Young Language Learner Award 2024

16 April 2024 (b small publishing)

The b small Young Language Learner Award invites children aged 6-11 to send in a story or comic written in a language of their choice, other than a mother tongue, with the chance of winning up to 10 books of their choice from the b small publishing website. The theme to write about this year is 'Team Spirit.'

Visit the b small website for more information and to register to receive the free entry pack.

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Italian poster competition - Winners announced!

11 April 2024 (SCILT)

We’re delighted to announce the winners of our recent poster competition for school-aged learners of Italian of any level (including those with no prior learning). The prompt was ‘Cosa significa L’Italia per me’ – what Italy means to me – and we asked learners to include as much Italian language as they were able to. We received some fantastic entries across the four different age categories, and the S1-S3 category was especially popular, so we decided to feature some specially commended entries too. A big thanks to everyone who created a poster for the competition, and to their teachers who sent in all the entries!

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The Gimagine Award

11 April 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Gimagine Award for young learners (aged 14-18) is finally here! Become one of the first classgroups to enrol in this new online programme to engage your students through fun German videos and bite-sized exercises. Enter your classgroup in the First Finisher’s Competition for a chance to win an invitation to the Sommerfest der deutschen Sprachen on 1 July, hosted by the German Embassy in London! Travel costs will be covered. Submission deadline is 9 June 2024. Please note only state schools are eligible for participation.

Visit the Goethe-Institut Gimagine Award website for more information.

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DAAD/ILCS German Language Competition 2024 – ‘What a year! Schlagzeilen aus der Zukunft’

28 March 2024 (DAAD/ILCS)

The DAAD/ILCS German Language Competition 2024 is now live! All levels of German learners are invited to take part, use their written German skills and have the chance to win some exciting prizes.

GLC 2024:

This year, the competition takes newspapers as its theme. Entrants are asked to put together the front page of a fictional newspaper in the German-speaking world. The catch: they are writing the final edition of 2024 and must select the most important stories of a year that has not yet finished.

Who knows what the year might bring? How is our understanding of events influenced by the way they are reported? By writing two or three short articles from different categories, participants have complete freedom to imagine how the year might unfold and bring their unique voice and perspective to the reporting. It allows entrants to explore the world of news and German-language media and play with different writing styles.

All winners will be invited to a journalism workshop and prize ceremony in London, with an overnight stay for those coming from outside of London! This will take place in October 2024.

Teaching materials:

We would especially like to draw your attention to the teaching and learning material which we have prepared to accompany the competition this year. A workbook can be found on our website with exercises on topics related to journalism for students at all levels, and which can be used both for classwork and individually. There is also a separate document which compiles background information on the press in Germany, a useful newspaper glossary, German media resources for learners to explore and further teaching materials designed by German organisations explicitly for use in schools!

How to enter:

You can find all information about the competition including the brief, instructions on how to take part and the teaching and learning material on the DAAD/ILCS German Language Competition 2024 website.

The closing date for entries to the competition is 6 June 2024.

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11th call for “Best Spanish Student Award”

21 March 2024 (Consejería de Educación)

Do you have a student currently enrolled in A-level / Advanced Higher Spanish with a brilliant academic record? You can nominate them for the 11^th call for “Best Spanish Student Award in the United Kingdom" in collaboration with Junta de Castilla y León. The prize consists of a 3-day stay in Spain for two people.

Deadline for nominations: 5 May 2024.

Visit the Spanish Embassy Education Office website for more information.

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Foyle Young Poets Award 2024

12 March 2024 (Poetry Society)

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is one of the biggest and most prestigious poetry competitions for 11-17 year olds in the world. Every year, 15 top winners and 85 commended poets are chosen; together, they represent some of the most exciting new voices writing today.

This year’s judges are the fantastic Vanessa Kisuule and Jack Underwood, and they can’t wait to read your poems! If you’re aged 11-17, send in your poems for the chance to be among the 100 winners and kick-start your writing career.

Teachers, librarians and youth workers are encouraged to enter class sets of students’ poems using the teacher submission portal.

Poems must be written in English, but you can include phrases in your mother tongue or another language. 

Entry deadline is 31 July 2024.

Visit the website for more information.

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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.

Register to receive the quiz on 16 March and try to win exciting prizes!

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Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2023-24 winners announced!

23 February 2024 (SCILT)

It gave us great pleasure to welcome pupils, teachers and special guests to our online 10th anniversary Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition awards on 21 February. The date chosen for the event was significant being International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate all world languages. We were delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue

P1-P4

• Yuexin Li, St Martin's Primary (Winner)
• Taras Sukhodolskyi, West Primary (Highly Commended)
• Vova Abramov, West Primary (Highly Commended)

P5-P7

• Timothy Ishie, St James' Primary (Winner)
• Artem Bonardchuk, St John Ogilvie Primary ((Highly Commended)
• Chizara, Rua, Godwin & Mariama, St Maria Goretti Primary (Highly Commended)
• Hasnain Ali Shah, West Primary (Highly Commended)
• Kate Kaludova, West Primary (Highly Commended)

S1-S3

• Lavina Tsang, Craigmount High School (Winner)
• Alexia Rigg, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)
• Ewen Darroch, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)
• Jenny, Gemma, Sophie, Tess, Asra & Emma, Craigmount High School (Highly Commended)
• Mairi Stephen, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)

S4-S6

• Nova Senkowska, Mearns Castle High School (Winner)
• Anotidaishe Mugwagwa, Kirkintilloch High School (Highly Commended)

Other Tongue

P1-P4

• Naomi & Caellum, Bunessan Primary (Winner)
• P4 Class, The Glasgow Academy Newlands & MIlngavie (Highly Commended)

P5-P7

• Alasdair MacDonald, Salen Primary (Winner)
• Lauren Stewart, Goodlyburn Primary (Highly Commended)
• Lilia Fournier, George Watson's College (Highly Commended)

S1-S3

• Amelia Armstrong, Kirkintilloch High School (Winner)
• Emma Pacci, Bearsden Academy (Highly Commended)
• Harrison Williams, Craigmount High School (Highly Commended)

S4-S6

• Natasha Dickson, Kirkintilloch High School (Winner)
• Abby Leitch, Graeme High School (Highly Commended)
• Katie MacNeil, Kirkintilloch High School (Highly Commended)

All our finalists will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy and be offered the chance for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

This year we were also delighted to host a special strand of the competition focusing on Spanish entries. The winning entries in this category were:

• Emma Llovera Meneses - Kirklandneuk Primary
• Axel Llovera Meneses - Kirklandneuk Primary
• The Language Ambassadors (Araav, Vihaan, Grace, Marc, Alexander, Poppy, Anaya & Maya) - The Glasgow Academy
• Spanish Club (Brooklyn, Bion, Rishi & Tobi) – Craigmount High School

Teachers with students who entered in this category will be contacted separately regarding their awards which are kindly sponsored by the Instituto Cervantes in Manchester.

It is our intention to host each of the finalists’ poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available to view.

Congratulations again to all our finalists and a big thank you for supporting the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition!

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."

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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.

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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.

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Eric Liddell poster competition for primary schools

15 February 2024 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools is delighted to collaborate with The Eric Liddell Community to launch a poster competition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell's legendary win at the 1924 Paris Olympics!

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland. The deadline for entries is Friday 8 March 2024.

Further details and the submission link can be found on the CISS website or see the attached flyer. Entries submitted via email will not be accepted.

To find out more about The Eric Liddell 100 celebration events, please visit the Eric Liddell Community website.

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Goethe-Institut competitions for schools

8 February 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut offers a range of opportunities for schools. The following competitions are currently running:

• Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) - the deadline for applications to the Internationale Deutscholympiade 2024 has been extended. Until 18 February 2024, students aged 14-17 can take part in the virtual national preliminaries. There's also an opportunity to become an accompanying teacher for the two UK finalists who take part in the IDO in Göttingen in July.
• Sustainable Cooking & German Competition with FitGreenMind - open to UK primary and secondary classes. Submission deadline 29 February 2024.
• Enterprise German competition (“Unternehmen Deutsch”) - this project combines aspects of German, economics, and professional orientation with a motivating competition. School classes from secondary schools in the UK and university students can register by 15 March 2024.

Design a poster to celebrate 100 years since Eric Liddell won gold at the Paris Olympics!

30 January 2024 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools is delighted to collaborate with The Eric Liddell Community to launch a poster competition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell's legendary win at the 1924 Paris Olympics! 

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland. The deadline for entries is Friday 8 March 2024. Further details and the submission link can be found on the CISS website or see the attached flyer. Entries submitted via email will not be accepted.

To find out more about The Eric Liddell 100 celebration events, please visit the Eric Liddell Community website.

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Italian poster competition - Cosa significa l’Italia per me

25 January 2024 (SCILT)

We are launching a new poster competition for school-aged learners of Italian (this includes those with no prior learning). We would love you to use whatever knowledge of Italian and Italy that you have to show what Italy means to you. 

Your challenge:  

• Design a poster, including as much Italian language as you can, to show what Italy means to you. 
• Use the title Cosa significa l’Italia per me. 
• Individual or group entries are welcome. Group entries: use the title Cosa significa l’Italia per noi. 
• Judging categories: P1-4, P5-7, S1-3, S4-6. 
• This competition is open to all learners regardless of level of Italian. This includes those with no prior learning. The variation in Italian language content that will naturally result from this will be taken into account in the judging process.  
• Closing date extended to Thursday 7 March 2024. 
• Entries should be emailed by teachers in the form of a photograph to scilt@strath.ac.uk with Italian Poster Competition in the email subject line. 
• A signed Submission and Consent Form (attached below) should also be sent at the same time for each entry. It is perfectly acceptable to upload a photograph of this form; it is not necessary to scan the document. 
• In order to assist judging, please ensure that the sections of the Submission Form indicating level of Italian learning and where the inspiration for the poster came from are completed. 
• Each entry should state the school name, pupil name and age category in its file name. 
• Winners will be notified and announced around Easter 2024. 

A downloadable flyer is attached. 

We look forward to seeing your entries! 

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.

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.

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UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) 2024

9 January 2024 (UKLO)

UKLO (United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad) is a language-analysis competition for all ages. We create linguistics puzzles and run competitions for school children to encourage a lifelong interest in the world’s languages.

The competition is offered at four levels of difficulty for KS2 – KS5, and provide Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, as well as participation certificates, at each level.

The highest scoring students proceed through a couple more rounds of testing and coaching before we present them for the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) where they compete against other countries. 

UKLO questions require no preliminary knowledge in language, linguistics or any other subject taught at school. From decoding alien messages to scents and smells, UKLO questions are diverse with over 70 confirmed different variations. There is something for everyone.

Visit the UKLO website to find out more and register to take part by 29 January.

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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:

• A-Level French Writing Competition
• A-Level German Writing Competition
• A-Level Spanish/Portuguese Writing Competition

The entry deadline for all is 20 February 2024.

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.

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 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.

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.

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MTOT entry deadline approaching!

24 November 2023 (SCILT)

Schools who’ve registered for this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition have until Friday 1 December to submit entries! Submission guidelines are on the SCILT website. 

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International German Olympiad (IDO) 2024

16 November 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

The International German Olympiad takes place every two years and is the world's largest competition for the German language. Here, participants can prove their German language skills in three levels (A2, B1 and B2). In addition to the focus on language skills, both national and international competitions promote intercultural skills and international teamwork.

The digital national preliminary round for participants from the UK runs from 6 November 2023 to 31 January 2024. Information on how to participate in the national preliminary round can be found on the Goethe-Institut IDO webpage.

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Scottish Book Trust 50 word fiction competition

16 November 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Each month Scottish Book Trust runs a 50 Word Fiction competition with a prompt to get you started. The November competition prompt is inspired by the theme of this year's Book Week Scotland, Adventure!

The competition includes a category for Gaelic writers, so get creative and submit your entry by 28 November.

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JaLaChamp 2024 – Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK

2 November 2023 (Japan Foundation)

Applications are now open for JaLaChamp 2024!

JaLaChamp, or Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK, is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese. There are two categories - the speech category, where students give a speech on a theme of their choice, and the video category where students are asked to create an original video either by individual or part of a group.

Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and to enter: 6 December 2023 deadline for speech category; 24 January 2024 deadline for video category.

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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.

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Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline approaching!

26 October 2023 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates schools delivering DYW through languages and school-business partnerships whilst recognising good practice in this area. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the value of language skills in their school community. 

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 17 November 2023. 

Visit the SLEA webpage for more information.

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Enterprise German competition

24 October 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

Enterprise German (“Unternehmen Deutsch”) combines aspects of German, economics, and professional orientation with a motivating competition. School classes from secondary schools in the UK and university students who deal with the topic of career orientation in the classroom can participate, if their teacher or professor registers a participating group.

The initiative will take place from September 2023 to July 2024.

For more information, please visit the Goethe Institut website and register by 15 March 2024.

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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.

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 about the competition and register by 10 March 2024 to take part.

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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.

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SLEA - Local

6 October 2023 (SCILT)

The SLEA (Scottish Languages Employability Award) family is expanding! We have now launched the SLEA – Local, which aims to encourage and support the development of partnership activities involving a number of schools within a local area or network. The SLEA – Local recognises and rewards employability-focused partnerships organised at a wider local level by teachers, DYW officers or cluster leads.

For more information and details of how to apply, as well as the chance to read about our very first winners from Ayshire Chamber of Commerce and surrounding schools, visit the SLEA – Local webpage.

To find out more about how this fits in with the SLEA family, see the main SLEA award webpage.

And watch this space for the next family member, coming in 2024; the SLEA – Green!

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Oxford German Olympiad 2024

2 October 2023 (University of Oxford)

The 12th Oxford German Olympiad is now open!

This year's topic is: Kafkaesque Kreatures

The competition is all about animals - but from perspectives with a difference. The tasks take inspiration from the animal stories by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who gave the German and English languages the word kafkaesk / Kafkaesque to describe a weird, disturbing experience.

The competition is open to upper primary and secondary learners of German, with further categories for group or class entries as well as the Discover German Taster category for those with no prior experience of studying the language. 

Visit the Oxford German Olympiad website for full competition details and guidelines. Closing date for all entries is 7 March 2024.

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MTOT registration deadline approaching!

28 September 2023 (SCILT)

Schools in Scotland wishing to take part in this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition have until National Poetry Day on 5 October to register!

Visit our website to learn more about the competition and discover poetry resources to help you celebrate National Poetry Day in class as well as prepare for the MTOT competition.

It's the 10th anniversary year of MTOT in Scotland, so join in the celebration - visit our website and register your school now!

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European Day of Languages 2023 - Competition for schools

14 September 2023 (Global School Alliance)

Celebrated on 26 September every year, the European Day of Languages (EDL) is designed to promote the importance of language learning and protecting the linguistic heritage.

To get your pupils involved in this year's event, the Global School Alliance has launched a competition ‘For me, learning a language is…’ and are asking students to tell us what learning a language means to them. It is open to schools with students studying a European language worldwide and aims to showcase the magic and importance of language learning.

Visit the website to find out more and register your school. Deadline for entries is 3 October.

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Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2023-24

14 September 2023 (University of Oxford)

Organised by the Queen's Translation Exchange at the University of Oxford, the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators is a UK-wide creative translation competition for students aged 11-18 studying French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish. The competition also runs from French into Welsh.

The 2023-24 prize will launch on 20 September, when creative translation teaching packs will be shared with teachers in time for European Day of Languages on 26 September and International Translation Day on 30 September. These teaching packs are designed to help teachers bring creative translation into the MFL classroom as well as to help students prepare for the competition task.

The competition itself will run over several weeks from 5 February to 28 March 2024. Area and national winners will be announced in May or June 2023. They will receive certificates and national winners will receive book prizes. Over 15,000 students participated in the competition in 2023.  

For those registered, teaching packs for poetry translation will be circulated on 20 September, fiction will follow after October half term, and non-fiction will be released in early January. 

There are a number of related activities run by the Queen's Translation Exchange that teachers and pupils can participate in, details of which can be found on the Opportunities for Schools webpage.

Visit the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators website for more information and to register to receive resources and updates about the competition task. You can also see the list of winners and commendations for last year's competition.

If you have any further queries regarding the competition, you should contact the Translation Exchange team at translation.exchange@queens.ox.ac.uk.

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Scottish Languages Employability Award - Congratulations to our latest winners!

31 August 2023 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates innovation in schools delivering DYW through languages, encouraging school-business partnerships and recognising good practice in this area. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the importance of languages in their school community. 

Our most recent verification date in May 2023 saw 11 schools from 10 different local authorities collect an award. Projects covered a wide range of sectors and included links with football clubs, bakeries, travel agents and much more! Find out about each projects by clicking on the school names below.

Bronze

• Castlebrae Community Campus
• Larkhall Academy
• Wallace High School

Silver

• Loudoun Academy
• Milne's High School
• Montrose Academy
• Toryglen Primary School

Gold

• Bishopbriggs Academy (Platinum)
• Buckie Community High School
• Larbert High School
• St Peter the Apostle High School

The next verification date is 17 November 2023. Visit the SLEA pages of our website to find out how your schools can achieve an award, and keep an eye out in the SCILT e-bulletin for the launch of SLEA Local coming soon!

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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.

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Our World 2023-24

22 August 2023 (SEET)

Registration for the SEET’s Our World project 2023-24 is now open and totally free to enter! Just fill in this quick form to sign up your school: https://ourworldproject.wufoo.com/forms/z1fa1wdl0fdqs2a/

Our World is a language learning and global citizenship-based filmmaking project for S1 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Teams of 4 (S1 - S6) design a storyboard which outlines the film they propose to make. This year's films must include the use of a language other than English and should touch on the theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each team must choose at least one of the 17 SDGs to focus their film on.

SEET supports teachers and pupils throughout the whole process, starting with our introductory CLPL session for teachers on Tuesday 12 September 2023.

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

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Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2024 - 10 year anniversary!

18 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce that MTOT is back for 2024, and it’s an extra special year - MTOT celebrates its 10^th anniversary! 

Over the last decade the competition has evolved from written poems in the beginning, to now focussing on the spoken word. Hearing pupils share their voices and language skills helps bring their poetry to life, and we look forward to seeing what creative brilliance emerges from Scotland’s schools this year. In this 10th anniversary year, we are delighted and very excited to work with our partners at Instituto Cervantes to offer a special prize category for entries in Spanish, one of the most widely taught languages in Scotland’s schools.

So, if you have entered MTOT before, we’d love to welcome you back. If you are new to MTOT, what better year to join than our 10^th anniversary year? Our multilingual poetry competition is now open. Visit our MTOT page on the SCILT website for more information and register your school now.

MTOT is 10 years old – come join the celebration!

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The GCHQ National Language Competition 2023

8 August 2023 (GCHQ)

The 2023 GCHQ National Language Competition will run from Monday 6 November to Friday 10 November 2023.

The National Language Competition (NLC) is a virtual competition where teams from schools around the UK compete against each other to solve language-based puzzles and score points. The overall winners are then invited to GCHQ’s headquarters in Cheltenham to receive their trophy!

