscola 2017

30 September 2016 (European Parliament)

As working groups consist of students from several member states it is essential that participants have a sound knowledge of at least one other European Union language. For practical purposes knowledge of French is necessary as during the "committee" meetings in the afternoon, students are expected to think and speak in a language other than their mother tongue. The debates are held mainly in French and English.

Applications are now open for dates between January and May 2017.

To find out more and to apply, visit the Euroscola website.

The world's quirkiest phrases

29 September 2016 (BBC)

To celebrate International Translation Day, we asked translators from across the globe to tell us their favourite expressions. Here are 11 of the most surprising.

The top 9 languages for the highest-paid jobs in Britain

26 September 2016 (The Independent)

Learning a second language can be extremely lucrative for your career opportunities.

And after jobs search engine Adzuna analysed over 1 million live job postings on its website, it found out that some languages are more likely to get you a higher paid job than others in Britain, when employers advertised for jobs looking for someone who was at least bi-lingual.

Considering the UK voted to leave the European Union — dubbed a Brexit — and the nation does not know what that would entail for the jobs market, Adzuna's cofounder pointed out that having a second language could become even more sought-after, especially if businesses look to relocate overseas.

French grammar course for university students

22 September 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow will be running a new grammar course specifically designed for students who are currently studying French at University. This course will increase students' language skills and should greatly help prepare for exams.

The 5-week course takes place on Wednesdays commencing 19 October.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol.

Beginners French 1 course for primary teachers

21 September 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow is running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course specifically designed for primary school teachers between October and December 2016.

The course is suitable for complete beginners and will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm between 5 October and 14 December 2016.

For more information and to enrol, visit the Alliance Française website.

Language Immersion Days for Higher and Advanced Higher

20 September 2016 (UWS)

The Languages for All team at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are offering language immersion classes in French, German, Mandarin or Spanish to support Higher and Advanced Higher students.

The half-day classes are designed to suit the academic needs of students who wish to enhance essential skills in language such as reading, writing, speaking and listening. These classes will prepare students for their SQA final exams.

The classes can either be held in one of the UWS campuses - Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton or Paisley. Alternatively UWS lecturers can travel to your local authority facilities.

To find out more and how to arrange a session, visit the UWS website.

New student profiles on the SCILT website

16 September 2016 (SCILT)

New additions to our job profile section this term come from students currently undertaking courses which also allow them to develop their language skills.

Our two latest profiles come from students in the Tourism sector:

Amy-Jo Fairbairn, who is studying for a HND in Travel and Tourism at the City of Glasgow college.
Gail Leslie who, after completing her HND course in Travel and Tourism, is now embarking on a degree in Business Studies at UWS..

Whilst choosing different languages to learn, both can see the value of language skills for their future careers and personal lives.

Read their profiles and others on our website.

Vocab Express League of Champions 2016

1 September 2016 (Vocab Express)

Share in the excitement and energy generated by the Vocab Express League of Champions. The championship will run from Wednesday 28 September until Tuesday 4 October 2016. It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.

The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 150 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students.

There are currently 84 free non-subscriber school places left. Visit the website for more information and to register now!

Could you pass a French GCSE exam? – quiz

25 August 2016 (The Guardian)

How good is your French vocab? Super? Or affreux? Test your skills with these questions from real GCSE exam papers.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Funding for French exchange opportunities

24 August 2016 (British Council)

Secondary schools, sixth form and further education colleges that already have a partnership with a school in France can apply for funding for reciprocal student visits.

Both Charles de Gaulle and Lefèvre trust funding is available, each offering £5000 for reciprocal visits and extended project work.

Visit British Council's Schools Online website for more information and apply by 10 November 2016.

French classes 2016-17

19 August 2016 (Alliance Française / Institut Français)

New session adult and children's classes commence in September at both the Alliance Française in Glasgow and the Institut Français in Edinburgh. Follow the appropriate link below for more details and to enrol:

French classes in Glasgow (adults and children)
French classes for adults in Edinburgh
French classes for kids and teens in Edinburgh

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

1+2 Case Study - Renfrew High School

16 August 2016 (SCILT)

Renfrew High School is a six-year, non-denominational comprehensive school which serves the burgh of Renfrew. It is situated on the south side of the River Clyde several miles to the west of Glasgow. Its associated primaries are Arkleston Primary School, Kirklandneuk Primary School and Newmains Primary School The school was opened in 1975 and has a capacity of 1287.

In addition to the current provision of French as L2, find out how Renfrew High and its associated primaries are taking a cluster approach to delivering Spanish as an L3.

Brazilians Speak Portuguese, but the Olympics Must Use French

9 August 2016 (NY Times)

Rio de Janeiro - Michaëlle Jean, secretary general of the International Organization of la Francophonie, spent a recent morning at the sultry Lagoa Olympic venue, where the world’s most exciting rowing was taking place. She was not so interested in what was happening on the water.

“You will notice that the commentators are not speaking French,” she said, indignantly. “In the venue, none of the signs are in French.”

Monitoring the use of French at the Olympics is a frustrating and quixotic job, particularly when the Games are being held in a non-French-speaking country preoccupied with non-French-related matters like street crime, economic chaos and how to cram thousands of excitable spectators into the beach volleyball venue. But Rule 23 of the Olympic charter states that the Games have two official languages, and Ms. Jean’s organization, which represents 80 Francophone countries, is determined to make sure nobody forgets that one of them is French (the other is English).

The small but wonderful world of puppet theatre - Le Petit Monde

4 August 2016 (Creative Scotland)

Le Petit Monde is a puppet theatre company based in Edinburgh, creating shows that introduce young children and their families to the French language and culture through authentic French-speaking puppets.

We spoke to Artistic Director Tania Czajka about developing her practice and her latest creation - The Wonderful World of Lapin - which appears as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next week.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

SCHOLympics competition

24 June 2016 (Heriot-Watt University)

The SCHOLympics is a multi-disciplinary, scholarly competition that is open to all students who have access to SCHOLAR via their individual username and password. It features an extensive range of questions from the subjects that are currently available in the SCHOLAR programme, including a Mandarin listening comprehension which requires speakers or headphones, and questions from our brand new, soon to be published, English courses. The questions are set at Higher level or below.

The competition will be open between Monday 25 July until Wednesday 28 August 2016.

Visit the SCHOLAR website to find out more.

French summer courses in Glasgow

22 June 2016 (Alliance Française)

There are still a few places left on some of the Alliance Française summer courses taking place between June and September.

There are also a few places available on their children's summer workshop starting Monday.27 June.

For more information and to enrol, visit the relevant webpage on the Alliance Française website below:

Posted in: French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Vocab Express League of Champions 2016

20 June 2016 (Vocab Express)

Create a languages buzz around your school to kick-start the new academic year!

The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.

The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are 100 free school places available to non-subscribers.

Visit the League of Champions website to find out more and to register for one of the free school places.

New job profile on SCILT's website

17 June 2016 (SCILT)

Highlight the value of languages in the world of work to your pupils. We have a range of job profiles on the SCILT website in which people from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives. See our latest addition:

Rosemary Graham, Tour Guide - Rosemary's knowledge of the German language enabled her to live and work in Germany teaching and making jewellery. Now she uses her language skills to guide tourists around Scotland.

See this and other job profiles on our website now.

Comic take on French language lessons

16 June 2016 (BBC News)

Children at a Glasgow primary school have been using comics to help them learn French.

Artist Rossie Stone, who is dyslexic, decided to try a different approach to picking up another language and designed the comic strips to be educational and fun.

The move has been popular with teachers and pupils with the project now being rolled out in five schools across Scotland.

BBC Scotland's Catriona Renton has gone back to school to report from Glasgow.

See the video report on the BBC website.

Word Wizard Final 2016!

10 June 2016 (SCILT/CISS)

S1-S3 pupils from across Scotland took part in the National Final of Word Wizard at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 24 May 2016. 46 learners from eight local authorities and independent schools competed in French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish in front of an audience of teachers, supporters and guests.

Visit our Word Wizard Final 2016 webpage to read the full list of prizewinners and to see photos from the event.

Edinburgh International Film Festival modern languages screenings for schools

10 June 2016 (EIFF)

The following modern language screenings are being offered for schools in Scotland:

French language primary screening (P4-P7) - The Canterville Ghost
21 June 2016, 10.00 am, Cineworld Fountain Park
Spanish language secondary screening - The Olive Tree
22 June 2016, 10:00 am, Cineworld Fountain Park

Visit the Edinburgh International Film Festival website for more information and to make a booking.

Articulate Language Camps

9 June 2016 (Articulate Language Camps)

Articulate Language Camps are based in Scotland and offer a variety of programmes from school day camps to residential summer camps as well as exam revision and CPD for teachers.

Tuition is offered in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German to learners aged 3-17, with a unique method of teaching through digital media projects, such as animation and podcasting, and adventure activities which take learning into the great outdoors. So, whether campers are taking an archery class in German, singing campfire songs in French or making a film in Spanish, they are having fun while learning in a meaningful way.

New this year is the International Camp in Italian. Find out more from camp leader, Lisa, in this short video 'Una breve introduzione ai nostri programmi' and for further information about Articulate Language Camps and all their programmes, visit the website.

An effective way to kick start primary languages

7 June 2016 (ilanguages)

In September 2014 KS2 modern language teaching became compulsory in English primaries for children from the age of 7. Given that the vast majority of primary teachers are not trained or confident linguists this has been a challenge for many schools; especially as the new curriculum requires considerable learner progress in the four years leading up to secondary school.

Juliet Park and Wendy Adeniji, practising teachers and nationally renowned trainers and authors of creative resources decided to develop a scheme of work which would support teachers of all linguistic abilities. Additionally, they wanted to ensure that teachers had a comprehensive set of integrated resources which would work in harmony and be easy to follow.

The resources include pedagogical approaches which were presented at the language show in Glasgow in March such as Kagan co operative learner and Talk4Writing. These approaches raise engagement and also literacy levels and are equally useful to other areas of the curriculum.

The packs also include two effective approaches to teaching French and Spanish phonics, a key element for improving learner confidence in pronunciation and making the sound spelling link. Songs have also been embedded into the scheme from the Aberdeen based company The Language Factory.

To ensure children can get further practice between lessons, an app to support the scheme is being launched in the autumn.

The reaction from teachers using the ilanguages resources has been overwhelming and it is fast becoming the scheme of choice in England.

Helen Walker from Hursthead school says ‘my learners have made double the progress than in the past and I am an experienced teacher’

Richard Williams from High Lane school commented that he is a complete beginner in French but he ‘can rely on the resources do the talking because it’s such a user friendly scheme’.

Teachers can download free starter packs from the ilanguages website.

Juliet and Wendy are now looking to set up regional hubs in Scotland to support teachers in the 1+2 initiative. This will include expert training on the delivery of French and Spanish to regional networks and access to free resources.

If you would like to become a regional hub to support your local network please contact Juliet on julietpark@icloud.com. First come first served!

Find out more about ilanguages and what they can offer to primary and secondary schools on their website.

French flavour to BBC Euro 2016 anthem

6 June 2016 (BBC News)

The BBC has revealed its theme song for Euro 2016, which begins on Friday in France.

It is a cover of an Edith Piaf classic La Foule - which means The Crowd, and 21 year old jazz and soul singer Izzy Bizu was chosen to sing it.

See the video report on the BBC website.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

French summer intensive classes in Edinburgh

2 June 2016 (Institut français)

The Institut français offers one-week summer intensive courses in July and August with a concession fee for teachers. This 15 hour-course will focus on speaking skills through theatre or radio workshops.

Four levels are available : beginners (A1), elementary (A2), intermediate (B1) and advanced (B2)

For more information, see the Summer 2016 brochure or visit the Institut français website for details of all the courses, events and resources they offer.

Summer French story sessions for children

31 May 2016 (East Lothian Council)

30 minute French story sessions for children aged 4 to 7 years old are being held in different locations across East Lothian during the summer holidays.

Visit East Lothian Council's website for more information.

Summer language learning at Strathclyde

27 May 2016 (University of Strathclyde)

The University of Strathclyde's 2016 summer programme includes options to learn French, German, Italian and Spanish as well as a taster session 'Break into Hebrew.'

Visit the website to access the programme giving full details of the courses available over the summer.

Schools Modern Languages Question in the House of Lords

24 May 2016 (They Work for You)

Question put by Baroness Coussins in the House of Lords to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the announcement by OCR that they are to discontinue GCSE and A-level examinations in French, German and Spanish.

See the transcript of the debate on the website.

Exclusive: OCR exam board drops modern foreign language GCSEs and A levels

16 May 2016 (TES)

Applies to England

The OCR exam board is to stop offering GCSEs and A levels in French, German and Spanish, TES can reveal. The awarding body, one of the three biggest in England, will withdraw from modern foreign languages (MFL) from September when reformed school exams in the subjects start to be taught.

OCR had put together proposed new GCSE and A levels in the langauge subjects but they have not been accredited by exams watchdog Ofqual for schools to start using from next term. Today the board said it had taken its decision to pull out of modern foreign languages "reluctantly" and to give teachers time "to make a considered choice about new qualifications for this September".

SCILT publishes new Business Language Champions case study

12 May 2016 (SCILT)

Business Language Champions helps schools and businesses to build exciting and sustainable partnerships to equip young people with international communication and employability skills for their future careers. A partnership between Jurys Inn Glasgow and Lourdes Secondary School demonstrated to S3 pupils the importance of languages in the hospitality industry. Learners created an information brochure in French for tourists to Glasgow. They found out about further skills that are important in the workplace.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Business, SCILT news

"The Art of Music - Ooh La La La"

6 May 2016 (TESS)

Some 1,000 children gathered in Perth for a musical event celebrating an imaginative approach to the national 1+2 primary school languages policy.

"The Art of Music Ooh La La La" brought P5-7s to the city's concert hall to sing French songs inspired by famous paintings.

Read the full item in TESS online 6 May 2016 edition, page 8, 'A week in primary' section (subscription required).

Choice of English song as French anthem for Euro 2016 'concerning'

2 May 2016 (The Guardian)

A French minister has described the choice of a song in English as the official anthem for French supporters at Euro 2016 as “incomprehensible”.

[..] “Euro 2016 will be a great festival of sport which is taking place in France and will therefore project the image of our country abroad – and our language too. It is therefore incomprehensible that the anthem of the French national team should be in English,” Vallini said.

[..] Vallini also bemoaned the fact that France’s entry in this year’s Eurovision song contest, J’ai Cherché by Amir, features a chorus largely in English.

A video and lyrics for the French Eurovision entry is contained within the news article.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

French language courses and exams in Glasgow

28 April 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow has a number of courses and exam sessions coming up in the summer. Follow the appropriate links below for more information:

DELF/DALF examinations - next session in June 2016. Enrol by 6 May.
Summer classes 2016 - intensive and semi-intensive courses between June and September for all levels.
Summer workshop for children - a week of fun activities for children aged 5-10 to find out more about French language and culture.

For more information about the Alliance Française and what they can offer, visit their website.

Study a language at LSE this summer

25 April 2016 (LSE careers blog)

Did you know that the LSE Language Centre offers summer courses? Each year, ‘Summer Languages’ has grown to include more languages, levels and courses of different levels of intensity. You may want to consolidate the language skills you have learned during the academic year, or you may want to try learning a language as a beginner. You could even restart learning a language you were taught at school.

More information about all the courses and languages available can be found on the LSE Summer Languages website.

SQA National 5 Modern Languages Course Reports Summary

19 April 2016 (SCILT)

We have summarised the SQA National 5 Course Reports for all languages. These reports contain important information on how candidates performed in last year's exams. Teachers may find it useful to share some of the key messages of these reports with candidates in advance of this year's exams.

The summary document can be found on the Essentials for Planning in the Senior Phase section of our website.

Advanced Higher French resource: Silence de la mer

19 April 2016 (SCILT)

We have developed a pack of resources on Silence de la Mer which are suitable for Advanced Higher French pupils who have limited teaching input.

The pack includes information on the Specialist Study Unit; suggested timescales; character analysis; themes; suggested portfolio titles and a glossary of vocabulary.

The resource can be accessed on the Senior Phase French AH resources section of our website.

New French and Polish resources

19 April 2016 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland is pleased to launch new resources for French and Polish. Both resources include teacher’s notes, activity packs, film clips and sound files.

The French resource is designed as an L2 learning journey, aimed at second level learners and involves Astérix on a journey to Scotland, based on the story ‘Astérix chez les Pictes’

The Polish resource supports an L3 beginners’ language experience and can be used in either primary or secondary as an L3 insert. The language journey here is based on an animated film, based around the scientist Copernicus.

Links to both resources can also be found in the Primary and S1-S3 classroom resource sections of the SCILT website.

Posted in: French, Scotland, 1+2, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations, Polish

Jeremy Paxman attacks French as 'useless' - but French speakers fight back

9 April 2016 (The Independent)

French speakers have reacted to BBC broadcaster Jeremy Paxman’s attack of their language as “useless” and his claims that learning French is “positively bad for you”.

In a column for the Financial Times, the University Challenge host dismissed the global relevance of France and the French language as “long past”.

According to Mr Paxman, learning French instead of English, especially in Francophone countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, sets people back in the modern world.

“English is the language of science, technology, travel, entertainment and sport. To be a citizen of the world it is the one language that you must have,” he wrote.

And the 65-year-old former Newsnight host ridiculed the “middle-class English” who believe people should learn French simply because it is “good for you”.

His words have riled those who still see reason to learn French, which is spoken by more than 200 million people around the world and is an official language of the United Nations.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

SQA National Qualifications March 2016 update

31 March 2016 (SQA)

Latest updates on the new National Qualifications are available on the SQA website.

If you're a teaching professional looking for a new challenge, included in this update are additional marker opportunities in 2016 for French and Spanish Higher exams.

Pupils explore life of the poets

29 March 2016 (Southern Reporter)

The Abbotsford Trust and Burgh Primary School,  Galashiels have been working on a project exploring Sir Walter Scott’s famous home.

Primary 6 pupils have recently visited Abbotsford to try out three different sessions from the Abbotsford Schools Programme.

Pupils explored the historic house and wrote poems based on the treasures that Sir Walter Scott collected, and met Mrs Oakley, a visitor from Scott’s day with lots of weird and wonderful traditional tales to share.

They also discovered Sir Walter’s life and work in the visitor centre exhibition and created drawings of the house and its grotesque clay gargoyles.

Pupils then used what they discovered and learned back in the classroom to create a timeline of Scott’s life, where they also investigated differences between life then and now using a range of primary sources.

Pupils also created interactive games, thought about planning and budgeting for a visit too Abbotsford, identified French vocabulary to describe some of the artefacts in the house and wrote their own evaluation reports reflecting on their visits.

New term French courses in Glasgow

24 March 2016 (Alliance Française)

We are now enrolling students for Term D which will take place between Tuesday 19 April and Saturday 13 June. There will be a new Beginners 1 class taking place every Tuesday between 6-9pm.

In addition to our general French classes ranging from Beginner to Advanced levels, we will be running three new add-on classes for Term D to help you improve your French - Conversation, Grammar or Phonetics classes.

To find out more, follow the relevant link below:

For further information about the Alliance Française and what they can offer, visit their website.

French Easter revision courses

24 March 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running semi-intensive revision courses between Monday 11 and Friday 15 April for Secondary School pupils and University students who are due to sit their French examinations later this year.

These revision courses will concentrate on the following skills: reading, listening and writing.

Full details are available on the Alliance Française website.

Goal! Tor! But!

24 March 2016 (Alliance Française / Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut and the Alliance Française in Glasgow together with the Scottish Football Museum present a free month-long celebration of football and community across Glasgow this April.

From 1-30 April pop in to your local library or arts centre to experience a series of free film installations about how communities around the world react to the beautiful game.

Cinemas across the city will play host to some fantastic free football-themed movies.

On 27 and 28 April, join us at Hampden Park for a free and informative two-day symposium on Football and Social Inclusion.

For full details visit the Goal! Tor! But! website.

Welsh footballers help pupils go global

23 March 2016 (Welsh Government)

Players from the Wales National Football team have been doing their bit to help pupils concentrate on their modern foreign languages lessons by launching a new learning resource pack linked to this year’s Euros.

The educational resources have been produced as part of the Welsh Government’s Global Futures plan which aims to improve and promote modern foreign languages in Wales.

The Euros-based resources have been published on Hwb, the digital learning platform for schools, so teachers can capitalise on their pupil’s excitement in the run up to June’s tournament, and use the packs to promote the importance and relevance of modern foreign languages.

Summer courses in France for French teachers and teacher trainers

21 March 2016 (CLA)

The Centre de Linguistique Appliquée (CLA) in France offers summer pedagogical training courses during July and August for French teachers and teacher trainers.

There are six different courses available, each designed to encourage exchange of ideas and networking.

The courses qualify for Erasmus+ funding.

More information about the programmes on offer can be found on the attached pdf files or by visiting the CLA website.

Related Files

General presentation of the CLA (3.00 MB)
CLA summer 2016 courses (1.01 MB)

Posted in: French, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Volunteering opportunity for French speaking students

21 March 2016 (Xchange Scotland)

Xchange Scotland, a Glasgow-based youth-led charity, has a brand-new unique volunteering opportunity for French-speaking students.

Due to our strong partnership with French organisation, Solidarites Jeunesses, we will be running a 4-week long Glasgow-based volunteering project for 6 young French volunteers which aims to develop their skills and intercultural understanding and also benefit local communities of Glasgow.

We are looking for local French-speaking volunteers/students who would like to join the group of French volunteers and practise their language skills/help us with project organisation. The level of French language of local volunteers should be preferably between A2-C2 level. We will also be looking for a translator for the project.

We believe this is a great opportunity to practise French language with native speakers here in Glasgow and also to develop organisation and communication skills of young people.

Please see the attached PDF for more details about the project and to register interest by 11 April.

Related Files

Call for French-speaking volunteers (1.47 MB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Partnership Working, News from language & education organisations

Host a primary-trained French Language Assistant - New for 2016-17

11 March 2016 (British Council)

The British Council would like to make as many primary colleagues as possible aware of a brand new opportunity for securing a primary-trained French Language Assistant in 2016-17.

The British Council and the French government have agreed to make it easier for primary schools to benefit from having a French Language Assistant.

Assistants will be primary-trained (either recently qualified primary teachers in France, or trainee teachers) and there will be sustained support and training for the trainees and for schools from the British Council
Up to 6 schools can now share a single assistant (up from 3 schools), greatly reducing costs
The British Council are waiving the £2000 'finders fee' for organising the placement

The attached flyer gives more details. We're really excited about this initiative and we hope colleagues will consider getting involved.

Local authorities/schools would need to apply by early April, so any colleagues who might potentially be interested are invited to get in touch with us (ideally before the Easter break) to explore the various options.

Please contact Claudia Donati at the British Council: claudia.donati@britishcouncil.org or Philip Harding-Esch on philip.harding.esch@gmail.com.

Related Files

Primary French Language Assistants 2016-17 (455 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Foreign Language Assistants, News from language & education organisations

LFEE Europe launching its new blog

10 March 2016 (LFEE)

Our super trainee, Chiara Mazzeo, has been working hard to produce a simple and creative blog which will keep you updated with all our activities (Immersion Courses, training sessions, events, achievements, deadlines, news), as well as our tweets, pictures and videos.

You can use the blog to move easily between the Powerlanguage (PLL online French course) and the LFEE websites, our You Tube Channel, and the other social networks. It’s easy: just go to www.lfeeblog.net and explore! Don’t forget to leave a comment to let us know what you think and… share to your heart's content! We look forward to hearing from you on the blog! You can also read feedback from teachers who signed up for our PLL online French course in the 'news' section of the blog and can contact info@pll-online.net should you require any further information about the course.

Language learning theatre workshops

10 March 2016 (Theatre sans accents)

At Theatre Sans Accents, we believe that languages should engage with your mouth and your ear before engaging with your hand and pen… The theatrical form provides a safe and relaxed environment out of the classroom to explore foreign languages in concrete situations.

We are currently offering workshops in French and English as an additional language.

All levels are welcome with workshops for adults and children.

Term starts week commencing Monday 11 April until Saturday 2 July 2016 (no break over the 12 weeks). Our summer school programme will enable you to improve and learn new linguistic skills through practical theatre techniques , you get the best out of both worlds: languages and Arts!

Visit the website for further information and how to register. Please note there is a charge to attend the workshops.

French Beginners 1 course for primary school teachers

10 March 2016 (Alliance Française)

There are still a few places left on the new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers being run by Alliance Française de Glasgow between March and May 2016:

This course is suitable for complete beginners
20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
The course will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm commencing 16 March 2016. (Please note this is a week later than originally advertised)

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol.

News from the Institut français d'Ecosse

8 March 2016 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse supports the learning and teaching of French in Scotland and encourages cross-cultural exchange. The latest opportunities to highlight include:

La francophonie - from 12 to 20 March 2016 French language and Francophonie is celebrated around the world. The dis moi dix mots website has a variety of activities to take part in online or in class with your pupils.
1+2 workshops for primary schools - new French workshops for your primary class: French children books, science experiments or geography... Learn both the language and the pedagogy to conduct these activities in your class. Have a look at the training catalogue online.
Summer intensive courses - new one-week intensive classes in July and in August. If you are not traveling to France this summer, enjoy our French immersion class in Edinburgh! See the Summer 2016 online brochure for details.

For more information about the Institut français and what they can offer, visit their website.

Concours de la francophonie 2016 - winners announced!

3 March 2016 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse, in partnership with SCILT, launched in 2016 le concours de la francophonie, a new national competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie.

Winners of this 2016 edition can be seen on the Institut français website.

Study in France - apply for an Entente Cordiale Scholarship

26 February 2016 (French Embassy)

The Entente Cordiale Scholarship Scheme is a prestigious bi-lateral awards scheme that funds British postgraduate students who want to study in France and French students who want to study in the UK. Funded for the most part by the private sector in both countries the scheme provides funding for around 20 French and British students each year.

Applications are now open. The deadline to apply is 13 March 2016.

For full details about the scholarships and how to apply, visit the French Embassy's website.

Posted in: HE, French, Funding, Study Abroad, News from language & education organisations

Translation Course for University students

26 February 2016 (Alliance Française)

Improve your translating skills at the Alliance Française!

They will be running a new translation course specifically designed for students who are currently studying French at University. This course will increase your language skills and should greatly help prepare for exams where translation is involved (version & thème).

This new course will take place on Wednesdays between 3.45-5.45pm and will start on Wednesday 2nd March for 5 weeks.

The cost to enrol is £60 per student.

Please visit or contact AF Language Office if you wish to enrol.

Posted in: HE, French, Translation, News from language & education organisations

Deaf school offers French signing as foreign language

26 February 2016 (TESS)

A school for deaf children has become the first in the country to offer pupils the chance to learn to sign in another language. The step was taken in order to fulfil the government's ambition that every child should learn two languages in primary.

The idea that there is only one international sign language is a widely-held misconception, says Enrique Canton, who is teaching French sign language to pupils at the Hamilton School for the Deaf in South Lanarkshire. Just as there are many spoken languages, each country has its own sign language, he explains, adding, 'Thereafter, there are regional variations, just in the same way that hearing people have regional or local accents.'

Mr Canton, who is deaf, was raised in France and, following a short spell living in Spain, moved to Scotland 15 years ago after meeting a 'Scottish lass.' He knows sign language in French, Spanish and British as well as international sign language.

(Read the full article on pages 8-9 of TESS digital online - subscription required).

Posted in: French, Scotland, 1+2, Languages in the press, BSL

Employ a language assistant in Scottish schools

26 February 2016 (British Council)

Employing a British Council language assistant is a unique way to broaden your students understanding of the world, improve their language skills and increase their cultural awareness.

Language assistants are dynamic, enthusiastic native speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Russian, and are usually undergraduates or recent graduates. As we recruit language assistants directly from their home countries, their language is up-to-date, the classroom resources they provide are relevant and authentic, and they will be well placed to connect with students on their own level . Simply put, employing a language assistant provides the kind of learning experience that cannot be found elsewhere.

The deadline for applications has been extended to 31 May 2016. Visit the British Council website to find out more and to apply. Follow the relevant section on the webpage to find out specifically about employing a Chinese language assistant.

Beginners 1 Course for Primary School Teachers March-May 2016

25 February 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between March and May 2016:

This course is suitable for complete beginners
20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
The course will take place on Wednesdays 3.45-5.45pm between 9 March and 25 May 2016.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol by Wednesday 2 March.

Eddie Izzard will make you laugh in four languages

8 February 2016 (PRI / The World in Words)

Eddie Izzard has often joked about language from the silliness of Latin to why English speakers are so stubbornly monolingual. However, in late ‘90’s, Eddie decided that it wasn’t enough to joke about language; he wanted to joke in other languages. So in 1997 he took the stage and did his first set in France in French. It wasn't funny, he admits, but it was the start of a career goal to do stand-up in as many languages as possible. Eventually he did feel funny (and fluent) in French. Now, nearly two decades after that first French show, he has toured in not only French but German and Spanish. He intends to learn Russian and Arabic next.

The World in Words sat down with Izzard to find out why he’s decided to take his humor around the globe and how he’s managed to learn all these languages. (Warning: Parts of this podcast are definitely NSFW.).

Not the oignon: fury as France changes 2,000 spellings and ditches circumflex

5 February 2016 (Guardian)

French linguistic purists have voiced online anger at the loss of one of their favourite accents – the pointy little circumflex hat (ˆ) that sits on top of certain vowels.

A change in the spelling of some 2,000 French words will come into effect in new primary school textbooks being released for the start of the school year in September, the education ministry and publishers have announced.