With the NLC, GCHQ aims to inspire language learning by encouraging students to discover their aptitude for learning languages.

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

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Scots Language Awards launch search for leid's 'heroes'

18 July 2023 (The National)

Nominations have opened for the 2023 Scots Language Awards, giving the public a chance to commend their personal Scots language heroes.

The awards ceremony will take place at Johnstone Town Hall, in partnership with Paisley.is, on Saturday, September 16, showcasing the best of Scots language and culture.

[..] The awards, which began in 2019, celebrate the importance of Scots language within arts and culture but also in daily life, education, and business. Nominations will close on Sunday 30 July.

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Clydebank school pupils praised after landing top award

6 July 2023 (Clydebank Post)

A Clydebank school was said to have 'impressed judges' on their way to picking up a top educational award for languages.

Pupils across three age groups at St Peter the Apostle High School were praised for their 'passion' for languages such as Gaelic and Spanish as they landed the Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT - Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools.

The recognition award - launched in 2019 -  was developed by SCILT as a way of delivering DYW (Developing the Young Workforce) through languages, encouraging school-business partnerships and recognising good practice in this area.

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MTOT 2022-23 and Voices of Hope

16 June 2023 (SCILT)

Finalists' work from this year's MTOT competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

As part of our Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition, SCILT received several entries from young Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine. We wanted the world to be able to access these wonderfully creative and emotive pieces of writing. Our Voices of Hope online exhibition, in partnership with AUGB, will be launched on 21 June as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2023 and will be available on SCILT's website following the launch event.

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Scottish Education Awards 2023 - Gaelic Education

8 June 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Congratulations to James Gillespie's High School, winners of the Gaelic Education Award at this year's Scottish Education Awards held on 7 June.

Well done too to Goodlyburn Primary and Dunoon Grammar for making the final shortlist.

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

6 June 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and submission guidelines.

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Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 - Winner announced!

5 June 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to St Luke’s High School, East Renfrewshire, on winning SCILT's Espacios Increíbles competition 2022-23.

The winner was announced at the final, held online on Wednesday 24 May 2023. A superb effort was made by all six finalist schools (Alva Academy, Dunblane High, Perth Academy, Prestwick Academy, St Andrew’s & St Bride’s High School as well as St Luke’s High School); competition was stiff and the judging panel had a very difficult decision to make.

The interdisciplinary competition for S2-S3 combines Spanish with art, design and technology. Pupils design an amazing space and present their work in Spanish.

St Luke’s High School came out top with their innovative design for a space for quiet reflection and relaxation in the courtyard of Santo Domingo Church in Lima, Peru. Their design was inspired by San Martín de Porres, who is the Patron Saint of Racial Equality, and is buried there.

They clearly demonstrated how they had worked collaboratively, drawing on art, design and Spanish skills to create a feasible and sustainable design which connected well to the local environment and linked to their school.

The other five finalist schools also did an amazing job, with a variety of creative designs meeting the brief for a sustainable space for health and wellbeing including a water tower providing clean drinking water, a library and coffee shop, a hot air balloon raising awareness of climate change, a cube promoting biodiversity and a health centre for the poor.  

All the finalists enjoyed the final and the opportunity to present their designs to a live audience, hear from inspiring guest speakers who spoke about their work in architecture and the opportunities that learning Spanish had given them, and take part in some fun games that tested their Spanish. Congratulations to all our teams for Espacios Increíbles 2023!

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.

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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.

SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

19 May 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

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Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 May 2023 (Scots Language Centre)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scots Language Centre website for more information and submission guidelines.

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Words for the World winning entries now online!

19 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations again to everyone who took part in our recent Words for the World competition.

Following the awards ceremony on 25 April, and the announcement of the winners’ names, we are now delighted to be able to publish the winning, highly commended and other finalist entries in each category. We are sure that you will be impressed by the fantastic linguistic diversity, creativity and passion that all the finalists show. Well done everyone!

At the awards ceremony we were delighted to be able to share a personal video message from Len Pennie, the well-known Scottish poet and Scots language and mental health advocate, which spoke of the huge difference that all of our words can make; watch her video and be inspired!

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Stephen Spender Prize 2023

12 May 2023 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The Stephen Spender Prize has now launched! It is the leading annual prize for poetry in translation, with categories for pupils, teachers and individual young people in the UK and Ireland, as well as an Open category for adults from all over the world. The rules are simple: translate into English any poem from any language – from French to Farsi, from Spanish to Somali—and win publication and cash prizes! 

There are some changes for the 2023 edition, including a spotlight on poetry from Ukraine.

Visit the Stephen Spender Prize website for further information and to register to take part.

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Words for the World - Winners announced!

4 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Words for the World competition.

We had a very high standard of entries submitted in a range of formats and different languages. Our young people here in Scotland demonstrated a wealth of linguistic diversity, creativity and immense passion for protecting our planet, our humanity and creating a brighter future for us all.  We were truly humbled and inspired by their work and they should all be incredibly proud of their achievements.

Judging proved exceptionally difficult, but we were delighted to announce the winning entries at an online awards event held last week to celebrate Earth Day. Well done again to the following who were successful in their respective categories and thank you to every pupil who participated in the competition. 

P1-P4

• Winner – Libby Gow, Goodlyburn Primary
• Highly commended – Jamie Rettie, Goodlyburn Primary

P5-P7

• Winner – Sophia Chan, ESMS Junior School
• Highly commended – Halima Jemal, Toryglen Primary
• Highly commended – Leena Valluri, Goodlyburn Primary

S1-S3

• Winner - Deepak Krisna Kumaar, Craigmount High 
• Highly commended – 1W & 1Q class entry, Holy Rood RC High
• Highly commended – Rory Turner, Portree High

S4-S6

• Winner - Dianna-Liza Boychuk, Craigmount High
• Highly commended - Wessam Kawarit, Craigmount High 

Winners and highly commended entrants will receive a book token and certificate and have their work showcased on the SCILT website in due course, whilst all participants will receive a certificate in recognition of their hard work.

You can find out more about the competition on our Words for the World webpage.

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Caitlin learned Ukrainian to welcome her friend to Monifieth High – and won poetry competition

4 May 2023 (Dundee Courier)

When Caitlin Anderson, 14, was asked to look after a Ukrainian refugee joining her school it was the start of a special friendship.

As Caitlin helped Veronika Raziievska, also 14, improve her English and settle into her new surroundings, she decided she should make the effort to learn her language.

And as well as making Veronika’s new life at Monifieth High School a little easier, that resulted in Caitlin winning a national competition for a poem she subsequently wrote in Ukrainian.

When she entered the Mother Tongue Other Tongue contest, Caitlin told Veronika’s story to raise awareness of what she and other refugees had endured as a result of the war in Ukraine.

We met the S2 pupils to hear about their friendship and how that resulted in Caitlin’s award-winning poem.

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Proposed Ambassador Award

24 April 2023 (SCQF)

As part of our continuous review of the SCQF School Ambassador programme, we are investigating the possibility of a new ‘Ambassador’ award that schools could use to gain some formal recognition for young people involved as pupil ambassadors.

The proposed award would be flexible to allow pupils involved in any ambassador programme to take part, meaning that those involved in MyWOW, Young STEM leaders, or any other programmes could gain an SQA award too.

To progress with the idea, SQA would like to gauge interest within schools and we can go from there. 

If you have a Language Ambassador Programme in your school, this could be an ideal way to award participants.

Visit the SCQF website for more information and to register your school's interest in the initiative.

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Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars

18 April 2023 (Scottish Poetry Library)

The Scottish Poetry Library seeks submissions to its talent development scheme for poetry writers aged 16 to 25 years. We are looking for poets and poetry that are unique, imaginative and bold – a lot like Scotland itself.

We will select five young makars in total: four poets writing in English or Scots, and a writer in Scottish Gaelic. A bursary of £500 will be made available to each poet to support their engagement with the programme.

Visit the Scottish Poetry Library website for more information and submit applications by 28 April 2023.

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Young Language Learner Award 2023

18 April 2023 (b small publishing)

The b small Young Language Learner Award is an exciting story-writing opportunity aimed at 6-11 year olds. Children are encouraged to send in a story or comic written in a language of their choice, other than a mother tongue, with the chance of winning up to 10 books of their choice from the b small website.

Visit the website for more information and to register for the competition entry pack. Entries close 5 June 2023.

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SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

18 April 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

Read more...

Stephen Spender Prize 2023

30 March 2023 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The Stephen Spender Prize for poetry translation is open to all ages. This year’s prize will launch on 12 May 2023, but teachers are invited to register to involve their students now. All those who register will receive regular resources and activities to help them to integrate creative translation into their teaching.

The rules are simple: translate into English any poem from any language.

This year sees several new categories in the competition, including a special spotlight on poetry from Ukraine.

Visit the website for more information and to sign-up to take part.

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Scotland's Stories

30 March 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scotland's Stories is an annual writing project which aims to encourage all types of people to share their experiences. Every year there's a different theme to help people write about their lives, their way. The theme for 2023 is Adventure.

This project is for everyone, even if you've never written before Scottish Book Trust would like to hear from you. 

Entries can be in any format – a story, poem, comic strip, play or letter. Video and audio entries are also accepted.

Entries are welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information.

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'The Languages Local to You' photography competition 2023

28 March 2023 (University of Exeter)

To celebrate the UK's cultural diversity, the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies at the University of Exeter are inviting secondary pupils (aged 11-16) to take a photo showing languages other than English in their local area - shop signs, bilingual street signs, film posters, advertisements and so on. Provide a brief caption, describing why and how the language is used in your chosen photograph (up to 100 words).

Schools can select up to three entries to submit to the competition.

The top 30 entries will feature in an exhibition touring Exeter, London, and Sheffield. And there are prizes up for grabs too!

Visit the website for full competition details and how to enter by 28 April 2023.

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Kirkcaldy pupils celebrate success in national poetry competition

18 March 2023 (Fife Today)

Pupils from Valley Primary School, Kirkcaldy, have been celebrating their success in a National Poetry Competition, Mother Tongue Other Tongue.

Six P7 pupils wrote original poems in their first language to showcase and celebrate the many languages spoken at Valley Primary School.

As well as entering the competition they also shared their poems at school along with pupils reciting a range of Scots poetry.

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Schools’ Essay Competition 2023

17 March 2023 (Cambridge Language Collective)

The Cambridge Language Collective is delighted to be opening its third annual Schools’ Essay Competition. Following the spirit of the publication’s own personal objective, to ‘broaden horizons beyond the Anglophone world’, the essay competition encourages students from years 10 to 13 (S4-S6 in Scotland) to write about the art & culture, or politics & society, of a non-Anglophone country.

Visit the website for more information and submit entries by 5 April 2023.

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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!

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DAAD/ILCS German Language Competition 2023

16 March 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

Roads not taken

Oder: Es hätte auch anders kommen können.

Calling all learners and lovers of German in the UK and Ireland! We invite you to look back at turning points from the past century of German – and therefore also European – history. Write a letter or diary entry imagining alternative developments and win one of three trips to Berlin and other exciting prizes!

The competition is open to learners and lovers of German of ALL levels! Jury members will be considering entries in several categories of language experience to ensure a fair assessment!

Exercises and recommended media to help students familiarise themselves with the theme of the competition are available to teachers and lecturers.

Visit the website for more information and submit entries by 3 May 2023.

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Inviting nominations for the German Teacher Award 2023

6 March 2023 (German Embassy)

If you know a truly outstanding German language teacher at your primary or secondary school – make sure that their dedication and excellence get the recognition they deserve!

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in London is pleased to invite nominations for the annual German Teacher Award, now in its 20th successful year. The winners of the Award will be announced in summer, they will receive a personal prize and a certificate.

Please note that only headteachers or heads of languages can nominate the German language teacher; unfortunately applications by German language teachers submitted by themselves and applications submitted by pupils cannot be accepted.

Visit the website for more information and submit nominations by 23 April 2023.

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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.

MTOT 2022-23 - Winners announced!

24 February 2023 (SCILT)

Pupils, teachers and special guests joined us online on 21 February to hear the winners of this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition. The date chosen for the event was significant being International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate all world languages.

We are delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Sofia Poliakova	West Primary	Russian
	Highly commended	Jiya Srikanth	West Primary	Tamil
P5-P7	Winner	Ariana Misankova	West Primary	Slovakian
	Highly commended	Arina Fomenko	Williamsburgh PS	Russian-Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Nikola Arimovica	Valley Primary	Russian
	Highly commended	Misha Levdykov	Kilbarchan Primary	Russian-Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Shadan Alousy	Bishopbriggs Academy	Arabic
	Highly commended	Eve Joshi	Bearsden Academy	Danish
	Highly commended	Lynn Januschke	Madras College	German
	Highly commended	Michaela Mileva	St Joseph’s Academy	Bulgarian
S4-S6	Winner	Oleksandra Lotytska	Rosshall Academy	Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Lucia d’Alessio	Bishopbriggs Academy	Italian
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Mabel Sainsbury	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	P1 Class	Canaan Lane Primary	French
P5-P7	Winner	Kathryn Morley	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Giles Leigh	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Masha Naumenko	Thorn Primary	Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Caitlin Anderson	Monifieth High	Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Laila Strokosch	Mearns Castle High	French
	Highly commended	Molly Innes	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Zach Bartlett	Madras College	French
S4-S6	Winner	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	French
	Highly commended	Aiman Mohammad	Renfrew High	French
	Highly commended	Aimee Carroll	Mintlaw Academy	German
	Highly commended	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	Spanish
	Highly commended	Roux Scott	Loudoun Academy	Spanish

 

All our finalists will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also be offered the chance for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

This year we were also delighted to host a special strand of the competition focusing on Ukrainian languages. The winning entries in this category were:

• Primary – Arina Fomenko, Williamsburgh Primary
• Secondary – Dianna-Liza Boyckuk, Craigmount High

Teachers with students who entered in this category will be contacted separately regarding their awards.

It is our intention to host each of the finalists’ poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

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.

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Write a story featuring a fox

2 February 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Each month the Scottish Book Trust runs a writing competition providing a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you. The competition includes four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5–11 and young writers 12–18. 

This month's stories must include a fox and be no longer than 50 words. Visit the Scottish Book Trust website to enter by 28 February.

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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. 

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JaLaChamp 2023!

2 February 2023 (Japan Foundation)

Applications are now open for the Japan Foundation's new event, The Japanese Language Championship for Young Learners UK – also known as… JaLaChamp! JaLaChamp is a contest for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese, and consists of two categories: a speech category, and a video category where students are asked to create an original video.

Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information.

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Scottish Education Awards 2023

31 January 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Nominations are now open for this year's Scottish Education Awards.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

There are several award categories, including the award for Gaelic Education.

Visit the website for more information and submit nominations by 24 February 2023.

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Oxford German Olympiad 2023 - Round 2

24 January 2023 (Oxford German Network)

Round 2 of the Oxford German Olympiad 2023 is now open for entries. Round 1 and Round 2 are separate competitions. You may enter both, but do not need to have entered Round 1 in order to enter Round 2.

The competition is open to secondary students with a choice of two tasks for different age categories in the second round:

• TASK 1: Oxford German Network Essay or Video Task (ages 13-17)
• TASK 2: The White Rose Project: Creative translation (ages 16-18)

Visit the competition website for full details and submit entries by 12 noon on 9 March 2023.

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Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 January 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Are you someone with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? We're looking for our next Scots writer of the year.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes. Open to Scots writers aged 11-18. Enter by 21 June 2023.

Read more...

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.

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UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) 2023

10 January 2023 (UKLO)

UKLO is a language-analysis competition for all ages. We create linguistics puzzles and run competitions for school children to encourage a lifelong interest in the world’s languages. The highest scoring students proceed through a couple more rounds of testing and coaching before we present them for the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) where they compete against other countries. 

The competition is offered at four levels of difficulty for KS2 – KS5, and provides Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, as well as participation certificates, at each level.

Interested in taking part? Visit the UKLO website to find out more and to register.

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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.

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: 27 January 2023.

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

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Arabic Speaking Competition 2023

15 December 2022 (British Council)

The British Council and QFI invite students to showcase their talents in the Arabic language at our 2023 Arabic Speaking Competition. The competition aims to:

• Raise the profile of Arabic as a modern world language
• Increase student’s motivation for learning Arabic
• Develop vocabulary and improve pronunciation and speaking skills
• Raise confidence for oral examinations
• Inspire students to discover more about Arab cultures
• To celebrate the skills of young people who are studying Arabic language 

Students will participate virtually and be judged by a panel of fluent Arabic speakers. 

Visit the British Council website for full guidance and to register participants by 16 January 2023.

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Lesley Duncan: You can help the Scots language thrive

11 December 2022 (The Herald)

The Herald has long backed Scottish writers, whether writing in Scots or 'standard' English. In recent years, young Scots poet and Herald columnist Len Pennie has popularised the language via her online Scots Word of the Day. And, of course, we run a Scots Word of the Week each Saturday from our friends at the Dictionaries of the Scots Language.

So we are delighted to get behind annual McCash Scots Poetry Competition, run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University.

The contest celebrates our traditional language in all its forms, and aims to support it. This year a first prize of £200 and three runner-up prizes of £100 are to be won. Poets can submit material on any theme of their choice.

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CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2023

8 December 2022 (CISS)

CISS is delighted to announce a poster competition for primary schools to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Rabbit!

Deadline for entries: Friday 13 January 2023

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY - entries submitted by email will not be accepted.

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland.

DETAILS:

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit!

Entries will be judged against the criteria below. Please submit a high quality photo or scan of each entry.

Please make sure posters include:

• The rabbit
• Mandarin Chinese language/characters
• The year 2023

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, and the poster will be used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card!

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.

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Scottish Gaelic Awards 2023

22 November 2022 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

Nominations for the 2023 Scottish Gaelic Awards are now open!

The Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

Visit the website for more information on the award categories and submit nominations by 8 January 2023.

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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.

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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.

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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

Königspost German Writing Competition

20 October 2022 (King's College London)

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at King’s College London is delighted to announce this year’s German writing competition for students in Year 12 or 13 (S5 or S6 in Scotland).

The competition invites students to submit an original piece of writing in German on the topic 'Wie bewältigen wir die Klimakrise?'

Entries should be 400-450 words in length and written in German.

Visit the website for more information and submit entries by 23 November 2022.

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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.

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.

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FilmG competitions 2022

6 October 2022 (FilmG)

FilmG is an annual Gaelic short film festival which aims to foster and develop new talent for Gaelic media. Now in its 15th edition, the FilmG festival is this year offering two competitions, both focusing on this year's theme 'Buidhe (Yellow)'. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

• FilmG Festival Youth Competition - under 18s create a Gaelic film under 5 minutes which is yellow in any way possible. Submit by 9 December 2022.
• Film G Festival Open Competition - strand for ages 18+
• 10 Seconds of Yellow - young people aged 13+ produce a 10-second video that creatively uses the colour yellow. Submit by 21 October 2022.