The circumflex accent will become optional for many words, as will other spelling changes that have purists rubbing their eyes – such as onion, which can now be spelled “ognon” as well as the traditional “oignon”.

The changes, which have caused uproar on French Twitter, were first approved by the prestigious guardians of the French language, the Académie Française, in 1990.

New concours de la francophonie

2 February 216 (Institut français d’Ecosse)

The Institut français d’Ecosse, in partnership with SCILT, presents a new national competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland and to celebrate the international day of la francophonie, which is celebrated around the globe on 20 March.

French courses in Glasgow

28 January 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow are offering the following courses during the next term (Term C - February to April). Follow the appropriate link for more information on the courses and enrolment:

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers
Oral Revision Courses: Higher and Advanced Higher (February)
Term C / Semester 2 (Adult classes, Children's classes and Open Days)
DELF/DALF examinations

For further information about the organisation and other services they offer, visit the Alliance Française website.

Glasgow Film Festival and Youth Film Festival 2016

26 January 2016 (Glasgow Film Festival)

This year's Film Festival takes place from 17-28 February, with the Youth Film Festival screenings being held from 12-15 February. Both events include a number of foreign language film options.

Brochures detailing the screenings available can be accessed from the following Festival websites:

For more information about the Festival and to purchase tickets, visit the main Glasgow Film Festival 2016 website.

AMOPA Parlons Français competition - deadline approaching

26 January 2016 (AMOPA)

The 'Parlons français' competition, run by AMOPA in collaboration with Total, is now five years old and is going from strength to strength.

To enter all that's required is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This is then assessed and feedback given. Prizes and certificates will also be awarded.

The competition is so easy to enter now as the technology is readily available and it supports your own preparation with students, it's not an "extra" task.

To find out more about the competition and how to enter see the attached flyer.

Entries must be submitted by 15 February 2016.

Related Files

Parlons français: A competition for students of AH French (280 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Shakespeare Lives 2016

25 January 2016 (British Council)

This Shakespeare Lives schools’ pack has been created by the British Council in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016.

Specially designed to encourage learning across the curriculum, the resource is split into five key themes; Leadership and Power, Family and Relationships, Identity and Equality, Fate and Destiny, Justice and Rules. Within each themed section you will find a wide range of activities for pupils aged 7-14. These can be used as starting points in individual lessons or as elements of a cross-curricular project, which could be carried out with a partner school overseas.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to download the pack. On the site is a link to a number of videos created as part of the celebration. In addition to the English version, the 'Shakespeare Lives in 2016' animation is also available on YouTube in French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Mandarin.

The long adieu: how Britain gave up learning French

22 January 2016 (The Guardian)

Is it important that more people speak English? Only this week, David Cameron launched a new scheme encouraging more Muslim women to learn the language, one argument being that the inability of many to do so weakens their voice , and in doing so strengthens radicalisation.

[...] I'm much more worried about the number of people learning the other historic language of England; the language used at the first parliament, spoken at Runnymede in 1215, a language that still features in much of our legal system and which, until 1858, was the only one on British passports: French.

Thinking about a degree at Oxford? Why not try us out for a week this summer?

20 January 2016 (Oxford University)

Would you like to spend a week with us this summer, living in an Oxford college, learning about a modern foreign language and its culture, and getting a taste of what it’s like to study here as a student? All entirely FREE of charge, food and accommodation included? (We’ll even pay for your train ticket to get here.)

If you’re currently in Year 12 (S5) of a state school, and have some free time in July this year, please do think about signing up for the course, or for one of the dozens of others on offer, including German, Spanish, or ‘beginner languages’ to give you a little experience of Russian, Portuguese and Italian languages and cultures.

The French summer school runs from 2-8 July this year, the German summer school and the Beginner Languages school both run from 16-22 July, and Spanish is 23-29 July.

Visit the website for more information and to apply by 3 February 2016.

Multilingual Debate 2016

19 January 2016 (Heriot-Watt University)

Heriot-Watt University's Multilingual Debate is an annual event that showcases the interpreting skills of undergraduate students on our Languages (Interpreting and Translating) degree programme, as well as the developing professional skills of postgraduate students on our MSc Interpreting and Translating programmes. The event takes the form of a formal debate with two multilingual teams arguing for and against a motion of topical interest in a range of languages. The teams deliver their views in their various native languages (French, German, Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, British Sign Language (BSL)).

The audience is mainly made up of pupils coming from Scottish and English secondary schools, but also university undergraduate students considering entering the interpreting profession, as well as government and local authority representatives. The audiences participated in the debate by listening to the arguments, putting questions to the speakers in the languages represented and voting on the motion.

The Multilingual Debate 2016 takes place on Wednesday 23 March at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus.

To find out more about the debate topics and how to sign up to attend a session, see the video presentations in Arabic, BSL, Chinese, English, French and Spanish on the Heriot-Watt website.

New job profile on the SCILT website

14 January 2016 (SCILT)

We have a range of job profiles on the SCILT website to let your pupils see that languages are valuable in the world of work. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.

Our latest profile features Andrew Muir, who lived and studied in Scotland but now works in London as a Character Animator on a children's TV series. He tells us why language learning is important and the opportunities this can offer him to expand his career overseas.

See this and other job profiles on our website now.

Many languages, one world - student essay contest

11 January 2016 (ELS Educational Services)

Full-time university students are invited to write an original essay (2,000 words or less) discussing global citizenship and cultural understanding and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these. The essay should reflect your personal, academic, cultural and national context.

Essays must be written in an official language of the United Nations that is not your first language or primary language of instruction during your primary or secondary education.

Essays should be submitted by Thursday 31 March 2016.

Visit the competition website for more information..

'Pay for foreign exchange trips rather than a week in Majorca,' top headteacher tells parents

11 January 2016 (TES)

Parents should consider sending their child on a school foreign exchange rather than spending money on a week in Majorca, a headteacher has suggested.

Young people are likely to learn more on a cultural break in a city such as Madrid or Barcelona than they are sitting on a beach, according to Caroline Jordan, headmistress of Headington School in Oxford and the new president of the Girls' Schools Association.

Setting up a foreign exchange for students did not have to be expensive, Ms Jordan said.

"It's trying to convince the parents that that's good use of their finances as opposed to a foreign holiday to Majorca, where they may well be in a Spanish environment but they're less likely to be experiencing Spanish as they would be if they were in somewhere like Madrid or Barcelona on exchange," she said.

"Exchange is very important and we know that languages is a real area of concern in this country. The government is doing quite a lot about this by trying to encourage all children to take a language through the English Baccalaureate."

Figures show that last year, there was a drop in language GCSE entries, with French down 6.2 per cent on 2014, German down 9.8 per cent and Spanish down 2.4 per cent.

As well as ensuring that children learned a foreign language, Ms Jordan added that it was important that modern teenagers were given the opportunity to consider studying at a university overseas, arguing that it could be beneficial to them later on.

Online French Film Festival 2016

9 January 2016 (Online French Film Festival)

From 18 January through 18 February 2016 film lovers around the world will be able to access films from the 6th edition of the Online French Film Festival.

There's also a competition section of the site where viewers are invited to rate the 10 French feature films and 10 French shorts in the competition and post their comments.

Visit the Online French Film Festival website for more information.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

SQA Higher Modern Languages Course Reports (2015)

7 January 2016 (SCILT / SQA)

We have summarised the Higher Modern Languages Course Reports and highlighted the key messages across all the languages.

These reports contain information on how candidates performed in the 2015 exam diet and give important advice on how to prepare candidates for forthcoming examinations, as well as for the Performance of Talking

The full reports can be accessed on the SQA website.

French courses from the Alliance Française 2016

6 January 2016 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow are offering the following courses during the next term (Term C - February to April). Follow the appropriate link for more information on the courses and enrolment:

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers
Oral Revision Courses: Higher and Advanced Higher (February)
Term C / Semester 2 (Adult classes, Children's classes and Open Days)

For further information about the organisation and other services they offer, visit the Alliance Française website.

REMINDER - Immersion courses for teachers in France and Spain – Apply now

5 January 2016 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has been an international course provider since 2002, delivering expert professional development training for primary teachers. Our Immersion Courses in France and Spain match all criteria set by the EU for “professional development courses for school teachers and staff”.

Our training programmes provide a balanced combination of language, methodology and cultural activities, delivered in the target and have been created specifically for primary and secondary teachers. You can download our brochure.

Funding for all our courses is available through the European Union Erasmus+ Programme. More than one teacher can apply from a school and successful schools will receive a grant from their Erasmus+ National Agency of up to 2,165€ per teacher*. The total cost of our one-week course (course registration and tuition fees, accommodation and subsistence fees) is 1,700€, which leaves up to 465€ for travel expenses.

Places are still available and applications have to be submitted before 2 February 2016 to the UK Erasmus+ National Agency. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis so interested participants must contact us as soon as possible to check availability/reserve a place.

For further information, you can download our brochure and watch a short video describing our courses on our website

Arsenal’s Petr Cech proves his brilliance with defensive organisation in three different languages

31 December 2015 (Metro / Daily Mail)

Arsenal star Petr Cech has revealed the secret behind his successful marshaling of the Gunners back line.

The 33-year-old speaks to his defenders in three different languages to make sure that he can get his message across during matches.

Having only conceded 18 goals this season, the north London side have the fourth most miserly defence in the Premier League. This may part of the reason why.

‘I speak to the full-backs (Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal) in Spanish, to (Laurent) Koscielny in French and to Per (Mertesacker) in English because for him it is the same as me,’ said Cech according to the Daily Mail.

Do you speak Star Wars?

16 December 2015 (The Conversation)

Unless you are C3-PO, fluent in more than six million forms of communication, you may not understand every Star Wars language. I’m not talking about the languages spoken in the saga such as Shyriiwook, Huttese, Bocce or even Binary (beep beep doop!), but the languages into which the Star Wars films have been translated.

Take the title of the saga, for example. Whereas in most languages the translation has kept the words “war” and “stars” (La guerre des étoiles in French, Krieg der Sterne in German, and Guerre stellari in Italian, for example) the Spanish translation refers to the war of the galaxies (La guerra de las galaxias).

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Languages in the press

Our Films:Our Europe

15 December 2015 (SEET)

We have now reached the end of the first stage in the Our Films:Our Europe project. We are delighted to announce that the following schools will be joining us in one of our three film-making workshops. During the workshop pupils will have all day to work with media professionals to shoot and edit their films, bringing their ideas to life.

Balfron High (Stirling)
Holyrood Secondary (Glasgow)
Lenzie Acadmey (East Dunbartonshire)
Drumchapel High School (Glasgow)
Harlaw Academy (Aberdeen City)
West Calder High School (West Lothian)
Larbert High School (Falkirk)
Kirkcaldy High (Fife)
St Mungos High School (Falkirk)
Falkirk Hgih School (Falkirk)
Bishopbriggs Academy (East Dunbartonshire)
Auchinleck Acadmeny (East Ayrshire)
St Roch's Secondary (Glasgow)
St Luke's High School (East Renfrewshire)
Cardinal Newman (North Lanarkshire)

A big thank you and well done to all of the schools who have participated in the project so far!

You can find out more about the film-making project on the SEET website.

Concours de la francophonie - coming soon!

15 December 2015 (Institut français)

The Institut français is delighted to present le concours de la francophonie, a new competition for all primary and secondary French learners across Scotland, in partnership with SCILT.

To participate, schools have to submit a video (filmed with tablets, phones or other devices) of a small piece in French: a song, a dialogue, a play etc. So, if you had prepared something with your students for les rencontres théâtrales, you just need to film the performance. This way, all schools across Scotland will be able to take part.

There are four categories:

P1/P4
P5/P7
S1/S3
S4/S6.

The competition will be held in two phases, semi-finals at the council level, and finals at the national level. The two best productions of each category will win the following:

P1/P4 students and schools who may not be able to travel to Edinburgh in a day will win an immersion day in their school, with French native speakers.
P5 to S6 students who are able to travel will be invited to celebrate la journée mondiale de la francophonie in Edinburgh on 18 March, with French immersion activities and an award ceremony.

Creativity is a key element of this student led competition; dialogues, reportages, interviews and all other forms are possible. In addition, jury will look at the command of the French language, which will be adapted to your students level. Finally, we encourage the participation of all students in the classroom.

More details about the competition will be available in January.

SQA updates - Advanced Higher Modern Languages

14 December 2015 (SQA)

The SQA has updated a number of files on their Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage.

A list of updates is attached and the files can be accessed on the SQA website.

Related Files

SQA Updates - December 2015 (205 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

CPD workshops for primary teachers in 2016

9 December 2015 (Alliance française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running 10 CPD workshops for primary school teachers between February and April 2016.

Visit the website for full programme details and to enrol by 29 January 2016.

Oral Revision Courses: Higher & Advanced Higher - February 2016

7 December 2015 (Alliance française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Higher and Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who will be sitting their French oral examinations in 2016.

The sessions will take place on Fridays during February between 4-6pm.

Visit the website for full details and to enrol by 29 January 2016.

Interview with Marc Joss: football translator and interpreter (part 1)

7 December 2015 (The Language of Football)

Marc Joss is a London-based football translator and interpreter. He speaks Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and English.

Marc has been involved in a host of high-profile translation projects including Guillem Balagué’s Messi, Barça: The Official Illustrated History of FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography, as well as translating for the English version of Marca.com. He also works with Premier League clubs as an interpreter.

In the first of a two part interview, we talk to Marc about his translation work.

SCILT Christmas webpage now live!

3 December 2015 (SCILT)

Are you looking for ways to bring the festive season to your languages classroom?

SCILT have compiled resources from around the world for use with your pupils, from songs and games to interactive advent calendars. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in France, Germany, Spain and around the world!

Posted in: Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Celebrating Languages, SCILT news, Scots

Remembering the Somme – an opportunity for UK schools

26 November 2015 (British Council)

1 July 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme. Representatives of governments from around the world, veterans, military and community representatives will gather as a memorial to one of the bloodiest battles in history as a sign of hope and commitment to not suffer such loss again.

As a symbol for the future, 600 young people from schools in France and in the UK will participate in the ceremony. As living memory of the battle dies, engagement with young people is essential to sustain awareness of the significance of World War I, and the importance of UK-France relations in continuing peace and stability in Europe.

This is an opportunity for your school to take part in this historic moment. Your school must teach French as part of the curriculum and be committed to building a sustainable partnership with a French school.

Full details can be found on the British Council website. The closing date for expressions of interest: 11 December 2015.

Learning languages through stories - competition

26 November 2015 (One Third Stories)

One Third Stories are keen to get children everywhere excited about speaking foreign languages and are inviting primary pupils to help make a storybook that makes learning a new language simple and fun in their new competition.

Visit the One Third Stories website for more information and to enter your school. Entries can be in French, German or Spanish and must be submitted by 18 December 2015.

Word Wizard 2016 - last chance to register!

26 November 2015 (SCILT/CISS)

Registrations for Word Wizard 2016 close on Monday 30th November, don't miss out on the chance to enter this motivating and challenging competition!

Open to S1-S3 pupils to compete in French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin or Spanish, Word Wizard provides learners with the opportunity to improve their vocabulary, pronunciation and memory skills in a competition format.

In partnership with UCMLS this year we have semi-finals in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. Sign up now to receive the first set of word lists and start practising!

French language resources from the Institut français d'Ecosse

25 November 2015 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse in Edinburgh offers a variety of events and resources for French language learning and teaching. Follow the appropriate link below to find out more.

Primary French Ecosse - free French resources for your P1 class. Lessons cover topics such as colours, days of the week, feelings, and greetings and include a PowerPoint presentation with recorded voices, games and songs
French Book Day - join the team on 28 November 2015 for storytelling and activities based around the very best of children's literature in French
Immersion Days for S1 to S6 students - workshops can be organised at the Institut français or in your school
New concours de la francophonie - a student led competition for all pupils from P1 to S6
Dis-moi dix mots 2015-16 - resources to help explore the 10 words competition in class

For more information about the Institut français d'Ecosse and their activities, visit their website.

Our Europe film making competition - deadline approaching

25 November 2015 (SEET)

The deadline for the Our Europe film-making project is fast approaching, but don't worry, there's still time to sign up! Entries must be in by 10 December 2015, so if you want to sign up and haven't yet done so make sure you do it soon! If you have teams of S3-6 pupils who are interested in taking part please complete the registration form.

We are also adding new features to our Script Centre tool, designed to help students with scripting the language component of the project.

We have been extremely busy over the past few weeks making visits to schools all across Scotland and it has been great to see such enthusiasm for the project from students. For more information about the Our Europe project, please visit our website. Remember, it's not too late to sign up!

French language classes from Alliance Française de Glasgow

24 November 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is offering the following opportunities for French language learners: Click on the appropriate link for more information.

CPD Workshops for Primary School teachers in 2016
Grammar and Oral Courses for University students in Jan/Feb 2016
Blended Learning - online and face-to-face French courses
Win a trip to Marseille - short video-clip competition (for ages 18-35 studying French at the AF, University of Glasgow or University of Strathclyde)

For more information about the Alliance Française in Glasgow visit their website.

LFEE immersion courses for 2016-17

20 November 2015 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has been an international course provider since 2002 offering structured Courses for Primary and Secondary teachers of French and Spanish.

Visit the LFEE website to watch a short video to learn more about LFEE Immersion courses in France, Spain and Scotland.

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers in 2016

18 November 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running 10 CPD workshops for Primary School teachers between February-April 2016.

10 topics covered over 10 weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners 1 class or for French teachers in Primary schools
Thursday, 4.15-5.45pm between 11 February and 28 April included
The cost to attend these 10 CPDs is £73/teacher. Please note this is a special fee offered by the Alliance Française de Glasgow to promote modern languages
Option to enrol in less than 10 CPDs, please contact us for more information
Certificates of attendance will be handed out once the programme is completed
Places are limited so booking early is highly recommended

If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 29 January 2016. Visit the website for full programme and enrolment details.

Wembley: La Marseillaise as an act of defiance

16 November 2015 (BBC News)

England fans will be encouraged to join in the singing of La Marseillaise as a moment of solidarity during the match against France at Wembley on Tuesday. Could it be a powerful symbol of defiance, asks Finlo Rohrer.

On Tuesday, the FA will encourage the tens of thousands of England fans to join in the singing of La Marseillaise, displaying the words on the big screens (scroll to the end of the article to see the first verse and chorus). In a change of protocol, La Marseillaise will be played after God Save The Queen.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

'Now is surely the time to renew our commitment to the teaching and learning of French'

16 November 2015 (TES)

The emotional high of a Twitter response is the educational equivalent of the holiday romance, writes one languages teacher. Learning a language, on the other hand, is a commitment for life
Solidarity has come back into fashion, as both word and concept. But this time it's global, and it's happening right now, mostly on your Twitter timeline. There is no doubting the power and glory of #jesuischarlie, #ridewithme and #porteouverte, or the inspirational idealism of the Eiffel Tower peace symbol. But the euphoria they induce is sadly ephemeral.

Hashtags and icons come and go, wave after wave of them, like the atrocities to which they respond. At least #ridewithme and #porteouverte were grounded in practical action. But what we need is a more lasting engagement.

Now is surely the time to renew our commitment to the teaching and learning of French in our schools. France is our nearest neighbour but we have yet to meet the French halfway in terms of the effort we invest in mutual understanding. Just think for a moment of the countless compelling interviews we have listened to over the last few days, from French people of all ages and faiths, communicating in often impeccable, always expressive English. And we're not talking about buying a baguette or booking a hotel room, but the impressive ability to articulate a world view, virtually under siege, live on television and radio.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

Euroquiz 2016

9 November 2015 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) runs an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe. Subjects covered include history, geography, sport, culture, languages and the European Union.

Heats take place in local authorities from January to March, with the winning teams from all areas going forward to the national final in May.

Plans for Euroquiz 2016 are now underway and schools are invited to register their interest with their local authority Euroquiz co-ordinator.

Further information about the competition and preparation materials are available on the SEET website.

Win a Trip to Paris 2016 competition

9 November 2015 (ULIP)

The University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) are again offering students studying French at AS/A Level or equivalent the chance to win a trip to the City of Light!

This year ULIP's "Win a Trip to Paris" competition theme is Europe. Politicians are discussing whether or not the UK should stay, or leave the European Union, otherwise known as 'Brexit'. All you have to do to enter is watch the video about "Quel serait l'impact du ''Brexit'' sur l'activité économique ?" and answer a few related questions before 31 January 2016.

Full details can be found on the ULIP website.

French Film Festival 2015

6 November 2015 (French Film Festival)

Each year the French Film Festival UK showcases the best of Francophone and French-speaking cinema in leading independent cinemas around the country.

This year's Festival takes place from 5 November - 13 December with a host of new venues around the UK in addition to the Edinburgh Filmhouse and Glasgow Film Theatre where the event began more than two decades ago. French film fans in Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Kirkcaldy and Hawick also will be able to appreciate and enjoy highlights from this year’s selections.

Visit the Festival website for full programme details.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Word Wizard 2016 - regional semi-finals added!

5 November 2015 (SCILT/CISS)

Registrations for Word Wizard 2016 are now open for your French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish pupils to develop their vocabulary, spelling and memory skills.

This year we have 3 semi-finals in venues across the country - in the Universities of Strathclyde, Dundee and Aberdeen. Schools can now choose to attend the semi-final which is most convenient for them.

The Stage 1 word lists were sent to registered schools this week, so sign up now to take part in this exciting and motivating competition!

Languagenut supports 1+2

3 November 2015 (SALT)

Languagenut is a professional teaching tool that offers teaching resources across 19 world languages, including French, Spanish, German, Italian, Gaelic and Mandarin. Languagenut also supports EAL students by offering 80 native languages as support to learn English.

It is the perfect tool to support the 1+2 approach to language learning, as all audio files are recorded by native speakers. With a range of games, songs and stories, Languagenut supports the four key skills of language learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

In addition, Languagenut offers special integrated tools which allow teachers both create their own classes and content, and also set and track homework, generate certificates and evaluate students’ progress in real time. These timesaving tools help teachers to deliver more personalised teaching and customise lessons to fit each individual.

Accessible at school and at home and through GLOW, Languagenut helps to bridge the gap between classroom and home learning and is free for all Scottish schools.

Word Wizard 2016 - registrations now open!

30 October 2015 (SCILT/CISS)

Scotland's National Centre for Languages and Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools, in partnership with The University of St Andrews, are proud to announce the return of Word Wizard for its third year!

Motivate your French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish pupils by taking part in this spellbinding multilingual spelling competition!

Building on the success of last year's competition, this year we are holding 3 semi-finals across the country - hosted by the universities of Strathclyde, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Visit our Word Wizard 2016 webpage for more information and to download the Teacher's Pack and Registration form.

New term French classes in Glasgow

30 October 2015 (Alliance Française)

The next session of adult classes (Term B) at the Alliance Française in Glasgow will run between Monday 16 November 2015 and Saturday 30 January 2016.

A new class is being opened for complete beginners (Beginners 1), which will take place on Tuesday between 6-9pm.

For full details and enrolment information visit the Alliance Française website.

Charles de Gaulle and Lefèvre Trust funding

26 October 2015 (British Council)

Charles de Gaulle Trust funding is specifically for students aged 17 to 19 to attend a French partner school or college and work on research or projects that contribute to their learning and future development.. The visits give students the chance to prove to future educators and employers that they are globally-minded, committed and dedicated young people.

Students aged 16 and below can benefit from an award from the Lefèvre Trust, which offers grants to UK schools to facilitate reciprocal visits to their partner schools in France. A French study visit is the ideal way to instil a love of the French language in your students, give them exposure to authentic language usage and enable them to experience French culture first-hand. It will also boost confidence levels before key GCSE, A level, National Qualification and Higher level French oral exams.

The deadline for applications for both funding programmes is 30 November 2015. Full details and application forms are available on the British Council website.

LFEE immersion courses new dates for 2016-2017

23 October 2015 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe has been an international course provider since 2002 offering structured Courses for Primary and Secondary teachers of French and Spanish. We run courses in Lyon, Salignac and Malaga for language teachers from all over the UK and the rest of Europe.

Funding for all our courses is available through the European Union Erasmus+ Programme (KA1) and covers course fees, accommodation, subsistence as well as travel expenses. All our courses are GTCS accredited.

Should you be interested in taking part in one of our courses in 2016-2017, please see the course brochure and visit the LFEE website in the first instance.

Parlons français - French speaking competition for AH students

20 October 2015 (AMOPA)

The 'Parlons français' competition, run by AMOPA in collaboration with Total, is now five years old and is going from strength to strength.

To enter all that's required is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This is then assessed and feedback given. Prizes and certificates will also be awarded.

The competition is so easy to enter now as the technology is readily available and it supports your own preparation with students, it's not an "extra" task.

To find out more about the competition and how to enter see the attached flyer.

Related Files

Parlons français - A competition for students of AH French (280 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

More people want to learn sign language than French or German

16 October 2015 (Daily Mirror)

More people want to learn sign language than French and German, a study shows today.

And a survey by the National Deaf Children’s Society shows two out of three adults think sign language is more impressive than speaking a foreign language.

One in four people in Britain say they want to learn sign language, which would total 12.7m adults.

The top three languages people would like to learn are Spanish (28%), British Sign Language (24%) and French (23%).

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

All pupils to learn two foreign languages by high school

13 October 2015 (Edinburgh Evening News)

It's the pioneering programme aimed at making language learning as easy as un, deux, trois.

Every pupil in the Capital will receive lessons in at least two foreign languages by the time they leave primary school under radical plans aimed at helping them keep pace with peers across Europe.

City bosses have confirmed they want to introduce the new scheme, called 1+2, by the start of 2017 – three years ahead of a national deadline set for 2020.

Youngsters will be offered classes in core languages including French, Spanish and Mandarin, as well as Gaelic, Scots and “heritage” tongues such as Polish and Farsi.

The Edinburgh roll-out is part of a Scottish Government-led initiative which will see all children learn a second language from P1 and have experience of a third from P5 at the latest.

Parent leaders in the city have hailed the development and said it would help prepare youngsters for the modern world.

SCHOLAR Modern Languages sessions

8 October 2015 (Heriot-Watt University)

The SCHOLAR programme offered by Heriot-Watt University offers a number of support sessions in a variety of subjects for students undertaking National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher examinations.

Attached is the programme of online events taking place from October 2015 to March 2016 to support Modern Languages.

For more information about the SCHOLAR programme visit the Heriot-Watt SCHOLAR website.

Related Files

SCHOLAR Modern Languages 2015 (2.72 MB)

Posted in: Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, Resources, News from language & education organisations

New school hub to drive modern foreign languages in South Wales

5 October 2015 (Wales Online)

Language teachers at a South Wales girls’ school have been asked to pass on their hints and tips as part of a new drive to raise take-up in French, German and Spanish.

Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, has been named “centre of excellence for modern foreign languages (MFL)” in the Central South Wales region.

It will see Bryn Hafren hosting teachers from schools in Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale – with an aim to raise standards and interest in subjects which have struggled to attract pupils in recent years.

French courses from the Alliance Française Glasgow

26 September 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française run a number of courses for adult learners, children and professional learning opportunities for teachers. Follow the links below for more information on these programmes for the autumn term and how to enrol, or see their website for full course listings:

CPD workshops for primary school teachers (October 2015 - March 2016)
Grammar course for university students (starts 21 October 2015 for 5 weeks)
French online courses (flexible start dates)

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers in 2015/16

17 September 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPDs in French for Primary School teachers in 2015/16.

Ten topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners 1 class or for French teachers in Primary schools
Thursdays, 4.15-5.45pm between 29 October 2015 and 24 March 2015

Full programme details are available on the Alliance Française website. If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 23 October.

Young Applicants in Schools (YASS)

10 September 2015 (Open University)

The Open University's Young Applicants in Schools Scheme (YASS) gives S6 students in Scotland the opportunity to study at higher education level without leaving friends and family behind. Study fits around school work and social lives, encourages independent learning and builds confidence.

YASS is designed to bridge the gap between school and full-time university and help able and motivated students stand out from the crowd. Over 500 young people from more than 100 schools took Open University modules last year.

YASS is a unique opportunity for S6 students in Scottish schools to bridge the gap between school and full-time university through independent learning. Run by The Open University in Scotland, YASS offers motivated and able students a chance to study a range of university level modules in school alongside their other studies. Language options are available in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.

SQA vacancies - Visiting Assessors for AH Modern Languages

28 August 2015 (SQA)

SQA is currently seeking to recruit additional Visiting Assessors (VA) to conduct Talking assessments at Advanced Higher level in Modern Languages.

Applications can be found following the relevant links below. You will also find information here relating to contract specification, selection criteria and key performance measures.

Closing date for all applications: 1 November 2015.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations, SQA

Beginner French course for primary teachers in Scotland

27 August 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new 10-week Beginners 1 French course for Primary School teachers between October and December 2015.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and register using the attached enrolment form.

Related Files

Beginner French for primary teachers enrolment form (142 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

The curious case of the French boy who failed AS-Level French

25 August 2015 (The Telegraph)

The day the A-level results came out, I was on a boat with several teenagers on Turkey’s ravishing Turquoise Coast. Some of the kids had done exceptionally well, while others were shellshocked, poor things. Managing those mixed emotions was a diplomatic minefield. Very hard to congratulate Child A – “Brilliant, Barney!” – while Child B is skulking miserably under a large beach towel. One of the boys on board was both embarrassed and baffled that he had got an E in AS French.

This wasn’t a case of a member of the Whatevvah generation moaning when he simply hadn’t done enough work. No, Jack’s rock-bottom French mark was startling because Jack’s mother is French and her son is fluent in the language. Jack (who got a A in maths, so he’s no slouch) speaks far better French than any of the adults on board the boat who got A in that subject at A-level, and is considerably better at French than his mate, Harry, who had managed a B.

“My mum doesn’t believe I got an E,” Jack said, indicating a stream of agitated texts from Maman back in the UK.

He admitted that he had not learned by rote the phrases and the topics you now need to pass AS French. Foolishly, he had assumed that being French meant he could pass French. Espèce d’idiot!

Off-hand, I find it hard to think of a better example of what’s wrong with our examination system.

Posted in: French, England, Language Learning, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Lefèvre Trust - funding for school partnerships with France

20 August 2015 (British Council)

Develop your pupils' French language skills. Grants of £5000 are available from the Lefèvre trust for UK secondary schools to plan reciprocal visits with their partner schools in France.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply by 30 November 2015.

French exam support classes for secondary students

20 August 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow are running 24-week exam support classes between September and March/April for secondary schools pupils who will be sitting their National 5 (formerly known asStandard Grade/Intermediate 2), Higher or Advanced Higher French exams at the end of the academic year and who need extra support with their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

For more information, please check their website or call the AF Glasgow's Language Office on 0141 331 4080.

French classes from the Institut français in Edinburgh

20 August 2015 (Institut français)

The new term is about to commence and the Institut français in Edinburgh offers a range of classes for adult learners as well as children, including exam preparation for secondary school pupils.

Visit their website for more information and to enrol.

Gemma Arterton on her French cinema debut in Madame Bovary update

20 August 2015 (BBC)

The daydream of many affluent Londoners is to trade the treadmill of city life for an idyllic existence in rural France.

It's a scenario that's brought to life in Gemma Bovery, a re-imagining of Gustave Flaubert's 19th Century classic Madame Bovary.

Gemma Arterton, who was born in Kent and who, until this production, did not speak a word of French, takes the title role of naive young Londoner Gemma who, with her older husband Charles, moves to Normandy, just a few miles from where Flaubert's book is set.

Posted in: French, Language Learning for Work, Languages in the press

Would you pass a GCSE French exam?

20 August 2015 (The Guardian)

Test your vocabulary and grammar with the Guardian's quiz partially drawn from past GCSE papers.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Charlie Swinbourne: How being able to sign helps you communicate in a foreign language

18 August 2015 (The Limping Chicken blog)

I’ve just returned from a two week holiday by the sea in France. My family enjoyed all the things about France you might expect – the sun, pretty villages, beaches, and food.

This was also our first holiday in a non-English speaking country since the children were born, and what struck me was how, when you try and communicate with a French person who knows no English, being able to sign makes a surprising difference.

On the last night of our holiday, we stayed in a French farmhouse where we were served a home-cooked French meal by a waiter who was a bit of a ringer for Gerard Depardieu and spoke only French. Despite the language barrier, using gesture and sign, we were able to have a full conversation.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press, BSL

A-level results: 'We need a national campaign to reverse the decline of languages'

14 August 2015 (TES)

The number of students getting into university this year may have reached a record high with the lifting of the cap on numbers, but the A-level results paint a picture of stability.

This comes as no surprise: the grading is determined in part by Ofqual's comparable outcomes approach. This means that if a cohort is broadly similar in terms of GCSE results to those who took A-levels last year (which they often will be), the A-level grade distribution should look similar unless an exam board can produce very convincing evidence that the standard has risen or fallen.

[...] The ongoing decline in the numbers taking French and German also comes as no surprise. Despite the increase in Spanish, overall the uptake of modern languages is dire. Shortage of funding for sixth-form colleges is driving them to cut small subjects and modern languages are gradually falling by the wayside at A-level. Nothing less than a national campaign can reverse the situation.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, England, Language Learning, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Vocab Express League of Champions 2015

14 August 2015 (Vocab Express)

Create a languages buzz around your school to kick-start the new academic year! The championship will run from Wednesday 30 September until Tuesday 6 October 2015. It's a fantastic way to engage students in vocabulary building by challenging them to compete against other schools across the UK and from around the world.

The challenge will feature French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin competitions.

The challenge is free to all schools subscribing to Vocab Express. In addition, there are currently still 50 free school places available to non-subscribers, each for up to 150 students.

Word Wizard 2015 final - now with photos!

13 August 2015 (SCILT/CISS)

After announcing the Word Wizard 2015 prizewinners back in June, we have now published the photos from the Final in the Scottish Parliament on 29th May.

Visit our Word Wizard 2015 Final webpage for the full list of prizewinners and to view the photos via our Flickr album.

You can download any of the photos by right clicking on the image and selecting 'Save as'.

Language study bounces back after a decade of decline

10 August 2015 (The Herald)

A long-term decline in the number of pupils studying languages at Higher appears to have been reversed.

New figures show most modern languages have seen an increase in entries in 2015 after years where numbers have fallen.

Statistics from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) show French has seen a 10 per cent increase with entries rising to 4,572.

Spanish continues a remarkable rise over the past decade with entries rising 28 per cent to 2413.

Insight: Why Scots face a language barrier

8 August 2015 (The Scotsman)

Our children’s lack of foreign language skills cry out for a shake-up in education policy, and yet constant upheaval in our schools may be one of the problems, writes Dani Garavelli.

First and Second Level Modern Languages Learning Map Updates

27 July 2015 (Education Scotland)

Updates to first and second level learning maps are now available on the Education Scotland website.

Summer French classes in Glasgow

15 July 2015 (Alliance Française)

Semi-intensive and 3-day intensive summer courses are taking place at the Alliance Française Glasgow in August/September 2015.

For more information and to enrol, follow the appropriate link below:

Semi-Intensive Courses (2 x 3hrs / 4 weeks) - 18 August to 10 September
Intensive 3-Day Courses (3 x 5 hours / 3 days) - 25/26/27 August and 1/2/3 September

A new blended e-learning course is also available for beginners, combining flexible independent learning done online with several Skype chats as well as tutor-led face-to-face group classes (maximum 5 students). See the Alliance Française website for full details and enrol by 19 September.

How teaching English on my year abroad improved my French

13 July 2015 (The Guardian)

Students planning their years abroad might worry about teaching English. It seems counterintuitive – you go to another country to learn the language and end up speaking your mother tongue.

But in my experience, it can be a rewarding job and is perhaps even the best way to immerse yourself in another culture and learn the language.

Forget French and Mandarin - Arabic is the language to learn

12 July 2015 (The Independent)

The 10-year-old was looking at the card in front of him which showed an image of a fish. “Samak,” he said decisively.

He and his classmates at Horton Park primary school, in Bradford, have been learning Arabic for three years now, courtesy of a drive by the British Council to boost the take-up of the language in state schools.

Word Wizard 2015 Final!

18 June 2015 (SCILT/CISS)

On Friday 29th May 42 talented linguists competed in the National Finals of Word Wizard 2015.

Visit our 2015 Final webpage to read all about this year's event and our impressive competitors. Photos from the event will be published soon.

What nobody tells you about studying abroad

17 June 2015 (The Guardian)

Everyone told me how much fun I was going to have, but there are many things it would have been more useful for me to have known. Jack Harry, a French and Spanish student at Bristol University, shares his experience of his year studying abroad.

Posted in: HE, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Study Abroad, Languages in the press

Campus close-up: University of St Andrews

11 June 2015 (THE)

Scottish institution strengthens its identity as a centre for singing and languages with pioneering new course.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Translation, Languages in the press

Vive le Fringe!

9 June 2015 (Institut français)

For the past five years, the Institut Français has been a venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Under the banner ‘Vive le Fringe’, we have been bringing French companies to the Fringe and presenting an eclectic and ambitious programme of French theatre, circus and children’s shows.

The 2015 programme features three shows dedicated to young audiences for which we’ve been devising post-performance workshops for schools in order to complement the viewing and allow classes to make the most of their visit to the Institut français and to the Fringe. You can find out more details about each show by clicking on the relevant link below.

Nursery: Madama Butterfly (Compagnie Nathalie Cornille) - solo dance for children 3 +, followed by a 30 minutes workshop ‘Origami in French’
Primary (P1 – P7): The Soundimals Tamer (CheeeseCakeCie) - mime and clown performance around sound manipulation for children 5+ followed by a 30 minutes workshop ‘The Circus Parade’
Secondary (S1- S6): Skins and Hoods (Cie du Veilleur) – powerful theatre play for children 12+ (in English) about race and identity followed by a Q&A with the director and the cast

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Summer 2015 French classes in Edinburgh

8 June 2015 (Institut français)

The Insitut français will be running a number of semi-intensive and intensive French classes during the summer. See their website and brochure for full details and booking information.

Lesson planner - Secondary French

28 May 2015 (TES)

This “grammar challenge” was designed to motivate my 14- and 15-year-old pupils and make assessment more fun and interactive.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Resources

Glasgow Science Festival 2015 - Energy for a sustainable world

26 May 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow is delighted to take part once again in the Glasgow Science Festival in June and to present a special bilingual exhibition in French/English entitled Energy for a sustainable world / Energies pour un monde durable.

We will also be running educational workshops for secondary school pupils and their teachers who visit the exhibition (dates are 4, 5, and 8-12 June).

Among the themes covered by this interactive exhibition are the relationship between energy and development, the scarcity of some resources, and the impact on climate change that our ever increasing energy needs have.

Thanks to some playful elements, visitors to the exhibition will be made aware of issues relating to energy access, its link to economic and social development, and environmental issues. The exhibition contains description of such varied topics as:

What is energy?
Sources and resources
Geopolitics and energy access
Research and innovation
Energy storage
Solar power

This exhibition fits in with the Curriculum for excellence (Science & French) and is suitable mostly for S1-S4 pupils, although S5 & S6 can also attend.

The exhibition will be accompanied by fun and engaging experiments as well as a French/English questionnaire so that pupils can learn more about the exhibition and the topics covered.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to book your school visit. Places are limited so don't delay!

Summer workshop for children

22 May 2015 (Alliance Française)

Alliance Française will be running a special summer workshop for children aged 5-10 between 29th June and 3rd July! This is an ideal opportunity for children of all levels to find out more about French language and culture through fun activities such as arts & crafts, songs, games, etc... Let us take you on a fabulous 'journey' to France! We look forward to seeing as many children as possible at what is sure to be a fun-filled week of French activities!

Semi-intensive and intensive summer classes

21 May 2015 (Alliance Française)

Alliance Française will be running summer classes suitable for all levels between June and September. Enrol before Saturday 30th May to benefit from our early bird discount. Semi-Intensive Courses (2 x 3hrs / 4 weeks) Enrol in a 4-week French programme for complete beginners, or reinforce your language skills with revisions. Intensive Courses (3 x 5hrs / 3 days) Brush-up on your French with revisions. If you wish to enrol, please contact the Language Office on 0141 331 4080.

Lost for words to dreaming in French - one week of language immersion in Lyon

20 May 2015 (Guardian)

Despite many attempts, I had never quite got to grips with French. But by the end of a week-long immersion I learned more than in 15 years of false starts.

Posted in: French, Immersion, Language Learning - Adults, Languages in the press

Revealing the ‘Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire’ In Four New Languages to Mark World Whisky Day

14 May 2015 (Scotland Food & Drink)

Zum Wohl (German), Saúde (Portugese), Santé (French), gān bēi (Chinese), Sláinte (Gaelic) or cheers (English) – there are many ways to toast a dram around the world.

To mark World Whisky Day on Saturday (May 16) four new foreign language translations of the ‘Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire’ guide are being launched this week by Aberdeenshire Provost, Jill Webster, at Glenglassaugh Distillery near Portsoy.

Working in partnership with local whisky producers, Aberdeenshire Council established the ‘Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire’ last year to highlight the less well-known range of small distilleries all within an hour’s drive of Aberdeen, each with its own distinctive history, style and taste.

The guide has been well received by the tourism industry and the printing of the German language version was sponsored by a German tour company specialising in Scotch whisky tours.

The Portuguese, French and Chinese versions of the guide have been produced in response to demand from key international tourism markets.

Posted in: Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Languages in the press, Portuguese

Exam board chief: 'Unless we act soon, even GCSE French and German could face the chop'

8 May 2015 (TES)

The furore around the announcement by some exam boards that they will no longer provide GCSEs and/or A-levels in ‘lesser-taught’ languages such as Turkish, Polish, Urdu and Gujarati begs some big questions. Given that the boards are a mixture of not-for-profits and commercial organisations, it is clear this is not simply a matter of money. The challenges are systemic and the root causes are a mixture of cultural attitudes, failed infrastructures and policy failures over many years.

Formal education has seen an overall decline in the study of traditionally taught foreign languages – French, German, etc – while the study of lesser-taught and community languages has failed to grow.

Any rational analysis of trends in school language education reveals that all languages, apart from English, are in danger of becoming ‘lesser taught’. The number of A-levels awarded in all available languages in 2011 was 40,685 and by the summer of 2014 it was 32,680. Many languages departments in universities are facing a real threat of extinction. Unless something is done soon to correct this we will wake up one morning to learn that GCSE French and German are also for the chop.

Upcoming French classes in Glasgow

30 April 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow will be running the following courses. Follow the appropriate link for more information and to enrol:

New grammar class from 7 May to 11 June
DELF/DALF examinations - next session in June 2015 (enrol by 9 May)
Online courses - learn French at a pace to suit you
Semi-Intensive & Intensive summer classes - held between June and September 2015

Visit or contact the Language Office to enrol on any of the courses or to arrange an assessment to gauge the appropriate level for you.

French Education Minister sparks diplomatic situation with Germany by proposing to abolish 'two-language' classes for 11-year-olds

29 April 2015 (The Independent)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes the political friendship between the two countries will never be complete unless more youngsters from both nations speak both languages - and will raise the subject with French President François Hollande.

Lefèvre funding for French exchange trips

23 April 2015 (British Council)

Develop the speaking confidence of your pupils in advance of oral examinations with a trip to France. The Lefèvre Trust is offering grants of up to £5000 to UK schools to facilitate reciprocal visits to their partner schools in France. Application deadline is 19 May 2015.

Visit the British Council website for more information about the funding programme and how to apply.

Exclusive screenings of Girlhood

15 April 2015 (Into Film)

Into Film is offering an exclusive opportunity for schools to attend a regional preview of the new film Girlhood. This film is especially recommended for teachers of French, Citizenship/PSHE and Film/Media and is suitable for 15+ year olds.

Screenings take place in Dundee on 6 May, Inverness on 6 May and Glasgow on 7 May.

Posted in: French, Citizenship, News from language & education organisations

IoLET unveils new languages for business qualification

31 March 2015 (Chartered Institute of Linguists)

IoLET, the awarding body of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, exhibited at the Association for Language Learning’s annual gathering of teachers, Language World, now in its 25th year.

At the event held in Newcastle on 20-21 March, IoLET presented its newest qualification, the Certificate in Languages for Business (CLB), attracting keen interest from MFL teachers from around the UK. This practical, work-oriented qualification is initially offered in French, German and Spanish, and is already running across a number of secondary schools and universities.

New French classes in Glasgow during Term D

27 March 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française will be running 4 new classes during Term D (April - June) to help you improve your French.

Phonetics class - Improve your fluidity when speaking French and focus on pronunciation, accentuation and transcription.
Grammar class - This course will explain specific grammar points to help you to overcome difficulties you may have encounter.
Lunchtime conversation class - Revise and improve your listening and communication skills through discussion on various themes.
French cinema - Watch and study François Ozon's acclaimed French-Belgian comedy Potiche starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol. Please note places are limited.

Adult French classes in Glasgow - Term D

27 March 2015 (Alliance Française)

We are now enrolling students for Term D which will take place between Monday 20 April and Saturday 13 June.

There will be a new Beginners 1 class taking place every Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm.

If you are new to the Alliance française and not a complete beginner, you will need to make an appointment for a short and informal assessment with one of our teachers so we can recommend a suitable class at your level.

You can also take our free online placement test at this address: www.frenchcourses.org.uk.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol.

National 5 and New Higher revision guides

24 March 2015 (National Parent Forum of Scotland)

The National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) has published a series of New Higher Revision guides. These resources provide a clear, straightforward explanation of what learners need to know in order to prepare for the new Higher exams. For each subject, there are links taking you directly to specimen papers, exemplar question papers and sites where you can access other useful information. Please note that these resources are for the new Curriculum for Excellence Highers. Guides for French, German and Spanish are available.

These NPFS National 5 Revision in a Nutshell subject guides supplement learning and revision in class. They are organised alphabetically, by subject, covering 20 subjects which have exams and for which the SQA has provided relevant past paper questions. Guides for French, German and Spanish are included.

All the guides can be accessed under the 'For Learners' section of the NPFS website.

French immersion days for secondary students

24 March 2015 (Institut français)

Bring your class to the Institut français for an exciting day filled with French immersion activities.

Choose between a film viewing or a workshop shedding light on a piece of French culture for your S1 to S6 students, with or without the croissants and juices.

For more information and to arrange a visit, see the Institut français website.

Business Language Champions - new case study published

23 March 2015 (SCILT)

S3 learners at Brechin High School benefitted from a visit from the Royal Navy and language workshops which culminated in an interdisciplinary project in which learners had to use their language skills in humanitarian crisis scenarios. This project helped to highlight the importance of both language skills and knowledge in a real life scenario. It also allowed the learners to use transferable skills like team work, organisation, working to a deadline and applying language knowledge to a practical situation.

Posted in: French, Business, SCILT news

Danse des Mots - Résultats du jeu Speakons français

16 March 2015 (RFI)

See the results of the ‘Speakons français’ game where readers were invited to put forward new French anglicisms.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Graduate opportunities to work at the British Council

16 March 2015 (British Council)

Want to start your international career with us? Applications are now open for our 2015 future leaders scheme. You must be fluent in English and be capable and willing to learn one of the following languages: Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Japanese.

To find out more about the scheme and full eligibility criteria visit the British Council website.

Application deadline is 30 April 2015.

French Easter Revision Courses April 2015

13 March 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running semi-intensive revision courses between Monday 13 and Friday 17 April for Secondary School pupils and University students who are due to sit their French examinations later this year. Enrol by 2 April 2015.

Full details can be found on the Alliance Française website.

The Open University ‘Young Applicants in Schools Scheme’ (YASS)

12 March 2015 (Open University)

YASS is designed to bridge the gap between school and full-time university, giving S6 students in Scotland the opportunity to fit study around school work and social lives. The scheme is intended to encourage independent learning and build confidence.

On this programme students may study from a wide range of subject areas across the university; from the Department of Languages, we offer beginners and intermediate modules (French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Welsh), an introductory languages and cultures module and also modules in English (academic purposes and professional communication skills for business).

Funding for the scheme is through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which fully supports students from local authority schools studying one of the modules on the scheme.

For further information please visit the Open University website and if you have any queries please contact Scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

New online French courses

12 March 2015 (Alliance Française)

New online courses from the Alliance Française give you the flexibility to study where and when you like. Learn French at your own pace with individualized support from our tutors, at a time and place which suit you.

Our 100% online courses are available from levels A1 (Beginners) to level B2 (Advanced). Each course module contains 5-6 units and provides a total of approximately 50-60 learning hours, distributed over 14 weeks.

You will have the opportunity to get a weekly 45-minute Skype chat with your tutor so you can practice your writing and speaking skills. During this conversation, he/she will review your homework, correct your pronunciation, answer your questions, and of course provide you with any additional learning support you need to complete the course.

Our 100% online courses are run flexibly throughout the year – we can start a class with you whenever suits you!

For more information, please check the Alliance Française website or contact Shona Miller email: assistant@afglasgow.org.uk / 0141 331 4080.

Articulate Language Camps

12 March 2015 (Articulate Language Camps)

Easter Revision Day

This Easter, we are offering National 5 and Higher pupils the chance to revise for their French exams with the support of qualified language teachers. Pupils can take part in a variety of listening, reading and writing projects to help them prepare for their upcoming SQA assessments. The Revision Day will give them a chance to leave their textbooks for a while, learn in a relaxed and supportive environment and have a little fun with the foreign language.

The revision day camp will take place of Wednesday 8 April. For just £12, pupils can join us from 10am until 5pm at the Glasgow Gaelic School in the city centre. To reserve a place or request an information pack, pupils should call 07791 698945 or email us at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.

Launch Camp

At our two-day residential summer programme for children aged 6-11, young campers get the chance to experience French, Spanish or German or improve their existing language skills in a fun and interactive way. Our camp ‘launches’ campers into the world of language learning through projects, play and songs. From making a film in Spanish and going on a forest scavenger hunt to singing campfire songs in German and taking an archery class in French.

For more information on dates, prices, location and the programme, please visit our website, Articulate Language Camps, or get in touch at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.

International Camp

Our week-long summer programme brings together young people aged 12-17 from all over Europe to share their language and their culture. With options to learn French, Spanish, German or English, campers can teach one another and practise their speaking and listening skills with young native speakers of the languages they are studying. With a variety of digital media project classes and outdoor sport activities, the programme is full of adventure and excitement.

To hear from previous campers or to find out more information about dates, prices, location and the programme, please visit our website, Articulate Language Camps, or get in touch at info@articulate-languagecamps.com.

French must drop 'ineffective barriers' against other languages – minister

12 March 2015 (The Guardian)

Culture secretary Fleur Pellerin issues volte-face over laws protecting native tongue from foreign invaders and upheld by Académie Française.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

A quick guide to speaking Franglais

11 March 2015 (The Guardian)

Franglais - a mixture of French and English - often uses words that wouldn’t make sense to a native speaker. Hannah Partos gives some tips on navigating some of the more curious French borrowings from English.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

How pupils are saying nein, danke to German

6 March 2015 (TESS)

Students can’t seem to get enough of Mandarin but are bidding ‘auf Wiedersehen’ to the language of Scotland’s near neighbour and economic partner Germany. Julia Belgutay asks why

The premise offered hope to foreign language teachers and all those promoting language learning in schools across Scotland. The 1+2 strategy, announced by the government in 2012, was finally going to bring language learning up to speed with other European countries.

Every child in Scotland would study one foreign language from the first year of primary school, and a second from no later than P5 – a pledge that the government backed up with £4 million of funding last year and a further £5 million in 2014-15.

But more than two years into the implementation of the ambitious strategy, it has become clear that not all languages have been winners. Indeed, some are losing – badly.

Beginners 1 and Beginners 2 French courses for primary school teachers

26 February 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running new 10-week French courses for Primary School teachers between March-May 2015.

The Beginners 1 course is suitable for complete beginners and will take place on Thursdays from 3.45 to 5.45pm.
The Beginners 2 course is suitable for teachers who have studied French before (’false beginners’) and/or for those who completed one of our previous Beginners 1 classes. This course takes place on Tuesdays from 3.45 to 5.45pm.

Enrol by Friday 6 March.

Further information and enrolment forms are available on the Alliance Française website.

MSP: Teach children business languages, not French

25 February 2015 (The Scotsman)

Schoolchildren should be taught languages that will help them get ahead in business because “nobody in the world speaks French,” according to a leading Conservative MSP.

Murdo Fraser, convener of Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, said he is frustrated that his children are only taught French in primary school when it is “a very minor language”.

“Nobody in the world speaks French,” he said at the committee today. “Well, apart from the French, obviously, but in terms of international trade French is a very minor language.
I mean, surely we should be teaching Spanish or Arabic or Mandarin or even German - a far wider international reach than French does.”

Garry Clark, head of policy and research at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, pointed out that the language is also useful in a number of French islands around the world.

Les Rencontres Théâtrales 2015

13 February 2015 (Le français en Écosse )

We hope rehearsals are now well under way for the theatre competition in French! If you're not enrolled yet with your class, you can still do so until 20 February. The competition takes place in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen from 24 to 31 March.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, News from language & education organisations

Le Quiz de la Francophonie

13 February 2015 (Le français en Écosse )

Every year on 20 March, the world celebrates the French language and La Francophonie. The Institut Français and the representatives of the Francophone countries in the UK organise again in 2015 the Francophonie quiz. Our country of honour this year is Canada!

In Scotland, our online contest will be open to S2/S3 pupils.

This is a good opportunity to learn and have fun while developing key skills such as work in a team, make research using ICT, and enhance knowledge of French cultures.

Each team will have to find the right answers as quickly as possible using all available resources in the schools without the help of the teacher.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, News from language & education organisations

Les Ateliers du Primaire: French children books, songs & games

13 February 2015 (Le français en Écosse )

Attend this monthly workshop for primary teachers at the Institut français!

This new regular programme offers primary teachers a free training session on the first Thursday of the month with tools and resources for their class. The first workshop will show you how to use French children books, songs and games in your primary class (P1-P3). Teachers who attend 4 of these sessions in a school year will receive a 6 hours training certificate from the Institut français.

This is a free event “en français”. Please sign in before Friday 27 February: education.pm@ifecosse.org.uk

Posted in: Primary, French, CPD, News from language & education organisations

Beginners 1 (full beginners) and Beginners 2 (follow-up/false beginners) class for primary school teachers

12 February 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for primary school teachers, suitable for complete beginners and teachers who completed our Beginners 1 course or have a false beginners level

20 hours of lessons over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of primary school teachers: classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, increase your confidence and feel more comfortable speaking French
Thursdays, 3.45-5.45pm
12 March to 28 May 2015 inclusive. (Please note there will be no classes on Thursday 9 and 16 April)
The cost to attend this course is £80/teacher. Please note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages
A certificate of attendance will be handed out by the end of the course
Places are limited so early booking is recommended

If you wish to enrol in this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 6 March.

Alliance Française de Glasgow - 3 Park Circus, Glasgow, G3 6AX
Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
email: admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Or visit the website to download the enrolment form.

AMOPA 'Parlons français' - A competition for students of AH French

30 January 2015 (Alliance Française)

The competition is now in its fourth year and with continuing sponsorship from Total it's hoped it will continue to grow.

“It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!” That’s a quote from one school last year.

And it’s true. All that's needed is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. This will then be assessed, everyone given some feedback and prizes and certificates awarded.

See the attached flyer for full details about the competition and how to enter. The deadline for entries is 21 February 2015.

Related Files

'Parlons français' - competition for students of AH French (50.1 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

French classes in Glasgow

30 January 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française are now enrolling for the next semester of adult and children's French classes, commencing 6 February 2015.

If you are unsure of your level, there are Open Days available where you can meet the team and have an assessment. Alternatively a free online placement test is available at this address: www.frenchcourses.org.uk

Further details and enrolment information are available on the Alliance Française website.

There are also Higher & Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who are sitting their French oral examinations in 2015. These will take place on Fridays during February.

Forget selfie and vape, what are the new favourite words in other languages?

29 January 2015 (The Guardian)

It seems 2014 was the year of ‘photobombing’ and ‘oversharing’ in English, but what about in Spanish, German and French?

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Languages in the press

Why Au Revoir les Enfants is the one film you should watch this week - video review

29 January 2015 (The Guardian)

Peter Bradshaw recommends Louis Malle's 1987 autobiographical film, which takes place in a boys' boarding school towards the end of the second world war, explores French guilt surrounding antisemitism and the events that took place during the Holocaust. The film traces the friendship between two 12 year olds during WW2 and is in French/German with English subtitles. Au Revoir les Enfants returns to the cinema on 30 January with a re-release by the BFI in conjunction with Holocaust Memorial Day.

#FridayFrançais

23 January 2015 (Institut français d'Écosse)

Did you know for example that when pigs fly, les poules auront des dents? The Institut français d'Écosse launch a new series on French idiomatic expressions. Follow us on Twitter (@ifecosse) and Facebook (InstitutfrancaisdEcosse) with #FridayFrançais and discover every Friday a new expression and its English equivalent.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Les Ateliers du Secondaire

23 January 2015 (Institut français d'Écosse )

It's still time to sign up for the first workshop of Institut français d'Écosse new monthly rendez-vous for secondary teachers on Thursday 29 January. These free workshops happen every last Thursday of the month and provide you with tools and resources for your class. The January session will be about video resources for your S1-S6 class.

Les Rencontres Théâtrales 2015

23 January 2015 (Institut français d'Écosse )

Institut français d'Écosse are ready for the 2015 edition of Les Rencontres Théâtrales in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen in March to celebrate la Francophonie. Have your class create or adapt a short piece in French and help them to put it on stage. Check out the dates for your city and fill in the enrolment form online.

Posted in: French, Awards, News from language & education organisations

‘Dis-moi dix mots... que tu accueilles’...

23 January 2015 (BP Art Exchange/Institut Français)

BP Art Exchange and the Institut Français would like to invite French and art teachers to participate in an exciting initiative exploring art and Language with a class of their choice. ‘Dis-moi dix mots... que tu accueilles’ is a project initiated by the French Ministry of Education and the aim of this annual initiative is for classes to create a collective artistic piece of work responding to a selection of 10 chosen French words. The words selected this year are: amalgame, bravo, cibler, grigri, inuit, kermesse, kitsch, sérendipité, wiki, zénitude. If you would like to participate in this project, register at bpartexchange.tate.org.uk and join the Dix Mots group. Upload the works that your students have created to share them with others before 01 March 2015. A panel of judges representing the BP Art Exchange community, comprising an artist, a teacher and a representative from Institut Français and BP Art Exchange will meet in March 2015 to select the three most interesting submissions to be featured on Tate website. Click here for more information about the project ‘Dis-moi dix mots... que tu accueilles’. For inspiration, you can visit your local gallery, browse the Tate online digitised collection as a reference point for creating works in response to one or more of the 10 words.