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.

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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.

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Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition

29 September 2022 (SCILT)

A reminder that schools interested in taking part in this year’s MTOT competition have until 6 October (National Poetry Day) to register. The competition provides a great opportunity for all pupils in Scotland P1-S6 to get creative with a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). Students can even enter in both categories!

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Oxford German Olympiad 2023

26 September 2022 (Oxford German Network)

The Oxford German Olympiad 2023 is now open for entries! It was launched 26 September 2022, the European Day of Languages.

This year's topic: KOCHKUNST - BACKLUST - ESSKULTUR (The Art of Cooking, Joy of Baking and Culture of Eating).

The competition is open to primary and secondary learners of German, with further categories for group or class entries as well as those with no prior experience of studying the language. So there's something for everyone!

Visit the Oxford German Olympiad website for full competition details and guidelines. Closing date for all entries is Thursday 9 March 2023, at 12 noon.

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British Council International School Award

22 September 2022 (British Council)

Is your school looking to apply for British Council International School Award Accreditation/Reaccreditation? Free webinars are taking place in October and November to support schools with their applications. 

Visit the website to find out more and book your place.

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The Ramshorn Time Capsule competition 2022 – Winners announced!

22 September 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT and CISS presented a poster competition aimed at S2-S3 learners, to design the contents of their own time capsule – past or present – to join in with the celebration of Glasgow Doors Open Day 2022.

Secondary learners from across Scotland took part in the competition which provided a fantastic opportunity to share their cultural heritage, demonstrate their creativity, and showcase their language skills, both learned at school and used at home.

Congratulations to our winners, Abby Slack, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘past’ category and to Emerald Li, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘present’ category.

They were awarded with a £30 voucher and their work was featured in The Ramshorn exhibition as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival on 16 and 17 September 2022. Well done to everyone who took part in this competition, the judging panel were impressed by all entries received and hope that you will participate again next year!

Find out more about the competition on our website.

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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. 

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Vote now as Scots language award nominees published ahead of Dundee awards event

6 September 2022 (The Courier)

Scotland’s traditional culture music and arts organisation Hands Up For Trad have published the public’s nominees for 2022’s top Scots language champions.

The public now have until Sunday September 18 to see who’s set to take home the ultimate award in the sparkling ceremony on Saturday September 24.

Scots culture and language will be celebrated at Dundee’s Gardyne Theatre alongside performers including live music from Bath Malcom, Robyn Stapleton, poet Hamish MacDonald, and comedian Bruce Fummey.

The awards have recognised local heroes and teachers alongside well known celebrities such as comedian Janey Godley and singer Iona Fyfe.

All 12 prizes, plus the prestigious Janet Paisley Services to Scots Award, will be presented by social media star and poet Len Pennie and broadcaster and columnist Alistair Heather, and live streamed to international audiences.

Simon Thoumire of organisers Hands Up For Trad said: “I’m thrilled by the growth of our ongoing campaign for Scots Language, to be holding our live event in Dundee again, a community which has supported the campaign from day one, and at the calibre of this year’s brilliant nominees for the 2022’s Scots Language Awards.”

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MTOT is back for 2022-23!

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the return of Mother Tongue Other Tongue, our multilingual poetry competition!

MTOT gives young people of all ages P1 – S6 the opportunity to showcase their language skills and creative talent. Over the years this competition has uncovered a wealth of talented young linguists: they have created songs, rhymes and poems that are unique, funny, clever, emotive and moving. Young people are asked to create an original poem/song/rap in a language other than English:  this can be a language spoken at home, or a language they are learning at school. To enter, the poem should be recorded (audio or video) and sent to us along with a completed entry form. 

Winning entries will receive a range of prizes, including the opportunity to have their poem included in the UK National Children’s Poetry Archive, as well as featuring in a dedicated episode of the international Kids Poetry Club podcast. This year we are highlighting the Ukrainian language, with a special prize on offer for entries from Ukrainian speakers.

Schools are invited to register interest by 6 October 2022 (National Poetry Day). Visit the MTOT webpage for more information.

We look forward to seeing another generation of young poets find their voice!

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Espacios Increíbles 2022-23

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

After the success last session of Espacios Increíbles, our inter-disciplinary learning competition combining Spanish and design, we're delighted to announce Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 is back! After last year’s hotly contested final, we know our previous competitors are keen to take part again this year and try to claim the Espacios Increíbles crown from Kinross High School but we’d like to up the stakes even more and get more schools involved. Any school from across Scotland can take part in this national competition, aimed at S2 and S3 learners of Spanish.

The Espacios Increíbles webpage has been updated with information on previous events and winners along with videos featuring some of our guest speakers at the final. Take a look to see what they had to say about their languages experience, find out more about this year's competition and register your interest in taking part. 

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Our World 2022-23

23 August 2022 (SEET)

Our World, the languages and citizenship based filmmaking project for secondary school pupils, is now open for registration!

SEET staff are now offering a CLPL session for teachers to help them feel more confident in taking on Our World with their class. They also offer online school visits for schools who are interested in taking part. These are aimed at pupils participating in the project.

Visit the Our World website for full details.

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Buckie High kids speak language of success!

4 July 2022 (Northern Scot)

Buckie High's partnership with a major local employer has seen them scoop a prestigious national award.

For the past six years, BCHS has been working closely with Associated Seafoods Ltd (ASL), who export their salmon and other products across the globe. One of the many benefits accruing from the partnership has been the opportunity to use and expand a range of languages.

Most recently, the school and ASL were able to resume the S1 seafood project, which brought together a whole host of skills.

The hard work has brought its own rewards in that shape of a silver Scottish Languages Employability Award.

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Scotland’s Young Makars

16 June 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scotland’s Young Makars is a creative writing project for young poets of secondary school age in Scotland. It aims to enable young people to write, understand and engage with poetry in a wide variety of styles and forms.

The project offers free online poetry workshops and mentoring, culminating in six young makars reading their work on stage at Stanza in March 2023.

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

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Stephen Spender Prize 2022

9 June 2022 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual competition for poetry in translation, with categories for young people (14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 18-and-under) as well as an open category for adults. All entrants must be UK or Irish citizens or residents, or pupils at a British School overseas. Translate into English any poem from any language – ranging from Arabic to Uzbek, from Danish to Somali—and win cash prizes! 

Spotlight prize

Our Spotlight Prize encourages young people to engage with community languages. Our focus for 2022 is Romanian.

Open for entries from 4 May until midnight on Friday 15 July, visit the competition website for more details on how to enter, to meet the judges, and to explore the different prize categories!

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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.

Espacios Increíbles 2022 – Winners announced!

27 May 2022 (SCILT)

Congratulations to Kinross High, Perth & Kinross, on winning SCILT's Espacios Increíbles competition 2021-22.

The winner was announced at the final, held online on Wednesday 25 May 2022. A superb effort was made by all six finalist schools (Alva Academy, Bathgate Academy, Dunblane High, Grange Academy, Wallace High, as well as Kinross High); competition was stiff and judges had a very difficult decision to make.

The interdisciplinary competition for S2-S3 combines Spanish with art, design and technology. Pupils design an amazing space and present their work in Spanish. 

Kinross High came out top with their innovative design for a veterans’ rehabilitation centre in Bolivia. Their design was based on the work of Bolivian architect Freddie Mamani and took as inspiration the colours of the Bolivia Flag: red, green and yellow. The team showed great creativity and presentation skills, with fantastic delivery in Spanish. They clearly demonstrated how they had worked collaboratively, drawing on art, design and Spanish skills to create an innovative and sustainable design.

The other five schools did an amazing job, with a mental health space on a bus, a children's library on a boat, an eco-tourism hotel, underwater art gallery and a UFO-inspired observatory on Robinson Crusoe Island.

More information on this year's final will be on the SCILT website soon as well as details of how your school can enter next year's competition.

The Children's Poetry Archive: Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2022

25 May 2022 (The Children's Poetry Archive)

The Children’s Poetry Archive is a place where you can listen to poems read out loud. There are poems read by the poets who wrote them as well as poems which other people have recorded.

SCILT is delighted that The Children's Poetry Archive has uploaded a collection of the winners of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition. Why not listen to the winning poems on the Archive's website?

Read more...

Babel Young Writers' Competition 2022

9 May 2022 (Babel Magazine)

This year's competition for a young linguist to be published in Babel and win a year's subscription is now open!

Guidelines below:

• Deadline: Wednesday 31 August 2022
• Length: No more than 2,500 words
• Topic: Any topic to do with languages and linguistics – accessible and interesting for Babel readers
• Format: Word file
• Submission: Email to babelthelanguagemagazine@gmail.com

Examples of former winning entries can be found on the Babel website.

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West Lothian students show they have gift of the gab in language comp

5 May 2022 (Daily Record)

Three high school students from Linlithgow Academy were declared West Lothian’s ‘Languagenut champions’ - awarded by a national language learning resource company.

The language education company, Languagenut, ran the competition regionally in both Glasgow and West Lothian throughout the month of March.

The Languagenut resource is accessible to students via an app or website, and supports young people in learning a modern language.

Read more...

Stephen Spender Prize 2022

4 May 2022 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual competition for poetry in translation, with categories for young people (14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 18-and-under) as well as an open category for adults. All entrants must be UK or Irish citizens or residents, or pupils at a British School overseas. Translate into English any poem from any language – ranging from Arabic to Uzbek, from Danish to Somali—and win cash prizes!

Open for entries from 4 May until midnight on Friday 15 July, visit the competition website for more details on how to enter, to meet the judges, and to explore the different prize categories!

Read more...

Best UK student of Spanish 2022

3 May 2022 (Consejería de Educación)

Do you have any exceptional S6 students of Spanish in your school? Why not nominate them for this year's Best Spanish Student in the UK award? There's still time to submit nominations as the deadline is 15 May 2022. 

The award consists of a three-day trip (two nights) to Castilla y León for two people, including transport, accommodation and meals.

Visit the website to check the nomination criteria and submit nominees.

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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.

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Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline 20 May!

21 April 2022 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates innovation by schools in promoting languages and employability together through partnerships with businesses, public bodies and third sector organisations. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the importance of languages in their school community. 

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 20 May 2022. 

In January 2022 Musselburgh Grammar School won a bronze award for their 'S3 Life with Languages' careers event. Read about their impressive submission, watch videos from previous winners and access the full award guidelines on our website.

Due to ongoing restrictions, online events and activities will be accepted as evidence towards the award.

If you have any questions about the award or the submission process please contact SCILT. 

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Writing projects and competitions

19 April 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

The Scottish Book Trust currently has open projects and competitions for aspiring writers! Follow the relevant link below to find out more about each one:

• Young Scots Writer of the Year Award - Open to ages 11-18. Writing should be in Scots, whether you write a story, poem, play, song or make a short video.
• Your Stories: Scotland's Stories - Category for under-16s as well as adults. Write about real life experiences. Entries can be in any form you like – a story, poem, comic strip, play, video, audio file, or letter. Entries welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.

Both competitions have deadlines in June 2022.

If you need some inspiration, try some of the creative tasks on the StoryCon webpage. StoryCon is Scotland's biggest creative writing and illustration conference for young people which returned in March this year. Recordings of events are available online for a limited time.

MTOT 2021-22 - Finalist poems now online!

1 April 2022 (SCILT)

We're delighted to announce the entries from all the finalists of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

For the first time judges awarded some special commendations for entries which very narrowly missed making the final shortlist and we have some of these also available online.

We hope many of you will be inspired to take part when the 2022-23 edition launches in the Autumn!

Read more...

German Teacher Award 2022

14 March 2022 (German Embassy)

If you know a truly outstanding German language teacher at your primary or secondary school – make sure that their dedication and excellence get the recognition they deserve!

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in London is pleased to invite nominations for the annual German Teacher Award, now in its 19th successful year. The winners of the Award will be announced in summer, they will receive a personal prize and a certificate.

Please note that headteachers must nominate the German language teacher; unfortunately applications by German language teachers submitted by themselves and applications submitted by pupils cannot be accepted.

Visit the website for more information and submit nominations by 30 April 2022.

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"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.

Register now to receive the quiz on 20 March and get onboard to try to win exciting prizes!

Read more...

How to Talk About Migrations? A competition for primary and secondary Scottish schools

4 March 2022 (Migration in Education)

We invite pupils and teachers to participate in this exciting competition that explores how we teach and learn about migration — creatively and with empathy. We live in a world that sees many people on the move, and our pupils may have been part of these experiences themselves. In schools, migration may make the topic of creative projects and classroom activities — a unique opportunity for pupils to learn from each other and about each other.

Through this competition, we want to bring forward the best and most creative ideas on teaching and learning about migrations in Scottish schools. We would like to hear about your teaching activities/practices and/or activities that may enable conversations about migration in schools – from language learning, literature, history, to personal experiences. The competition aims to acknowledge and make visible the cultural and linguistic diversity of Scottish primary and secondary schools. The purpose of this competition is to explore how to raise awareness and learn about migration, and move conversations beyond narrow and often negative stereotypes. We advocate and understand migration as a multifaceted and omnipresent fact of life, and hope that the submissions for this competition will reflect this vision.

Visit the competition webpage for more information and submit entries by 25 April 2022.

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Best Spanish student award

2 March 2022 (Consejería de Educación)

The Spanish Embassy Education Office is delighted to announce the call for nominations towards the Best Spanish student award 9th edition (for S6 students, in the case of Scotland).

If you have any students in your school who meet the criteria and that you would like to nominate for the award, check the information on the website. 

The award consists of a three-day trip (two nights) to Castilla y León for two people, including transport, accommodation and meals.

Deadline for submitting nominations: 15th of May 2022.

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Paisley primary celebrates different pupils' cultures as part of poetry project

26 February 2022 (Daily Record)

Youngsters at a Paisley Primary school have been celebrating the many different cultures of pupils by taking part in a top poetry competition which celebrates different languages from across the globe.

Three pupils from West Primary were selected for the final of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, which encourages children to share their experiences of their families culture and traditions in their families.

Sabina Rodrigues De La Rosa, Tanazzal Shah and Sabihah Tubasem were picked by judges for their poems written about their home countries which the school used to help teach their classmates about the variety of cultures within the school.

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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. 

Read more...

MTOT 2021-22 - Winners announced!

21 February 2022 (SCILT)

Our awards event to announce the winning entries from this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition was held online today, to coincide with International Mother Language Day. It was a great celebration of the languages being spoken and learned in Scotland and we're delighted to announce the winners and highly commended runners-up in each category as follows:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Simon Cronje	Netherlee PS	Afrikaans
	Highly commended	Fabian Choromanski	Gallowhill PS	Polish
P5-P7	Winner	Sabihah Tubasem	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Lovelyn Asare	St Catherine’s PS	Italian
	Highly commended	Sabina Rodrigues da Rosa	West Primary	Brazilian Portuguese
	Highly commended	Tanazzal Shah	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Zamin Amjad Sheikh	Netherlee PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Melice Monga Lubengi	Lourdes Secondary	French
	Highly commended	Marcel Zuk & Oskar Kolodziej	St Thomas of Aquin’s	Polish
	Highly commended	Helen Joseph	Lourdes Secondary	Malaylam
	Highly commended	Sarah Alradi	Craigmount High	Arabic
S4-S6	Winner	Regina Wyllie	Loudoun Academy	Bulgarian
	Highly commended	Camran Kouhy	Madras College	Farsi
	Highly commended	Wiktoria Sapko	St Andrew’s Secondary	Polish
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Hayley Cowe	Westhill PS	Doric
	Highly commended	P2 Class	Newcraighall PS	Spanish
P5-P7	Winner	Lucia Conetta	Glasgow Academy	French
	Highly commended	Malaika Ali	Golfhill PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Grace Ross	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Deepak Kumaar	Craigmount High	French & German
	Highly commended	Caitlin Fraser	Arran High	French
S4-S6	Winner	Brooklynn Faichnie	Aboyne Academy	French, Spanish & Italian
	Highly commended	Iona Kellas	Aboyne Academy	Latin
	Highly commended	Charlotte Reynolds	Aboyne Academy	Russian

 

All pupils will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy as well as the opportunity for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward. This year also saw a special award sponsored by the Dictionaries of the Scots Language for entries in Scots, which was awarded to Hayley Cowe, our P1-P4 Other Tongue winner!

It is our intention to host each of these poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

10th Anniversary Gift Design Competition

8 February 2022 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022. To celebrate this milestone CISS is launching an interdisciplinary competition for secondary students across the nation to showcase their business, design and language skills.

We have set two categories which students can choose from and encourage school departments - be that business, design technology or languages - to support and encourage interested students as they develop their pitch.

See the attached flyer and visit the competition webpage for more information. Submit entries by 27 May 2022.

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JaViChamp - Japanese Video Championship for Young Learners UK

1 February 2022 (Japan Foundation)

This is a brand-new event for primary and secondary school students studying Japanese in the UK organised by the Japan Foundation, London.

The world is currently changing very quickly. Technology is advancing, and nowadays if you have a computer or a smartphone you can send a message to anyone in the world. In a time like this, we should always have the following questions in our mind: “What message do I want to convey and how?” It is important for us to deliver messages clearly and easily for others to understand.

This event is a contest for young Japanese learners in the UK to use their Japanese and make a video on a topic provided. You can apply individually or as part of a group.

Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and apply to take part by 3 May 2022.

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Competition: Around the World with Stamps 2022

1 February 2022 (StampIT)

Create a written or video presentation linked to postage stamps. Open to ages 5-15 worldwide. Choose a stamp that inspires you and find out about the person, place, animal or object on the stamp. We encourage you to include some elements in a second language to your own. 

Winners in each age group receive Amazon, equivalent e-vouchers or goods to the value of £40 for the winner and £20 for second place. 

Full details on the attached flyer and more information along with previous winning entries on the StampIT website. Entry deadline: 8 April 2022.

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Prismatic Jane Eyre translation competition

31 January 2022 (Creative Multilingualism)

The Prismatic Jane Eyre Schools Project and the Stephen Spender Trust are running a translation competition which celebrates all languages spoken in homes and taught in schools across the UK.

Entrants are asked to produce a poem in another language inspired by a selected passage from Jane Eyre. The competition accepts submissions in any language from learners in Key Stages 3-5/S1-6. Up to 100 entries to the competition will be published in a printed anthology, which will also be made available online.

The competition is not designed to be a test of grammar or vocabulary, but how students can reimagine the selected passage from Jane Eyre in a different language and through a new form. The deadline for entries to the competition is 1 March 2022.

The competition guidelines, support materials and selected passages are available on the Prismatic Jane Eyre competition website.

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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.

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Goethe-Institut opportunities for schools

27 January 2022 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut offers a range of activities for teachers and learners of German. Click on the relevant link below to find out more about their latest opportunities:

• The Young Goethe Scheme - offers primary and secondary school German teachers in the UK the opportunity to invite university and A-Level students of German into their classrooms to inspire and motivate younger students to continue with German at GCSE and beyond. 
• Instagram Music Competition - this competition is aimed at young musicians who have a piece of music by a German composer or artist that they love to play. No knowledge of German is necessary to apply, and we encourage your music departments at school to get involved! Entry deadline 25 February 2022.