News from LFEE

22 January 2015 (LFEE)

See the attached newsletter from Le français en Ecosse (LFEE) for information on the following:

Erasmus+ guidelines for teachers wishing to apply to LFEE courses in France and Spain 2015-16.
Primary professional learning opportunities for teachers in Scotland.
Training for secondary teachers, including spaces available for 3 week course in Lyon and resources on embedding ICT into teaching practice.

You can also visit the LFEE website for more information about the training available for Scottish language teachers.

Related Files

LFEE_News_bulletin_Jan 2015 (179 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Oral Revision Courses: Higher & Advanced Higher - February 2015

22 January 2015 (Alliance Française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Higher & Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who will be sitting their French oral examinations in 2015.

Sessions will take place between 4-6pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow as follows:

Friday 6 February
Friday 13 February
Friday 20 February
Friday 27 February

For more information and to enrol by Friday 30 January, visit the Alliance Française website.

Glasgow Youth Film Festival

19 January 2015 (Glasgow Film Theatre)

Glasgow Youth Film Festival runs during the first week of February and will feature films in French, German and Chinese, and all screenings are FREE for Glasgow schools. For more information, visit the secondary school listings on the Glasgow Youth Film Festival website.

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, News from language & education organisations

Languages pilot launched at Midlothian schools

17 January 2015 (Midlothian Advertiser)

A pilot scheme involving 13 Midlothian primary schools has rolled French language lessons to children as young as four. It is part of the “1+2 Languages Initiative” which, based on the mother tongue plus two additional languages, is aiming to revolutionise language learning in Scotland.

Posted in: 1+2, Chinese, French, Languages in the press

Yakety Yak Language Cafés

15 January 2015 (Yakety Yak Language Café)

Want to improve your conversational skills in another language? Yakety Yak Language Café offers opportunities to speak French, Spanish, German, Italian, Gaelic, Portuguese, Chinese or Russian in Edinburgh.

Sessions are held in cafés, bistros and bars and are suitable for those with a basic knowledge of the language and the ability to hold a simple conversation. A number of options are available both daytime and evening.

Check out the Yakety Yak Language Café website for more information.

Google and Eurostar sponsor new Franco-British schools’ competition

15 Januiary 2015 (Franco-British Council)

The Franco-British Council is delighted to announce that the digital giant Google and Eurostar are both supporting its 2015 competition for schools.

The competition is directed at S2 and S5 pupils at state schools ONLY in Scotland and the equivalent Year 9 and Year 12 pupils from state schools ONLY south of the border. The competition requires pupils to pick a city* in France and create their very own website championing it and explaining why their friends should all go there. Entries will be judged by a panel of digital, communications and travel experts from Google, Eurostar, the Daily Telegraph Newspaper and the Foreign Office. The winning three groups (5 pupils and 1 teacher per group) will get the opportunity to visit their chosen French city for the weekend!

The aim of this competition is to stimulate interest and research in France amongst language students and to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their creative, linguistic and IT skills.

Please see the full competition details on the Franco-British Council website through the 'read more' link below.

The competition runs from Janusary - 24 April 2015. Teachers should send the link of their pupils’ website entry to prize@francobritishcouncil.org.uk and contact angela@francobritishcouncil.org.uk with any questions.

*French Cities included in the competition: Reims, Metz, Strasbourg, Nancy, Mulhouse, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Rouen, Caen, Le Mans, Laval, Rennes, Angers, Nantes, Tours, Poitiers, Angoulême, Bordeaux, Lyon, Valence, and Avignon. Please take a look at the map.

Employ a Language Assistant

13 January 2015 (British Council)

Language assistants help bring culture alive in schools across the country and are an ideal way to improve language learning for students and to increase their global awareness, as well as support the implementation of a 1+2 approach to language learning.

Applications to the latest round of the language assistant programme open on January 26 and bids from schools are encouraged to be submitted by the end of March. To help spread the cost, each language assistant can be shared between three schools.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to apply.

Mrs Roberts by Maggie Philbin

9 January 2015 (TES)

The young Maggie, who went on to host Tomorrow's World, struggled with languages - until a new teacher reinforced the connection between hard work and achievement.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Languages in the press

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers in 2014/15

8 January 2015 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow is running a programme of CPDs in French for Primary School teachers. There are still some spaces left for the five remaining topics and dates during February and March 2015.

Details of the programme and how to enrol are available on the Alliance Française website.

French film essay competition 2015

6 January 2015 (University of Oxford)

The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University is looking for budding film enthusiasts in Years 7-11 (P7-S4) and 12-13 (S5-S6) to embrace the world of French cinema. To enter the competition, students in each age group are asked to re-write the ending of a film in no more than 1500 words. Work can be done in English or French.

See the University website for more information and how to apply before 27 March 2015.

Schools 2015 website competition

6 January 2015 (Franco-British Council)

Pupils in S2 and S5 are invited to choose their favourite French city from the list provided and design a website to promote the city and explain why we should all go there. Extra credit will be given for including written or spoken French.

Winners will have the chance to visit their chosen French city, courtesy of Eurostar and the Franco-British Council.

Visit the Franco-British Council website for full details of the competition and how to enter. The competition closes on 24 April 2015.

SQA External Examiner's Higher Modern Languages reports 2014 - key messages

18 December 2014 (SCILT)

We have extracted and summarised the key messages from the SQA external examiner's reports for Higher Modern Languages 2014, which can be found on our website.

Posted in: French, Gaelic, German, National Qualifications, SCILT news

Les Rencontres Théâtrales 2015

16 December 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut français has been organizing les Rencontres Théâtrales for many years. It is a unique experience for your primary and secondary school students to perform in French on a stage. These past years, les rencontres took place in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

In 2015, les Rencontres Théâtrales will take place in Edinburgh on 26 March at Broughton High School. The date for Glasgow will be announced soon.

If you'd like to organise les Rencontres Théâtrales in your council, please contact Thomas Chaurin, Education Attaché for France in Scotland.

For more information about les Rencontres Théâtrales, see the video trailer.

Franco-Scottish school links

16 December 2014 (Institut français)

There are many advantages for establishing links between a Scottish and a French local authority. These links are a natural element of your local 1+2 strategy, with school twinning, expertise sharing and training opportunities.

Check out the blog of the Académie de Lyon primary teachers about their visit to partner schools in Renfrewshire.

If you need help to identify a partner, or if you want to make more out of your current link, email Thomas Chaurin at the Institut français - education@ifecosse.org.uk.

French classes for adults

5 December 2014 (Institut français)

The next session of adult classes runs from 12 January to 28 March 2015, with a variety of courses on offer at different levels.

See the website for further information or call in to the Open Day on Saturday 13 December, between 10am – 3pm, for a free assessment and to enrol.

Pupils put language skills to the test

3 December 2014 (Brechin Advertiser)

Brechin High School pupils, along with other Angus secondary school pupils, took part in an ‘on the job’ workshop to test their language skills.

The event saw pupils having to provide a solution to two real-life humanitarian crisis scenarios, and it required them to work on a solution and present the solution in French.

The first of the two scenarios involved the pupils assisting an engineer or medic from the Royal Navy to make them understood when they are operating within the challenging situation of a humanitarian crisis.

The solution had to be weather proof, easy to use, durable and effective. The pupils were also shown examples of what may or may not work and be asked to identify useful phrases that need to be included.

In the second scenario, pupils were asked to use their language skills to explore the properties needed for a building to withstand a Tsunami. Each group was given a budget and had to design a village within these constraints.

Motivate and inspire - new French and German resources on the SCILT website

27 November 2014 (SCILT)

Looking for interesting resources to inspire and motivate your learners? The Professional Development Officers at SCILT and Kirsten Herbst-Gray from Langholm Academy in Dumfries and Galloway have developed these materials for use with German and French learners.

Access these new resources through the following pages of our website:

German

S1-S3
- Tourism: my home town
- Projekt Deutschland
- Trading with Germany
New Higher

French

New Higher

Posted in: French, German, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

J’adore Tricolore

25 November 2014 (Oxford University Press)

Help us to celebrate the launch of new KS3 French Tricolore 5e édition for 2014 with our J’adore Tricolore competition.

We're offering 10 winners the chance to win a languages goody bag, packed with MFL prizes galore. For a chance to win, take a 'Tricolore selfie' and enter by 31 December 2014.

More information is available on the Oxford University Press website.

Languages for life

24 November 2014 (Angus Council)

School pupils in Angus recently took part in an ‘on the job’ workshop which used their language skills in real-life humanitarian crisis scenarios.

At the workshop, pupils had to provide a solution to two real-life crisis scenarios which required them to work on a solution and present the solution in French.

The top eight winning teams were selected from each project by the school staff and they will now compete in a Dragon’s Den Panel consisting of Naval, Angus and SCILT staff on 17 December.

Giant Pandas - Modern languages: Second level resource

24 November 2014 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland has developed a new website on the Giant Pandas. The website provides access to relevant, contextualised resources to support learning and teaching about giant pandas through Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes.

The resource features information about the arrival of Scotland’s giant pandas, current information about their life at Edinburgh Zoo, an image gallery, videos and learning journeys for languages, sciences and health and wellbeing.

Language teachers will particularly appreciate the second level learning resources which develop understanding and knowledge of the giant pandas through the medium of the modern language.

A learning journey takes learners through a number of foreign language tasks that will build on their knowledge of pandas and allow them to make comparisons between life in Scotland and life in China.

There are also two activity booklets - one in French and one in German - which contain a variety of challenges linked to cross-curricular themes.

A day in the life of Julian Morgan

14 November 2014 (TES)

Commuting through forests, over rivers and across borders is a daily undertaking for this British teacher at a German school, who delights in languages and gets his ideas from a ‘tree of inspiration’

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

Being sociable and speaking French will help you land a job, apparently

14 November 2014 (Huffington Post)

Being sociable and speaking French are two attributes that could help a graduate land their first job, according to a survey. It also claims that writing a blog and volunteering can help those looking for work. The poll, by recruitment firm reed.co.uk, asked around 2,300 graduates what they thought helped them get their first position.

Posted in: French, Languages in the press

Win a trip to Paris!

13 November 2014 (ULIP)

To commemorate the centenary of WW1 the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) is running this year's 'Win a trip to Paris' competition with a WW1 theme. To enter, students of Higher/Advanced Higher French have to watch the video on their website about "Les Taxis de la Marne", a famous WW1 event that took place right outside ULIP's front door, and answer a few related questions before 31 January 2015.

The French teacher of the winning student also receives a hamper of luxury Parisien goodies!

Visit the ULIP website for full terms and conditions and to take part in the competition.

MTOT blog: The Creative Bag of Tricks - “Cinquains”

12 November 2014 (SCILT)

To support activities for the Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) competition, SCILT is sharing practical ideas for helping learners to write simple poems in the target language. These are published through our “Creative Bag of Tricks” series on the MTOT blog. The first of our items about short form poetry, “Cinquains”, is available to read now.

This is #6 in the "Creative Bag of Tricks" series. If you've missed any of the previous activities these can still be accessed via the blog archive.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Celebrating Languages, Resources, SCILT news

Dundee kids’ taste of France

10 November 2014 (Dundee Evening Telegraph)

Bonjour, parlez-vous Francais? Non? Well, no worries — head along to Dundee’s Hillside Primary School and you’ll get French lessons from the children there.

For the past two years, children throughout the school have been learning and speaking French on a daily basis. Now they’ve decided the time is right to show off their language skills to the Tele.

And mighty impressive they were, too, as they discussed names, ages and what they were having for lunch in fairly fluent French.

Posted in: Primary, French, Language Learning, Languages in the press

New BLC Case Study live on SCILT website

6 November 2014 (SCILT)

This case study shows how a partnership between Kilwinning Academy and the Scottish Football Association demonstrated to pupils that languages are necessary in all walks of life. S3 learners visited the Scottish Football Museum and took part in a range of activities which highlighted the relevance of learning French.

War Poems on the Underground

3 November 2014 (The Poetry Society)

The autumn 2014 set of Poems on the Underground commemorates the centenary of the First World War. War Poems on the Underground are on display in London Underground cars from 6 October 2014 through November, with additional posters on London Overground and selected station sites in a major expansion of our programme, supported by TfL. Poems by English, French, Italian and Austrian poets, written during the heat of war service, stress themes of brotherhood and reconciliation, and the ways in which “we said goodbye to a whole epoch” (Apollinaire).

Visit the Poetry Society website to see extracts from some of the poems and follow the link to the Guardian's article below with tips on writing war poetry.

Language Perfect Northern Championships 2014

31 October 2014 (Language Perfect)

The search is on for the top language student and languages department in the northern hemisphere... The Northern Championships, taking place from 3-13 November 2014 , pitches students and schools in the northern hemisphere against one another, ONLINE and LIVE, from computers and iPod/Android apps. Teachers can watch the scoreboards for up-to-the-minute updates on how their school and students are going. Maybe your school will become the champions in 2014?

Visit the Language Perfect website for more information.

Word Wizard 2015 now launched!

30 October 2014 (SCILT/CISS)

Our exciting spelling competition Word Wizard has now officially launched for school session 2014-15!

Visit our Word Wizard 2015 webpage to download the Teacher's Pack and registration form. School are advised to register to take part by Friday 28th November.

DELF/DALF examinations

29 October 2014 (Alliance Française)

The next session for the DELF/DALF examinations will take place in December 2014.

For full details and to enrol by 8 November 2014 to site the exams in Glasgow visit the Alliance Française website.

The examinations can also be sat in Edinburgh at the Institut français - for details follow the link to their website below.

Adult French classes in Glasgow

29 October 2014 (Alliance Française)

The next session of adult classes (Term B) at the Alliance Française Glasgow will run between Monday 17 November 2014 and Saturday 31 January 2015.

We will be running a class for complete beginners on Monday between 6-9pm, as well as a new lunchtime conversation class every Tuesday between 1.30-2.30pm.

More information and an enrolment form is available on the Alliance Française website.

Franco-German Film Series at the CCA

26 October 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française and the Goethe-Institut are delighted to present a new series of German and French films at the CCA. From Nov 2014 to February 2015 the Franco-German film series will explore the themes of modern fairy tales.

For more information, visit the Alliance Française website.

Posted in: French, German, News from language & education organisations

French Film Festival (November 2014)

25 October 2014 (Alliance Française)

The 22nd edition of French Film Festival will begin on the 7th November and run until the 4th December 2014. Amongst an exciting programme, you can find and discover some wonderful French films at the Alliance Française de Glasgow.

Visit the website for more information.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Word Wizard - returning for session 2014-15!

23 October 2014 (SCILT/CISS)

Following on from the success of last year's competition we are once again inviting S1-S3 learners of French, Gaelic, German, Mandarin and Spanish to take part in this spellbinding competition.

We are currently taking registrations of interest from schools and the competition will officially be launched at the end of October 2014. If you would like to receive updates on the competition please email scilt@strath.ac.uk indicating which languages you are interested in entering.

Visit our Word Wizard webpage to download our 2014-15 flyer with more information on the competition.

Motivating the demotivated: SCILT job profiles

21 October 2014 (SCILT)

Show your pupils that languages are valuable in the world of work by visiting the 'Job Profiles' section of the SCILT website. People from a range of sectors - including sport, marketing, technology and many more - explain how language learning has influenced their professional lives.

NEW to the job profiles section:

Susan Young shows us her unusual office, and tells us how she turned her passion in life into her job.
Amy Baxter shares her story with us in a new video interview just added to her job profile.

'I miss the patisserie, boulangerie and steak - but France isn't that far…'

14 October 2014 (Guardian)

Meet Vidipt, a student from France, the home of around 2.8% of all international students at UK universities.

Posted in: French, Languages - Higher Education, Languages in the press

Paddy Ashdown: ‘Learning six languages has changed my life’

14 October 2014 (Guardian)

From speaking Malay as a young marine, to offending his Chinese teacher with unfortunate translations, Paddy shares the twists and turns of his language adventures.

A series of blogs from the British Council on important languages for the UK’s future

10 October 2014 (British Council)

The final post in the British Council's weekly series on the ten most important languages for the UK’s future, as identified by the British Council’s Languages for the Future report, is about Mandarin Chinese. Here, the British Council’s Asmaa Ibrahim explains the characters, tonal differences, and sound similarities that make the language so fascinating.

Confusing ‘jam’ for ‘condom’ and nine other mistakes while learning French

10 October 2014 (Guardian)

From being overfamiliar to mixing up your homophones, language tutors share their advice on avoiding common faux pas.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Languages in the press

A day in the life of Helen Malandrakis

10 October 2014 (TES)

Restoring the status of the French language is a labour of love for this Canadian teacher. Despite a long commute and a relentless timetable, she is heartened by calls of ‘Bonjour!’ in the hallways.

Posted in: French, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

Introduction to European Cinema 2014

7 October 2014 (The Little Black Book Edinburgh)

Introduction to European Cinema is now in its tenth year and returns with another fantastic selection of classic films curated by specialists in European cinema at the University of Edinburgh. Each film screening is preceded by a brief introduction by Dr Leanne Dawson (Lecturer in German and Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh and IEC Course Organiser) or another University of Edinburgh academic.

The event runs from 1 October to 26 November and offers some screenings in French, German and Russian.

Immersion courses in France and Spain 2015-16

3 October 2014 (LFEE)

LFEE now has course dates available in 2015 and 2016 for both primary and secondary teachers in either France or Spain.

The courses are fun and motivating and will help you implement the Scottish Government 1+2 language initiative and enhance your Professional Review and Development profile.

Funding for all courses is available through the European Union Erasmus+ Programme (formerly Comenius In-Service Training). Please contact LFEE as soon as possible to pre-register and receive guidelines to help you apply for the Erasmus+ funding. Expected Erasmus+ application deadline: January 2015.

Full course details and how to register are available on the attached brochure or visit the LFEE website.

Along with LFEE we have other partner/cultural organisations who also offer professional learning opportunities both in Scotland and overseas. Details can be accessed via the professional learning page on our website.

Related Files

LFEE Europe immersion courses France and Spain 2015-16 (112 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, CPD, Language Teaching, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

New Grammar Course for University students

30 September 2014 (Alliance française )

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a 5-week grammar course specifically designed for students who are currently studying French at University.

Between Wednesday 22nd October and Wednesday 19th November incl.

3.45-5.45pm.

Fees: £60 per student.

Please visit or contact the Language Office before Friday 17th October if you wish to enrol. Places are limited.

DELF/DALF

30 September 2014 (Alliance Française)

The next session for the DELF/DALF will take place in December 2014. Deadline to enrol: Saturday 8th November. Whether you are currently enrolled in one of our classes or are an external candidate, you can obtain a formal proof of your level by sitting a DELF/DALF examination at the AF Glasgow.

Posted in: French, Language Learning - Adults, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Most Europeans can speak multiple languages. UK and Ireland not so much

26 September 2014 (Guardian)

Over half of people in the EU can speak at least two languages with 38% able to speak English.

Posted in: French, German, English - Dominance, Languages in the press

GrowStoryGrow

19 September 2014 (GrowStoryGrow)

Every year, to help celebrate the European Day of Languages, GrowStoryGrow opens up its site allowing children all over the world to experience over a hundred enchanting stories, in several different languages, for free.

This year the GrowStoryGrow is free to use from 22 - 29 September 2014 and to link with this year's centenary of World War 1 there is a very poignant story about Remembrance Day.

Visit the website for further information and to access the materials.

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources

Charles de Gaulle and Lefèvre Programmes

19 September 2014 (British Council)

Secondary schools, sixth form or further education colleges that already have a partnership with a school in France, can apply to receive funding for reciprocal student visits. The two grants available can be used for individual and/or group visits.

The Charles de Gaulle Trust joint project offer, gives students aged 17-19 the opportunity to develop vocational skills in a multilingual environment. The £5,000 grant per school is for reciprocal student visits to facilitate the project work.

The Lefèvre Trust offers a grant of £5,000 per school for students aged between 11-19

If pupils in your school and your partner school fit the age ranges specified then you can apply for both grants simultaneously. So, you and your partner school could access £10,000 each in total.

Visit the British Council website for more information about the trusts and how to apply. Application deadline is Tuesday 11 November 2014.

CPD Workshops for Primary School Teachers in 2014/15

11 September 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a programme of CPDs in French for Primary School teachers:

10 topics covered over ten weeks, tailored to the needs of Primary School teachers
Suitable as a follow-up to our Beginners class or for French teachers in Primary schools
Thursdays, 4.15-5.45pm between 30th October 2014 and 26th March 2015.

For full programme details, visit the Alliance Française website. Enrolment deadline: 24 October 2014.

Love Languages - French (resource)

10 September 2014 (Into Film)

Interactive languages resource using film to teach French in primary. This is a cross-curricular second level resource with CfE links for Technologies, Expressive Arts, Social Studies, as well as Literacy and Languages and comes with teachers' notes, activity sheets and an accompanying Powerpoint.

Posted in: Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Languages and the Christmas Truce

9 September 2014 (British Council)

Learn some new languages and all about the Christmas truce during WW1 with this activity from the Football Remembers pack.

Professional learning opportunities from Cultural Organisations

8 September 2014 (SCILT)

A number of SCILT's partner cultural organisations provide language courses for teachers. These courses aim to train teachers in a new language or to upgrade their current language skills and can range from half-day workshops to immersion courses abroad.

SCILT has compiled a grid of the immersion courses available from our partner cultural organisations, with information on the required level of language for participants, the teaching stage for which the course prepares them and whether there is funding available. We have also provided links to the cultural organisations that provide language courses for teachers here in Scotland.

Visit the Professional Learning pages in the School Managers section of our website to view the courses on offer.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, CPD, Immersion, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Learning how to love languages

6 September 2014 (Lancashire Evening Post)

Recent research on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills shows that the lack of language skills in the UK is costing the nation an estimated £48bn a year, while the latest A level and GCSE results showed a drop in the number of some modern language entries, sparking concerns over the lack of recognition of the need for foreign language learning. Education Reporter Sonja Astbury looks at some of the work being done in schools to reverse the trend.

Eurotoolbox 2014-15

4 September 2014 (Goethe-Institut London)

The Eurotoolbox consists of 5 specially chosen collections of children's and youth literature from Europe in the original language - German, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian, with between 12 and 15 books in each language.

The exhibition of books is free to borrow for 2-4 weeks at a time and is available from September.

Visit the Eurotoolbox launch webpage for more information about the collections and contact Mariella Riccobono at the Italian Cultural Institute to arrange a booking slot: maria.riccobono.iic@esteri.it

Learn languages to boost your MBA

4 September 2014 (The Guardian)

In the increasingly globalised world of work, multinational companies are looking to hire business high-flyers who can communicate in several different languages.

Europe’s top business schools are responding to this need; courses at Insead, IESE, HEC, and London Business School incorporate a language requirement as well as the opportunity to learn and practise another language. Insead teaches Mandarin at Fontainbleu and in Singapore.

For some schools, a language component is a compulsory part of the MBA. The Insead MBA is taught exclusively in English, so fluency in the language is a pre-requisite, but in addition to that, another language at a practical level is also required for entry – and students are expected to add a third language by the time they finish their MBA. “At Insead we believe strongly in the importance of an international outlook and the ability to work effectively in multiple cultures,” says admissions director Pejay Belland.

Schools need to vary language teaching amid ‘predominance of French’, report suggests

29 August 2014 (Irish Times)

About 70 per cent of second-level students study a foreign language up to Leaving Certificate level but the number studying a third is “declining year on year”, the Department of Education has warned.
Publishing a consultation document today on developing a new languages strategy, the Department cites an over-reliance on French as an option within schools.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Qualifications, Languages in the press

Would you have passed GCSE French?

21 August 2014 (The Guardian)

Do you know you pluperfect from your conditional? A broad vocabulary and understanding of grammar are needed if you want to get top marks in a GCSE exam. See how well you remember your school French lessons.

Visit the website and take the quiz!

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Skills, Languages in the press

GCSE results: 'Lionel Messi effect' drives rise in Spanish

21 August 2014 (The Telegraph)

Examiners report a rise in the number of pupils taking Spanish GCSEs while entries for French and German drop, prompting claims it could soon become the most popular foreign language in schools.

Dedicated student gets near perfect results in all 4 A-levels

14 August 2014 (The Telegraph)

A dedicated student who achieved a 99 per cent pass rate across all four of her A-levels will go on to study at Cambridge.

Tabitha Jackson won joint first in the Trinity Hall medieval and modern languages essay-writing competition in 2013 and has been accepted by the McKinsey Leadership Academy.

She dropped only 14 marks out of 1600 across her four A-levels, gaining A* grades in English, Spanish, Latin and French.

A-level results: pass rate ‘declines for first time in 32 years’

14 August 2014 (The Telegraph)

A-level results published by exam boards show the number of A to E grades awarded to students has declined this year, although elite A* grades are up.

[..] Students continued to desert foreign languages following Labour's decision in 2004 to make them option at GCSE, with French, German and Spanish entries all down.

1+2 Pilot Schools: planning and materials published

13 August 2014 (SCILT)

New to the 1+2 section of our website is the ‘Planning and materials from pilot schools’ page. Here you will find a selection of plans and resources, many with sound files, that were created and/or used by 4 of the primary schools during their 1+2 pilot project.

All documents and presentations can be downloaded, used and adapted to kickstart or refresh your school’s primary language learning (PLL).

Each pilot project had a different aim and was supported by SCILT and Education Scotland differently, in order to best meet the school’s needs. To find out more details about all ten 1+2 pilot projects read the 1+2 pilot evaluations.

COMING SOON: Key messages from the pilot schools from the 2014 1+2 Learning Events.

Posted in: Primary, 1+2, Chinese, French, Spanish, 1+2, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Rentrée 2014 at the Alliance Française de Glasgow

12 August 2014 (Alliance Française)

French classes for adults and children will start on Monday 15th September. The first session of courses will be running as follows:

Adults (Term A) : Monday 15th September to Monday 10th November 2014
Children (Semester 1) : Monday 15th September 2014 to Saturday 31st January 2015

Assessments:

If you are new to the Alliance Française and not a complete beginner, you will need to make an appointment for a short and informal assessment with one of our teachers before enrolling so we can recommend a suitable class at your level.

Contact us by phone or email to make an appointment or attend one of our Open Days. Full details and enrolment forms are on the Alliance Française website.

French courses in Glasgow - August/September 2014

5 August 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow is running summer classes between June and September 2014 suitable for all levels.

Semi-Intensive Courses: enrol in a 4-week French programme suitable for complete beginners or reinforce your language skills with revisions.
Intensive Courses: brush-up on your skills with revisions over the course of 3 days.

For full details and to book, visit the Alliance Française website.

French courses for Autumn 2014

1 August 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse is offering a range of French courses for both teachers and pupils starting in September 2014. Follow the appropriate links below for full details:

French course for primary teachers (beginner level)
French for kids and their parents (ages 3-7)
French for kids (P2-P7)

Vive le Fringe!

1 August 2014 (Institut français)

From 1 to 25 August, we’re bringing you a fantastic mix of theatre, puppetry, circus, and even a side show... adding just a little more Frenchiness to your Festival!

Visit the Institut français website for more information.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Trench talk: a guide to first world war slang

23 July 2014 (The Guardian)

During the first world war, troops fighting in the trenches used slang to communicate. Read the glossary guide to its meaning or view the interactive documentary, available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic or Hindi thanks to our partnership with the British Academy.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Languages in the press

Mr Sunny slays dragons in Sir Tom’s Challenge

24 June 2014 (East Ayrshire Council)

Budding young entrepreneurs from East Ayrshire academies entered Sir Tom Hunter’s Dragons’ Den once more, in a bid to scoop the top prize of £3,000 – and Monsieur Soleil swept the board!

An educational board game in French/English, Monsieur Soleil (Mr Sunny) was the brainchild of the team from Doon Academy, Dalmellington, which took them to victory on the night.

Sir Tom praised the quality and innovation of the game, which could also expand into other languages – and he urged them to consider Mandarin.

Word Wizard Final photos and video

20 June 2014 (SCILT)

Photos from the Word Wizard Final, featuring all of our great winners, and now available to view via our Word Wizard Final webpage.

We also have a short video, filmed throughout the day, giving some background to the competition and showcasing the wonderful skills demonstrated by all of our spellers.

Posted in: S1-S3, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Spanish, Awards, Celebrating Languages, SCILT news

BLC Case Study live on our website

17 June 2014 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Business Language Champions programme helps schools and businesses to build exciting and sustainable partnerships that equip young people with the international communication and employability skills they need for their future careers. This case study shows how a partnership between Montrose Academy and Loch Duart, a salmon company that specialises in sustainable, high quality produce with offices in Scotland and France, gave the young people in S3 a real and engaging context for their learning of French. The project raised the bar for the pupils who benefited from seeing first-hand how languages and business work together.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Language Learning for Work, SCILT news

Word Wizard Final 2014 webpage

13 June 2014 (SCILT)

Following the announcement of the Word Wizard winners last week we now have a web page celebrating the final. We will be publishing photos from this fantastic event soon!

Details of the 2015 competition will be announced later this year so stay tuned.

1+2 Case Study – Houston Primary

10 June 2014 (SCILT)

The most recent of our case studies showcasing how schools across Scotland are responding to the recommendations in 'Language Learning in Scotland: A 1 + 2 Approach' has been published on our website. Houston Primary highlights some of the issues to be taken into consideration for progressive planning to introduce the first additional language from nursery through to P7.

Euroscola – dates now available for 2015!

6 June 2014 (European Parliament)

Euroscola brings together about 600 students from all over the European Union for a day in Strasbourg discussing aspects of European integration, in multilingual working groups of 100 students. It is open to students aged 16-18. Dates are now available to book between January and May 2015. Visit the website for more information and to apply.

Word Wizard finals

6 June 2014 (SCILT)

Last Friday, 30th May, saw the final of our new Word Wizard competition take place in the prestigious venue of the Scottish Parliament. 60 pupils from schools across Scotland took part in the semi-finals in the morning, and over 100 pupils, teachers and guests enjoyed the final in the Members’ Restaurant. The day opened with an inspiring speech from Maureen Watt MSP and ended with a vote of thanks from Annette Zimmermann of the University of St Andrews, who supported us in running the competition. We were delighted to have Graham Blythe from the European Commission and Ms. Lv Yanxia from the Chinese Consulate present the shields and cups to the winners. The pupils demonstrated excellent skills in spelling, vocabulary and character recognition, and displayed great confidence in doing so in front of an audience.

The winners in each category were:

French Beginner:

1st Elspeth Nicol – Ross High School
2nd Amelie Davidson – St Joseph’s Academy
3rd Robert Brewer – The Glasgow Academy

French Intermediate:

1st Owen Wilson – Greenwood Academy
2nd Steffi Graham-McGill – James Hamilton Academy
3rd Emma Rattray – Dollar Academy

Gaelic Beginner:

1st Anna Gallagher – St Ninian’s High School (East Renfrewshire)

German Beginner:

1st Fraser Anderson – Stewart’s Melville College
2nd Charlotte Caskie – Lomond School
3rd Florence Macgregor – The Mary Erskine School

German Intermediate:

1st Eilish Murphy – St Margaret’s School for Girls
2nd Freja Arnlund – The Mary Erskine School
3rd Fiona Todman – Queen Anne High School

Mandarin Beginner:

1st Francesca Tassieri – Hillhead High School
2nd Charlotte Johns – Dollar Academy
3rd William Cox – Perth High School

Mandarin Intermediate:

1st Ines Bertaso – St Ninian’s High School (East Renfrewshire)
2nd Ivan Myachykov – Hillhead High School
3rd Jack Mitchell-Luker – Williamwood High School

Spanish Beginner:

1st Paul Gillon – John Ogilvie High School
2nd Georgie Cassidy – Dollar Academy
3rd Erin McIntyre – The Glasgow Academy

Spanish Intermediate:

1st Rosie Hutcheon – The Glasgow Academy
2nd Caitlin Barrie – John Ogilvie High School
3rd Ella McPherson – St Margaret’s School for Girls

We would like to congratulate all pupils who reached the finals and every pupil who took part in the competition in their schools over the past year.

We hope to see lots of you entering the competition next year!

Posted in: Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Scottish Parliament, SCILT news

Motion congratulates SCILT and CISS on Word Wizard competition 2014

5 June 2014 (Scottish Parliament)

Maureen Watt, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, has lodged a parliamentary motion congratulating SCILT and CISS on the Word Wizard competition 2014. The motion states:

"That the Parliament congratulates Scotland‘s National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland‘s Schools on the Word Wizard Competition 2014, which was held in the Parliament on 30 May 2014; recognises the S1-S3 pupils, including those from Bucksburn Academy and Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen, who impressed the judges with their French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic skills; notes that, in partnership with the University of St Andrews, and with the support of the Goethe-Institut, the contest encourages pupils nationally to improve their vocabulary, and highlights what it sees as the importance of language and learning."

Motions are used by MSPs to initiate debate or propose a course of action, or simply to generate support, and many other MSPs have signed up in support of this motion. It's very encouraging to have SCILT/CISS work acknowledged in this way.

Pupils as young as three taught French and Spanish

26 May 2014 (Edinburgh News)

Children at all of Edinburgh’s council nurseries are set to be taught modern languages for the first time. Lessons will be piloted at nurseries across Edinburgh ahead of a city-wide rollout over the next three years.

Posted in: Early Years, 1+2, French, Spanish, Languages in the press

High Five French now available

23 May 2014 (Radio Lingua)

Radio Lingua is delighted to announce that their new resource for primary French learners is now available. High Five French is a collection of video and audio resources featuring Scottish learner Emma and French native speaker Mathilde in a colourful, interactive and engaging format. The resource includes challenge activities, worksheets and teachers' notes with background information, cultural references and classroom ideas. Find out more at the Radio Lingua Schools website.

Posted in: Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

The b small Young Linguist of the Year Award 2014

14 May 2014 (bsmall publishing)

The b small Young Language Learner of the Year Award is open to all children in the UK aged 6 - 11 years and will run throughout the spring and summer terms. Children can enter their stories in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or, for the first time this year, Mandarin.

You can enter in one of two categories according to your age: 6-9 years or 9-11 years. We have included nine year olds in both categories in case you want to enter with your class.

Closing date for entries is 2 June 2014.

Football remembers the 1914 Christmas truce

9 May 2014 (British Council)

An education pack from the British Council is launching today to commemorate the truce. The pack contains accounts from soldiers from Germany, France, Belgium and India who were there in 1914 and wrote about what they had seen.

There is a section of the pack with resources in French and German that can be used to support MFL teaching, as well as video material in those languages

The pack acts as preparation for a mass participation call to action in December 2014 when clubs at every level of the game in the UK (and beyond we hope) will play matches to commemorate the Truce.

We hope that schools will select from these activities, adapt the suggestions and resources for their own use and for use with partner schools, and join in this special Centenary event.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, German, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Pen pals: old-fashioned ink and paper offer a friendly way to learn a language

9 May 2014 (The Guardian)

Learning a language through letters to a pen friend means sometimes forgiving the odd grammatical mistake.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Languages in the press

DELF/DALFexaminations - Next session in June 2014

8 May 2014 (Institut français)

The next session for the DELF/DALF will take place in June 2014.

Deadline to enrol: 16 May.

More information is available on the Institut francais website.

The exam can also be taken in Glasgow at the Alliance Française.

Posted in: French, Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Euroquiz 2014 final - 12 May

8 May 2014 (SEET)

The Euroquiz final will take place on 12 May 2014 in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament. 31 teams, from primary school across Scotland, have won coveted places in the grand final of the Scottish European Educational Trust's Euroquiz, sponsored by the European Parliament.

Over 1700 pupils from 425 schools have taken part in the local heats between January and April this year, and the winning teams from each of them will now compete in the final.

Euroquiz is a competition for Primary 6 pupils, which encourages them to develop their knowledge about Europe and the European Union. It also helps build on their core skills through communication and teamwork. Questions are asked on history, geography current affairs, culture, languages, sport and the European Union. This is the seventh year the Euroquiz has been held in the Scottish Parliament, and this year’s event is sponsored by the European Parliament and the Scottish Government.

The pupils, representing 31 of Scotland’s local authority areas, take part in 3 rounds. This year’s event includes a language round which we developed with SCILT. The questions test the pupils’ knowledge of French, German and Spanish. The top two teams then go head to head in the fourth and final round.

You can support your local team, or even take the quiz yourself, by watching the event live at: http://www.scottishparliament.tv

Tune in for a 1pm start!

French summer classes 2014

8 May 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut Francais in Edinburgh will be running summer classes between June and September 2014 suitable for all levels.

More information is available on the Institut francais website.

Exhibition of Third-year Students’ Research Projects in French, Italian & Spanish

1 May 2014 (SCILT)

Creativity, research and languages proved a great combination again last month in the 2nd annual ‘Exhibition of Third-year Students’ Research Projects in French, Italian & Spanish’ from the School of Humanities at University of Strathclyde. Groups of third-year students were given 'carte blanche' to research any aspect of life or identity in a country where the target language is spoken. Investigations ranged from art to women’s suffrage by way of gypsy culture, fashion, independence and music.

Led by lecturers Caroline Verdier and Lidia Acosta, the research challenge also features in two new SCILT blogs. Secondary learners considering studying Italian, Spanish or French at university might want to check out this student blog which details one of the groups’ process and learning in the course of their research project, or this poster blog showcasing the research posters in all three languages.

Information on both this year's and last year's Third Year Languages Research Projects can also be found on SCILT's 'Beyond School' section of the website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, HE, French, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, SCILT news

French Summer Classes 2014

29 April 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running summer classes between June and September 2014 suitable for all levels.

Semi-Intensive Courses: enrol in a 4-week French programme suitable for complete beginners or reinforce your language skills with revisions.
Fees : £132 (conc. £120)
Books for a Beginners 1 class : £28

Intensive Courses: brush-up on your skills with revisions over the course of 3 days.
Fees : £101 (conc. £96)

Early bird discount: enrol before 31st May and save £5!

More information is available on the Alliance Française website.

Term D French classes now enrolling

16 April 2014 (Alliance Française)

Enrolments are now being taken for Term D adult French classes in Glasgow which will take place between Tuesday 22nd April and Monday 16th June.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to enrol.

New French phonetics class in May/June

15 April 2014 (Alliance Française)

Improve your abilities and be more confident when speaking French! The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new phonetics class suitable for all levels.

This class will enable you to improve your fluidity when speaking French, and will focus on the following skills:

Pronunciation
Accentuation
Transcription

Further information is available on the Alliance Française website.

Soaring success of cabin crew course

4 April 2014 (TESS)

With its opportunities for international travel, plus obligatory high heels and lipstick, the job of the “trolley dolly” or air hostess has long been regarded as a glamorous career choice.
The threat of international terrorism and advent of no-frills travel have served to make the lives of modern cabin crew far less glitzy. But at City of Glasgow College, which has received 353 applications for up to 23 places on its unique airline cabin crew training course, it seems that working at 35,000ft is as attractive as ever.

Languages, essential on international flights, are part of the course, with students required to study German, Spanish and French.

Rencontres Théâtrales 2014

4 April 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse is organising the Rencontres théâtrales on 12 June in Glasgow.

Please register your school before 30 April 2014.

Download the attached registration form or visit the Institut français website for more information.

Related Files

Rencontres theatrales 2014 registration (57.0 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, Awards, News from language & education organisations

Bring French language and culture alive for your students with funding for a visit to France

31 March 2014 (British Council)

Secondary schools (including further education colleges) that have existing partnerships with a school in France can receive funding for reciprocal student visits. £5000 per school is available through the Charles de Gaulle and Lefèvre programmes. Apply for both grants simultaneously so you and your partner school could access £10,000 each in total. Apply by 2 May 2014.

Paques en France (resource)

27 March 2014 (Institut français)

Did you know ther is no easter bunny in France, but a lot of flying bells which bring Easter eggs to the French children? Discover through this free ressource online for P5-P7 the tradition of "Paques en France" with your class.

Posted in: Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

French course for primary school teachers at beginner level

27 March 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut francais in Edinburgh will be running a new French course for primary school teachers at a beginner/post beginner level on Wednesdays from 23 April to 25 June 2014. Please register by 11 April 2014.

Visit the Institut français website for full details.

Easter French revision courses

27 March 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut francais in Edinburgh will be running revision courses from 7 to 11 April for Secondary pupils who are due to sit their French examinations (National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher).

More information is available on the Institut français website.

Will French be the world’s most-spoken language by 2050?

26 March 2014 (France 24)

If the consensus seems to be that France is in a bad mood these days, one thing might cheer the country’s citizens up: despite reports to the contrary, their language is alive and well.

A recent study by French investment bank Natixis suggests that French could be the most-spoken language – ahead of even English and Mandarin – within 40 years.

Apply now for a Language Assistant. Bring language and culture alive with a native speaker in the classroom

20 March 2014 (British Council)

Support implementation of the 1 + 2 languages policy by hosting a Language Assistant in your school.

The British Council team is on hand at every step and our dedicated online support offers everything you need to get your pupils’ learning experience off to a great start. Our free service includes careful selection of the best candidate to suit your school, guidance on administration and training courses for Language Assistants.

How can Language Assistants help?

Their responsibilities can be tailored to suit your school’s requirements. Assistants can support the teaching of a first (L2) or a second (L3) modern language by:

supporting teachers’ language acquisition and improving their cultural knowledge
developing lesson plans and delivering classes on topics to complement different subject areas
running extra-curricular activities for additional support (e.g. lunch time clubs)
working across different areas of the Curriculum for Excellence to develop projects based on cultural themes
setting up an international partnership with a school overseas.

Where are they from?

Assistants are native-level speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Russian. They come from 15 countries in Europe and beyond.

You can also apply for a Chinese Language Assistant for free (by 31 January) or at a heavily subsidised rate (by 28 March). They work from mid-September 2014 to 26 June 2015.

What do I do next?

Visit our website to find out more about the programme and apply. If you are a local authority school, your local authority should apply on your behalf.

Contact the Languags Assistants programme directly: assistants.uk@britishcouncil.org.

You can also read an assistant’s blog on her experience of teaching French in an Angus primary school.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Foreign Language Assistants, News from language & education organisations, Russian

Articulate Language Camps 2014

20 March 2014 (Articulate Language Camps)

Articulate Language Camps are back for summer 2014. There is something for everyone with their range of summer camps bringing foreign language to life, bringing together language learners from all over Europe and engaging children through digital media projects and outdoor adventure sport.

Launch Camp is our two-day camp (for ages 7-12) which gives children an authentic summer camp experience without them being away from home for too long. Our team of young teachers and experienced ‘mums’ make sure everyone feels safe and cared for with a 1:4 adult to child ratio.
International Camp brings together young people (aged 13-17) from all over the world so that they can make friends and learn from young native speakers of the language they are studying.

Visit the Articulate Language Camps website for more information.

Languages on Screen

19 March 2014 (Languages on Screen)

Languages on Screen is an exciting new educational resource that puts French, German, Spanish and Italian - and soon Gaelic, short films online for free download and use in schools across Scotland. With a Glow username and password you have free access to these educational resources - you simply login to this site via Glow. If you don’t have a login you can request one via the website.

Bring French language and culture alive for your students with funding for a visit to France

19 March 2014 (British Council)

Secondary schools (including sixth form and further education colleges) that have existing partnerships with a school in France can receive funding for reciprocal student visits.

There are two grants available, one from the Charles de Gaulle Trust and one from the Lefèvre Trust. They both offer student mobility grants to schools in the UK and France and can be used for individual and/or group visits.

The application process is now open and the deadline to apply is Friday 2 May 2014. See the British Council website for full details.

Pupils Make Language Skills Work

18 March 2014 (Inverclyde Now)

Third Year pupils at Inverclyde Academy put their problem-solving skills to the test during a Languages in Work event.

Working with representatives from local employers BPI Visqueen, IBM, and Concentrix, as well as student language ambassadors from Strathclyde University, pupil teams drew on the skills they have gained during their studies of modern foreign languages to solve a challenge in languages they hadn't studied before, including Dutch and Italian, as well as French and Spanish which they have already had lessons in.

2014-2015 Immersion Courses in France and Spain: Places still available!

17 March 2014 (LFEE)

Places are still available for LFEE courses in France and Spain running between July 2014 and June 2015. Download the attached document or visit our website to access course descriptions and dates.

Please note that the deadline for applying for Key Action 1 Erasmus + funding has been extended until 11am 24 March 2014.

What is the procedure for funding application and when can I start the process?

To attend one or more of our immersion courses or job shadowing programmes in 2014-2015, your school must apply for funding from the new European Union Erasmus+ Funding Programme for you and your colleagues before Monday 24 March 2014, 11am.
One teacher can do one or more courses, or a group of teachers from the same school can attend the same course. The Erasmus+ grant includes: course tuition fee, accommodation/subsistence fee, travel expenses and an organisational support fee, the sum of which covers all expenses for the teachers taking part in our courses.
Application for Erasmus+ funding is done solely electronically, and the e-form will be available towards the end of January (we will keep you informed). Before you can apply for funding your school must be registered on the European Commission Authentication Service (ECAS) then get a Participant Identification Code (PIC) here. The British Council has produced a step-by-step ECAS guide to help you through the process. This is just a one-off process for your school and the registration will last until 2020. This can be done straight away so don’t delay!

Remember to get in touch with LFEE in the first instance to pre-register so that we can let you know when the e-form becomes available and give you further guidance:

Roslynn Main - ros@lfee.net

Tel: 0131 343 2222

Related Files

LFEE 2014-15 Immersion Courses France and Spain (112 KB)

Posted in: French, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Les timbrés de l'orthographe spelling competition

13 March 2014 (Alliance Française)

Test your level of French by participating in an international competition, "les Timbrés de l’orthographe" !

Organised by the Fondation Alliance Française and les Éditions de l’Opportun, an international spelling competition will take place on Saturday 5th April at 2pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow. Test your abilities in French with a spelling bee and try to win a one-week trip Paris to attend the final!

This competition will be divided into two categories - Francophone and non-Francophone participants - and is open to anyone aged 8 years and over.

You must register in advance if you wish to take part in this competition; the deadline is Wednesday 2nd April. Visit the Alliance Française website for full details.

Audio Lingua

12 March 2014 (Audio Lingua)

Audio-Lingua offers mp3 recordings in several languages. It is a collaborative bank of authentic audio resources, recorded by native speakers, and can be searched by level, topic and language.

Learning something new doesn't have to be heartbreaking

8 March 2014 (Guardian)

A tale about miscommunication between a Brit and French paramedics reminded Matt Hambly not to get broken hearted about his language learning.

Easter Revision Courses

5 March 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running semi-intensive revision courses between Monday 14th and Thursday 17th April for Secondary School pupils who are due to sit their French examinations later this year.

These courses will take between Monday 14th and Thursday 17th April as follows:

Standard Grade/ National 5/ Intermediate 2: 2-5pm
Higher: 10am-1pm
Advanced Higher: 10am-1pm

These revisions courses will concentrate on the following skills: reading, listening and writing.

The cost to attend this course is £77 per pupil.

If you wish to enrol in either of these courses, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 28th March.

Please note that places are strictly limited and cannot be reserved until payment has been received.

Venue: Alliance Française de Glasgow, 3 Park Circus, Glasgow G3 6AX
Telephone: 0141 331 4080
Email: admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Early start to French & how children learn their own and other languages from an early age - Resources from EduTalk available

28 February 2014 (EduTalk)

Maryse Payen-Roy is part of the Modern Languages Support and Development Team at Glasgow City Council. In this show, Maryse talks about her professional learning and research, the 1+2 languages policy, the work of SALT and SCILT, and the focus of this episode: ‘Early start to French & How children learn their own and other languages from an early age’.

Listen again to this podcast and access the resources from the above CLPL session.

Related Files

A 1+2 Approach - A MLPS practitioner and trainer's viewpoint (144 KB)
Maryse Payen-Roy on Edutalk - Standards Links (10.3 KB)
Sample Planner (80.4 KB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, News from language & education organisations

LEAP: funded professional development courses 2014

21 February 2014 (LEAP)

Take advantage of funding opportunities to improve learning and teaching while expanding the European Dimension in your curriculum!

Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP) offers a range of professional development courses for staff in primary, secondary, further and adult education. Their courses focus on the development of Learning & Teaching within the delivery and development of languages. Courses are available in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

These immersion courses, which can be funded through the new Erasmus+ programme, are purposefully designed to enhance teaching practice while further developing language skills and intercultural understanding as a tool for generating original resources.

The deadline for funding applications is 17 March 2014, in respect of courses starting from 01 July 2014. Visit the LEAP website for more information, or simply contact the team on 01922 724993 or email info@leaponline.eu.

Vive la Francophonie online competition

21 February 2014 (Institut français)

Every year in March, French speaking countries throughout the world celebrate “La Francophonie”. On 20 March 2014, from 12.45 to 2pm, the Institut Français d’ Ecosse will run an online competition, “Vive la Francophonie" for S2-S3 pupils in Scotland. Download the registration form for the online competition through the link below. Register your group by 1 March 2014!

Erasmus+ French immersion courses for teachers

20 February 2014 (Institut français)

Primary and secondary teachers in Scotland are lucky as they have a great choice for immersion courses in France. Here is a selection of immersion courses specially designed for teachers. These courses are run by organisations which are accredited by the French Ministry of Education and are easy to recognise as they have the "label Qualite FLE".

Funding for all these courses is available through the new European Erasmus+ programme. Successful applicants will receive funding which covers all expenses - course tuition fee, accommodation, subsistence and travel.

See the attached spreadsheet for details of the courses available and how to apply.

Related Files

Erasmus plus French immersion courses for teachers (14.4 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, CPD, Funding, Immersion, Study Abroad, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Euroscola 2014

20 February 2014 (Radio Lingua Schools)

See the multilingual presentation given by Scottish students, Daniel and Heather, on behalf of the UK at this year’s Euroscola in Strasbourg.

French course for Primary school teachers at beginner level

20 February 2014 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for primary school teachers at a beginner/false beginner level.

20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, confidence)
Thursdays, 3.45-5.45pm
6 March to 22 May 2014 (incl. No classes on 10th and 17th April)

The cost to attend this course is £80 (please note this is a special fee offered by the Alliance Française Glasgow to promote modern languages).

Places are limited so early booking is recommended.

If you wish to enrol for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 28th February 2014.

Venue and contact:

Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX - Glasgow
Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Introduction to iPads in the primary language classroom

18 February 2014 (Lisibo)

See the presentation shared at the #ililc4 conference last week on using iPads in the primary language classroom. The blog also includes links to further ideas and information including lists of useful apps.

Students given food technology lessons in foreign languages

18 February 2014 (Get Reading)

It sounds a little like a French lesson but this is one of a number of classes at The Willink School in Burghfield where the language is only half of what the students are being taught. The CLIL (content & language integrated learning) lessons are standard lessons, ie food technology, geography and music, but taught in either French or Spanish.

ML resources for Valentines Day

13 February 2014 (TES)

Use the following resources to celebrate St Valentine's Day in the modern languages classroom:

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Justin Bieber: L’expulser des États-Unis ?

11 February 2014 (Mary Glasgow)

Tell your students about Justin Bieber with Mary Glasgow news.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Olympic Games quiz in French

11 February 2014 (Canadian Games website)

Try this quiz with your class and test their knowledge of the summer and winter Olympic Games.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Parlons français: A competition for students of AH French

11 February 2014 (AMOPA)

The AMOPA Speaking competition is now in its third year. It is open to all students of AH French. Taking part in the competition should also benefit the students as they prepare for their Speaking test.

We are delighted to welcome this year sponsorship from Scott & Brown (Stonemasons) of Edinburgh and from Total - one of the biggest oil companies in the world and, with a base in Aberdeen, one of the largest operators in the North Sea.

Related Files

AMOPA French Speaking Competition (308 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, News from language & education organisations

Linguaswap

6 February 2014 (ECML)

European Language Label 2013 award winner Linguaswap is a moderated language swapping and learning web-site specifically for second level students developed by teachers Anne Burke, Aisling Crowley , Rhoda Brookes & Siobhan Carley in Carnew, Ireland.

The European Language Label is an annual award given to projects where participants have found creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students, and make the best of available resources. As part of a promotional offer, all users can sign up for one year's free membership for a limited time only.

Watch the YouTube video to learn more about the ELL winning project and visit the Linguaswap website.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Our Europe Film Competition Winners 2013-14!

6 February 2014 (SEET)

Congratulations to Lenzie Academy who triumphed at the final of the Our Europe Film Competition hosted by the Scottish European Educational Trust on Monday 3rd February.

Six teams of high school pupils (S3-S6) participated in the film-making workshop at SocietyM in Glasgow. With the assistance of technology expert, Mark Pentleton from Radio Lingua, the pupils worked hard throughout the day to turn their storyboard ideas into short films.

Download the attached flyer for details of all the finalists who took part or for more information about the competition visit the SEET website.

Related Files

Our Europe Film Competition Winners (156 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Technology, News from language & education organisations

Watch Bradley Cooper speak French at the American Hustle Paris Premiere

5 February 2014 (Grazia)

Ooh la la! Bradley Cooper can speak French, but which other leading men have language skills?

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

7 Reasons You Should Teach Your Children To Speak French

5 February 2014 (Business Insider)

The New Republic's John McWhorter just came out with an essay on why we should stop pretending French is an important language.

The piece comes in response to a New York Times article about a new initiative from the French government to increase the amount of French instruction in American schools.

To be sure, it's a little heavy handed for a foreign government to be attempting to quasi-infiltrate another country's education system.

But here's why McWhorter's wrong, and why everyone should learn French.

Posted in: Chinese, French, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press

3rd year BA research posters blog

4 February 2014 (SCILT)

Along with her Spanish and Italian colleagues, Caroline Verdier, Teaching Fellow in French at the University of Strathclyde, challenged 3rd Year students to work in groups on a research project. The groups had 'carte blanche' to research any aspect of life or identity in a country where the target language is spoken. Subjects included independence movements in Spain and Scotland, the representation of Ancient Rome in cinema and on television and the status of Paris in the world of fashion. There were also some case studies about businesses such as of Renault, Zara and Veuve Cliquot.

Information about the rationale, the research process and the findings were distilled and displayed in a poster. The posters were very creative, many were interactive and had 3D elements. An exhibition to showcase all the posters took place in the McCance Conservatory in April 2013. During Spring 2014, posters and abstracts from this year’s 3rd Year students will be added to the blog.

This blog would be a good tool to support pupils involved in research for the IP strand of the Languages Baccalaureate.

French revision courses

31 January 2014 (Institut français)

The Institut français in Edinburgh will be running Higher & Advanced Higher Preparation courses for pupils who are sitting their French examinations in 2014. Sessions take place from 17 to 21 February.

SQA Principal Assessor Reports 2013 - key messages

31 January 2014 (SCILT/SQA)

We have begun extracting the key messages from the 2013 SQA Principal Assessor reports and reports for French and German 2013 exams are now on our website with data for Chinese, Spanish and Italian to follow shortly.

Practitioners may find these condensed versions useful for sharing information with colleagues and learners and could be used as part of your quality assurance to inform your improvement agenda.

French for bilingual children

31 January 2014 (Institut français)

In association with la petite Ecole, the Institut français offers workshops in French for children who are growing up with a bilingual background using CLIL methodlogy (learning and improving language skills through other topics like science and arts).

NEW ! Translation Course for University Students Feb-March 2014

30 January 2014 (Alliance Française)

Improve your translating skills at the Alliance Française!

From Wednesday 19th February, we will be running a new translation course specifically designed for students who are studying French at University. This course will increase your language skills and should greatly help prepare for exams where translation is involved (version & thème).

This new course will take place on Wednesdays between 3.45-5.45pm and is due to start on
Wednesday 19th February for 5 weeks.

The cost to enrol is £60 per student.

Please visit or contact the Language Office before Wednesday 12th February if you wish to enrol. Places are strictly limited and cannot be reserved until payment has been received.

Visit the Alliance Française website for further information and to download the enrolment form.

DELF/DALF examinations - March 2014

30 January 2014 (Alliance Française)

The next session for the DELF/DALF will take place between Monday 17th and
Friday 28th March 2014.

Deadline to enrol for the DELF/DALF in March 2014 : 15th February.

Further information is available on the Alliance Française website for those wishing to sit the exams in Glasgow.

To sit the DELF/DALF examinations in Edinburgh, visit the Institut français website for details.

Rencontres Theatrales - drama competition for schools 2014

24 January 2014 (Institut français)

Each year the Institut français d’Ecosse organises the Rencontres théâtrales, a drama competition in French for primary and secondary schools. This year the competition will take place on the following dates:

Edinburgh (24 March 2014)
Aberdeen (31 March 2014)
Glasgow (12 June 2014)

Visit the Insitut français website for further information and to register your school. Registrations for the March events should be submitted by 31 January 2014.

What's hot - resources

24 January 2014 (TES)

In this week's round-up of resources in TES magazine, the following have been highlighted for the modern language classroom:

No 6 - En ville - a PowerPoint presentation that introduces phrases to help S1-S3 French students describe their home town.
No 10 - Spanish spats - a collection of slides to help S1-S3 students argue in Spanish.

You will need a TES userid and password to access these resources.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Encouraging the use of target language: French

24 January 2013 (TES)

Collection of display and support materials for secondary students.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2014

22 January 2014 (Glasgow Film Festival)

The Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2014 runs from 31 January to 7 February 2014 and offers a programme of screenings for both primary and secondary schools, including foreign language films:

Primary:

Le Gruffalo et le petit Gruffalo (French)
Sputnik (German)

Secondary:

Playground Chronicles (Chroniques d’une cour de récré) (French)
Sputnik (German)
O Apóstolo (Spanish)

Full details of all the screenings and how to book are on the Glasgow Film Festival website.

French revision courses

22 January 2014 (Alliance Francaise)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Higher & Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who are sitting their French oral examinations in 2014.

Each session will take place between 4pm and 6pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow.

Friday 7th February
Friday 14th February
Friday 21st February
Friday 28th February

The cost to attend this course is £68 per student.

If you wish to enrol your child for this course, please contact the Language Office by Friday 24th January. Please note that places are strictly limited and that we will not enrol anyone on this course until full payment has been received.

More information is available on the Alliance Française website.

German region of Saarland moves towards bilingualism

21 January 2014 (BBC News)

Germany's western Saarland region says it wants its next generation to be bilingual in German and French.

It is part of a strategy to deepen economic ties with France, which borders the region. Proposals by the regional government include bilingual teaching from pre-school age and requiring new state employees to be able to work in French.

Posted in: French, German, Bilingualism, Business, Language Skills, Languages in the press

Les expressions idiomatiques

19 January 2014 (TES)

A matching activity for some idiomatic french expressions for your S1-S3 students. The images are from TV Monde. You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Online Resources for Teachers & Students

19 January 2014 (TES)

A booklet detailing some key free online websites which can be used in the teaching and learning of modern languages.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Apply now for a Language Assistant - Bring language and culture alive with a native speaker in the classroom

17 January 2014 (British Council)

Support implementation of the 1 + 2 languages policy by hosting a Language Assistant in your school.

How can Language Assistants help?