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.

Read more...

Scottish Education Awards 2022

20 January 2022 (Scottish Education Awards)

The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

Nominations in each of the award categories, which includes the Gaelic Education Award, are now invited.

Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and submit nominees by 23 February 2022.

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Express Yourself 2022 - Celebrating Speaking

14 January 2022 (ALL/British Council)

In 2021, with COVID-19 having had an impact on almost all areas of education but most acutely that of the teaching and learning of MFL, ALL, the British Council and cultural institutes in the United Kingdom combined efforts to devise an exciting event entitled ‘Express Yourself’. This was an opportunity to showcase language learners’ enjoyment of, and commitment to, a language that they are learning, or that is used in their home community (except for English!). We are repeating this in February 2022, in preparation for Spring where we practise and celebrate a language you are learning, or use in your community, and take part in a virtual festival of speaking!

Individuals or groups are invited to prepare and record a short poem, presentation, sketch or dialogue in the target language and share on social media by 28 February 2022.

Full details can be found in the ALLNet E-bulletin Special.

Read more...

DAAD German Language Competition 2022

13 January 2022 (DAAD UK)

This year's German Language Competition from the DAAD London and the Institute of Modern Languages Research, University of London focuses on coming together, celebrating friendship and collaboration between people, countries and institutions beyond borders and across cultures. 

The competition therefore asks entrants to explore what does Zusammen – Together Across Cultures mean for you? Submissions can be about friendship across borders or about initiatives across cultures within the German-speaking countries; perhaps imagine a future without borders altogether? We invite you to write a story, a poem or a song, make a video or podcast, draw a comic or cartoon, choose any form you like – in written or spoken German. Entry categories available for learners or native speakers.

Visit the competition website for more information and submit entries by 6 March 2022.

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Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline 21 January!

12 January 2022 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates innovation by schools in promoting languages and employability together through partnerships with businesses, public bodies and third sector organisations. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the importance of languages in their school community. 

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 21 January 2022. 

Visit the SLEA page on our website to read about Danestone Primary School, whose partnership with Subsea 7 recently earned them a Bronze award. You can also access the full award guidelines and watch videos from previous winners.

Due to ongoing restrictions, online events and activities will be accepted as evidence towards the award.

If you have any questions about the award or the submission process please contact SCILT. 

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CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2022

17 December 2021 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools has announced a competition to celebrate the forthcoming year of the tiger! The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland and the winner will be selected by CISS staff.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY - entries submitted by email will not be accepted.

Deadline for entries: Friday 21 January 2022.

DETAILS:

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Tiger!

• Make sure to include the tiger in some way.
• Include what you know or have learnt about Chinese language and culture.
• Entries can be handmade (a high quality photo or scan of entry) or designed on the computer/tablet etc.

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, and the poster will be used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card!

Words for the World winning entries published!

17 December 2021 (SCILT)

Congratulations again to everyone who took part in our recent Words for the World competition.

Following our recent awards ceremony, and the announcement of the winners’ names, we are now delighted to be able to publish the winning, highly commended and remaining finalist entries in each category. We are sure that you will agree that the linguistic diversity, creativity and passion that they all show is both impressive and inspiring.

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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. 

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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.

Words for the World competition winners!

26 November 2021 (SCILT)

Congratulations to everyone who took part in our Words for the World competition.

The standard of entries was incredibly high, with a wide range of formats submitted and an array of languages. We can be proud of the linguistic diversity we have here in Scotland and the creativity and passion our young people demonstrated for protecting our planet, our humanity and creating a brighter future for us all. We were truly humbled and inspired by their work.

Judging proved exceptionally difficult, but we were delighted to announce the winning entries at an online awards event last week. Well done again to the following who were successful in their respective categories and thank you to every pupil who participated in the competition. 

P1-P4

• Winner - Leena Valluri, Goodlyburn Primary
• Highly commended - The Glasgow Academy Newlands & Milngavie class entry

P5-P7

• Winner - Zofia Zajac, St Patrick's Primary
• Highly commended - Sophie McGrath, St Vincent's Primary
• Highly commended - Tristan Naylor, Hyndland Primary

S1-S3

• Winner - Oriana Strahan, Largs Academy 
• Highly commended - Deepak Krisna Kummar, Craigmount High 

S4-S6

• Winner - Daniel Smith, Alva Academy
• Highly commended - Aiman Mohammad, Renfrew High 

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2022

23 November 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)

We’re on the lookout for talented young folk aged 11–18 writing and creating in Scots.

Are you a Scots writer with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? Enter the Young Scots Writer o the Year Award.

We’re looking for stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it’s in Scots and under 1000 words or five minutes.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information. Submissions accepted until 24 June 2022.

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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.

Read more...

School competition: How to talk about migrations

16 November 2021 (Migration in Education)

We invite pupils and teachers in primary and secondary schools in Scotland to participate in this exciting competition that explores how we teach and learn about migration — creatively and with empathy. We live in a world that sees many people on the move, and our pupils may have been part of these experiences themselves. In schools, migration may make the topic of creative projects and classroom activities, as a unique opportunity for pupils to learn from each other and about each other.

The competition aims to acknowledge and make visible the cultural and linguistic diversity of Scottish primary and secondary schools. On that basis, submissions could be in English or in other languages to reflect the spirit of the school and of the competition. Teachers or teams of teachers and pupils are invited to submit their best materials that showcase how migration is taught in their respective schools. 

Visit the website for more information and submit entries by Friday 17 December 2021.

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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.

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German language teachers honoured with prestigious German Teacher Award 2021

19 October 2021 (German Embassy)

The German Teacher Award celebrates the best and most dedicated champions of German in primary and secondary schools across the UK.

Today the awards went to Linda McLean (West Calder High School, West Lothian, Scotland), Erica Schwiening (Saffron Walden County High School, Essex), Stamatia Kalogeropoulou (The Sixth Form College Farnborough, Hampshire) and Alexandra Brown (King David High School, Liverpool).

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Königspost German Writing Competition

19 October 2021 (King's College London)

The competition for year 12 and 13 students of German (S5 and S6 in Scotland) is being run by the Department of German at King's College London. Students are invited to write an article in German (see the attached flyer for more details); the winning entry will be published in the department's popular newspaper, the Königspost, and there will be further prizes for the winner and runners-up.

The submission deadline is 22 November 2021.

Oxford German Olympiad 2022

5 October 2021 (Oxford German Network)

The tenth Oxford German Olympiad is now open! This year's topic is der Rhein.

Open to upper primary and secondary learners, entrants choose one of the tasks within their age category and complete the task in German. Individuals, groups or classes can take part.

There's also a Discover German - Taster Competition for those with no prior experience of studying German. 

Visit the competition website for full details. The closing date for all entries is Thursday 10 March 2022 at 12 noon.

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Words for the World competition

5 October 2021 (SCILT)

‘We must believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the world.’ (Malala Yousafzai)

Are you looking for a way to engage your language learners to think about global issues ahead of the COP26 summit in November? Inspired by Malala’s words, our Words for the World competition could be just what you need! SCILT is challenging learners to use their words and their languages to show how the world could be a better place.

More information about the competition is available on our Words for the World webpage. The entry deadline is 25 October 2021. If you'd like to upload submissions to the Words for the World MS Team, please contact us and provide your Glow email address. Please note, the competition is only open to schools in Scotland.

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Espacios Increíbles 2021-22 - Register your interest now!

1 October 2021 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce Espacios Increíbles is back for its 3^rd year and it is bigger and better than before! We are looking for lots of budding architects and designers from S2 and S3 to take part in our Spanish competition to create an ‘Amazing Space.’

This competition combines aspects of design with Spanish language skills as they present their Espacio Increíble to a panel of judges and a live audience. Espacios Increíbles is a great way of introducing your pupils to different career pathways open to them when they study a language and encouraging uptake of Spanish in the Senior Phase.

To find out more visit our Espacios Increíbles webpage and register your school’s interest, by Monday 8 November.

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MTOT 2021-22 - registration deadline approaching!

30 September 2021 (SCILT)

Our multilingual poetry competition offers schools and learners the opportunity to use their language skills creatively, by producing an original poem, song or rap in a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). With a focus on the spoken word, entries are invited in video or audio format.

Teachers, help us find the next generation of multilingual poets! The deadline to register your school is 7 October 2021 (National Poetry Day), and all entries should be submitted by 3 December 2021. 

Visit our MTOT webpage for full details and to sign-up.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

StampIT - 'Stamp over October’

30 September 2021 (StampIT)

StampIT is re-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! Take part in as many or as few as you want. StampIT also has it’s ‘Language of Stamps’ series with Spanish, French, Mandarin and Japanese.

There are many challenges and competitions throughout October, please see the website for the activity plans. In addition there are 5 free packs available with some StampIT games, craft materials and stamps to the classes who can send in the best ending to the following sentence: 

'We would love to take part in Stamp over October because...'

Entries by end October. Visit the StampIT website for more information.

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Scots Language Awards: Iona Fyfe among winners announced in Dundee ceremony

26 September 2021 (The National)

Scottish celebrities, artists, and speakers gathered in Dundee for the Scots Language Awards on Saturday.

The audience attended Broughty Ferry’s Gardyne Theatre for the first time since before lockdown.

They were treated to interviews with the winners of 13 awards, and writer, broadcaster and National columnist Alistair Heather hosted the evening.

Poet and social media star Len Pennie introduced live performances from Victoria McNulty, Anna Stewart, Cameron Nixon, Alison Miller, and Ellie Beaton. Public voting on the nominees was open from September 6 to 19 with a record number of votes cast.

The awards recognise the heroic efforts and work of the people and organisations who all champion Scots’ unique culture, music and words.

Cabinet Secretary for Scotland’s Languages Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “These awards demonstrate that Scots is a vital part of this country’s cultural identity, and it is crucial we encourage and nurture the creativity of those who speak the language.”

Read more...

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.  

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Scottish Gaelic Awards - nominations open!

21 September 2021 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

The Scottish Gaelic Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to host the most prestigious night of the year within the Gaelic community calendar. Celebrating Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage. The awards will take place on 16 November 2021 and nominations are now open!

Visit the website for information about the award categories and to submit your nomination.

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The UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO)

21 September 2021 (UKLO)

UKLO is a competition, like the Mathematical Olympiad or the National Cipher Challenge, for students who are still at school (or equivalent college) – any age, any ability level; but unlike other competitions, our competitors have to solve linguistic data problems. Thanks to our generous academic supporters, it’s completely free to both competitors and schools.

The first round of the competition will take place during February 2022.

Visit the UKLO website to find out more and to register your school.

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FilmG competition 2021

16 September 2021 (FilmG)

FilmG is MG ALBA’s Gaelic short film competition which is delivered by Cànan Graphics Studio, the multi-media company based on the Isle of Skye. FilmG was launched in 2008 in order to develop new talent for the Gaelic channel BBC ALBA which was launched in the same year. Over this time it has received more than 700 short films and seen many young people begin their careers in Gaelic television broadcasting.

This year's FilmG is now open for entries. In the Youth category the competition is open to high school classes, independent filmmakers, and primary schools. High school Gaelic classes across Scotland can also take up the offer of 2 day filmmaking workshops to support entrants. 

Visit the FilmG website for more information and get entries in by 13 December 2021.

Read more...

MTOT 2021-22 - Our multilingual poetry competition is back!

3 September 2021 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce the launch of MTOT 2021-22! This competition offers schools and learners the opportunity to use their language skills creatively, by producing an original poem, song or rap in a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). We are continuing our focus on the spoken word, so entries can be in video or audio format.

Last year, despite all the challenges, MTOT went from strength to strength, and the creativity shown by all those who entered was truly uplifting. Our winners were featured on the Kid’s Poetry Club podcast, and MTOT now has its own dedicated section on the UK Children’s Poetry Archive. As if that wasn’t enough, this year we are also partnering with the Dictionaries of the Scots Language, who are offering a special prize for winning entries in Scots. 

Whatever your language, we want you to find your voice and share it with us. We can’t wait to see what this year’s young poets will produce!

Teachers should register interest by 7 October 2021 (National Poetry Day), and all entries will be submitted by 3 December 2021. 

Visit our MTOT webpage for full details.

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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.

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Can digital learning be a good thing? How e-Sgoil is creating success stories across Scotland

6 June 2021 (Press and Journal)

Emily Crawford had never met her teacher when she won a UK-wide mandarin speaking competition.

She proved the value of digital learning when she took first place at the British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition in May, outperforming students who had more experience with the language and more traditional instruction.

Emily started her language journey through e-Sgoil, the Stornoway-based digital learning school that connects students to learning opportunities they can’t get where they live.

The school was founded to connect schools spread across the Western Isles. Now it connects students and teachers around the world.

When schools were closed during lockdowns, digital learning dominated conversations about education. At e-Sgoil, leaders, teachers and students hope to prove digital learning can be a positive experience.

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Scots leid competition 2021

14 May 2021 (Scottish Book Trust)

Young people aged 11-18 are invited to write a Scots story, poem, play or make a short video inspired by the Scots phrase 'Lang may yer lum reek'. Your story must be in Scots and under 500 words (or five minutes).

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information about the competition and enter by Wednesday 18 August, midday.

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Babel young writers' competition

13 May 2021 (Babel)

Individuals and groups studying linguistics at sixth form, college or university are invited to enter this year's young writers' competition for a chance to be published in the Autumn edition of Babel magazine.

This year's theme is 'Attitudes to languages' and invites entrants to give their views about and experience of attitudes towards languages in a piece no longer than 2,500 words.

See the website for full details and enter by 27 August 2021.

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Threlford Cup

11 May 2021 (Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL))

The Threlford Cup is CIOL’s prestigious award for inspiring the learning of languages. The cup is presented annually to a person, or for a project, or to an organisation for an activity that has inspired others with an original language-learning or teaching initiative.

The winner of the award is selected from nominations received from the wider languages community. Everyone is welcome to nominate.

Visit the CIOL website for more information and nomination criteria. Nominations close at 5pm on Sunday 25 July 2021.

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MASSOLIT Video Essay Competition 2021

11 May 2021 (MASSOLIT)

We’re delighted to present the first ever MASSOLIT Video Essay Competition in partnership with Brasenose College, Oxford.

We're inviting UK-based students in Years 10, 11 and 12 (S3, S4 & S5 in Scotland) to create a “MASSOLIT-style” video lecture running at around 8-12 minutes on any academic topic.

The best entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges made up of academics from Brasenose and members of the MASSOLIT team.

For more information about the competition and how to enter, visit the MASSOLIT website. The deadline for the receipt of entries is 17:00 on Friday 2nd July 2021.

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The Stephen Spender Prize

6 May 2021 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual competition for poetry in translation, with categories for young people (14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 18-and-under) as well as an open category for adults. All entrants must be UK or Irish citizens or residents, or pupils at a British School overseas. Translate into English any poem from any language – ranging from Arabic to Uzbek, from Danish to Somali—and win cash prizes!

This year the prize will open for entries on 6 May and close on 16 July 2021.

Each year also features a Spotlight Prize encouraging young people to engage with community languages. For 2021 the focus is on Urdu.

More information about both competitions can be found on the Stephen Spender Trust website.

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MTOT 2021 - winner videos now available!

30 April 2021 (SCILT)

In academic session 2020-21, after a short hiatus, SCILT relaunched the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, with a new focus on the spoken word. Learners were invited not only to write a poem in their mother or other tongue, but to perform it so that their words could be heard in their own voice. The work produced by all the young poets who took part was wonderful, especially during this most challenging year. The winning and highly commended video entries from this year's competition in Scotland are now available to view on the MTOT Awards page of SCILT's website.

Read more...

Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline 21 May!

29 April 2021 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) encourages innovation and creativity in the promotion of language skills through meaningful engagement between employers and schools. The award aims to help schools and businesses to build partnerships through languages and supports teachers in raising awareness of the importance of languages in their school community.

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 21 May 2021. 

Due to restrictions over the past year, online events and activities will be accepted as evidence towards the award. To read the full guidelines, watch videos from the pilot schools and read case studies from previous winners, visit the SLEA page on the SCILT website. 

If you have any questions about the award or the submission process please contact SCILT. 

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'A German Classic' essay writing competition

21 April 2021 (Oxford German Network)

A German Classic is Oxford's essay competition for sixth-formers with prizes up to £500. This year's set text is Heinrich von Kleist's "Die Verlobung in St. Domingo". For more information about this year's competition visit the website and request a free study pack by 25 June 2021.

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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.

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UK-German Connection initiatives

17 March 2021 (UK-German Connection)

UK-German Connection offers a range of initiatives to help connect young people in the UK and Germany. To find out more about their latest opportunities, follow the relevant link below:

• 'Welcome to my World 2': UK-German Video Competition - Travel may still be off limits right now, but the exploration of another country and culture doesn’t have to be! We’re calling on all young people aged 12-19 from across the UK and Germany to take us on a virtual tour of your country. So get creative, start filming and share a glimpse of your world! Submit your 20 second clip by 30 March 2021.
• Café Connect - Our new, UK-German cultural exchange 'café' gives young people the chance to connect with peers through fun, interactive activities, group discussions on current topics and informal chat. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, learn about the other culture, and practise (or even pick up) some German! Starts 30 March 2021.
• 'Still & Sparkling' UK-German youth newsletter - Featuring UK-German perspectives on music, sustainability, remote learning in lockdown, our youth newsletter brings young people from both countries closer together and helps them discover both cultures through the eyes of other young people.
• German Pupil Courses 2021 and German Scholarship Courses 2021 - These courses will not take place as face-to-face courses in Germany in 2021. They will instead be week-long virtual courses with a focus on the practical use of German language skills in a cultural context. Courses will be in mixed-nationality groups and will take place in July and August. Register interest now.

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Around the world with stamps

15 March 2021 (StampIT)

StampIT has launched its first worldwide competition which is open to 5-15 year olds worldwide!  

Create a presentation linked to postage stamps for a chance to win e-vouchers. Stamps are a great medium to learn about language and culture. The competition encourages children to include some elements in a second language to their own.  

The entry can be a written or video presentation and full details are at the StampIT website. Please read the attached flyer and rules carefully.  

Entrants don’t have to own the stamp or stamps they choose to do their project. They can see a range of stamps within the games and activities on the website which link to Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese and Gaelic but they can also choose any stamp from any country worldwide.  

The closing date is 30 April 2021. 

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MTOT 2021 - winners announced!

25 February 2021 (SCILT)

Whilst the current pandemic prevented us from hosting this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue celebratory awards event in the stunning Ramshorn Building in Glasgow, we managed to host our very own online red carpet event instead! Pupils, teachers and parents joined us online to hear the winners announced on the afternoon of Friday 19 February, a date especially chosen to tie in with International Mother Language Day on 21 February celebrating all world languages.

We are delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Zayne Emengo-Okpo	St Aloysius College JS	Hausa
	Highly commended	Eloïse Harkins	St Aloysius College JS	French
P5-P7	Winner	Lucja Lubanska	St Charles’ Primary	Polish
	Highly commended	Ahmad Raza	Newmains Primary	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Pranay Neppalli	Craigmount High	Telugu
	Highly commended	Filip Strzalka	Craigmount High	Polish
S4-S6	Winner	Chancelvie Bembo	St Benedicts	French
	Highly commended	Lovely Selwyn	Bishopbriggs Academy	Tamil
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Abbie Rettie	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
	Highly commended	Haroon Majid	Braidbar Primary	French
	Highly commended	Stephanie Mackay-Watt	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
P5-P7	Winner	Isobel Ross	Braidbar Primary	BSL
	Highly commended	Evelina Finkova	Goodlyburn Primary	Gaelic
S1-S3	Winner	Rona Bryden	Loudoun Academy	German
	Highly commended	Anna d’Alessio	Bishopbriggs Academy	Italian
	Highly commended	Alistair Hillis	Jordanhill	Mandarin
S4-S6	Winner	Lewis Fleming	St Thomas Aquinas	Spanish
	Highly commended	Anya Jarvis	Loudoun Academy	French
	Highly commended	Ellie McGill	Carrick Academy	French

 

All pupils will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy as well as the opportunity for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

It is our intention to host each of these poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

German Teacher Award 2021

23 February 2021 (German Embassy )

If you know a truly outstanding German language teacher at your primary or secondary school – make sure that their dedication and excellence get the recognition they deserve!

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in London is pleased to invite nominations for the annual German Teacher Award, now in its 18th successful year. The winners will receive a personal prize and a certificate. The prizes will be presented at a special ceremony in early summer – if Covid-19 restrictions allow.

On this occasion the Goethe-Institut’s Peter Boaks Prize, which recognises outstanding young(er) teachers of the German language, and two special prizes donated by the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Embassy of Switzerland will also be awarded.

Visit the German Embassy website for more information about the nomination process. Deadline: 14 May 2021.

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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.

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Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon essay competition

11 February 2021 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society Scotland)

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.

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 1 March.

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

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The Young Scot Awards have gone global

10 February 2021 (Young Scot/British Council)

Nominate a Young Person or Group for the Internationalism Young Scot Award by 14 February 2021! The award is for young people who’ve worked hard to maintain global connections through arts, education, skills or languages.

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British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition 2021

18 January 2021 (British Council)

The British Council is pleased to announce that a digital Mandarin Speaking Competition will take place in a series of online events. The competition provides a great opportunity for secondary school students to practise and improve their Mandarin language skills.

Taking part in the competition:

• increases students’ motivation for learning the language
• develops vocabulary and improves pronunciation
• raises confidence for oral examinations
• encourages students to interact with their classmates
• inspires students to discover more about Chinese culture.

Applications are now open until 12 February 2021. Visit the British Council website for more information.

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SEET's Our World project update

11 January 2021 (SEET)

Due to the new lockdown measures introduced by the Scottish Government on 4 January, including the closure of schools, SEET have pushed back the storyboard submission deadline to Friday 5 February 2021. They have also adapted the project and expanded the project's reach by increasing participation options for home learning and accommodating for both individual and group participation. Please see below for a summary of the changes:

• S1-6 may take part in 2021, not only S3-6 pupils.  
• Storyboard submission deadline extended to Friday 5 February 2021 (extra 3 weeks) 
• Accompanying video/audio clip explaining the storyboard is now optional. Storyboard and links to SDG theme and languages must be clear if no additional description is provided. 
• We are accepting storyboard entries from teams AND entries from individual pupils if pupil collaboration is no longer possible. More guidance on team participation available. 
• We will be able to invite more pupils to take part in the filmmaking stage, as we are no longer limited to in-person venue workshop capacity.  
• Creation of password protected online portal to support pupils through the filmmaking stages. This will include video tutorials from filmmakers, written guidance and tutorials, resources, and clear instructions for pupils.

Visit the SEET website for more information about the Our World project.

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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.

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Nihongo Cup 2021

4 January 2021 (Japan Foundation)

The Nihongo Cup is the Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School students. Applications for the 2021 contest are now open. Finalists will be invited to perform their speeches as part of an online Finals Day on Saturday 10 July. They will also have a chance to win some fantastic prizes!

Visit the Japan Foundation website for more information and the application pack. The closing date for applications is 29 March 2021. 

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Why Speak Chinese 2020

8 December 2020 (Chinosity)

Create and share a 1-minute engaging video about any shocking, funny, or weird experiences you had while learning Chinese for the chance to win two round trip flights to China! Please showcase your Chinese speaking skills in the video as well. Open to all learners of Mandarin aged 13 and over. Submission deadline 15 January 2021.

Visit the Chinosity website to find out more.

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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.

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Mathématiques sans Frontières

7 December 2020 (University of the West of Scotland)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is again organising the world-wide Maths and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland.

You are invited to participate in this stimulating and light-hearted competition which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages and aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork, and bridge borders.

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

S4 classes should attempt 10 questions and S5 classes 13 questions. 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 one will require an explanation in a foreign language. We hope that this encourages cross-curricular working and teamwork. Answers are also attached, in French, another opportunity for teamwork in the translation.

The competition proper will be held on Thursday 11 March 2021. The prize-giving will be held in June (hopefully!) 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 29 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.

North Berwick High School teacher Suzanne Ritchie wins 'German Teacher of the Year' award from German Embassy

24 November 2020 (East Lothian Courier)

A teacher at North Berwick High School has been named ‘German Teacher of the Year’ by the German Embassy in London.

Suzanne Ritchie was presented with the award in recognition of her “outstanding dedication to and tireless support of the teaching of the German language”.

Miss Ritchie, a former pupil at Musselburgh Grammar School, lived and worked abroad for several years after university.

Her work mainly consisted of translating for the football organisation FIFA in Zurich in Switzerland.

In 2006, she decided to retrain as a teacher and joined North Berwick High School the following year.

She was encouraged to enter the competition by Ann Robertson, who leads East Lothian Council’s 1+2 languages development programme.

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SEET's Our World project

24 November 2020 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) have launched their annual Our World language learning and filmmaking project. With a specific focus on building a sense of gobal citizenship and cultural understanding amongst participants, the project asks S3-S6 pupils to create multilingual films based on topical issues. Teams of 4 have the chance to create their films at an online workshop with professional filmmakers on hand to provide assistance and practical filmmaking tuition. Films must include at least one language other than English, and should be based on, this year, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

If you are interested in entering a team or multiple teams, please sign up here and ensure your pupils send us a storyboard of their film idea by the revised deadline of January 15th, 2021. Tons more information available on SEET's website, or by emailing alex@seet.org.uk. We look forward to receiving entries!

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Fèis Rois launches new songwriting project for young Gaels passionate about the environment

18 November 2020 (The Herald)

Young Gaelic speakers who have a passion for the environment and a talent for songwriting could have their chance to shine, thanks to a new songwriting project launched by Highland arts organisation, Fèis Rois. 

The competition, which is open to applicants until November, Monday 23, is calling on budding Gaelic songwriters from secondary schools across the Highlands to come up with new Gaelic material, connected to the environment and Scotland's landscape. 

Fèis Rois, an arts organisation based in Dingwall, Ross-shire, has collaborated with NatureScot to launch 'Caithream na Cruinne', aimed at emerging Gaelic songwriters who take their inspiration from nature and the current environmental challenges. 

Read more...

Scottish Languages Employability Award - videos from pilot schools

13 November 2020 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) aims to help schools and businesses to build partnerships through languages in order to develop young people’s learning about the world of work and the value of language skills.

Videos are now available on our website of two of the SLEA pilot schools talking about their experience of working towards, and submitting evidence for, the award. These include advice from teachers and school co-ordinators, and feedback from pupils who took part in the qualifying events, and would be useful for any teachers considering putting their school forward for the award. Huge thanks to the staff and pupils at St Mary’s Primary School and Bishopbriggs Academy for their fantastic contributions!

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 22nd January 2021. In view of the current restrictions, online events and activities will count towards the award. Please get in touch with Sheena Bell if you have any questions about any aspect of the submission process or if you would like more information about the award generally.

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Our World film making project

12 November 2020 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) have launched their annual Our World language learning and filmmaking project.

Open to all S3-6 pupils across Scotland, teams of 4 have the chance to create films at a workshop (remotely this year!) with professional filmmakers on hand to help them and provide practical filmmaking tuition. As always, films must include at least one language other than English, and should be based on a set theme, which this year is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

If you are interested in entering a team or multiple teams, please sign up here and ensure your pupils send us a storyboard of their film idea by the deadline of 18 December 2020.

There is lots more information available on SEET's website, or by emailing alex@seet.org.uk. We look forward to receiving entries!

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Oxford German Olympiad 2021

10 November 2020 (Oxford German Network)

The 2021 Oxford German Olympiad run by the Oxford German Network at the University of Oxford is now open.

A range of age-specific tasks can be found on the competition website along with a taster category for entrants with no prior knowledge of German.

All the activities centre around this year's competition theme of Die Alpen.

Visit the website for more information. Closing date for entries: 11 March 2021.

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Königspost German writing competition

20 October 2020 (King's College London)

The German Department of King's College London is seeking to publish one original piece of writing in German on the topic of Die Digitale Zukunft, written by a student of German in Year 12 or 13 (S5 or S6 in Scotland). 

The winning submission will be published in the winter edition of the Königspost, the Department newspaper, which has a wide circulation among university students and learners of German across the UK.

Visit the website and see the attached document for more information. Submission deadline is 20 November 2020.

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15-year Anniversary Challenge: Capture Your Connection

20 October 2020 (UK-German Connection)

To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we want to showcase the fantastic connections between the UK and Germany that you have built.

Whether it’s a friendship, tandem partnership, school partnership or youth group exchange or other kind of connection, we’re inviting you to share it creatively and inspire others with your story!

Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information and submit your entry by 4 November 2020.

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German Language Competition 2020

9 October 2020 (DAAD)

Das Wort der Zukunft – The word of the future

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Institute of Modern Languages Research (IMLR) are joining forces for the seventh time to invite all learners and lovers of German to take part in a German language competition.

This year’s competition aims to encourage learners of the German language to combine their linguistic creativity with their hopes and thoughts for the future. They say that new words capture the zeitgeist. New circumstances and events encourage us to create new terms to describe the world. Slowly but surely, these new words then become part of our everyday language.

Visit the DAAD website for more information and submit your entry by 8 January 2021.

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MTOT is back!

1 October 2020 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the launch of Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2020-21!  This exciting competition is now open, and we want to find the next generation of young multilingual poets in Scotland. The competition has been redesigned to suit our new digital era, and we are inviting young people to submit entries focussing on the spoken word.  Videos, sound files, voiceovers, narrated presentations – whatever format fits best, we want to hear the voices of young linguists showcasing their language and poetry skills. It’s a great time to get involved with the creative side of language learning, so visit our MTOT webpages to find out more.

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Doric Film Festival set to return

25 September 2020 (Scots Radio)

Plans have been unveiled for the return of the acclaimed Doric Film Festival – with some exciting developments set to be implemented for the second event.

Following the runaway success of the first two Doric Film Festivals, the second annual event is now inviting entries until November 1^st and is asking applications to create a film around the theme: “Jist Faar I Bide.”

This time around, a total of nine awards will be spread equally across three categories, namely individuals, schools and community groups.  Each will receive £500 towards the cost of producing a five-minute film which will be screened during an online event in spring 2021.

The much-lauded Doric Film Festival, which is supported by the Scottish Government, took the North East by storm during its inaugural event in 2019. It is the idea of award-winning Scots Radio Director Frieda Morrison who created the unique platform to celebrate the Doric language and its cultural identity. 

Commenting on plans for this year’s Doric Film Festival, Frieda Morrison said: “Ongoing restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted a change of format for this event, and we hope that the changes will encourage even more people to get even more creative in support of the Festival.

“In previous years we have been heartened by the quality and diversity of entries and we are sure that the judges have a hard task ahead of them again this year.”

To find out more, visit www.doricfilmfestival.com or www.scotsradio.com

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Competition: ‘Rethinking Languages through COVID-19’

24 September 2020 (MLOE)

The competition invites Year 9 language students (S2 in Scotland)  to do a little bit of research on how COVID-19 has affected an area in which a language other than English is spoken. This could be a language you speak outside of school, are learning independently, or are studying in school. 

Students can work individually or in groups up to four to produce a poster submission based on their discoveries. Further guidelines and information about the competition can be found on the Modern Languages Outreach and Engagement website. Submission deadline: 18 December 2020.

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European Day of Languages 2020 - competition for schools

21 September 2020 (ALL)

ALLNE, NfLNE and partners are once again organising the annual European Day of Languages Competition for Schools and in 2020 it is again open to anyone! The organising committee invites language learners in any key stage to create a piece of text in a language they are learning on the theme: International city.

Submission deadline: Wednesday 7 October 2020.

Visit the ALL website for more information.

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Our World film making project

17 September 2020 (SEET)

Our World is a languages and citizenship based film making project for S3 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project, which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Apply now to take part in the 2020-21 project. 

Visit the SEET Our World webpage for more information.

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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.

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Nominations open for Scots Language Awards 2020

11 September 2020 (Scots Language Awards)

Celebrate Scots culture and language with the nation’s favourite icons at the 2020 Scots Language Awards online on Saturday 24 October at 8pm.

Awards will be presented in 11 categories. Visit the website for more information and to submit your nominations.

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#oekoropa competition

24 August 2020 (Goethe-Institut)

#oekoropa is a Europe-wide digital youth competition on sustainable travel.

Pupils between the ages of 16 and 19 and teachers from all EU member states are invited to create innovative proposals for a climate-neutral journey across Europe. With the competition, the Goethe-Institut aims to demonstrate that travel is still possible in these times – at least as a concept, and later in a very real way. 

Form teams online and devise an innovative roundtrip from your hometown to the trio capitals of the EU Council Presidency (Berlin, Lisbon, and Ljubljana) and inspire us with your idea of a sustainable Europe. The deadline for submitting proposals is 1 October 2020.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information.

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Latest SLEA recipients announced!

17 June 2020 (SCILT)

The latest verification round of the Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) has taken place, and two more schools were delighted to receive recognition for their successful partnership working in promoting languages as a key skill for employment.

Bathgate Academy in West Lothian received a Bronze Award for their projects with partners including Clarke Fire Protection Products, Mitsubishi and WL Gore. The awarding panel commented: “The links made with local businesses are strong and purposeful and have excellent long-term potential.”

Broughton High School in Edinburgh received a Gold Award for their projects with a range of partners, including Visit Scotland, The Balmoral Hotel and Social Bite. The awarding panel commented: “The projects are impressive in the variety of ways in which they convey the importance of languages to pupils, fostering the importance of citizenship and cultural understanding as well as language skills.”

Congratulations to both schools on their excellent achievements! 

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. Find out how to submit your entry for the next verification round on the SCILT website.

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German Teacher Award 2020

4 June 2020 (German Embassy)

The deadline for nominations for this year's German Teacher Award has been extended to 30 September 2020.

So if you know of an outstanding German language teacher at your primary or secondary school – make sure that their dedication and excellence get the recognition they deserve!

Please note, pupils and teachers themselves cannot submit a nomination. This must come from the headteacher.

Visit the German Embassy website for more information and to make your nomination.

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Scots Story Competition 2020

3 June 2020 (The Story Is)

Could you be Young Scots Writer of the Year 2020? Enter our fantastic competition for young people aged 11-18 to write a poem, a story, a play or a song in the Scots language.

Visit the website for more information about the competition and submit entries by 24 June 2020.

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SEET @ Home: Take Two!

3 June 2020 (SEET)

Whilst we are all carry on with our home learning, SEET continues to offer opportunities for pupils to engage in language learning and citizenship projects from home. Due to such a high demand for our new SEET @ Home project, and the quality of entries for the 'Community in Isolation' theme (judgement of films ongoing), SEET is proud to launch SEET @ Home: Take Two! Once again, all pupils need is access to a smart phone or tablet (any device that shoots video), and to download a free app or two! 

This project is open to all ages (both primary and secondary pupils). We invite pupils to make a short film (maximum 2- minutes) based on the theme 'Sustainability at Home'. We also ask that pupils include at least one language other than English in their films, making this excellent opportunity for pupils to develop and showcase their language learning. Our favourite films will win cinema vouchers! 

If you would like to take part, and we really hope you do, then please get in contact with us by emailing info@seet.org.uk and we will send you more information. Alternatively, you can find more information on our website. We have created an online document that includes a suggested timetable, a list of recommended free apps and a few useful filmmaking tips and tricks which we think will really help.

The deadline for these films is Monday 22 June 2020 at 5pm. Please don’t forget to tweet about your experience using #SEETatHome to @SEET_scotland.

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UK-German Photo Competition: ‘Welcome to my World’

22 May 2020 (UK-German Connection)

Travel may be off limits right now, but the exploration of another country and culture doesn’t have to be! UK-German Connection is inviting young people (aged 14-25) from the UK and Germany to give each other a glimpse into their world by entering their 2020 photo competition. Entrants do not have to be learning German.

Entry deadline: 5 June

Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information and how to enter.

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The Stephen Spender Prize and Polish Spotlight 2020

28 April 2020 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The 2020 Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation and the Polish Spotlight are now open for submissions! There are some exciting changes this year – as part of our aim to make the prize more inclusive and vibrant than ever, we are welcoming translations from rap and spoken word, as well as from BSL poetry. There will also be more prizes and commendations in our youth categories.

Stephen Spender Prize

Translate into English any poem from any language – ranging from Arabic to Uzbek, from Danish to Somali—and win cash prizes! There are categories for young people (14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 18-and-under) as well as an open category for adults. 

The ‘Polish Spotlight’

This is a special strand of the Stephen Spender Prize for the translation of Polish poems. Open to all UK or Irish citizens or residents, or pupils at British Schools overseas, there are usually three age categories for entrants: 18-and-under, 14-and-under and 10-and-under. Additionally this year there will also be a 16-and-under category. This year, we are inviting entrants to translate one poem from our curated selection of Polish poetry.

Visit the website for more information about both strands of the competition and submit entries by 17 July 2020.

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German Teacher Award 2020

28 April 2020 (German Embassy)

If you know a truly outstanding German language teacher at your primary or secondary school – make sure that their dedication and excellence get the recognition they deserve!

The deadline for nominations has been extended until 31 May 2020. Please note that headteachers must nominate the German teacher. Submissions from pupils or teachers themselves cannot be accepted.

Visit the website for more information.

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Competition - Ich habe einen Traum (I have a dream)

17 April 2020 (German Foreign Office)

Are you between 5 and 19 years old? Do you love books and stories? Do you like to write? If so, please take part in our competition and get your prose, short story, essay or poem published in the next Foreign Office e‑book!

Tell us about your dream for the future. 

All entries submitted in German or English will be edited by professionals and accepted in the following age groups:

• 10 years and under 
• 11‑14 years
• 15‑19 years

The deadline for entries is 1 July 2020. The e-book will then be published and launched in August, when it will be available to download for free.