Their responsibilities can be tailored to suit your school’s requirements. Assistants can support the teaching of a first (L2) or a second (L3) modern language by:

supporting teachers’ language acquisition and improving their cultural knowledge
developing lesson plans and delivering classes on topics to complement different subject areas
running extra-curricular activities for additional support (eg lunch time clubs)
working across different areas of the Curriculum for Excellence to develop projects based on cultural themes
setting up an international partnership with a school overseas.

Where are they from?

Assistants are native-level speakers of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Russian. They come from 15 countries in Europe and beyond.

You can also apply for a Chinese Language Assistant for free (by 31 January) or at a heavily subsidised rate (by 28 March). They work from mid-September 2014 to 26 June 2015.

What do I do next?

Visit our website to find out more about the programme and apply. If you are a local authority school, your local authority should apply on your behalf.

You can also read an assistant’s blog on her experience of teaching French in an Angus primary school.

What’s Hot - resources

17 January 2014 (TES)

Amongst this week's list of 'What's Hot' resources in TES magazine.

At number 7 is Facebook French - a PowerPoint-based lesson for developing French reading skills that imagines what Marie Antoinette would write on her Facebook page. For S1-S3.

At number 9 is Los Colores - a presentation on colours in Spanish. For S1-S3.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Plus ... que + age! - resource

15 January 2014 (TES)

Useful lesson starter or online homework listening practice for introducing comparisons in French. 'Plus .. que' + age. Useful for encouraging chat about birthdays and being older or younger than somebody else. Suitable for Primary to early Secondary levels. You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Henri Matisse - Colours, shapes and opinions

12 January 2014 (TES)

Cross-curricular PowerPoint and worksheet to introduce Matisse's work to BGE French learners whilst learning colours, shapes and opinions.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

2014-2015 Immersion Courses in France and Spain: Register now !

10 January 2014 (LFEE)

We have just published dates for our courses in France and Spain running between July 2014 and June 2015. Download the attached document or visit our website to access course descriptions and dates.

What is the procedure for funding application and when can I start the process?

To attend one or more of our immersion courses or job shadowing programmes in 2014-2015, your school must apply for funding from the new European Union Erasmus+ Funding Programme for you and your colleagues before Monday 17 March 2014, 12h00 European time
One teacher can do one or more courses, or a group of teachers from the same school can attend the same course. The Erasmus+ grant includes: course tuition fee, accommodation/subsistence fee, travel expenses and an organisational support fee, the sum of which covers all expenses for the teachers taking part in our courses.
Application for Erasmus+ funding is done solely electronically, and the e-form will be available towards the end of January (we will keep you informed). Before you can apply for funding your school must be registered on the European Commission Authentication Service (ECAS) then get a Participant Identification Code (PIC) here. The British Council has produced a step-by-step ECAS guide to help you through the process. This is just a one-off process for your school and the registration will last until 2020. This can be done straight away so don’t delay!

Remember to get in touch with LFEE in the first instance to pre-register so that we can let you know when the e-form becomes available and give you further guidance:

Roslynn Main - ros@lfee.net

Tel: 0131 343 2222

Related Files

LFEE 2014-15 Immersion Courses France and Spain (112 KB)

Posted in: French, Spanish, CPD, Immersion, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Film Study Days for Pupils S4 - S6

7 January 2014 (Goethe-Institut)

We are pleased to announce two further screenings of Colour of the Ocean accompanied by discussion and language specific workshops (German, French, Spanish). This recent German feature film mixes three languages in a testimony to a multilingual world. It is ideal to stimulate and motivate Modern Language students while exploring themes from the wider curriculum.

The film study days are jointly organised by the Institut Français d’Ecosse, the Spanish Consejeria de Educación and the Goethe-Institut Glasgow and will take place on 17 January and 7 February.2014 at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow and Institut Français d’Ecosse.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for further details and to book.

Teaching the kids French isn't always fun and games

31 December 2013 (The Guardian)

In month three of teaching her sons French, Louise Tickle hits a few bumps in the road.

Free Christmas stories

17 December 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)

GrowStoryGrow is offering some free stories for Christmas in English, French, Spanish and German - the nativity amongst others.

Visit the website and log in (via the red button on the top right hand side of the screen)
username: Christmas
password: stories

New future for the Auld Alliance

16 December 2013 (The Scottish Government)

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop today visited a school near Paris to see the benefits of partnership between France and Scotland in Education.

Ms Hyslop visited École Marbeau, le Plessis-Trévise, which is twinned with St Kenneth’s RC Primary School in Lochgelly, Fife, to see first- hand the teaching of language, ICT and Science, Technology and Maths related activity.

She met with pupils from the school and read with them from Asterix Chez les Pictes, in which the French cartoon hero visits Scotland.

Marché de Noël/Christmas market – lesson plan

12 December 2013 (One Year in Spanish blog)

There are about 25 notable Christmas markets or Marchés de Noël in France. Among these the traditional Christmas market in Strasbourg is the oldest and one of the largest. It dates back to the 16th century and spreads from the place de la Cathédrale throughout the city.

In our French beginners’ magazine Allons-y !, we have an article about the Christmas market in Strasbourg. It provides a glimpse into the magical world of its market stalls and local produce. It also gives information about the history of the town itself. Why not use this article with your students in class?

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Linguatrivia 2014

5 December 2013 (Linguascope)

Linguatrivia is an annual competition open to Year 7 students in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, S1 students in Scotland and Year 8 students in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in learning French and to identify and reward achievement on the part of students.

Students are entered into the competition by their French teacher, and have to sit a 30-minute national test.

Sponsored by Linguascope, the competition offers a range of fabulous prizes. Every participant will receive a certificate and a prize!

For more information and to download an entry form, please visit the Linguatrivia website. Entry deadline is 14 February 2014.

David Cameron urges British students to ditch French and learn Mandarin

5 December 2013 (The Guardian)

David Cameron, who has notoriously poor schoolboy French, is urging today's youngsters to abandon the language of Molière and Voltaire to concentrate on the tongue of the future – Mandarin.

In a parting shot, as he left China after a three-day visit, the prime minister said that pupils should look beyond the traditional French and German lessons and instead focus on China.

To reinforce his message the prime minister quoted Nelson Mandela, who said learning someone else's language is the best way to their heart. Cameron said: "I want Britain linked up to the world's fast-growing economies. And that includes our young people learning the languages to seal tomorrow's business deals.

Christmas resources – Spanish, French and German

4 December 2013 (The Language Point)

Christmas resources for use or adaptation with students learning Spanish, French and German.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Advanced Higher French

28 November 2013 (SALT)

A set of Advanced Higher French teaching materials are now available in the members area of the website. You will need to register, or already be registered, as a SALT member to access these resources.

Revision Courses : Higher and Advanced Higher - February 2014

26 November 2013 (Alliance Française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running French Higher/Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who are sitting their French oral examinations in 2014.

Each session will take place between 4pm and 6pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow.

Friday 7th February 2014
Friday 14th February 2014
Friday 21st February 2014
Friday 28th February 2014

The cost to attend these sessions is £68 per student.

If you wish to enrol your child/pupils for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 24th January 2014.

Please note that places are strictly limited.

Venue and contact:

Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX - Glasgow
Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Euroquiz 2014

26 November 2013 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust runs an annual Euroquiz for P6 pupils, which sees teams of four pupils working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe. Subjects covered include history, geography, sport, culture, languages and the European Union.

Heats take place in local authorities from January to March each year, with the winning team from each authority area competing in the national final, which takes place in the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament in May.

Registration for the 2014 Euroquiz is now open.

Visit the SEET website for all the details plus a selection of resources to help prepare for the competition.

Les vacances par Philippe

25 November 2013 (Francotoile)

Listen to children from Quebec speaking about school and holidays. A useful listening resource for the French classroom.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Win a Trip to Paris Competition

24 November 2013 (University of London Institute in Paris)

Did you know that Paris has been named as the top student city for 2014? Enter our competition and experience it for yourself.

Once again this year ULIP will be running its Win a Trip to Paris Competition for UK students of French at AS/A-level or equivalent. To be in with a chance of winning a trip for two to one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world, send us a piece of writing explaining why learning a language is important for young people in the UK today in no more than 400 words in French.
The closing date will be 5.00pm on 1 March 2014.

French teachers: Win a hamper of French goodies if the winning entry comes from one of your pupils!

Shortfall in the languages the UK needs the most

20 November 2013 (The Guardian)

Three-quarters of the UK public are unable to speak one of the 10 most important languages for the country's future, a British Council report has found.

The British Council has called on government and business to work together to develop educational policy and priorities relating to languages. This follows a YouGov poll commissioned by the British Council, which found that of 4000 UK adults polled, 75% are unable to hold a conversation in any of the languages highlighted as crucial to the UK's economic standing.

The Languages for the Future report identified those languages, in order of importance, as: Spanish, Arabic, French, Mandarin, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish and Japanese.

Euroscola

18 November 2013 (European Parliament)

Euroscola is a unique event for schools to learn about European integration by experiencing it first hand. Students from the 28 EU Member States are selected to become a Member of the European Parliament for one day at the Parliament's premises in Strasbourg.

They take the floor in plenary and committee sessions to debate and vote on resolutions on current affairs, all the while practising their language skills and making friends with fellow students from across Europe.

Teachers also have the opportunity to meet their colleagues and exchange and feedback about their own classroom practices & experiences.

The latest event has just taken place over 17 and 18 November 2013. To learn more about it, and to find out how to participate in a future event, visit the Euroscola website.

Other European Parliament teacher resources are also available via the link below.

French, English, German – call for blogging MFL teachers!

11 November 2013 (One Year in Spanish blog)

We are thrilled to announce that we will soon be adding pages for French, English and German to our blog, and we would love you to join in and use these pages to post your own teaching ideas. Whether you have testimonies, activities, lesson plans, pictures of classroom displays, student work or performances from your classroom to share with the world, we would love to hear from you. This is your invitation to become one of our guest bloggers!

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Molly le chat

11 November 2013 (Sylvia Duckworth)

A Google Presentations interactive story where you choose the adventure Molly the cat takes.

Also see how to make a “choose your own adventure” story with Google apps via the link below.

Additional French Film Festival schools screening

11 November 2013 (Creativity Portal)

Edinburgh Filmhouse have added an additional date to their school screenings during the French Film Festival 2013 (until 24 Nov). The additional show is:

LITTLE LION
Wednesday 20th November, 10am (101 min)
Suitable for P7 – S4
In French and Senegalese with English subtitles

Visit the website for more information.

¿Qué hora es? – El tiempo pasa volando

10 November 2013 (neiljones.org)

The resources attached to this post are linked to teaching the time in Spanish to beginners. In slides 22 and 59 there are links to some great websites where you can get some interactive practice taking place. The site contains a variety of resources and teaching ideas for secondary Spanish and French, with a small section on teaching numbers in Mandarin Chinese.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Immersion Courses in France and Spain for Primary and Secondary School Teachers

8 November 2013 (Le Français en Ecosse)

Le Français en Ecosse run series of Immersion courses in France and Spain during the summer. There are courses suitable for both Primary and Secondary teachers. Erasmus funding may be available.

To reserve a place on one of these courses please contact Ros Main on ros@lfee.net.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, CLIL, CPD, Immersion, Language Learning, Language Skills, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

What’s Hot - cinéma français

8 November 2013 (TES)

A comprehension activity inspired by trailers for French- language films for secondary students. A great resource to use as a starting point for a lesson on French cinema, this reading activity is fun and focuses on key language skills.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Coffee Break French

5 November 2013 (Radio Lingua)

In lesson two of our new series, we’ll be listening to Sylvie’s reply to Monique’s email from last week.

GrowStoryGrow

1 November 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)

GrowStoryGrow is launching 50 new bite-sized stories in 6 different languages in summer 2014.

Find out more on the GrowStoryGrow website.

What's hot?

1 November 2013 (TES)

Resources for the MFL classroom from TES:

Onze, douze, treize - an activity for practising counting in French for lower primary pupils.
Spanish scenes - a worksheet on towns and neighbourhoods for senior phase Spanish lessons. Fantastic for revision of key vocabulary and for practising dictionary skills.

You will need a TES userid and password to access these resources.

Posted in: Primary, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Do you have a copy of Finding Nemo in French?

01 November 2013 (The Guardian)

Multilingual Disney movies and nursery rhymes have dominated Louise Tickle's first month of teaching French to her five-year-old.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

A Level French Phrases Bookmarks

1 November 2013 (TES)

A bookmark to help senior phase students use idiomatic expressions in their speaking & writing.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Trend of Modern Language Entries at SCQF Levels 4-5

01 November 2013 (SCILT)

SCILT have produced a document with statistics on Modern Language Entries at SCQF Levels 4-5 from 2009-2013. This is in addition to the statistics previously published:

- Trend of Modern Language Entries and Attainment at Higher in French, German and Spanish
- Trend of Modern Language Entries and Attainment at Higher in the lesser studied languages (Italian, Gaelic for Learners, Mandarin, Urdu and Russian)

Visit our Statistics on languages in Scotland page to download the PDFs.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Qualifications, Statistics, SCILT news, Russian

Introducing High Five French

29 October 2013 (Radio Lingua)

Coming soon from Radio Lingua: learn French with Emma and Mathilde in our audio and video French lessons for children.

High Five French is aimed at learners aged 8-11 and encourages children to build their language skills, increase their understanding and to develop an awareness of another culture. Topics covered include greetings, personal information, birthdays, home, family, pets, clothes, sports and pastimes.

Full details of the course will be released in the coming weeks and months.

Irie Révoltés concert and workshops

29 October 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance française and the Goethe-Institut, Glasgow are inviting secondary pupils to a special workshop and live music event around French and German.

There will be 3 events:

Concert for pupils of French and/or German
Thursday 7th November, 1 – 2:30pm
Venue: PLATFORM
Workshop for pupils of French and/or German
Thursday 7th November 2013, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Venue: PLATFORM
CPD workshop for teachers of French and/or German
Thursday 24th October 2013, 4 – 6pm
Venue: Alliance française, Glasgow

These events are free but must be booked in advance. There are still a few places available, so be quick!

Please send us an e-mail with your contact details, the number of pupils that would like to attend and state which of the following you are interested in:

the concert (S4to S6) & workshop (S5 to S6)
the concert only (S4 to S6)

Visit the website for more details and how to register.

French language classes in Glasgow

29 October 2013 (Alliance Française)

Term A is coming to an end, it is now time to (re-)enrol for Term B, which will take place between Monday 18th November 2013 and Saturday 1st February 2014.

NEW! Please note that a new Beginners 1 course will take place on Saturday mornings 10am-1pm.

As always, we encourage you to enrol as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and an enrolment form.

DELF/DALF Examinations

29 October 2013 (Alliance française)

The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) and the DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official diplomas awarded by the French Ministry for Education certifying competency in French for foreign candidates. Since 2005, the DELF and the DALF certificates are harmonized with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages from the Council of Europe (levels A1 to C2).

Next sessions for the DELF/DALF will take place in December at the Alliance Française de Glasgow and also at the Institut français in Edinburgh.

Deadline for enrolment:

Friday 8th November 2013 (Institut français, Edinburgh)
Saturday 9th November 2013 (Alliance Française, Glasgow)

Coffee Break French

28 October 2013 (Radio Lingua)

In this first episode of our new series, we’ll be listening to Monique’s first email to her daughter Sylvie. As we heard in the season preview last week, Sylvie has recently moved to Paris and, like any mother, Monique is worrying about her daughter, but is equally excited for her as she begins this new adventure.

French Film Festival - screenings for schools

25 October 2013 (Institut français)

The French Film Festival UK will take place from 7 November to 7 December in 7 cities in Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bo’ness, Kirckaldy, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen.

The cinemas will screen two films for schools: Le jour des corneilles (Days of the Crows), an animated fantasy film for primary schools and Comme un lion (Little Lion), a compelling drama about a young Senegalese dreaming of becoming a professional football player in France.

Teacher can find free resources on: www.ifecosse.org.uk/Education and get more information on the French Film Festival website in the “Learning” section.

Hallowe'en: Potion Magique (resource)

23 October 2013 (TES)

A PowerPoint to introduce your secondary pupils to some Halloween vocabulary in French, to practise quantities and to enable them to write their own magic potion recipes.

Follow the link below to access a German version.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.

Speaking task on personal information (French resource)

23 October 2013 (TES)

Activities for your Senior Phase French students including:

map of France with task to do first (optional)
Cards with new 'identities'
Find someone who - personal details/description/likes/ dislikes (round 1)
Find someone who - town/part of France one comes from (round 2).

You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Embedded Recordings to go with Embedded Readings

23 October 2013 (Palmyra Spanish blog)

One thing I know my students need more exposure to is listening to the target language from someone other than me. Today I tried an activity using the Mary Glasgow website that worked well and required little preparation. News recordings and readings are available in Spanish and French at different levels.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Coffee Break French – Season 4 (Episode 400)

21 October 2013 (Radio Lingua)

Welcome to this brand new season of Coffee Break French, and in this opening introductory episode, Mark and Pierre-Benoît talk about what you can expect in this season. They introduce two of the featured characters in the series, Sylvie and Matthieu, both of whom have recently moved to Paris for work.

Videofrancaisful. You Tube Channel of video clips

19 October 2013 (TES)

Video clips on a variety of topics, themes and skill areas for your French classroom. Use as starters, motivators and presentations to engage your students with the target language. Always check the clip before use in the classroom as a wide range of age groups are catered for.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the materials.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Murder mystery lesson - food & drink

18 October 2013 (TES)

Thinking skills on food & drink for your secondary French students - a family have been poisoned, pupils use clues and menu to work out what they chose in the restaurant and which food they all had in their meal that poisoned them.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Mind your languages! UK is warned it cannot carry on at bottom of class

18 October 2013 (The Independent)

Britons can no longer rely on the rest of the world speaking English to get by in the world of business or work, the European Education Commissioner warns.

Androulla Vassiliou cited figures which showed the UK languishing at the foot of a European languages league table - the EU had set a target of 50 per cent of people speaking two foreign languages fluently - yet in the UK only nine per cent of 15-year-olds spoke one foreign language. That compared with more than 80 per cent of 15-year-olds in the Netherlands and Sweden, who topped the table.

GCSE, EBacc and A level results:what do the latest figures tell us?

17 October 2013 (The Guardian)

More than a third of GCSE state school pupils took the English Baccalaureate qualification this year, compared with less than a quarter in 2012 according to new statistics published today.

The EBacc, a performance measure made up of English, maths, history or geography, the sciences and a language, was taken by 35% of all state school pupils this year - up from 23% last year which equates to 72,000 more students on the year.

Languages are making a comeback. Almost half (48%) of state-school pupils entered languages this year – up from 40% last year. This is the highest proportion of pupils taking languages for seven years. Spanish proved the most popular (up by 31% on the year) whilst French and German both recorded rises, 19% and 10% respectively.

Introductions: Meeting & Greeting in French

15 October 2013 (TES)

Simple introductions in French for young beginners. A video to add a bit of joy to learning French if you have online access to YouTube. It introduces them to Billy - star of lots of other free resources by agreenmouse.

You will need a TES userid and password to access these materials.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Video Competition for Children and Young Adults – Young Voices Against Poverty

11 October 2013 (eTwinning, via Twitter)

In the run-up to European Development Days 2013 - Europe's premier forum on development, poverty eradication and sustainable development - we want you to have your say!

All you have to do is make a short video (no more than 120 seconds) answering the following question: If you could have your say, how would you fight poverty?

You could be one of 4 lucky winners to win an all-expenses paid trip to Brussels to attend European Development Days, 26 - 27 November 2013, where your video will be screened.

The competition is open to young people aged 13-24 and video submissions can be made in one of the 5 official contest languages: English, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish.

More information on eligibility, competition rules and how to apply is available on the competition Facebook page.

How I Teach - Seeking the right words

11 October 2013 (TESS)

If students are unable to speak English, how can they learn Spanish or French?

Alex Harrison, a foreign languages teacher in North London, outlines his techniques for addressing this issue.

The item also contains a list of Top 10 resources for teaching your French, German and Spanish learners. You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.

Halloween ideas for modern languages

11 October 2013 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland’s resource calendar contains links to a selection of Hallowe’en resources in French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Discovery Film Festival 2013 - language films for schools

10 October 2013 (Dundee Contemporary Arts)

The Discovery Film Festival 2013 takes place between 19 October and 3 November and offers a variety of foreign language films for all ages.

Opening this year's festival is the UK premiere of 'Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion' – a hugely enjoyable mystery thriller that will have all the family guessing as to exactly what lies behind the secrets of Crocodile Mansion. Suspenseful and atmospheric, it’s a classic Hitchcockian mystery for thrill seekers aged eight upwards. Screening is in German with English subtitles and open to the public.

For schools, there is a programme of events running from 22 - 31 October, with screenings suitable for primary and secondary students in a variety of languages including French, German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.

See the DCA website for full programme details.

The schools programme and booking information can also be accessed directly via the link below.

University language department closures: 10 things you need to know

9 October 2013 (The Guardian)

Over the last few days, a Guardian investigation has revealed that modern foreign language departments are closing at an alarming rate. Here's a summary of the key facts.

Hallowe’en activities in French

8 October 2013 (La Souris)

A selection of Hallowe’en themed games and activities for your pre-school and primary French learners.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

French Film Festival 2013 - Schools Programme

8 October 2013 (Filmhouse)

As part of the French Film Festival 2013 (Fri 12 Nov to Thu 25 Nov) Filmhouse are screening these fantastic new films for Edinburgh schools:

Little Lion - Tuesday 12 November, 10am (101 min)
Suitable for P7 - S4
Day of the Crows - Tuesday 19 November, 10am (96 min)
Suitable for 8+, P5 - S2

Tickets for both films are £2.60 per pupil, teachers free. To book please call our Duty Manager on 0131 228 2688 or email admin@filmhousecinema.com.

Word Wizard competition now launched!

4 October 2013 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new spelling competition, Word Wizard! This competition is aimed at encouraging S1-S3 pupils, studying French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic, to learn vocabulary, and have fun at the same time. More details on the competition, and information on how to register your interest, are now available on the Word Wizard page on our website.

Posted in: S1-S3, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Spanish, Awards, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

'Auld Alliance' rekindled as Scotland and France agree to promote learning

3 October 2013 (Newsnet Scotland)

Scotland and France will forge greater education links, encouraging more teacher and pupil exchanges as well as sharing ideas and best practice after First Minister Alex Salmond signed a statement of intent with the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The agreement will see the two countries draw up an action plan for the two education systems to share ideas in curriculum and education reform, languages and intercultural learning, ICT support for learning, inspection and the teaching of science and mathematics.

I'm teaching my son to speak French

2 October 2013 (The Guardian)

How hard will it be to teach a five-year-old French? Follow one mother's home-grown linguistic travails over the coming months.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

Tree Seasons - free resource

1 October 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)

A free Autumn story in English, French and Spanish which teaches colours, weather, seasons and sentence-building, of course! You can access this story with all its resources from the 1st of October to the 25th.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Breaking down language barriers

1 October 2013 (Leicester Mercury)

Pupils as young as four are getting the chance to learn new languages at Uplands Infants.

With many different cultures at the school, staff believe it's never too early to get started. For the past week, children have been immersed in all things French. Not only have they taken part in a simulated flight to Paris, they have also been learning songs in French and enjoying some of its culinary delights, as well as building their versions of the Eiffel Tower.

Mind maps to support learners using the perfect tense

30 September 2013 (TES)

Useful resources to help your secondary French students.

You will need a TES username and password to access the materials.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Foreign Office beefs up diplomats' language training

30 September 2013 (The Guardian)

Language centre provides a permanent location where staff undergo intensive training to prepare for overseas postings.

Kirkwall Grammar School says ‘Salut’ to European languages

30 September 2013 (Orkney Islands Council)

It’s bon appétit for KGS S1 pupils as they tuck into a special continental breakfast on Monday 30th September.

In the week following the launch of Speak to the Future’s ‘1000 Words’ Campaign, to mark European Day of Languages on September the 26th the Modern Languages department has organised the big breakfast.

During the week, lessons will be geared towards language awareness. Alison Scott is Principal Teacher of Modern Languages: “We’ve made great use of the resources we have in the school, with pupils and staff sharing their knowledge of European languages by offering taster sessions in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish".

Parlons Français, C'est Facile!

27 September 2013 (Parlons Français, C'est Facile)

Parlons Français , C'est Facile! is a free online resource for learning French, designed specifically for young adults.

Just like at the cinema: let yourself be guided by the webdocs and discover life in France through the eyes of four characters. As you go, workshops and games will help you to understand, learn and practise French.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

What’s Hot? - French dressing

27 September 2013 (TES)

A collection of French language resources looking at fashion. Suitable for secondary students.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resources.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Radio Lingua - new content for language learners

26 September 2013 (Radio Lingua)

To celebrate the European Day of Languages, Radio Lingua have announced a range of new content for language learners:

a new series of Coffee Break French, ideal for Advanced Higher students. The series begins on the 21st of October
an iPad magazine for Spanish learners
a forthcoming French course aimed at young learners - High Five French

Watch the Radio Lingua video announcement here:

http://radiolingua.com/2013/09/radio-lingua-news-26-sep-2013/

Arteta supports language programme

27 September 2013 (Arsenal Football Club)

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has spoken about the importance of learning language skills ahead of the European Day of Languages, which encourages more people to learn a foreign tongue both in and out of school.

Arsenal in the Community has long championed language learning through its successful Double Club model – an innovative education and football programme which aims to fuse football and education to form a fun and enjoyable way for young people to engage with their academic studies and football at the same time.

In addition to Arsenal-themed language learning materials for German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, a DVD of one of Arsenal’s players speaking in their native language is provided as an exciting classroom resource.

We speak your language, English clubs tell foreign fans

26 September 2013 (Reuters)

Manchester City and Liverpool announced an expansion of their social media presence on Thursday with more local language websites and Twitter accounts to cater for a growing international fan base.

Abu Dhabi-owned City launched 10 new Twitter accounts in addition to existing feeds in English and Arabic to engage with supporters in Chinese, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Game On Scotland! Commonwealth Games language resources

26 September 2013 (Education Scotland/SCILT)

Learning ideas around the context of the Commonwealth Games are available at the Game On! website.

SCILT and Education Scotland have developed a learning journey designed to support the learning and teaching of modern languages at primary level.

Celebrate EDL 2013 with Babelzone

25 September 2013 (Linguanet)

In celebration of the European Day of Languages 2013 we are allowing everyone to access the popular online learning website 'Babelzone' from now until the end of September for FREE.

This special offer is ideal for MFL teachers celebrating the European Day of Languages, and for young French and Spanish learners. Packed full of songs, animated stories, games, worksheets and phonics, Babelzone is an exciting interactive resource for the classroom.

To login go to the Babelzone home page http://www.lcfclubs.com/babelzonenew/index.asp and login with these details:

Username: babelzone
Password: LCFCLUBS2013

Statistics on language uptake and attainment

24 September 2013 (SCILT)

SCILT have produced two documents with statistics on language uptake and attainment at Higher grade from 2008-2013. One provides statistics on French-German-Spanish and one on lesser studied modern languages (Italian, Gaelic learners, Urdu, Mandarin).

Visit our Statistics on languages in Scotland page to download the PDFs.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, SCILT news

French matinée at the Institut français on 5 October 2013

20 September 2013 (Institut français)

Primary school teachers are invited to take part in our “French matinée for primary teachers in Scotland” on 5 October 2013 in Edinburgh. All primary school teachers will get the opportunity to practice classroom activities in French (at an elementary level A2) around the topic “First contact in French? Pas de panique!”

The application form is available on the Institut français website. Apply by 30 September 2013.

French course for Primary school teachers

19 September 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner/false beginner level.

20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronounciation, communication, confidence)
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3.45-5.45pm
2nd October to 18 December 2013 (10 weeks in total)
The cost to attend this course is £83 (pls note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages)
Places are very limited so early bookings recommended.

If you wish to enrol for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française.

Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Language films at the first National Youth Film Festival

19 September 2013 (ALL)

Free screenings of foreign language films to inspire young people From Therese Desqyeyroux to Wadjda, from Clara and the Secret of the Bears to AninA, over 30 foreign films in languages including French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic and Hindi will be on offer at the first National Youth Film Festival, taking place from 21 Oct – 08 Nov 2013.

This groundbreaking new Festival is free to school groups all over the UK and offers young people aged 5-19 the chance to enjoy a wide variety of films, learn about film-making and meet film industry professionals. Linked to a packed programme of over 1600 free screenings, Q&A’s, workshops and events are over 100 teaching resources, including several related to the curriculum, to enable teachers to use screenings to bring learning to life, develop review writing and critical skills, or teach pupils about film and filmmaking. These range from a Beginner’s Guide to French Movies, to teaching ideas for, and guides to, individual films to encourage post-screening discussions and continued work back in the classroom.

Visit the ALL website for full details.

German film screenings for S4-S6 - The Colour of the Ocean (Die Farbe des Ozeans)

18 September 2013 (Goethe-Institut)

We are delighted to present this superb new German film in co-operation with a number of local cinemas. In German, Spanish and French with subtitles, it is ideal for the multilingual classroom and its relevant topic lends itself to further exploration in a cross-curricular learning context. The Colour of the Ocean is woven around attitudes to the waves of African refugees seeking a better life in Europe. The struggle to do the right thing places issues of responsibility, compassion and moral duty at the heart of an utterly compelling human drama.

There is also a study guide available with language specific exercises in German, French and Spanish. This resource has been developed by the Goethe-Institut, in association with the Institut Français d’Ecosse and the Spanish Consejeria de Educación. It can be downloaded from our website.

Screenings take place during October in Bo'ness, Edinburgh and Dundee.