Visit the German Federal Foreign Office website for more information about the competition. You can also access previous editions of the e-book.

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Scottish Languages Employability Award - apply now!

2 April 2020 (SCILT/CISS)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates innovation by schools in promoting languages and employability together through partnerships with businesses, public bodies and third sector organisations. The award, which is available initially at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the importance of languages in their school community.  

For full guidelines, case studies and futher information visit the SLEA page on the SCILT website.

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 15 May 2020. 

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uTalk Language Games

1 April 2020 (uTalk)

In case you are looking for fun language learning activities for your schools - we've responded to the need for home learning with a competition, called the uTalk Language Games, the format gives entrants access to any one of our languages -  pupils and teachers from the same school or class can learn together and compete, learning the same language - tracking their scores and rankings on a leaderboard exclusive to their group.

The competition builds on our award-winning Junior Language Challenge competition (JLC) which has helped more than 25,000 children learn languages over the last 15 years, but is now open to all - this has resulted rather amusingly in people of all ages, from grandchildren to grandparents competing against each other - spread around the country - indeed world ... entrance is £5, $5 or €5 and the competition runs until the end of July 2020.

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Mathématiques sans Frontières 2020

26 March 2020 (UWS)

Announcement from Alan Walker, University of the West of Scotland:

Due to the current pandemic, we've had to make a big change to the marking of the entries this year, and unfortunately we won't be able to hold our annual prize-giving. However, the overall winner of the Scottish side of the competition will still be offered a prize, and certificates to all schools who entered will be made available (once I can get back into my office).

With regards to the Top 10 teams of each competition, I'll release these over Twitter, in a countdown over the next couple of weeks. If you (or your school/department) don't already follow the MSF twitter account, please do so at https://twitter.com/MSF_Scotland.

For those of you not on Twitter, I'll email the Top 10s after announcing, and will be in touch with the winners directly.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for supporting this competition each year. Thanks also to those who volunteer to mark each year (even though they got a year off this year!). A big thanks too to my colleagues Wan and Ken for their help in putting the questions together for the Scottish side of the competition.

Five exciting challenges launched for Year 12 students

26 March 2020 (University of Cambridge)

Could you imagine how the English language might change in the next 500 years? How about devising a sustainable long-term strategy for freight transport in the UK? Or could you write an object biography to bring history to life?

These are just three of the five exciting challenges Gonville & Caius College have launched this week for Year 12 students in any UK school (S5 in Scotland). This year set in Engineering, History, Linguistics, Modern Languages, and Natural Sciences, our Schools Prizes are designed to prompt lower sixth form students to think creatively and individually about the subjects they love. Each competition carries a first prize of £600, to be split equally between the winning candidate and his or her school or college, and a second prize of £400, which again is to be shared equally between the candidate and his or her school or college.

Visit the website for more information. Entry deadline: Friday 5 June 2020.

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Young Scots Writer of the Year Competition 2020

16 March 2020 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland has a fantastic competition for young people aged 11-18 to write a poem, a play, or a song in Scots Language. The competition is run in partnership with Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Government, Scots Hoose and Hands up for Trad.

Visit the competition website for more details and submit entries by Wednesday 24 June 2020.

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Never Such Innocence competition

10 March 2020 (Never Such Innocence)

For the 2019/20 academic year, the Never Such Innocence competition will be bigger than ever! We have expanded our focus to include all conflicts throughout history and today, and have broadened the age range to 9-18. We are also delighted to open a new speechwriting category!

This year’s theme is ‘The Impact of Conflict on Communities’ – We invite young people all across the world to write a poem, speech, or song, or create a piece of art reflecting on how a conflict has or is affecting a community. This conflict could be past or present; international, national or local.

Entries can be in any language.

Visit the competition website for more information and submit entries by 20 March 2020.

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German Teacher Award 2020

6 March 2020 (Education Scotland)

The German Embassy is looking for nominations for the German Teacher Award 2020.

Scottish schools have been notable by their absence from this competition, but thanks to the new German Consul General in Scotland, we are now firmly placed to have our fabulous German teachers in the running for this!  

So if your primary or secondary school has an outstanding German teacher who deserves recognition, visit the German Embassy's website or see the attached flyer for more information about the award and how to submit a nomination by 10 April 2020.

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The German Olympics (IDO)

3 March 2020 (Goethe-Institut)

The German Olympics (IDO) is the biggest competition for the German language. Every two years over 100 students from all around the world meet to compete in their most beloved foreign language.

The competition is open to secondary school students born between August 2002 and July 2006.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information about eligibility and how to enter the competition. Submission deadline is 27 March 2020.

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Nihongo Cup 2020

2 March 2020 (Japan Foundation)

Last chance to apply for this year's Nihongo Cup, the Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School students.

Finalists will be invited to perform their speech at the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, University of Oxford in front of a panel of judges and VIPs from the field of Japanese language education and Japan-UK relations, for the chance to win some fantastic prizes – including a trip to Japan!

Visit the website for more information and to download an application pack. Closing date is 20 March 2020.

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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.

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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. 

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Mandarin dream: The UK pupils vying for a trip to Beijing

17 February 2020 (BBC)

Pupils from across the UK headed to London for the national final of a Mandarin speaking competition.

At stake is an all-expenses-paid trip to Beijing where they can test their language skills for real.

See the video.

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Gaelic Sports Leader SCQF Level 4 Award

14 February 2020 (Highland Council)

A Gaelic sports leader’s level 4 will be running in Plockton High School for pupils aged 13+ between Monday 30 March and Thursday 2 April (3 overnight stays).

The feedback from previous courses has been positive and this gives participants a great chance to enhance their leadership whilst also using Gaelic as the tool to do this.

There are up to 16 places available (8 Highland 8 Western Isles to begin with but this could be flexible depending on demand).

The course is free of charge and all accommodation and hot food is provided - breakfast, lunch and dinner all served at the hostel which is on site at Plockton High School.

See the attached flyer for more information and the booking form.

‘Translation Opens the Door to Various Worlds’ — Winners of 13th Juvenes Translatores Announced

10 February 2020 (Slator)

The European Commission announced the winners of the 2019–2020 edition of Juvenes Translatores on January 30, 2020. Twenty-eight winners bested a field that saw 3,116 students from 740 secondary schools participate.

It was the first time since its inception in 2007 that Europe’s annual competition for young translators was conducted completely online. The students, who were given the option to translate between any two of the EU’s 24 official languages, used 150 of 552 possible language combinations.

As in most other years, the highest number of participants came from Italy and Germany. This time, however, the United Kingdom dislodged France to take third place in terms of number of entries, in a year that marked the UK’s leaving the European Union the day after the contest winners were announced.

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Scotland-China Association primary schools competition 2020

6 February 2020 (Scotland-China Association)

Open to all pupils in P5, P6 and P7 in Scottish schools, this year's competition from the Scotland-China Association asks students to design a kite.

Kites have been made and flown all over the world for thousands of years, and are very popular in China. The aim of the competition is to inspire the creativity of Scottish primary school pupils and to encourage them to learn more about Scotland and China. Entries should explore ideas which demonstrate understanding of links between Scotland and China through the design for a kite. We are working in partnership with RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, where the prize giving will be held.

Individual or group entries are welcomed and should take one of the following forms:

• Painting
• Drawing
• Craftwork (for example an actual kite)
• Writing
• Photography
• Video/media/film (no more than 10 minutes long)
• Embroidery/stitching/textile

See the attached flyer for more information and the entry form, which must accompany all submissions. The deadline for entries is 15 May 2020.

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The Linguacuisine ‘LinguaChef’ Prize 2020

3 February 2020 (Newcastle University)

The LinguaChef Prize will be awarded to the person who uploads the best language learning recipe using the Linguacuisine recipe author software during the period 1 February to 15 June 2020. The prize consists of a payment of £200 plus a LinguaChef Gold Certificate. There are 2 runner-up prizes with £50 each plus a LinguaChef Silver Certificate. All will feature on the front page of all Linguacuisine media and the recipes will be promoted around the world on the website.

The language learning recipe can involve learning any language and any recipe. Entry to the competition is open to all and is free.

Visit the website for full details and submit entries by 15 June 2020. For any queries regarding the competition, contact Professor Paul Seedhouse - paul.seedhouse@ncl.ac.uk.

(PLEASE NOTE, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE LINGUACHEF COMPETITION PREVIOUSLY RUN BY SCILT.)

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The German Olympics (IDO)

28 January 2020 (Goethe-Institut)

The German Olympics (IDO) is the biggest competition for the German language. Every two years over 100 students from all around the world meet to compete in their most beloved foreign language.

We are happy to welcome the German Olympics for schools worldwide to the United Kingdom in 2020 for the third time. The competition is open to secondary school students born between August 2002 and July 2006.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information about eligibility and how to enter the competition. Submission deadline is 27 March 2020.

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Espacios Increíbles 2020 – Get your school involved!

24 January 2020 (SCILT)

Following the successful pilot last year, this exciting competition, using Spanish, design team work and creativity is now officially open to secondary schools across all local authorities in Scotland to take part in this year.

Aimed at S3, learners will work in teams to research and design a building in a Spanish speaking area. They will present their design in Spanish, and then go forward to represent their school at national level. The finalists will take part in a live event at the University of Strathclyde where their designs will be judged by industry professionals and academics. The winners (as part of their prize) will have their model made in 3D by the School of Architecture.

This highly motivating project for learners has had a positive effect on uptake in the senior phase for those schools who participated in the pilot in 2019. The skills focus delivers on key aspects of Developing the Young Workforce. The learner materials that are designed to fulfil evidence requirements for achieving Level 4 Benchmarks are available on the SCILT website, and can be easily adapted to suit your chosen group. 

Visit the Eventbrite page to find out more and register your interest by Friday 27 March 2020. 

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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.

Scottish Education Awards 2020

16 January 2020 (Education Scotland)

If you haven't already done so, make sure you get your nominations in for the 2020 Scottish Education Awards! The awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

Among the wide range of categories are the awards for Gaelic Education and the Internationalism and Languages award. 

Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for further information and to submit your nomination by 14 February 2020.

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FilmG - Gaelic short film competition entries

7 January 2020 (FilmG)

You can now watch this year's YOUTH and OPEN category entries in the FilmG short film competition, and voting is open for the People's Choice Award.

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UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO)

7 January 2020 (UKLO)

UKLO is a competition for students who are still at school (or equivalent college) – any age, any ability level, where competitors have to solve linguistic data problems. It’s free to enter and offers participants the chance to be the team selected for entry in the International Linguistics Olympiad. In recent years the UK teams in the international competition have been very successful.  

Round 1 of the competition takes place 3-7 February 2020.

To find out more and to register to take part, visit the UKLO website.

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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!

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.

Read more...

Nihongo Cup 2020

2 January 2020 (Japan Foundation)

Applications are now open for this year's Nihongo Cup, the Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School students.

Finalists will be invited to perform their speech at the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, University of Oxford in front of a panel of judges and VIPs from the field of Japanese language education and Japan-UK relations, for the chance to win some fantastic prizes – including a trip to Japan!

Visit the website for more information and to download an application pack. Closing date is 20 March 2020.

Read more...

Mathématiques sans Frontières 2020

16 December 2019 (UWS)

Mathématiques sans Frontières is an annual international mathematics competition for S4-S6 schoolchildren, centrally run by the Académie de Strasbourg since 1989. This interclass competition involves a number of mathematical puzzles where one of the puzzles is posed, and must be answered, in a foreign language. The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is organising the competition in Scotland and invites schools to register for the competition by 31 January 2020.

More information can be found in the attached invitation letter. Also attached is the registration form and a competition training test and answer sheet.

Further information about previous competitions can also be found on the UWS Mathématiques sans Frontières website.

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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.

Scottish school pupils show off their language skills in Mandarin Speaking Competition

6 December 2019 (CISS)

Over 40 pupils from 14 Scottish Schools put their linguistic skills to the test on 26 November as they bid to be crowned Scotland’s best Mandarin speakers. They took part in the Glasgow heat of this year’s British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition, held at the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS) within Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT).

The winners of the heat will be announced next month after all the UK heats have been completed, and they will be put forward to the final in London in February 2020 with the overall winner winning a fully-funded educational and cultural visit to China. Now in its sixteenth year, the national competition aims to build interest in Chinese language and culture.

Mr Jiayi Chen, Teacher of Mandarin at Kinross High, said:

“Learning Mandarin has been incredibly important at Kinross High and our pupils gain so much confidence when using the language and taking part in the competition.  We’ve seen a big impact from the opportunity to put language skills to use outside of a classroom setting. It’s also great to see that many of our students have been inspired to continue studying languages to a higher level.”

As the most spoken language in the world, Mandarin is recognised as a valuable skill for young people in the UK to acquire. 77 per cent of British business leaders surveyed in 2018 saying that speaking Mandarin will give school leavers a career advantage. Research by the British Council has found that Mandarin is the second most important foreign language for the UK’s influence on the global stage.

However, the numbers of pupils studying Mandarin are low when compared to other languages. This year, in Scotland for example, just 232 pupils took the Scottish National 5 exam in Mandarin compared to more than 10,720 students who took French and over 7000 pupils who took Spanish.

Jackie Killeen, Director, British Council Scotland said;

“It’s wonderful to see so many Scottish Schools and pupils involved in the Mandarin Speaking Competition this year – and we’re delighted to help host this event in Glasgow. Mandarin Chinese is a vital language world-wide and this competition provides a powerful way for students not only to enhance their language skills but also to broaden their horizons for life and work in the global economy. We wish all the pupils and Schools the very best for the heats and the final”.

Fhiona Mackay, Director, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, added;

“SCILT is delighted to host the Scottish heats of the British Council’s annual Mandarin Speaking Competition.  These events highlight the importance of languages as key skills for life and work and showcase the talents of youngsters across the country who are enthusiastically learning Mandarin. It’s certainly not easy an easy task to speak in a language you are learning in front of a panel of distinguished judges and I am impressed by the young people’s courage, motivation and commitment.  The confidence that is developed by taking part in such an event will serve them well throughout their school careers.  Regardless of the outcome of the judges’ final decisions, everyone who takes part is a winner!”

Since 2003, around 3,000 young people from across the UK have entered the competition – with some of these pupils later going on to graduate in Mandarin Chinese.

Pupils can compete in the Individual Language Ability or the Group Performance section. In the Individual section, contestants give a short presentation in Mandarin and translate sentences from English into Mandarin. In the Group Performance section, groups of five students of mixed Mandarin experience perform a piece of drama in Mandarin, involving imaginative performances and drama.

The national final of the Mandarin Speaking Competition will take place in London on 5 February 2020.

The German Olympics (IDO)

6 December 2019 (Goethe-Institut)

The German Olympics (IDO) is the biggest competition for the German language. Every two years over 100 students from all around the world meet to compete in their most beloved foreign language.

We are happy to welcome the German Olympics for schools worldwide to the United Kingdom in 2020 for the third time. The competition is open to secondary school students born between August 2002 and July 2006.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information about eligibility and how to enter the competition. Submission deadline is 27 March 2020.

Read more...

Gaelic National Schools Debate 2019

6 December 2019 (Scottish Parliament)

Well done to all the semi-finalists and finalists of the Gaelic National Schools Debate. And congratulations to winners Sgoil Lionacleit and Raonaid Campbell from Sir E Scott.

The final was hosted at the Scottish Parliament on 5 December and is available to watch on the Scottish Parliament's TV channel.

Read more...

Scottish Education Awards 2020

4 December 2019 (Scottish Education Awards)

The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

Among the wide range of categories are the awards for Gaelic Education and the Internationalism and Languages award. 

Nominations are now invited.

Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for further information and to submit your nomination by 14 February 2020.

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Western Isles Gaelic debate comes to its conclusion this week

2 December 2019 (Stornoway Gazette)

The semi-finals of the National Secondary Schools’ Gaelic Debate will take place on Wednesday this week.The first semi-final will see Inverness Royal Academy B up against Lionacleit School. The second debate will see Bishopbriggs High School take on Sir E Scott.The two winning teams will meet in the Final, at The Scottish Parliament on Thursday, December 5th, at 7pm, where they will debate, ‘In 20 years time, the real Gàidhlig communities will be situated in the big cities’.

Looking forward to the final, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Rt Hon Ken Macintosh MSP, said: “Gaelic matters. “It is part of who we are and part of Scotland’s rich cultural identity. The humour, insight and linguistic skill displayed by young people in this competition year after year, convincingly demonstrates that the language continues to flourish. “It gives me immense pleasure that the final will be held on the floor of Holyrood’s debating chamber, marking this, our joint twentieth anniversary.”

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Apply for the 2020 edition of Charlemagne Youth Prize

29 November 2019 (European Parliament)

Aged 16-30 and working on a project with a European dimension? Apply for the 2020 Charlemagne Youth Prize and win funds to further develop your initiative.

The European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation of Aachen award the Charlemagne Youth Prize every year to projects by young people with a strong EU dimension. Applications for 2020 open on 6 November and run until 31 January.

Visit the website for more information.

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‘Know your place, show your place’ photo competition

28 November 2019 (Queens University Belfast)

This competition invites you to consider the linguistic ‘ingredients’ that make up place-names, and capture elements of these as they exist today in a photo

• Entries welcome from individuals and schools
• Cash prizes for both categories
• Easy to enter, email some details and the photo to townlands@qub.ac.uk
• Closes 31^st Dec
• Funded by the ‘Language Acts and World Making project

Visit the website for more information.

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SEET school competitions reminder

20 November 2019 (SEET)

Have you registered your school yet for either of the competitions run by the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET)?

The Euroquiz project is open to all P6 pupils across Scotland and 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 commence January 2020.

Our World is a film making project for S3-S6 pupils asking them to use modern languages to express thoughts on topics such as migration and sustainable tourism through the media of film. Deadline for storyboard submissions is 3 December 2019.

More information about each project and how to register can be found on the attached document or visit the SEET website.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

Spanish stamp competition

7 November 2019 (RZSS)

RZSS and partner StampIT have launched a great new Spanish competition. It's a fantastic activity which covers many curriculum objectives all starting with just one postage stamp. Tell the story of a Spanish stamp. Full details about the competition and how to enter are on the attached pdf leaflet. This activity links to the RZSS & StampIT Spanish language pack (but you don't need the pack to enter).

The competition will continue to run each year, therefore there is no time limit for entries. Entries will be entered as appropriate to the current year competition, so schools can just send in when complete. All age levels can enter in primary and secondary.

Scottish Languages Employability Award

4 November 2019 (SCILT)

Schools and businesses across Scotland can now receive recognition for successful partnership working in promoting languages as a key skill for employment.

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA), developed by SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, encourages innovation and creativity in the promotion of language skills through meaningful engagement between employers and schools.

The Award is available at three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze. A toolkit has been developed to support schools in achieving the Award, available in Gaelic and English through support from the Gaelic Language Act Implementation Fund.