For those unable to attend the screenings, the film can also be borrowed from the Goethe-Institut's own library.

Full details are available on their website.

Word Wizard Competition! New for school session 2013-2014

17 September 2013 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce that our brand new spelling competition, Word Wizard, will be launched very shortly.

This competition is aimed at encouraging S1- S3 pupils, studying French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Gaelic, to learn vocabulary, and have fun at the same time.

If you want to motivate your pupils, and take part in this new initiative, watch this space for details of how to register.

Posted in: S1-S3, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Spanish, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT, SCILT news

GrowStoryGrow

17 September 2013 (GrowStoryGrow)

Every year, to help celebrate the European Day of Languages, GrowStoryGrow opens up its site for two weeks allowing children all over the world to experience over a hundred enchanting stories, in 5 different languages, for free.

Visit the website for further information and to access the materials.

Le Docteur, c’est qui?

13 September 2013 (TES)

A French test where Senior Phase students must match questions and answers from an interview with the new Doctor Who.

You will need a TES userid and password to access the resource.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

New French resources online for P1-P4

13 September 2013 (Institut français)

The Institut français has produced many activities around "Les nombres / numbers" which are free to download from their website.

Autumn term starting soon at the Institut français

13 September 2013 (Institut français)

It is time to sign up for French classes (adults, children, pupils). Benefit from our early bird offer if you sign up by 21 September.

If you need some advice in which level you should enrol in, please come to our open day on Saturday 21 September (10-3pm).

Full details on the Institut français website.

Caroline Wyatt: my career in languages

12 September 2013 (The Guardian)

The BBC defence correspondent's language skills have taken her around the world on assignment.

Posted in: French, German, Careers, Language Learning for Work, Languages in the press, Russian

Bring French language and culture alive for your students with funding for a visit to France

6 September 2013 (British Council)

British Council Schools Online has two exciting opportunities to develop your UK/France partnership. There are two grants available, one from the Charles de Gaulle Trust and one from the Lefèvre Trust. They both offer student mobility grants to schools in the UK and France and can be used for individual and/or group visits.

The grants are available to secondary schools. Submit your application by 30 September 2013.

See the British Council webpage for full eligibility criteria and how to apply.

FILMCLUB - French themed Scalarama resources

2 September 2013 (FILMCLUB)

Throughout September FILMCLUB will be going "tous les francais" and be challenging your clubs to screen a film from a special French topic from the FILMCLUB website. So dig out your berets, get baking those croissants and download our special resources which include fun ways to decorate your film club room as well as games and costume ideas.

Resources are available for primary and secondary on the website.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Teachers call for return of foreign exchange trips to halt the decline of language skills

01 September 2013 (The Guardian)

Linguists are calling for a revival of the school foreign exchange trip to help tackle the crisis in language learning. Language teachers, including the head of the Independent Schools' Modern Language Association, say the dramatic decline in the numbers of pupils going abroad for home stays – where they are placed with a family as part of a twinning exercise with a school in continental Europe – is fuelling the dropping rates of children studying the subjects.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Language Learning - Decline, Languages in the press

Calling all multilingual IT whizzes: skills shortage hits firms

31 August 2013 (Irish Independent)

Every year, the Government's Expert Group on Future Skills Needs publishes a snapshot of the supply and demand of skills in Ireland.

Multilingual skills are a key aspect of some of the skill shortages.

News at a glance: French Higher's fall from favour causes concern

30 August 2013 (TESS)

The number of Scots sitting Higher French plummeted this year, with entries for the exam hitting the lowest point in more than a decade. The Scottish Qualifications Authority figures have prompted Sarah Breslin, director of Scotland's National Centre for Languages, to call for a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of French as a global language.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Language Learning - Decline, Languages in the press

French language classes in Glasgow

29 August 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française have a number of courses at varying levels commencing this September. Follow the links below for more information on each course:

3 day intensive summer course, all levels (3-5 September)
New term courses for adults or children (commencing 16 September)
Yoga in French (commences 10 September, 6.30-7.30pm)

There will also be a series of Open Days where you can have your level of French assessed, meet the team and get all the information you need.

Ellen MacArthur: my career in languages

29 August 2013 (The Guardian)

Speaking French has been central to the success of former round-the-world sailor Ellen MacArthur.

Fears for the future as Scots pupils reject Higher French

26 August 2013 (The Herald)

Hundreds fewer Scottish pupils sat Higher French this year compared to 2012, sparking fears for the subject's long-term future.

Figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed a 9.6% decline in the number of French Higher pupils in 2013 compared to the previous year, down from 4688 to 4236.

The decline follows long-term trends in some modern languages, with numbers also falling in German.

Easter 2014 immersion courses for teachers in France and Spain

23 August 2013 (LFEE)

Le Français en Ecosse/LFEE Europe have a few places still available on the following Comenius-funded courses being offered during Easter 2014. The deadline to apply to the British Council for the Comenius funding is Tuesday 17 September 2013. Successful applicants receive a grant award of up to €2,500 which fully covers the course fee, subsistence and accommodation, as well as travel expenses.

Easter 2014 Course Dates

(Courses run from Saturday to Saturday)

Course Title

Dates

Venue

Teaching French in the Primary School

(from elementary to advanced)

12 April – 19 April

Lyon

Teaching French in the Secondary School

(advanced speakers)

5 April – 12 April

12 April – 19 April

Lyon

Immersion en Bretagne: A cross-curricular approach to the Learning and Teaching of French through contemporary French culture (from intermediate to advanced)

5 April -12 April

Rennes

Teaching Spanish in the Primary School

(from elementary to advanced)

5 April – 12 April

12 April – 19 April

Malaga

Teaching Spanish in the Secondary School

(from elementary to advanced)

5 April – 12 April

12 April – 19 April

Malaga

For more details see the attached pdf file.

Please contact Roslynn Main at LFEE in the first instance for further information or to reserve a place on the course of your choice.

email: ros@lfee.net
phone: 0131 343 2222

Related Files

LFEE_France & Spain, Easter 2014 (82.5 KB)

Posted in: French, Spanish, CPD, Immersion, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Le français animé

22 August 2013 (Teresa Mackinnon)

Le français animé website contains bite-size clips explaining elements of grammar in an accessible way. Best suited to the secondary French classroom.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Resources

Materials to support IDL learning in French

22 August 2013 (SCILT)

The following websites contain materials which could be used to support interdisciplinary learning in French:

For secondary learners:

Universcience.tv - short clips explaining aspects of science.

Culturetheque - online comics with a historical focus.

For primary learners:

Milan schools - register for authentic downloadables to support IDL in French.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Resources

New BBC Bitesize material for National 4 and 5

22 August 2013 (BBC)

New materials for National 4 and 5 covering a variety of subjects including Gaelic. Other MFL materials are available under KS1/KS2/KS3 and GCSE sections for French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish

Materials for National 4 Added Value Unit

22 August 2013 (SCILT)

Materials created by one of the teachers in North Ayrshire Council have been uploaded onto #mlscilt for National 4 Added Value Unit in French.

You will need a Glow userid/login to access the materials.

Get Funding for your UK/France Partnership

19 August 2013 (British Council)

The British Council administers the distribution of grant funding from the Lefèvre Trust and grants are now available to secondary schools embarking on projects in 2013. These programmes support collaboration between the UK and France on educational opportunities that prepare young people to become global citizens.

Please note the deadline for applications has changed: final closing deadline is 30 September 2013.

Visit the British Council website for a guide to the programme and to download a grant application form.

Glasgow has started the journey to implementation of 1+2 languages starting at early years!

19 August 2013 (Engage for Education)

Maureen McKenna, Executive Member for Education, Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow has been working on a sustained and planned approach in the development of languages in the city to enhance the learning and teaching in our schools.

“Glasgow was ably represented on the Scottish Government languages working group by Gillian Campbell-Thow, an experienced principal language teacher who also has a city-wide language remit and support role for our schools in all sectors.

Glasgow is in the process of proactively working to encourage the uptake of 1 + 2 languages in primary schools across the city with more and more teachers being trained. This session primary teachers have the chance to train in French, Spanish, German, Italian and Gaelic. Early years training will be available in French, Spanish, Gaelic, Polish and Arabic.

Roald Dahl Day, 13 September

16 August 2013 (TESS)

Introduce your class to some of Dahl's much-loved characters in French - for example, Monsieur Fox and Le Bon Gros Geant.

Scroll down the Lesson Plans page to find this Roald Dahl Day resource.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

French matinées for primary teachers

16 August 2013 (Institut français)

The Institut français in Edinburgh is offering 3 matinée sessions at elementary (A2) level on Saturday 21 September, 19 October and 23 November 2013 from 9.45am to 1pm.

This is a refresher course for already MLPS trained teachers who teach French from P5 to P7.

Through the matinées, teachers will experience topic based activities for their classroom and will have the opportunity to brush up and extend their knowledge of French.

Fee: £60 for all 3 matinées.

Visit the website to register and for details of other CPD opportunities for teachers of French.

Twilight French course for primary teachers

16 August 2013 (Institut français)

The Institut français in Edinburgh is offering a beginners/postbeginners (A1) course on Wednesdays from 4.15-6.15pm from 18 Sept-27 November 2013.

Fee: £60.

This course open to all primary teachers who need to learn very basic skills in French.

Contact education@ifecosse.org.uk for more information or visit the website to download the registration form.

On the website you will also find details of other CPD courses available for teachers of French, run by the Institut français in Edinburgh or the Alliance Française in Glasgow.

Alliance Française de Glasgow Newsletter - August 2013

14 August 2013 (Alliance Française de Glasgow)

For all the latest news and events from Alliance Française de Glasgow please download the pdf file below.

Related Files

AF Newsletter 14 August 2013 (254 KB)

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

Ofqual to probe ‘inconsistency’ of top A-level grades

9 August 2013 (The Telegraph)

Ofqual is to launch an investigation into “variations” in the number of A* and A grades awarded in traditional sixth-form exams, it was revealed.

It raised particularly concerns over modern foreign languages such as French, German and Spanish, with warnings that examiners award “relatively few” elite A*s compared with other disciplines.

Only 6.8 per cent of French exams and 7.9 per cent of German papers gained A* despite the fact that languages are normally the preserve of the brightest pupils.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, England, Languages in the press

French Number Line – Numbers with words 1-20

9 August 2013 (TES)

A simple French Number Line to be used on display in a classroom. This could be printed full size or reduced to print in multiples to make flashcards. A lovely free teaching resource for an Early Years or Primary classroom.

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, French, Language Learning, Resources

Juvenes Translatores 2013

8 August 2013 (REAL)

Amid ever-growing interest, the European Commission will run its Juvenes Translatores translation contest for the seventh time in 2013.

The contest is organised for 17-year-olds in secondary schools throughout the European Union. They will translate a 1-page text between any 2 languages from among the EU's 24 official languages. This year the theme of the texts will be "citizens".

The authors of the best translation from each EU country will be invited to Brussels to receive an award, meet the Commissioner for multilingualism and see how professional EU translators work.

Schools can register for the contest from 1 September to 20 October 2013.

Follow the link to the website for more information.

Short films for language learning

2 August 2013 (Languages on Screen)

Short films can make fantastic authentic texts for language learners.

Languages on Screen has a selection of shorts that is freely available to Scottish educators with a GLOW log in, and each is accompanied with teaching resources. Most appropriate for secondary learners. Films in German, French, Spanish and Italian.

Several of the shorts on the Screening Shorts and Moving Image Education websites have a soundtrack though no spoken word. Discussion and response to these films could be done in the target language. Teaching resources are also provided to accompany all of the films are provided. In addition, thanks to a creative commons licence, the shorts are available for download for education purposes. The films could then be imported into Windows Movie Maker and learners could add their own audio track in the target language. Potentially suitable for secondary and primary learners.

Also available to buy for primary learners of French, is the ‘Ciné-mini’ DVD from British Film Institut which also includes teaching resources.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources

Visual Literacy: Using Film to Teach Languages

2 August 2013 (Routes Into Languages)

How can going to the movies help students gain a better understanding of other languages and cultures?

MFL Dictionary Skills Lesson

29 July 2013 (TES)

Why not begin the new term with this powerpoint guide for students on using a foreign language dictionary for their studies.

You will need a TES userid/login to access the materials.

Posted in: French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Skills, Resources

Glasgow secondary leading way in modern languages

24 June 2013 (Evening Times)

THE kids at All Saints don't need to be convinced that foreign languages are important. Because they hear them every day.

Scots-born pupils at this Glasgow comprehensive – thanks to a decade of steady immigration – are now routinely exposed to the chat in an estimated 30 languages.

And, say teachers, it is starting to rub off on them.

So much so that the school is expanding its capacity to teach languages amid solid demand.

Money, enterprise and child labour

21 June 2013 (TESS)

LANGUAGES/ART

A personal touch

People love owning things that reflect their personalities. Ask your students to devise a business creating bespoke personal items for their friends. Even if they have to wear a uniform their pencil case can be unique, just like them.

Start with a "style board" of the kind used by professional designers: a collage made from scraps of material, photographs, text, sweet wrappers - anything that captures something of what they want from their finished design.

For a modern foreign languages lesson, incorporate words or short phrases in the target language. These could evoke the personalities of the student's clients by describing them or naming things that matter to them.

Posted in: French, Language Teaching, Resources

Rencontres théâtrales drama competition for schools

20 June 2013 (Institut français)

The results of the competition which took place on Tuesday 11th June 2013 at Whitehill secondary school in Glasgow are now available on the Institut français d'Ecosse website.

Should MFL teachers show films at the end of term?

20 June 2013 (Frenchteachernet blog)

I gather that some schools and departments have a policy which forbids teachers from showing films to classes at the end of term. I used to have slightly mixed feelings about this issue, but on balance I believe that showing a movie in the foreign language with subtitles, even without any attached work, is a valid activity.

Steven Smith explains why and suggests some French films to share with your students, including a collection of quirky short movies.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Resources

CPDs in 2013/2014

20 June 2013 (Institut français)

Twighlight courses for beginners, French matinees to upskill your French or a French day to experience classroom activities in French? There is a wide CPD offering for primary teachers in 2013/2014 at the Institut français in Edinburgh. Full details are on the website. Get in touch!

Pupils rise to university challenge

19 June 2013 (East Ayrshire Council)

Young maths stars at Grange Academy performed well for the second year running in a national maths contest with a twist.

The Mathematiques Sans Frontières competition featured ten tricky problems which pupils had to solve together – but some questions were in French, German, Spanish and Italian, just to make it harder. And pupils had to explain the solutions for these in the appropriate foreign language!

AMOPA Parlons français – a speaking competition for AH French

17 June 2013 (AMOPA)

This was the second year of the competition and the numbers grew significantly. From last year with 5 schools and 19 participants, this year there was an entry of 11 schools and 35 participants.

Entries for the AMOPA Speaking competition should be based either on the candidate’s Unit Assessment or on their preparation for that assessment. Entries consist of an audio tape or digital video recording of part of the assessment or a preparation session.

We had 3 candidates who gained the highest grade of Très bien. They were awarded the prizes.

First - Samantha Hopkins, Robert Gordons College
Second - Ewan Lawson, Mary Erskine School
Third - Sally Chute, Campbeltown Grammar

See the attached pdf for full details of the competition.

Related Files

AMOPA French speaking competition 2013 (298 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Awards, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

Immersion en Bretagne : a cross-curricular approach to the learning & teaching of French through contemporary French culture

17 June 2013 (LFEE)

LFEE has developed a new immersion programme aimed at Primary and Secondary teachers of French. Scottish teachers are eligible for a grant from the British Council under the Comenius programme.

Objectives:

Focusing on Brittany’s rich cultural heritage, we will raise your awareness of contemporary France in general, and on the topic of health and well being in particular.
Through interactive workshops, we will incorporate history, geography, health and well being, music, arts and cinema to the teaching of French as a foreign language.
We will provide a platform for new resource development, including the use of ICT in the class, Internet/iPads-based activities.
Participants in this session will be joining us from Australia and Europe, giving us the chance to share pedagogy, ideas, resources and best practice across primary and secondary levels, in both hemispheres.

Level of French: Intermediate to Advanced

Dates: 5 - 12 April 2014

Place: Rennes, Brittany

Deadline for application: Tuesday 17 September 2013

For further information, contact Richard Tallaron (richard@lfee.net) or visit the LFEE website for details of alternative immersion courses which are available.

French summer classes 2013

17 June 2013 (Alliance Française)

Intensive and Semi-Intensive French courses are available this summer at both the Alliance Française in Glasgow and the Institut français in Edinburgh.

Visit the relevant websites for further information about dates and enrolment.

Bucking the languages trend

13 June 2013 (SecEd)

In the midst of a decline in foreign language learning in Scotland, some schools are inspiring young people to buck the trend. Sam Phipps finds out how.

MFL - The scoop on ice cream

7 June 2013 (TESS)

Got it licked.

We all know people for whom the phrase "when in Rome" was invented. They are usually the ones trying to familiarise themselves with the local language without a phrase book, mistaking bonjour for au revoir or turning a dinner order into a mime act.

Your students can take the lead on trips abroad with a lesson in transactional language.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, German, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Language learning in action: first National Modern Languages Spelling Bee

6 June 2013 (SCILT)

School pupils from the Highlands to the Borders tested their linguistic skills in the final of Scotland's first National Modern Languages Spelling Bee, at the Scottish Parliament on Friday 31 May.

In the spirit of “1+2”, pupils demonstrated their knowledge of vocabulary and spelling in French, German or Spanish before an audience of parents, teachers, fellow pupils and invited guests.

Congratulations to all the pupils who took part in the competition and especially to those who competed so admirably in Friday's final.

The winners in each category were:

French
1st Manon Robinson – Glen Urquhart High School
2nd Jessica Fowler – The Nicolson Institute
3rd Ellis Wright – Boclair Academy
4th Veronica Haughey – The Glasgow Academy

Spanish
1st Amy Spence – Carluke High School
2nd Zainab Munir – The Glasgow Academy
3rd Jack Anderson – Carluke High School
4th Rosie Hutcheon – The Glasgow Academy

German
1st Jodie Howlett – Bo’ness Academy
2nd Ben Gallacher – Paisley Grammar School
3rd Ben Hewitt – Paisley Grammar School
4th Yanna Zubido – Paisley Grammar School

We are in the process of developing a page on our website to showcase the final, including photos and video footage of proceedings, so please keep checking back!

Feedback from the inaugural event has been positive and encouraging and we will use this to build on our experience to make the Spelling Bee Competition even better next year. We will be sending out details of the competition for 2014 at the start of the new term in August so please do sign up!

If you'd like further information about this year's competition please visit our website.

Related Files

Spelling Bee Press Release 31 May (269 KB)

First National Scottish Spelling Bee Competition

2 June 2013 (Charleston Academy)

Claire Macleod (1L1) represented Charleston Academy at the National Spelling Bee competition held at the Scottish Parliament on Friday. She achieved the highest score of all the first years taking part. She was very dedicated and practised every lunch time the week leading up to the event. Danielle Ross (1K1) came second and was invited as official supporter. Her enthusiasm was very much appreciated by all.

Thirty seven S1 pupils from twenty schools in thirteen authorities were invited to compete in the final. They were asked to learn two hundred words in French, German or Spanish. They had to be able to translate the words from English and spell them using the alphabet of the target language. They had to spell as many words as possible in one minute.

Channel 4 to screen French adverts

1 June 2013 (Herald)

Channel 4 is to break new ground by screening an entire advert break in French – a first for UK television.

Tennis - Novak Djokovic says learning Chinese language is difficult

31 May 2013 (Tennis World)

Tennis - Novak Djokovic is the world's top ranked player and quite good when it comes to playing tennis. But the Serb is also pretty good when it comes to speaking languages.

The Serb revealed his love for the languages during his press conference on Thursday.

Articulate Language Camps in Scotland

30 May 2013 (Articulate Language Camps)

Articulate Language Camps will be running a range of language-learning summer camps this summer just north of Glasgow. You can find out more about the camps themselves by visiting the website www.articulate-languagecamps.com.

In order to help spread the word about what they are offering, Kara from Articulate is spending June on a tour of Scottish schools. She is offering assemblies about why it is important to learn languages and mini language and digital media workshops for free. She will also be able to offer places to the young people at the net cost of running the camps. This is open to all primary and secondary schools.

If you are interested in Kara visiting your school before the end of term, email her at nisbet.kara@articulate-languagecamps.com or call her on 07791698945.

Glasgow Science Festival 2013 at the Alliance Française de Glasgow

30 May 2013 (Alliance Française)

For the 3rd consecutive year, the Alliance Française de Glasgow is taking part in the Glasgow Science Festival. We are delighted to host a special bilingual French/English exhibition in June entitled “L’eau au coeur de la science", along with the screening of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s acclaimed documentary “La Soif du monde”.

As with previous years, we are also running specialised workshops for secondary school pupils. These will take place on Wednesday 12th June & Thursday 13th June. Please note that places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance.

For more information and how to book, please download the attached flyer or visit the website.

Related Files

AF Glasgow_Science Festival 2013_French and Science for schools (487 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Cross-Curricular Working, News from language & education organisations

Vive le Fringe!

24 May 2013 (Institut français d'Écosse)

From 2 to 26 August, the Institut français presents the crème de la crème of French performing arts at the Edinburgh Festival fringe.

Highland winners in Euroquiz final: Cradlehall primary school wins at the Scottish Parliament

15 May 2013 (SEET)

Congratulations to the P6 team from Cradlehall Primary School in Inverness who won the Scottish European Educational Trust’s national Euroquiz final, which took place in the Scottish Parliament on 13 May 2013.

The quiz is run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) with almost 1300 pupils from 315 schools competing in the heats held across 29 of the 32 local authorities throughout the school year.

For the first time this year, the event has attracted Scottish Government funding to support the inclusion of a language component in the Euroquiz. In the language round participants had to demonstrate their understanding of simple questions and phrases spoken in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Full details of the Euroquiz final and all the participating schools can be found on the attached flyer. Or you can visit the SEET website for more information about the competition.

Related Files

Euroquiz 2013 Final (321 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Scottish Parliament, News from language & education organisations

First French-born MSP sworn in

15 May 2013 (BBC Democracy Live)

Scotland's first French-born MSP Christian Allard has been sworn in at Holyrood, on 15 May 2013. Mr Allard, originally from Dijon, replaces SNP backbencher Mark McDonald who resigned from his North East regional seat to contest the Aberdeen Donside constituency by-election in June. Mr Allard made his non-religious affirmation at a short ceremony at the Scottish Parliament before business got underway in the debating chamber. The 49-year-old, who has experience in the fishing industry, made the affirmation twice, once in English and once in French.

The use of more than one language has become more common at Holyrood. After the 2011 election, Italian, Urdu and Gaelic were heard alongside Scots and the Doric dialect.

Tyne & Wear students to boost language skills

10 May 2013 (Chronicle Live)

Two North East universities will be stirring up school children’s passion for baking – and languages – in the Great Languages Bake Off.

Today’s event organised by Newcastle and Sunderland Universities will see more than 130 pupils, aged 11 to 13, from across the North East present videos about cooking in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Greek.

Language Summer School

9 May 2013 (London School of Economics)

Launched in Summer 2011 our Summer Language Programme is a range of, short but sweet Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish courses. Each year the programme has grown to include more languages, levels and courses of different levels of intensity.

Courses run at various times throughout July and August each year.

Visit the website for more information.

Distance Learning Graduate Diplomas for teachers in Spanish, French and German

7 May 2013 (University of Dundee)

In response to the growing need for Spanish teachers in the UK and worldwide in Primary, Secondary, Further and Adult Education, the University of Dundee in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Education in the UK are pleased to offer a Diploma in Spanish for Teachers by Distance Learning.

The Diploma offers many advantages in that it allows you to study when and where you like, for as long as you like. It is designed to promote a lively, on-line learning community studying the Spanish language and hispanic culture. A high degree of support is provided by native speaker tutors.

The Diploma is recognised by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and carries a rating of 160 SCOTCAT points (SCQF levels 9-11).

The University also plans to offer similar courses in French, German and Mandarin Chinese from January 2014.

Download the attached flyer for more information or visit the University of Dundee website.

Related Files

Graduate Diploma by Distance Learning Poster - all languages (131 KB)

Posted in: Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Learning - Adults, Qualifications, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Strathdevon Primary to Fly Clacks Flag at Scottish Parliament

7 May 2013 (Clackmannanshire Council)

Pupils from Strathdevon Primary School in Dollar will fly the flag for Clackmannanshire in the national finals of the Scottish European Trust's Euroquiz at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh next week.

The school children will come up against 29 other primary schools from around Scotland, from as far afield as Stornoway, in a bid to lift the coveted prize.

The final will held on Monday13th May, on the floor of the Scottish Parliament debating chamber at Holyrood.

Inside Track: Why culinary French is no second-rate language

6 May 2013 (The Herald)

That the sous-chef currently being sought by Buckingham Palace should have a "good understanding of kitchen French" might prompt some cynics to wonder why the royal request should sound quite so disparaging. It's as though "kitchen French" is somehow less posh than classic, quite suitable for the lowly position of household cook, and therefore the only form that would be acceptable in the Queen's cuisine. The reality could not be more different.

Posted in: French, Careers, Language Learning for Work, Languages in the press

Website of the month - Hwb

6 May 2013 (SCILT)

Hwb now includes all the content from the NGfL Wales website and hosts a resources section, 'find and use', including materials for language learning in French, German, Spanish and Welsh from primary through to senior phase.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Resources, SCILT news

New resources to support MFL National 4 and 5

2 May 2013 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland have recently published new resources to support the implementation of National 4 and 5 in Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Mandarin (simplified), Mandarin (traditional), Spanish and Urdu.

To access the materials follow the link below to Glow (you’ll need your Glow password).

Articulate Language Camps! Summer language and activity camps in Scotland for young people

30 April 2013 (Articulate Language Camps)

The Articulate Language Camp team are pleased to announce they have extended their offering for this summer and have a selection of options available for children to attend summer immersion camps full of language workshops, sport and adventure.

In addition to the International Camp (S3-S6) which will bring together learners from French, German and Spanish speaking countries to work on digital media projects and take part in sport and adventure activities together, there is also the opportunity to attend shorter camps:

Launch Camp (P4-P7, a one night stay at camp)
Edge Camp (P7-S2, a two night stay at camp)
Summit Camp (S2-S6, a two night stay at camp)

For full details and how to book, please visit the Articulate Language Camps website.

DELF/DALF examinations June 2013

29 April 2013 (Alliance Française)

There is still time to enrol for the DELF/DALF examinations taking place in June.

Both the Alliance Française in Glasgow and the Institut français in Edinburgh are official examination centres that gives you the opportunity to obtain the official French diplomas awarded by French authorities and recognised internationally.

The DELF, Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (Units A1, A2, B1, B2)
The DALF, Diplôme Approfondi en Langue Française, (C1, C2)

Anyone who is not of French nationality and who wishes to validate their French language skills may sit the examination. If not simply for your own benefit, these French diplomas can be an asset to your CV as they are internationally recognized for both professional applications and university studies.

If you wish to enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française in Glasgow or the Institut français in Edinburgh before Saturday 18th May 2013.

‘Motivate the demotivated’

26 April 2013 (SCILT)

Looking for ways to inspire and motivate your language students? Using film in the classroom is a great way to combine interdisciplinary learning and generate enthusiasm amongst your pupils for language learning. These projects were filmed in three different Scottish schools involving pupils from P7 to S6 who worked together to create their own animated movies using skills they developed in Modern Languages, Art and ICT. Have a look at these video clips to see what can be achieved and hear feedback from some of the pupils who took part.

Comedy without borders: Eddie Izzard and the language of standup

24 April 2013 (The Guardian)

British comedian aims to deliver his show in French, German, Spanish, Arabic and Russian.

Beginners' French booklet

23 April 2013 (Guardian Teacher Network)

A short booklet designed for complete beginners in French. Great for revision or cover classes as well as for students with no language background who come into the class in the middle of term.

You will need to register on the site to download.

Posted in: French, Language Learning, Resources

Yakety Yak Language Cafés - latest news

20 April 2013 (Yakety Yak Language Café)

New French sessions

New French sessions will start running on Wednesday 1st May and Thursday 2nd May at 2pm in 2 different spots in Edinburgh. See our website for more details.

A Yak and a lunch

A yak and a lunch will be back in June. We will still be at Café Musa from 12 to 1.30pm but this time the sessions will be held on Wednesdays. The schedule will be as follows:

Italian on 5th June
German on 12th June
French on 19th June
Spanish on 26th June

You can start booking your session now until the 20th May. The sessions cost £10 but you will need to allow for your lunch as well. Remember that those sessions are best suited for intermediate to advanced levels.

More information can be found on the Yakety Yak Language Café website.

Using SCHOLAR to support National 5 Languages

19 April 2013 (Heriot-Watt University)

The SCHOLAR Programme provides staff and students in Scottish secondary schools online access to material to support preparation for SQA exams, as well as offering subject specific on-line tutor support and a student discussion board.

The SCHOLAR interactive, web-based courses for Higher Languages contain materials which can be used effectively for Intermediate 2 and National 5 classes. To allow all teachers a flexible approach to access SCHOLAR we are providing access to SCHOLAR Languages for teachers of National 5. Additional support is provided in the form of a 'scoping document' that matches the National 5 Curriculum with some of the topics in the relevant Higher subject (see attachments). The electronic document has hyperlinks to allow ready access to the relevant topics in the SCHOLAR website.

For teachers who already have a personal SCHOLAR password, please use it. For teachers who are not registered with SCHOLAR (and do not have a personal password) please use the single non-personal password:

USERNAME/PASSWORD
username: scnat5lansup
Password: head55note

This password will expire at the end of June 2013.