Fhiona Mackay, Director of SCILT said: “The Award recognises the achievements of schools and learners who have ensured that language skills are at the heart of their Developing the Young Workforce agenda. Three quarters of employers report that they are looking for young people with better language skills.  In addition, language learning develops a whole range of important meta-skills: enhanced communication, inter-cultural sensitivity, problem solving and critical thinking. When youngsters learn to read, write, talk and listen in different languages they are therefore developing key skills for life and work and this award celebrates that.”

Shona MacLennan, Ceannard, Bòrd na Gàidhlig said “Recent research has shown how useful Gaelic skills are in the world of work, with increasing opportunities in a wide range of careers for people who speak Gaelic.  We’re delighted to see that Bishopbriggs Academy has been awarded Gold for the way they have developed pupils’ skills and interests through Gaelic.”

The Award was launched at a ceremony on 1 November 2019 at The Ramshorn, University of Strathclyde. Three Awards were presented to schools whose links with employers have demonstrated to learners how languages can be used in the world of work:

The “Chinese Tuesdays” project, centred at Braehead Primary in Stirling, saw seven primaries in the Stirling Learning Community come together in a multi-disciplinary project involving media, cookery, art and drama. This exciting collaboration was awarded Gold.

Bishopbriggs Academy submitted a wide range of projects from across the school: language-promotional events, Gaelic film projects and German science projects. Using the toolkit to capture the school’s innovation allowed Bishopbriggs to become the first secondary in Scotland to gain a Gold Award.

St Mary’s Primary in Bannockburn linked with local historic attraction Bannockburn House in a project that saw pupils work with staff from Bannockburn House to create a range of resources in French for tour guides to use with French-speaking visitors. The project was awarded a Silver Award.

Staff and pupils from these schools attended the ceremony to collect their Awards.

The toolkit for applying for the Scottish Languages Employability Award is available to download.

Meaningful employer engagement and providing relevant careers advice are both key recommendations of Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy, “Developing the young workforce”. The SLEA supports these aims by giving young people the opportunity to find out more about the role of languages in the business world.

Collaboration between schools and businesses supports Scotland’s International Policy to equip young people with international communication and employability skills that they will need in our increasingly globalised society and economy.

More information on SCILT’s work to promote the value of languages amongst young people in Scotland.

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Duais Fastadh Cànainean na h-Alba

’S urrainn do sgoiltean agus ghnìomhachasan air feadh na h-Alba aithne fhaighinn airson obair shoirbheachail ann an compàirteachas le bhith a’ bronsachadh chànainean mar sgil dheatamach airson fastadh.

Tha Duais Fastadh Cànainean na h-Alba, leasaichte le SCILT, Ionad Nàiseanta na h-Alba airson Cànainean ann an compàirteachas le Bòrd na Gàidhlig, a’ brosnachadh ùr-ghnàthachas agus tionnsgalachd ann am brosnachadh sgilean cànain tro cho-obrachadh sùsbainteach eadar luchd-fastaidh agus sgoiltean.

Gheibhear an Duais aig trì ìre: Òr, Airgead agus Umha. Tha acainn air a bhith ga leasachadh airson taic do sgoiltean ann a bhith a’ faighinn na Duaise, ri fhaotainn sa Ghàidhlig agus sa Bheurla air sgàth taic-airgid o Mhaoin Buileachaidh Achd na Gàidhlig.

Thuirt Fionnghal NicAoidh, Stiùiriche SCILT: “Tha an Duais ag aithneachadh euchdan sgoiltean agus luchd-ionnsachaidh a tha air dearbhadh gu bheil sgilean cànain aig cridhe a’ chlàir-ghnothaich Leasachadh na Feachd-obrach Òige aca. Tha trì cairteal de luchd-fastaidh ag ràdh gu bheil iad a’ sireadh dhaoine òga le sgilean cànain nas fheàrr.  A bharrachd air sin, tha ionnsachadh cànain a’ leasachadh raon fasrsaing de dh’àrd-chomasan: conaltradh nas fheàrr, tuigse eadar-chultaral, fuasgladh thrioblaidean agus smaoineachadh sgrùdach. Nuair a bhios daoine òga ag ionnsachadh mar a leughas, a sgrìobhas, a labhras agus a dh’èisteas iad ri diofar chànainean, bidh iad a’ leasachadh sgilean deatamach airson beatha is obair agus tha an Duais seo a’ comharrachadh sin.”

Thuirt Shona NicIllinnein, Ceannard, Bòrd na Gàidhlig “Tha rannsachadh ùr air sealltainn dè cho feumail ’s a tha sgilean Gàidhlig ann an saoghal na h-obrach, le barrachd chothroman ann an raon farsaing de dhreuchdan airson daoine aig a bheil Gàidhlig. Tha sinn air ar dòigh a bhith a’ faicinn mar a fhuair Acadamaidh Dhrochaid an Easbuig Duais Òr airson an dòigh sa bheil iad air sgilean is ùidhean nan sgoilearan a leasachadh tro Ghàidhlig.”

Chaidh an Duais a chur air bhog aig cùirm air 1 an t-Samhain 2019 aig an Ramshorn, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh. Chaidh trì Duaisean a thoirt seachad do sgoiltean le ceanglaichean do luchd-ionnsachadh a bha a’ taisbeanadh do luchd-ionnsachaidh mar as urrainn dhaibh cànainean a chleachdadh ann an saoghal na h-obrach:

Chunnacas leis a’ phròiseact “Chinese Tuesdays”, stèidhichte air Bun-sgoil Cheann a’ Bhràigh ann an Sruighlea, seachd sgoiltean a’ tighinn ri chèile ann an Coimhearsnachd Ionnsachaidh Shruighleas airson pròiseact ioma-gnìomh Mandarnais leis na meadhanan, còcaireachd, ealain agus dràma na lùib. Choisinn an co-obrachadh ionmholta seo Duais Òr.

Chuir Acadamaidh Dhrochaid an Easbuig a-steach raon farsaing de phròiseactan thar na sgoile: Tachartasan Bronsachaidh Chànainean, pròiseactan fiolm Gàidhlig agus pròiseactan Saidheans Gearmailtis. Ghlac an acainn ùr-ghnàthachas na sgoile agus leig e le Drochaid an Easbuig a bhith na ciad àrd-sgoil ann an Alba a choisinn an Duais Òr.

Bha Bun-sgoil Naomh Muire ann an Allt a’ Bhonnaich an compairteachas le àite eachdraidheil ionadail Taigh Allt a’ Bhonnaich airson pròiseact far an robh luchd-obrach agobair le sgoilearan gus taghadh de ghoireasan ann am Fraingis airson luchd-iùil a chur gu feum le luchd-tadhail le Fraingis. Choisinn a’ phròiseact seo an Duais Airgead.  

Bha luchd-obrach agus sgoilearan o na sgoiltean seo an lathair aig a’ chùirm seo airson na duaisean aca a chruinneachadh.

Tha acainn airson cur a-steach airson Duais Fastadh Cànainean na h-Alba ri luchdachadh a-nuas o làrach-lìn SCILT https://scilt.org.uk/Employment/Skillsforlifeandwork/tabid/1597/Default.aspx.

Tha compàirteachadh ciallach agus libhrigeadh comhairle dhreuchdan freagarrach nan dà àrd-mholadh aig Roi-innleachd Fastadh Òigridh na h-Alba, “Leasachadh na Feachd-obrach Òige”. Tha an Duais a’ cur taic ris na h-amasan seo tro bhith a’ toirt cothrom do dh’òigridh a bhith a’ faighinn a-mach barrachd mu àite nan cànaineann ann an saoghal a’ ghnìomhachais.

Tha co-obrachadh eadar sgoiltean agus gnìomhachasan a’ cur taic ri Poileasaidh Eadar-nàiseanta na h-Alba gus sgilean fastaidh agus conaltraidh eadar-nàiseanta a thoirt do dhaoine òga gus nach bi iad a dhìth orra ann an comann-soisealta agus eaconamaidh a tha a’ fàs nas ceangailte thar an t-saoghail.

Airson barrachd fiosrachaidh mu obair SCILT a thaobh bronsachadh luach cànainean a-measg òigridh na h-Alba, bheir sùil air https://scilt.org.uk/Employment/tabid/8062/Default.aspx.

  

Entries sought for Scots writing competition

3 November 2019 (Grampian Online)

Entries are being sought for an annual Scots language writing competition.

The Keith branch of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland are looking for entries for the Charles Murray Writing Competition, which encourages the passing down of the Scots language from generation to generation.

The competition was launched to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Murray, an Alford-born poet, and is now into its sixth year.

Work entered into the competition can be prose or poetry and can be written about anything – but has to be in Scots. The competition is open to anyone, of any age, but must be written by two or more people of different generations – for example mother and daughter or grandfather and grandson.

Read more...

School competitions for learners of German

28 October 2019 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut currently has the following opportunities for schools teaching German. Click on the relevant link for more information:

• Winter competition for primary schools - primary pupils are asked to create a comic storyboard in German about winter. Enter by 20 December 2019.
• Debating competition for secondary schools - secondary students engage with questions about ecology, sustainability and Europe. Register by 4 November 2019.
• Calendar "Handwerksberufe in Deutschland - zwischen Tradition und Innovation“ - schools can order a free copy of next year's calendar. Limited supply - first come first served! Accompanying teaching material will also be published soon on the Goethe-Institut website.

Visit the main Goethe-Institut website for more information about the organisation and the full range of activities offered.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

do your :bit competition

22 October 2019 (British Council)

There’s a new opportunity for Connecting Classrooms partnership schools – the do your :bit competition!

do your :bit is a coding competition, which encourages children and teenagers to combine creativity and technology in solutions for the Global Goals, using BBC micro:bit handheld computers.  

The partnership resource has been produced to help schools collaborate on the do your :bit design challenge and enter the competition. Completing this unit together will give pupils opportunities to develop core skills in digital literacy, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, communication and collaboration, and citizenship. 

Visit the British Council Connecting Classrooms website to find out more about the competition and how to get involved.

Read more...

Königspost German essay competition 2019

16 October 2019 (King's College London)

The Department of German at King's College London are again holding their Königspost essay writing competition for year 12 and 13 students of German (senior phase in Scotland).

Students are invited to write an article in German on the subject of Jugend und Protest. The winning entry will be published in our popular newspaper, the Königspost, and there will be further prizes for the winner and runners-up.

See the attached flyer for full details about the competition and how to enter or visit the website. Submission deadline is 18 November 2019.

Read more...

German debating competition for secondary schools

10 October 2019 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about ecology, sustainability and Europe.

There will be different rounds in which the participating schools compete against each other. At the end, all students will be invited to the final in which the two winning teams will show their language skills.
 
The preliminary rounds will take place at participating schools whilst the final will take place at the British Council in London.
 
In order to prepare the students for the competition and to ensure that they can express themselves at the appropriate language level, the Goethe-Institut provides teachers with useful phrases.
 
The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the students' communication skills.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register eligible teams of four by 25 October 2019. Spaces for taking part in the competition are limited and you will be confirmed after the deadline.

Read more...

Award for lecturer that likes to teach the world to sign

8 October 2019 (Deadline News)

A University of Dundee lecturer has been honoured for using sign language and music to bring youngsters together in harmony.

Sharon Tonner-Saunders, a lecturer in the University’s School of Education and Social Work, has been named as a recipient of a British Council eTwinning National Award for using songs and Makaton to break down international language barriers.

Unlike British Sign Language, which is the language of the UK’s deaf community, Makaton was developed to assist hearing people with learning or communication difficulties. Signs are developed to look like a word and be as simple as possible to perform, making it particularly easy for children to learn.

Her project, Hands of the World, has brought together learners of all ages and student teachers in schools from more than 40 countries, with classes contributing video clips of themselves singing and signing along to popular songs.

Read more...

Oxford German Olympiad 2020

3 October 2019 (Oxford German Network)

The Oxford German Olympiad competition 2020 is now open!

The 2020 theme is Natur und Technik.

There are four age categories with different competition tasks for each, which can be found on the competition webpage. There is also a category for group/class submissions as well as a Discover German - Taster Competition for those with no prior knowledge of the language.

Visit the website for full details. Submission deadline is 13 March 2020.

Read more...

Winners of first ever Scots language ‘Oscars’ revealed

29 September 2019 (The Scotsman)

Writers, broadcasters, singers, poets and schools have been honoured at the first ever Scots Language Oscars, in the latest addition to the nation’s traditional arts and culture calendar.

The event, which saw 11 awards presented at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow, was launched to coincide with the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages initiative.

The new Scots Language Awards celebrate the country’s original tongue, which dates back around 1,400 years and is thought to have been spoken by almost a third of the population.

The event, backed by arts agency Creative Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scots Language Centre, has been instigated by Hands Up for Trad, who are also behind the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year contest, which has been staged for the last 20 years, and the Scots Trad Music Awards, which were launched in 2003.

Read more...

Scots Language Awards 2019

20 September 2019 (Education Scotland)

Education Scotland is proud to be sponsoring the Young Scots Speaker Award at the Scots Language Awards 2019. Winners will be unveiled at a ceremony in Glasgow on 27 September. 

Read more...

Our World film making project has launched for 2019-20

18 September 2019 (SEET)

Want to get pupils more engaged in language learning, global citizenship and encourage uptake? Are you keen to improve their confidence and win an award or two? Then get involved!

SEET’s popular Our World film making project has now launched for the 2019-20 year! Our World uses film making and global citizenship as a means to help pupils explore and improve their use of foreign languages. It’s totally free, and all you have to do is sign up. Last year over 70% of participant pupils said they were more likely to continue with their study of languages after taking part.

Teams of four, from S3-S6, need to come up with a creative idea for a film based on one of this year's themes and submit their storyboard by 3 December 2019.

See the attached flyer or visit the website for more information.

Read more...

German debating competition for secondary schools

16 September 2019 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about ecology, sustainability and Europe.

There will be different rounds in which the participating schools compete against each other. At the end, all students will be invited to the final in which the two winning teams will show their language skills.
 
The preliminary rounds will take place at participating schools whilst the final will take place at the British Council in London.
 
In order to prepare the students for the competition and to ensure that they can express themselves at the appropriate language level, the Goethe-Institut provides teachers with useful phrases.
 
The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the students' communication skills.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register eligible teams of four by 25 October 2019. Spaces for taking part in the competition are limited and you will be confirmed after the deadline.

Scots poem takes Wigtown international prize for first time

16 September 2019 (BBC)

A Scots language poem has won the international Wigtown Poetry Prize for the first time.

Shiftin, by Mhairi Owens, saw off entries from the USA, China, Canada and Ecuador for the £1,500 award.

This year the prize was opened up to entries in Scots, English and Gaelic for the first time.

Ms Owens, from Anstruther, who tutors in creative writing at the University of St Andrews, said she was delighted to be told she had won the award.

"It's literally a slim wee poem, but uses some very beautiful and unique Scots words and phrases," she said.

"It's right that many of us who use Scots in our everyday communication should use it in our poetry."

Read more...

British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition 2019/20

10 September 2019 (British Council)

Applications are now invited for the British Council Mandarin Speaking Competition 2019/20.

The competition provides a great, fun opportunity for secondary school students to practice and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills along with the chance to win a week in Beijing!

Heats will be held in Belfast, Glasgow and London during November and December 2019 with the final taking place in London on 5 February 2020.

See the attached flyer for more information and visit the website for eligibility and entry criteria.

Entry deadline: 14 October 2019.

Read more...

Scottish Book Trust searching for teenage writers and illustrators

10 September 2019 (The Edinburgh Reporter)

Scottish Book Trust has announced that applications are open for their What’s Your Story? programme. Now in its fifth year, the scheme has helped around 30 young Scots to develop writing, illustration and performance projects. 

14 – 17 year olds living in Scotland are encouraged to apply for an all expenses paid opportunity to learn, grow and create as a writer or illustrator.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said : “Nurturing new young talent in the Scottish literary scene is so important and Scottish Book Trust is proud to launch the fifth year of What’s Your Story, focused on supporting young people.  The programme offers a truly unique opportunity and we urge parents and teachers to encourage the teens in their lives with a passion for writing or illustration to apply.”

[..] The Gaelic Books Council funds a Gaelic-language place. 

Applications close on 27 November 2019, and can be made online.

Read more...

Juvenes Translatores 2019

23 August 2019 (European Commission)

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation (DG Translation) runs Juvenes Translatores 2019, an online translation contest for secondary schools in the European Union. Up to now, we’ve been asking Juvenes Translatores contestants to put pen to paper. Now we want to bring them closer to the real world of professional translation world by going digital. This time round, contestants will be translating online for the first time. 

Interested schools can enter 2-5 participants who must have been born in 2002. Schools can register on the official website between 2 September, 12 noon (Central European time), and 20 October 2019, 12 noon (Central European time). A random electronic draw will be held to select schools for the contest from among those that have registered. The contest will be held on 21 November 2019.

Visit the Juvenes Translatores website for more information.

Read more...

Two Galloway writers receive Scots Language Publication grants to support their work in Scots

14 August 2019 (Daily Record)

Two Galloway writers are among nine scrievers nationwide to be awarded funding to support their work in Scots.

Stuart A Paterson from Kirkbean and Susi Briggs from Gatehouse have both received Scots Language Publication grants.

The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust, was created by the Scots Language Resource Network to support Scots publishers and to encourage Scots writers.

Read more...

Into Film Awards 2020

13 August 2019 (Into Film)

The Into Film Awards is the best place to showcase young filmmaking talent, with categories designed to highlight the large pool of young creatives in the UK. Setting out to discover and honour the most talented filmmakers, reviewers, Into Film Clubs and educators, we encourage children and young people aged 5-19 from all backgrounds and with all abilities to get involved.

The 6th annual Into Film Awards will take place in March 2020, and this year sees some exciting new changes. Entering the Awards now not only gives you the chance to be nominated and join us at our star-studded ceremony in London, but this year, every single verified submission will also be entered into a prize draw to win £1,000 worth of filmmaking equipment for the filmmakers, film clubs or schools!

Visit the Into Film website for more information about the award categories and submit your entry by 6 December 2019.

The site also contains a wide range of films and teaching materials, including a selection for the languages classroom.

Read more...

Scottish Gaelic Awards 2019

13 August 2019 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

The Scottish Gaelic Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to host the most prestigious night of the year within the Gaelic community calendar. Celebrating Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.

The awards are now in their seventh year and attended by over 200 guests including finalists, event sponsors and members of the Gaelic community. The event itself will be a celebration embracing traditional and modern entertainment.

The Scottish Gaelic Awards will take place on Tuesday 19 November at the Glasgow Marriott Hotel and returning to host the event will be Scottish Broadcaster and Producer, Cathy MacDonald.

Visit the website for more information and to view the award categories. Submit your nominations by 25 September 2019.

Read more...

Scholarship opens for entry for one Scottish student to have "experience of a lifetime” studying in Japan

1 November 2018 (FE News)

Japanese language scholarship open for entries

The search is on to find the next recipient of the Thomas Blake Glover ASI Scholarship, which will enable one Scottish student to have “the experience of a lifetime” studying in Japan.