If you find the material useful in the classroom we plan to enrol all language teachers in Scotland, even if you are not teaching Higher or Advanced Higher classes, into SCHOLAR Languages using the SEEMIS/Phoenix management systems directly in August 2013. The scoping documents for National 5 Gaelic is being prepared and is planned to be distributed at the same time.

Related Files

Guidance to using Scholar for National 5 Modern Languages 150413 (98.1 KB)
Scholar and Nat 5 in ML grid French (262 KB)
Scholar and Nat 5 in ML grid German (266 KB)
Scholar and Nat 5 in ML grid Spanish (257 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish

MFL - Creature features

19 April 2013 (TES)

Every one of your students can have their very own "talking" pet in this lesson. All they need is a sock, some basic vocabulary and lots of imagination.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Third-year Modern Languages' Exhibition

17 April 2013 (HaSS - Strathclyde University)

Come and Visit the Exhibition of the Third-year Modern Languages' Projects which is being held in the McCance Conservatory from the 16 April 2013 until 4pm on Friday 26 April 2013.

As part of their 2nd semester project, students of Modern Languages, working in teams, have produced displays on various themes exploring linguistic and cultural aspects of France, Italy and Spain.

See the attached flyer or email Caroline Verdier for more information. All welcome.

Related Files

Third year language projects flyer (230 KB)

Posted in: French, Italian, Spanish, Celebrating Languages, Languages - Higher Education, Promoting Languages, Strathclyde University, News from language & education organisations

Preparation Course for your Erasmus in France

15 April 2013 (Alliance Française)

We will be running a new preparation course for students who are about to spend a year in France to study (Erasmus programme). This course will include useful information on student life, the French university system as well as some revision of the language to ensure a good start in this new challenge and a better chance to succeed. It will also be a good opportunity for you to meet fellow Erasmus students!

This course is designed for 2nd and 3rd year university students who will be spending a year/semester in France in 2013/2014. Enrol by 1 May 2013.

Posted in: HE, French, Study Abroad, News from language & education organisations

Ten recession-proof degree subjects: French

12 April 2013 (The Telegraph)

The only language to appear on this list is, perhaps surprisingly, French.

But the subject has enjoyed the lowest unemployment of any modern language both prior to the recession (6.5 per cent) and since (9.7).

Languages also feature in the Top 10 subjects for achieving a 'first'.

Bilingualism Steps Into a Leading Role - Viggo Mortensen and Other Actors Take Roles in Foreign Films

29 March 2013 (New York Times)

Viggo Mortensen, who speaks fluent Spanish, plays two roles in the Argentine movie “Everybody Has a Plan,” directed by Ana Piterbarg.

Posted in: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Bilingualism, Celebrities, Languages in the press, Russian

eTwinning Network event in Sofia, Bulgaria, 25nd-28th April

26 March 2013 (eTwinning)

Are you interested in finding a partner school from Europe to start an eTwinning project?

The British Council eTwinning team is giving up to 4 teachers from the UK the chance to travel to Sofia to meet and network with other European teachers at a joint eTwinning event

Taking place from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th April, this event is open to teachers working with students aged 3-11 teaching any subject. It will include sessions on how to use eTwinning, how to use ICT tools and how to fit eTwinning into your school life.

All workshop sessions will be delivered concurrently in German, French and English, so this event would in particular suit someone who can speak either French or German. However, this is not a prerequisite.

The British Council will cover travel, accommodation and meal expenses as well as your participation fee. Supply cover is not included.

Visit the eTwinning website for further information and to apply by 7 April 2013.

The end of the school exchange trip? Council bans pupils banned from foreign homes despite NO evidence of abuse

23 March 2013 (Daily Mail)

Hundreds of schools across the country have banned pupils from staying with families on exchange trips abroad because of child protection fears.

British pupils can still visit the home of a French, German or Spanish student, but many are not allowed to stay there overnight. Instead they must stay in hotels or hostels.

Experts say fluency will not improve if pupils aren't fully immersed in culture.

Immersion Courses in France and Spain for Primary and Secondary School Teachers - Autumn 2013

22 March 2013 (LFEE)

This is our 12th year working under the Comenius programme and our expertise in delivering Training Courses for teachers is now recognised by all European National Agencies. Our courses are fun and motivating, and take place in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Lyon, and in Malaga, the capital city of the Costa del Sol in Andalucía.

Participants are encouraged to speak in the target language as much as possible in social situations and on the cultural excursions. Different levels are catered for as the class is often broken into smaller groups.

Successful applicants receive support from the European Union Comenius Lifelong Learning Programme available through the British Council. The grant of up to €2,500 fully covers the course fee, subsistence and accommodation, as well as travel expenses.

There are still a few places available for this autumn, so take advantage of this opportunity now. See the attached flyer for course details, dates and how to apply.

Related Files

LFEE Immersion courses in France and Spain Autumn 2013 (72.4 KB)

Posted in: French, Spanish, CPD, Europe, Immersion, Teacher Education

Coffee Break French wins European podcast award

21 March 2013 (Radio Lingua)

We’re delighted to announce that Coffee Break French has won Best Professional Podcast UK in this year’s European Podcast Awards. The shortlist of podcasts for each category was originally generated by listener votes, so we’d like to thank everyone who voted! A jury then considered each of the podcasts on the shortlist and Coffee Break French was voted Best Professional Podcast in the UK. Coffee Break Spanish came fifth in the rankings!

Radio Lingua offers language-learning for your iPod, iPhone, mp3 player or computer. Take your lessons with you wherever you go by downloading our free materials or purchasing our courses to learn even more. All the information you need is on the website.

Lesson 8 of Coffee Break German is now available. This episode build’s on the previous lesson, asking for more complex directions around town. The link below takes you directly to the podcast.

French Easter Revision Courses in Glasgow and Edinburgh

21 March 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running semi-intensive revision courses in French between Monday 8th and Friday 12th April for Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher pupils as well as University students who are sitting their French examinations later this year.

For more details and to enrol, visit the Alliance Française website.

The Institut Français in Edinburgh will also be running revision courses for Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher students during April and May. Follow the link below to their website for further information.

Parlez-vous français?

20 March 2013 (United Nations blog)

This week we are celebrating Journée de la langue française. French is one of six official UN languages.

Find out about a few online resources with daily updates in French.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Resources

Get Funding for your UK/France Partnership

18 March 2013 (British Council)

The British Council administers the distribution of grant funding from the Lefèvre Trust and Charles de Gaulle Trust and grants are now available to secondary schools embarking on projects in 2013. These programmes support collaboration between the UK and France on educational opportunities that prepare young people to become global citizens.

A case study of Portlethen Academy in Aberdeen demonstrates what can be achieved through partnership working. Here their international work has evolved from a simple pen pal project in one class 25 years ago, into an exciting programme of projects, visits and international connections which permeate the whole curriculum and involve the majority of pupils across all year groups.

See the guide to the programme on the British Council website for more details and to download a grant application form.

MFL - Runaway success

15 March 2013 (TES)

Combining language lessons with gym sessions is a hit. French has always been popular with students at my school, but we continue to seek innovative ways to increase take-up and raise standards. So when we had the chance to teach French in the gym with Technogym's "active learning" gym equipment, it was too good to turn down.

b small Little Linguist Award 2013

14 March 2013 (b small publishing)

We have joined forces with Little Linguist to launch a 'Little Linguist Award' for a simple story in French, German, Italian or Spanish. The competition is open to individuals or classes. Two winners will be selected and the winning stories published as e-books on our website. Each winner will also receive a b small library worth £100 for their home or school. All details of who can enter, how to enter, the story guidelines, the lovely prizes and our distinguished judging panel are on our website.

Twilight French course for primary teachers - postbeginners (A1)

7 March 2013 (Institut Français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse in Edinburgh will be running a new French course for Primary school teachers at an elementary level - 10 hours over 5 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary schools teachers, Wednesday, 4.15-6.15pm, 10 April- 8 May 2013.

Visit the website for further details and to register.

French courses at the Institut Français

6 March 2013 (Institut Français)

Spring is around the corner and with it, the start of a new term. Enrolment is now open for classes starting on 8 April. There will be an Open Day at the Institut Français on Saturday 16 March from 10am to 3pm, which offers a great opportunity to get a free assessment and some advice on the best course for your level.

Visit the website for more details and to download the course programme and enrolment form.

French courses for adults – Term D enrolling now!

5 March 2013 (Alliance Française)

Enrolments are now being taken for Term D which will take place between Monday 15th April and Saturday 8th June. If you are new to the Alliance Française and not a complete beginner, you will need to make an appointment for a short and informal assessment with one of our teachers so we can recommend a suitable class at your level.

Visit the website for further details.

Fair Trade Fortnight – resources

1 March 2013 (SCILT)

If your school is involved in Fair Trade Fortnight, you may well find these resources useful. SCILT has sourced these resources from YouTube and Glow.

New French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level

28 February 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level:

20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronunciation, communication, confidence), Thursdays, 4-6pm, 14 March to 30 May 2013 (inclusive).

The cost to attend this course is £80 (please note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages). Places are very limited so early booking is recommended.

To enrol, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 8th March 2013:

Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX – Glasgow
Tel +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Posted in: Primary, French, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education

Make Your Own Comic Book - a special competition for budding artists across the UK

27 February 2013 (Institut Français)

Calling all comics devotees: BD&Comics Passion is back at the Institut français in London from May 30th to June 2nd 2013! Workshops, live drawing, concerts and movies galore are on the agenda, with some of the greatest writers and illustrators. And since you love comics, why not make one yourself? If you’re aged 7 to 17 and live in the UK, you can participate in our nationwide contest and stand a chance to win amazing prizes! Whether you make it on your own, as a class project, or with friends…entries can be submitted in French or English or both.

For more information and how to enter, download the attached flyer.

Related Files

Comics Competition 2013 (119 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

La Fête de la Francophonie 2013

25 February 2013 (Alliance Française)

La Fête de la Francophonie is a week of events, from 16 to 24 March 2013, celebrating the French language all around the World. To mark the event this year, the Alliance Française Glasgow is welcoming two theatre shows, 'La Voix Humaine' and 'Novecento: Pianiste'. The first play is ideal for French learners as the script is simple and the language easily accessible.

Both shows are touring and will also be shown at the Institut Français in Edinburgh.

For further information please visit the appropriate website.

French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level

7 February 2013 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running a new French course for Primary school teachers at a beginner level.

20 hours over 10 weeks tailored to the needs of Primary schools teachers (classroom and speaking activities, pronounciation, communication, confidence)
Wednesdays, 3.45-5.45pm
6 March to 22 May 2013 (incl.)
The cost to attend this course is £80 (pls note this is a special fee offered by the AF Glasgow to promote modern languages)
Places are very limited so early bookings recommended.

If you wish to enrol for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 22nd February 2013.

Venue and contact:

Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX - Glasgow
Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Posted in: French, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Learn Languages with Arsenal FC

31 January 2013 (European Commission)

Arsenal Double Club Languages is the north London football club’s innovative education programme for children that are learning French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese at school.

The programme uses Arsenal and football as a theme to inspire school children to learn a language. The Club produces fun, relevant learning materials in collaboration with specialist language partners including the Goethe Institute, Institut Français and the Consejería de Educación. These resources include colourful workbooks that are filled with language activities based around football, and also a DVD featuring one of the Gunners’ players speaking in their native language.

Valentine teaching ideas for French, German and Spanish

31 January 2013 (Brilliant Teaching Resources)

Germany has only recently started to celebrate 'Valentinstag'. As in this country, it is celebrated on 14th February, when people send romantic cards and presents to each other. Visit the Brilliant Teaching Resources website for ideas on how to discuss this tradition in the German classroom.

Follow the additional links for similar resources for Spanish and French.

DELF/DALF Examinations – March 2013

30 January 2013 (Alliance Française)

Want to improve your CV or just get formal proof of your level in French? The Alliance Française de Glasgow and the Institut Français d'Écosse in Edinburgh are official examination centres which give you the opportunity to obtain the official French diplomas awarded by the French authorities and recognised internationally.

Vive la Francophonie - online competition for secondary schools

29 January 2013 (Institut Français d'Écosse)

Every year in March, French speaking countries throughout the world celebrate “La Francophonie”.

On Wednesday 6 March 2013 from 12:45 to 2pm, the Institut Français d’ Ecosse will be holding an online competition about “Vive la Francophonie" for S3-S4 pupils in Scotland.

Visit the Institut Français website or download the attached flyer for more information about the competition and how to enter.

Entries must be submitted by 25 February 2013.

Related Files

Concours Francophonie 2013 (pdf version) (817 KB)
Concours Francophonie 2013 (Word version) (1.04 MB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning - Secondary, News from language & education organisations

Professional recognition

28 January 2013 (SCILT)

Congratulations to Gwen McCrossan from Argyll and Bute, who has received professional recognition from GTCS for her work in MLPS French. Gwen’s creative approach has integrated language learning into the wider curriculum through her skilful use of puppets, story-telling and ICT, to name but a few. If you would like to apply for professional recognition, please visit the GTCS website.

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Awards, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Play with Languages – Using Languages in Computer Games

25 January 2013 (Routes into Languages blog)

On Friday 18th of January pupils from across Yorkshire and the Humber were invited to take part in a pilot event called ‘Play with Languages – using Languages in Computer Games’ at The University of Hull. As the name suggests, the main focus of the day was to motivate pupils and showcase how computer games can be played in different languages and how there are many careers which languages can lead on to, including the gaming world.

MFL - Fighting for equal rights

25 January 2013 (TES)

Inspire pupils by introducing them to famous foreign activists. Do your pupils know the national motto of France: Liberte, egalite, fraternite? In any language, this makes an excellent topic for discussion and debate. Pupils could also write essays exploring whether one quality is more important than the others.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Language Learning, Resources

My French Film Festival 2013

23 January 2013 (Languages Direct)

The third annual French Film Festival takes place between 17 January and 17 February 2013. You can participate in the festival by watching and voting on nominated feature films and shorts in the competition. You need to register and opt for the rental of a film or package to take part. Visit the website for more details.

Posted in: French, News from language & education organisations

MFL - Shopping en francais

18 January 2013 (TES)

Shopping online in a foreign language is such fun that pupils absorb new vocabulary without too much effort. Words in the target language are illustrated with photographs without the need for intervening translation. It is a great way to connect the new words with the reality they describe.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Linguatrivia 2013

15 January 2013 (Linguascope)

There is still time to enter Linguatrivia, the annual competition open to Year 7 students in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, S1 students in Scotland and Year 8 students in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to stimulate interest in learning French and to identify and reward achievement on the part of students.

Visit the website for further information. Entries must be submitted by 15 February 2013.

Les Misérables

15 January 2013 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

With the latest Hollywood adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel now released, this article in French can be used to discuss the story in your language class. Different versions are available to suit all levels from P7 to the senior phase.

Sacre bleu! Getting children to study languages is tough

11 January 2013 (TESS)

The difficulties in persuading pupils to study foreign languages at Higher has been underlined by a report that compares languages and social subjects uptake.

The report, which uses social subjects as a comparator since many pupils choose these over languages, finds that the "conversion rate" for languages from Standard grade and Intermediate is "significantly" below that for social subjects.

French films on the GFT player!

10 January 2013 (Alliance française)

The GFT Player offers specially curated films at home and on the move. Programmed alongside the cinema schedule, the player offers an exciting and unique range of films, including French comedy 'The Women on the 6th Floor.'

Selected films screen simultaneously online and in the cinema, and you can also catch up with films you may have missed at GFT, and take advantage of Player-only exclusive content.

Please visit the website for more details.

2nd Semester at the Alliance Française de Glasgow!

9 January 2013 (Alliance française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow offers quality classes for adults and children using modern teaching methods. All our teachers are native French speakers and fully qualified.

The new semester commences 1 February 2013 and full details of all the sessions available and how to enrol can be found on our website.

French film screenings for children

8 January 2013 (Institut français)

The Institut français d'Ecosse will be screening two animated films for young children in January and February:

Le Chat du Rabbin (for children aged 6+) - Tuesday 22 January 18:30-20:00 / Wednesday 23 January 11:00-12:30
Mia et le Migou (for children aged 3+) - Saturday 16 February 11:00-12:30

Both films are in French with English subtitles. Visit the website for more information.

Revision Courses : Higher and Advanced Higher French

8 January 2013 (Alliance française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running Higher/Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses during February for pupils who are sitting their French oral examinations in 2013.

Visit the website for further information on course dates, fees and how to enrol. Deadline Friday 18 January.

LFEE/French workshop for S5 pupils in Edinburgh

8 January 2013 (LFEE)

Just before Christmas, 90 young learners from Edinburgh took part in French immersion workshops organised by Ann Robertson from the City of Edinburgh Council with the help of Sophie Samalens from LFEE Europe.

The day was split into 2 sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with 45 pupils each time. The main focus of the workshops was on giving learners plenty of opportunities to practice their listening and speaking skills, in preparation for their exams.

Many secondary schools from Edinburgh were represented, including Broughton, Boroughmuir, Currie, Portobello and Gracemount.

Four Moray House student teachers and three French Language Assistants worked alongside two tutors from LFEE Europe. The pupils showed a lot of enthusiasm and were very keen to take part in all the activities presented to them. French was the only language spoken for the duration of the workshops, with the pupils delighted to find out how much they could understand.
The icing on the cake, or should I say la cerise sur le gâteau, was kindly provided by the Franco-Scottish Society, who gave away some prizes for the winning teams of the day's language quiz!

For more information, please contact Richard Tallaron : richard@lfee.net

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Top 10 most dangerous... !

7 January 2013 (SCILT)

SCILT have sourced the following YouTube clips for use at 3rd Level with French classes. Not for the faint-hearted!

The top ten…

…most dangerous insects

…most dangerous marine animals

…killer animals

…slowest animals

…fastest animals

…ugliest and strangest

…animals with the shortest life expectancy

…animals who can hold their breath the longest

Please be aware that these links will take you away from the SCILT website. You Tube is an open internet forum where clips and comments are posted by the general public. Practitioners should therefore check the suitability of the content of the clips and any links, advertising materials and comments posted around them before using them with a class.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Resources

Primary adds success by teaching 1+5

14 December 2012 (TESS)

The prospect of teaching 1+2 languages from P1 is a daunting one for many in the primary sector.

But today, the Scottish Parliament's European and External Relations Committee will launch an inquiry into the teaching of languages in primary - at a school where 1+5 is the norm.

At Dalmarnock Primary, in the east end of Glasgow, pupils have access to French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Greek, in addition to their home language of English.

Pope makes Twitter debut in eight languages

12 December 2012 (The Guardian)

For a man who had not yet sent a single tweet, more than a million followers on Twitter was quite a coup. But that was the number that Pope Benedict had racked up as he hit the button on his tablet and launched his hugely anticipated Twitter account @pontifex.

Les Français en NBA

11 December 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

Covering the topic of sport in your French language class? This article on French basketball players in the American NBA is a useful resource to introduce the sport. Different versions are available, adapted for use with pupils from P7 upwards.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Celebrities speaking languages

10 December 2012 (Routes Cymru / YouTube)

Routes Cymru posted the following YouTube links on Twitter. We thought you would enjoy using them with your pupils to promote languages.

MFL - characters to admire

7 December 2012 (TES)

Heroes and heroines is a great subject for language lessons because it involves strong characters and exciting stories. Children can explore what they think a hero is and who may be a hero to them.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, German, Spanish, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

French Revision Courses : Higher and Advanced Higher - February 2013

5 December 2012 (Alliance Française)

As in previous years, the Alliance Française de Glasgow will be running French Higher/Advanced Higher Oral Preparation courses for pupils who are sitting their French oral examinations in 2013.

Each session will take place between 4pm and 6pm at the Alliance Française de Glasgow.

Friday 1st February 2013
Friday 8th February 2013
Friday 15th February 2013
Friday 22nd February 2013

The cost to attend these sessions is £65 per student. If you wish to enrol your child for this course, please contact or visit the Language Office at the Alliance Française by Friday 18th January 2013.
Please note that places are strictly limited.

Venue and contact:

Alliance Française de Glasgow- 3 Park Circus - G3 6AX - Glasgow
Tel. +44 (0)141 331 4080
admin@afglasgow.org.uk

New CPD for primary and secondary teachers

29 November 2012 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce we have expanded our Professional Learning menu to include further options for Primary and Secondary teachers from our colleagues, the Institut Français and the Consejería de Educación. To download the new menus visit the relevant Professional Development pages on our website.

School exchange sought

28 November 2012 (Institut français)

A school from Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, is looking for a Scottish school to participate in an exchange during May 2013.

The school has a group of young people, aged 15-17, who travel overseas each year to perform their musical. Last year they visited Bilbao and Villagarcia de Arousa in Spain. You can see their blogs and video following the links below.

If your school would be interested in this opportunity, please contact Catherine Samalens, the group's teacher.

‘On location’ blogs

28 November 2012 (Radio Lingua)

Read the latest blog posts from those learning the language and culture in Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

Nutella (French resource)

27 November 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

Article in French about the nutritional and environmental impact of the spread, Nutella. Adapted for use with pupils from P7 – S5.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources

Foreign language skills 'cost Scottish businesses'

27 November 2012 (BBC News)

A widespread lack of language skills could be damaging Scotland's ability to trade abroad, a report has suggested. The British Council study warned there was a tendency among Scottish firms to limit their export markets to English-speaking countries.

French Christmas resources for primary and secondary classes

26 November 2012 (Institut français d'Ecosse)

The Institut français d'Ecosse has produced some new resources about Noël (Christmas) for use with primary and S1-S3 pupils.

The resources can be accessed from the Institut français website.

DELF/DALF Examinations UK 2012

23 November 2012 (Institut français)

The Institut français in Edinburgh and the Alliance Française in Glasgow are the two official examination centres that give French learners the opportunity to obtain the official French diplomas awarded by the French Ministry of Education and are recognised internationally.

The DELF, Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française(Level A1, A2, B1, B2)
The DALF, Diplôme Approfondi en Langue Française, (C1, C2)

Anyone who is not of French nationality and who wishes to validate his skills in French may sit the examination. If not simply for your own personal benefit, the diplomas can be an asset to your CV as they are internationally recognized for both professional applications and university studies. If you wish to register for the examination before 15 December 2012 for the examination session in January 2013, please contact the Alliance Française in Glasgow or the Institut français in Edinburgh.

MFL - turn the key

23 November 2012 (TES)

Fairy tales can be as much fun to make up as they are to read or listen to. Their magic ingredients are quite simple and they use a lot of pattern and variation.
Start by giving pupils familiar tales like Cinderella in the language they are studying. Cartoon versions in French, German and Spanish are plentiful on YouTube. Show them Jean Cocteau's masterpiece La Belle et La Bete. You could give them key words and phrases in advance to listen out for.

DELF/DALF Examinations UK 2012

23 November 2012 (Institut français)

The DELF, Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française(Level A1, A2, B1, B2)
The DALF, Diplôme Approfondi en Langue Française, (C1, C2)

Anyone who is not of French nationality and who wishes to validate his skills in French may sit the examination. If not simply for your own personal benefit, the diplomas can be an asset to your CV as they are internationally recognized for both professional applications and university studies. If you wish to register for the examination before 15 December 2012 for the examination session in January 2013, please contact the Alliance française in Glasgow or the Institut Français in Edinburgh.

Une chanson sur les cadeaux de Noël

22 November 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

Feeling Christmassy? Download this French resource about Christmas presents, which is suitable for P7-early secondary students. You will need to register to access the resource, but registration is free.

GCU and OU partnership provides free language lessons for staff

20 November 2012 (Open University)

In a unique partnership arrangement with the Open University (OU), Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) have provided their postgraduate students and their staff with the opportunity to study an OU language module in French, German, Spanish or Chinese. 82 GCU students and staff began beginners’ language modules in October, and more will sign up for higher level language modules starting in February. The face-to-face element of the OU tuition programme is being delivered on GCU’s Glasgow campus at times that fit with GCU’s timetable.

Glasgow Caledonian University places importance on the fact that language competence enhances employability and international mobility and values the Open University’s proven track record in language teaching.

Articulate Language Camps in Scotland 2013

18 November 2012 (Articulate Language Camps)

Camp 2013 is open to all 14-17 year olds who are learning foreign languages and want a fantastic, fun camp experience to boost their confidence and language skills. Articulate language camps are open to all learners of English as a foreign language and English native speakers learning French, German and Spanish. By bringing together speakers of different languages from all over the world, we hope to encourage the real-life use of a foreign language whilst forging friendships that will last a lifetime. Visit the website for more information and how to book.

More primary schools to offer Latin and ancient Greek

17 November 2012 (The Telegraph)

Applies to England
Latin and ancient Greek are to make a comeback in state schools under Government plans to introduce compulsory language lessons for seven-year-olds. The list also features Mandarin – because of the growing importance of China as an economic power – plus French, German, Spanish and Italian.

MFL - the long and the short of it

16 November 2012 (TES)

Foreign-language media such as films and advertising can be excellent teaching resources - their use of characters and stories is great for engaging pupils' attention and making vocabulary memorable.

Learning is reinforced when pupils use the target language in role play and written work. If they create a cheesy advertisement with a catchy slogan in Spanish, for example, the vocabulary they use becomes an in-joke they will remember long after the lesson has ended.

Les sports – French interactive wordsearch

6 November 2012 (MFL Sunderland)

Introduce a fun element to learning French sports vocabulary with this online interactive wordsearch from MFL Sunderland.

Linguatrivia French Competition

6 November 2012 (Linguascope)

Students are entered into the competition by their French teacher, and have to sit a 30-minute national test.

Sponsored by Linguascope, the competition offers a range of fabulous prizes. Every participant will receive a certificate and a prize! For more information and to download an entry form, please visit the Linguatrivia website.

Immersion Courses in France and Spain for Teachers (supported by the EU COMENIUS Programme)

5 November 2012 (Le Français en Ecosse)

Le Français en Ecosse / LFEE Europe has been a Comenius course provider since
2002. Our team of experienced and fully qualified native teachers are committed to promoting
French and Spanish language and culture throughout Europe. This is our 12th year working
under the Comenius programme and our expertise in delivering Training Courses for teachers is
now recognised by all European National Agencies. Our courses are fun and motivating, and take
place in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Lyon, in the stunning – and very French – village of
Salignac; and in Malaga, the capital city of the Costa del Sol in Andalucía.

The latest brochure for courses in France and Spain for Summer 2013 is now available. Successful applicants receive a grant which covers all expenses including travel, accommodation and course tuition fee.

Please note that the deadline for applications to the British Council for Comenius funding for one of our courses will be Wednesday 16 January 2013 and that participants should contact us in the first
instance to reserve a place on the course of their choice.

Related Files

LFEE_France Spain Summer 2013 (158 KB)

Posted in: French, Spanish, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

MFL - a darker vocabulary

2 November 2012 (TES)

When we learn a foreign language, we often deal with nice things such as buying ice cream and listing our favourite animals. But bullying is a topic that allows pupils to talk and write about darker things - and every pupil has opinions about it. Wearing a mask or adopting an "alter ego" can make it easier to tell the truth. Similarly, exploring this topic in a foreign language allows pupils to discuss painful things from a safe distance.

James Bond – Skyfall (resource)

30 October 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

Bring 007 to the classroom with this article in French about the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. Several versions are available, adapted for use with pupils from P7 upwards.

AMOPA speaking competition for students of Advanced Higher French

29 October 2012 (Heriot-Watt University)

The AMOPA Speaking competition was inaugurated last year. Five schools and a total of 21 school students took part. We are hoping to widen participation this year.

Last year every participant received a graded certificate. Prizes were also awarded for first, second and third place. Prizes and certificates were presented by an amopalien/amopalienne at a school assembly or other suitable event.

The competition integrates with the typical study and examination programme for the AH French students and aims to support them in their preparation for the Speaking test.

For more information and how to enter, download the flyer - AMOPA French Speaking Competition 2013.

Related Files

AMOPA French Speaking Competition 2013 (210 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Kristen Stewart interview in French

25 October 2012 (Mary Glasgow Plus)

Read the magazine interview with Kristen Stewart, the American actress best known for her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga. The interview is in French and is adapted for different levels from KS3 (P7) upwards.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning, Teaching, Resources

Funded In-Service Training Courses for teachers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain (2013)

23 October 2012 (Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP))

Language Education And Partnerships (LEAP) offer a range of in-service training courses for existing and aspiring teachers in primary, secondary, further and adult education, designed to develop your understanding of the teaching and learning of language and culture. These courses, which can be funded through a Comenius or Grundtvig In-service-training grant, are available throughout 2013. They provide an excellent opportunity for you to enhance your teaching methodology while improving your language skills and cultural knowledge. Next deadline for funding applications: 16 January 2013.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, FE, HE, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Rencontres Théâtrales Drama Competition for Schools 2013

10th October 2012 (Institut Français d'Ecosse)

Every year, the Institut français d’Ecosse organises Les Rencontres théâtrales, a drama competition for schools, in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. In 2013, Les Rencontres Théâtrales in Glasgow will take place on Tuesday 11 June 2013 at Whitehill Secondary school. The deadline for registration is 17 May 2013. To apply for the Glasgow event, download the attached documents.

The Edinburgh event is taking place on Wednesday 13 March 2013 at Broughton High school and the date for Aberdeen will be announced shortly. For further details of the Inter-Schools Drama Competition 2013 and to see examples of last year's entries please visit the Institut Français website.

Related Files

Rencontres Theatrales 2013 Glasgow Registration (Word) (59.0 KB)
Rencontres Theatrales 2013 Glasgow Registration (PDF) (335 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Language Learning

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