Initiated by the Japan Society of Scotland and sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments, the scholarship offers a fully funded opportunity to undertake an intensive language course at a Japanese university.

Read more...

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.

Read more...

Scottish Gaelic Awards 2018: The fantastic finalists are revealed

24 October 2018 (Daily Record)

The finalists have been announced for this year’s Daily Record and Bòrd na Gàidhlig Scottish Gaelic Awards.

The awards pay tribute to all aspects of Gaelic culture, education and language.

And the winners will be revealed on Wednesday, November 14, in Glasgow.

Read more...

Youth committee to lead Mod into the future

16 October 2018 (Press and Journal)

A youth committee is working with An Comunn Gàidhealach to shape the Mods of the future.

The group was set up this year giving a nod to The National Year of the Young Person – and so far has set its sights on modernising the way in which the historic organisation communicates with the public to secure its future.

The committee of three – Shannon MacLean, 21, Padruig Morrison, 22 and Katie MacInnes 18 – is supported by 25-year-old Alison Bruce who is also employed by An Comunn Gàidhealach.

Miss MacLean, from Mull, said: “Being on the committee has been very interesting. Our main goal is to get more young people to come to the mod and get them involved in local mods around the country.

“This is my third mod in Dunoon, and it is certainly the competitions that have helped me, as a non-native speaker, take the language seriously.

“My job is to make sure it survives for a long time yet.”

Read more...

Gaelic Ambassador of the Year announced at Royal National Mod

13 October 2018 (BBC)

A 22-year-old singer from Skye has been named Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, as the Royal National Mod gets under way.

Eilidh Cormack, from Portree, said she was "absolutely delighted".

The Gaelic cultural festival began in Dunoon on Friday night, with a special celebration honouring Scotland's Year of Young People.

Over the next eight days there will be more than 200 competitions and events in Highland dancing, sport, literature, drama, Gaelic music and song.

Read more...

Language Perfect Northern Championships 2018

12 October 2018 (Education Perfect)

Raise the profile of languages at your school. The competitive element threaded through Education Perfect can excite and engage even the most unenthusiastic students!

The championships are a brilliant chance for revision of vocabulary and celebration of achievements in language learning. Students compete live and online from computers and iPod/Android apps.

The competition runs from 6 - 13 November 2018 and registration is now open!

Visit the website for more information.

Read more...

Königspost competition 2018

12 October 2018 (King's College London)

King's College London's Department of German is delighted to announce its 2018 competition for Year 12 and 13 students of German, the equivalent S5 and S6 in Scotland.

Students are invited to write an article of around 400-450 words in German in response to this quotation from a short story by the German-Japanese author Yoko Tawada: ‘Das Monsterbaby erwartet von der Mutter Meer, immer wieder neue Windeln zu waschen. Das Meer wird als eine überdimensionale Waschmaschine benutzt.’

The winner and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony and seminar at King's College London in early December 2018.

Entries should be submitted by 22 November 2018. See the attached flyer for more information.

Our World film making project 2018-19

11 October 2018 (SEET)

SEET’s popular Our World film making project has now launched for the 2018-19 year! Our World uses film making and language learning as a means to help pupils explore the themes of LfS and the Sustainable Development Goals. It’s totally free, and all you have to do is sign up.

The project has been running for the past 6 years, has a proven track record of encouraging languages uptake at higher secondary levels, and is open to any team of four from S3 - S6 (no previous film making knowledge is required). All teams have to do to enter is come up with a creative idea for a film, based on one of this year's themes. Then, with SEET’s help teams put that idea into storyboard form and send it to us with an audio or video clip explaining it. The deadline for storyboard submissions is 5th December 2018.

Themes:

As part of a team of four, come up with a creative idea for a short film about being a citizen of the world. Your team should consider one of the following themes to get you started:

• Sustainable Tourism (going on holiday, exploring other countries and cultures and making a positive impact on the environment)
• Migration and welcome (refugees, moving abroad, how people are treated)
• Trade (how businesses work in different countries, importing and exporting)

All films must include the use of at least one language other than English - but the more the merrier!

After all the entries are submitted, 18 teams from across Scotland will be invited to one of three regional film making workshop days (roughly 6 teams per workshop) where they will get the opportunity to make their film a reality. Pupils are given technology and professional film-making training on the day to help them, so don't worry if they don't have experience - all they need are their ideas. 

Throughout the project SEET staff are happy to make trips to schools to work with classes and answer any questions you might have. 

If you'd like to register or sign up a team visit the website, where you can also hear previous participants talk about their experience of the project, OR contact Madeleine McGirk at SEET (madeleine@seet.org.uk).

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The British Council's International School Award

8 October 2018 (British Council)

The International School Award (ISA) can help with your vision for school improvement. If you are writing your School Improvement Plan, and you’re looking for something new that has a proven track record of making a difference, then the International School Award could be what you are looking for.

It works in all profiles of schools: primary and secondary, inner-city and rural, thriving and struggling. Everyone has something to gain.

Experienced head teachers like Kevin McCabe, now Director of Improvement at Drb Ignite Multi-Academy Trust, testify to the ISA’s effectiveness as a tool to change the culture of your school. It does this by opening up the classroom to the world, giving the students the motivation they need to change the way they work and enriching the curriculum with cross-curriculum work.

Visit the website for more information and to register interest. Action plans should be submitted by 18 November 2018.

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The Pushkin Prizes 2019

4 October 2018 (The Pushkin Prizes)

Somewhere out there, in an S1 or S2 class in a school in Scotland, there are ten writers worthy of the title Pushkin Prize-winner. Are you one of them?

What can you write about? ANYTHING! We're looking for stories, poems, plays, articles, memoirs - anything you like on a subject of your choice. You can write in English, Scots or Gaelic.

Visit the website for more information and submit your entries by 20 December 2018.

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National Gaelic Schools Debate 2018

3 October 2018 (Deasbad)

The announcement of the preliminary rounds of the National Gaelic Schools Debate competition has been made and the 2018 competition looks set to be another excellent year! The first two rounds will be held at the Town Hall in Stornoway, on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of November 2018. Last year, for the first time ever the first rounds from Stornoway were available online, through e-Sgoil’s You Tube channel and the Deasbad Committee will be making sure that this year’s first round will also be live streamed to a potentially global audience!

Sixteen teams from fourteen schools are due to compete in the 2018 competition. Following on from the positive feedback received from the new competition format, all the schools will participate in debates over the two days, with the four teams with the highest points, across the two days, progressing to the final stages which will be held in Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday the 27th and 28th of November 2018. The Committee welcome Agnes Rennie and Boyd Robertson who will join Iain Stephen Morrison as judges.

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German debating competition for secondary schools

2 October 2018 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut invites secondary school students to take part in a competition to engage with questions about the future of Europe.

The debating competition offers a great chance to actively use the German language in an authentic setting and at the same time to get to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Debating in a foreign language will bring immeasurable benefits to significantly improve the student’s communication skills.

Applications are invited from teams of four year 12 students (4th year of learning German).

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to register by 26 October 2018.

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Vocab Express League of Champions 2018

2 October 2018 (Vocab Express)

Create a languages buzz around your school by taking part in a global online vocabulary competition.

The competition is free to all existing school subscribers to Vocab Express. There are also a limited number of free places available for schools not currently subscribed. 

Our week-long global competitions are a great way to get your school enthused about language learning. We run our League of Champions competition in the autumn term from the 10th - 16th of October and our Global Challenge competition in spring. 

Each sees 10s of thousands of students competing to win the top spot on our overall and individual language leaderboards. There are competitions in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Urdu, Hebrew, Mandarin and Japanese.

Applications for the next League of Champions are now open. Visit the Vocab Express website for further information and to register by 9 October 2018.

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Highland schools come out top at Shinty@the Bught

1 October 2018 (Highland Council)

Iomain Cholmcille – the Gaelic Shinty Project – has worked in partnership with The Highland Council’s Gaelic Team to organise a six aside national Shinty event for P4 to P7 Gaelic Medium pupils from schools across Scotland.

In August Iomain Cholmchille announced funding of £8000, from Bord na Gàidhlig in order to help develop the use of Gaelic in youth Shinty. The project was launched at Bun- Sgoil Ghàidhlig Phort Rìgh and pupils were presented with new Gaelic strips for the school Shinty team. The funding for community projects aims to build on Iomain Cholmcille’s successful work, in partnership with the Highland Council’s Gaelic Team running Cupa Iomain na h-Òige.

Cupa Iomain na h-Òige – Youth Shinty Cup - is in its third year and although based in the Highlands, the competition, which is held entirely through the medium of Gaelic, is open to schools from across Scotland. This year the competition took place at the Bught Park in Inverness which is a national stadium and 14 teams have entered with approximately 100 pupils participating in the event.

Schools from across Scotland entered which include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dingwall, this is the first time that the smaller schools in Skye have taken part.

Iomain Cholmcille is a project dedicated to encouraging the use of Gaelic in the Shinty world and regularly organises international exchanges with Irish-speaking hurling teams for both men and women.

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Advanced Higher pupil workshops - Glasgow and Edinburgh

21 September 2018 (SCILT)

Due to high demand for our events earlier in September, we are running three more Advanced Higher pupil workshops. These are taking place in:

• Glasgow - Monday 8th October 10am-12 midday, University of Strathclyde
• Glasgow - Monday 8th October 2-4pm, University of Strathclyde (this event is now fully booked, you can register on the waiting list on Eventbrite)
• Edinburgh - Thursday 11th October 11am-1pm, University of Edinburgh

This is a pupil workshop which will focus on what is required at Advanced Higher level. We will look at ways of tackling;

• the overall purpose question in the reading
• the discursive writing
• the portfolio
• the talking

This will also be an opportunity to meet with your peers and set up links so you could support one another in your studies. 

Schools should register on behalf of their pupils. Please indicate when registering how many pupils will be attending. While this event is for pupils, teachers may wish to attend and this should be reflected in the numbers when you register.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition 2018-19

14 September 2018 (SCILT)

Today we're launching the 2018-19 Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition in Scotland.

All students who are learning a language at school, college or university, or who speak a native language at home, can get involved in celebrating their linguistic and cultural diversity through creative poetry writing as there are options to enter in either the Mother Tongue or Other Tongue category. All entries must be the students' own, original work.

For more information about this year's competition and previous events, visit our MTOT website and register to take part! The closing date for registrations is 26 October 2018.

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Time to Move T-shirt contest

13 September 2018 (Eurodesk)

The Time to Move T-shirt contest returns in 2018! 

If you are at least 13 years old and not more than 30, design a Time to Move themed T-shirt that best represents the spirit of the campaign, share it with us and have a chance to travel around Europe by train!

Time to Move is a collection of events for young people organised all over Europe during the month of October. The activities focus on introducing hundreds of possibilities through which you can go abroad and take part in an international project, explore Europe or gain experience you need for your future.

Visit the website for more information and submit entries by 31 October 2018.

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UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) 2019

13 September 2018 (UKLO)

UKLO is a competition for students who are still at school (or equivalent college) – any age, any ability level – in which they have to solve linguistic data problems. It’s completely free to both competitors and schools.

Teachers can now register their school for the United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) 2019. Round 1 will take place from 4-8 February.

Visit the UKLO website for more information about the competition and registration.

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DAAD German writing and video competition 2018

10 September 2018 (DAAD)

In addition to accompanying written texts, competitors are asked this year to make a short video on ‘Auf deutschen Spuren - In the footsteps of German-language culture’.

Find out about historical or current traces of German-language culture in your area and create a short film not exceeding 3 minutes featuring German-language dialogue or voice-over. Judges will be looking for creativity and language use - rather than technical ability.

The competition is open to all German speakers upwards from secondary school level.

Find out more about the competition on the DAAD website and submit entries by 5 October 2018.

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HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese speaking competition 2018/19

3 September 2018 (British Council)

A great, fun opportunity for students to practise and improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills. 

Taking part in the competition:

• increases students’ motivation for learning the language
• develops vocabulary and improves pronunciation
• raises confidence for oral examinations
• encourages students to interact with their classmates
• inspires students to discover more about Chinese culture.

The prize is a week in Beijing! Students will visit historical sites, interact with Chinese students and experience Chinese culture with the British Council, who have over twenty years’ experience in running cultural exchanges with China.

Applications for the 2018/19 competition are now open. Apply by Friday 5 October 2018.

Visit the British Council website for more information and to download the application form.

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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.

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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. 

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Scottish Gaelic Awards 2018

7 August 2018 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

The Daily Record, alongside headline sponsor Bòrd na Gàidhlig are proud to launch the 2018 campaign to celebrate Gaelic culture, education and language highlighting the excellent work undertaken to maintain growth and heritage.

Visit the website for more information and submit your nomination by 25 September 2018.

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FilmG

20 June 2018 (FilmG)

The successful Film G project which encourages the use of Gaelic through film-making has entered it’s 11th year. Film G is run by MG Alba in partnership with CGS and has been a very popular event for Gaelic Learners and Fluent speakers alike over the last decade. Film G organise school visits and more information can be found on their website.

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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.

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The 50-Word Fiction Competition

8 June 2018 (Scottish Book Trust)

Can you write a story in just 50 words? Each month we’ll provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.

The competition includes four categories, Adult Writers, All-age Gaelic Writers, Young Writers 5-11 and Young Writer 12-18. The entries will be judged by a panel and the four winning stories will be published on our website two weeks after the closing date.

Entries for our June competition are currently open. The prompt is to 'write a story set on a beach'. Submit your story by Tuesday 3 July 2018 at noon. 

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information.

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Stephen Spender Trust - Polish Spotlight

7 June 2018 (Stephen Spender Trust)

The "Polish Spotlight" is a new strand of the Stephen Spender Prize for 2018, with entries in three categories: 18-and-under, 14-and-under and 10-and-under. You do not have to be fluent in Polish to enter the prize: it is open to all those interested in trying their hand at translation. To enter translate any Polish poem into English.

Resources for teachers to introduce poetry translation as a classroom activity, and suggestions of Polish poems for translation, are available on the Stephen Spender Trust website.

Entries should be submitted by 5 October 2018.

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Scottish Education Awards 2018 - Winners announced!

6 June 2018 (Scottish Education Awards)

Congratulations to all the winners in this year's Scottish Education Awards, particularly those schools who came top in the language categories:

• Larbert High School Cluster (1+2 Languages Award)
• Greenfaulds High School (Gaelic Education Award

Visit the Scottish Education Award website for information and photos of all the category winners.

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German writing and video competition 2018

23 May 2018 (DAAD)

To all learners and lovers of German, it’s time again to release your creative spirit and enter the annual writing DAAD/IMLR writing competition! 

This – our fifth – jointly organised competition branches out into new territory: after successful (and exciting!) forays into poetry, prose, translation and dramatic dialogue writing, competitors are asked this year to make a short video on ‘Auf deutschen Spuren - In the footsteps of German-language culture’.

Find out more and how to enter on the DAAD website. Submission deadline is 5 October 2018.

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The Babel Young Writers' Competition

18 May 2018 (Babel)

Our 2018 competition is now open to 16-18-year-olds and undergraduates! Young linguists have until 24 August to enter for the chance to be published in Babel No25, to be published in November. The winner also, of course, receives a year's subscription to Babel!

Entries should be no longer than 2,500 words, and can discuss any topic to do with languages and linguistics.

Visit the website for more information.

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SALT Modern Languages competition for schools

18 May 2018 (SALT)

Entries are now being accepted for the #SALT18 competition!

Primary, secondary and senior phase students are invited to produce a promotional video, poster or presentation in the language of their choice. 

Find out more on the SALT website. Entry deadline is 7 September 2018.

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Call out to young film-makers in Scotland

10 May 2018 (National Library of Scotland)

A competition opens today (10 May) which invites young people to show in film what Scotland means to them. The competition has been organised by the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Youth Film Festival as part of the Year of Young People.

Anyone under 19 years of age can submit a one-minute film on any theme, in any language and in any genre.

Visit the National Library of Scotland website for more information.

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Competition: Eine Welt für dich und mich

30 April 2018 (Goethe-Institut)

The German Foreign Office is looking for children and teens who love writing and who would like to publish their own texts: Along the lines of “A world for you and me” young authors from around the world are invited to depict their fantasies, hopes and dreams.

Children and teens up to 19 years old can participate. Entries can be short stories, essays, poems or songs consisting of no more than 3000 characters (including spaces) and can be written in either German or English.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for further information. Entry deadline is 15 July 2018.

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Student competition to win a month studying at a Hong Kong university

24 April 2018 (British Council)

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London is offering sixth form students a chance to boost their CV by spending a month at a Hong Kong university this summer. All they have to do is demonstrate why they think Hong Kong is a unique and attractive place for start-up businesses. 

Visit the British Council website for more information.

Applications close on 8 May 2018.

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China stories: 500 words competition

17 April 2018 (University of Liverpool)

A new 500-word short story competition – with entries judged by best-selling author Philip Pullman – is being launched ahead of the 2018 Liverpool Literary Festival.

The China Stories competition is looking for submissions across a broad range of categories. Winners will see their work published in a special anthology and take part in a writing session with the Royal Society of Literature, as well as receiving vouchers to spend as they wish.

Stories can be about anything, but to coincide with Liverpool’s China Dream season all entries should have a Chinese theme.

Entries are invited from primary and secondary students and should be submitted by 20 July 2018.

Further information can be found on the University of Liverpool website.

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Together arts project for schools

10 April 2018 (UK-German Connection)

Together is a creative arts project, which invites young people to produce poetry, art, or songs on the themes of hope and unity, inspired by the shared history between the UK and Germany to mark the WW1 Centenary.

Open to all young people aged 9-16 working in groups or individually, projects should be on the theme of hope and unity, inspired by the First World War. Poetry and songs can be in English, German, Gaelic or Welsh.  Art work can be in any medium.

Visit the UK-German Connection website for more information. Entry deadline is Friday 15 June 2018.

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Graeme High pupil wins multilingual poetry award

2 April 2018 (Falkirk Herald)

The multilingual talents of budding poets from Graeme High and Moray Primary were celebrated in the 2018 Mother Tongue Other Tongue awards. 

Graeme High pupil Danai Nikitea was crowned the winner of the Mother Tongue category during a prestigious ceremony at University of Strathclyde on March 17. 

While Kole Murray from Moray Primary and Harely Ewen and Simi Singh, both from Graeme High, were Highly Commended in the Other Tongue category. 

These students used their language skills to create and share poetry for the ceremony.

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Scottish Education Awards 2018 - Finalists announced!

29 March 2018 (Daily Record)

Following an editorial campaign running in the Daily Record, the finalists for this year's Scottish Education Awards have been announced.

Finalists will attend the prestigious awards ceremony at Glasgow's Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow Central on June 6th, where each of the fifteen winners will be announced.

Details of all the finalists can be found in the Daily Record news article online.

Congratulations and good luck to the schools shortlisted in the language-related categories!

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Castilla y León Award to the best student of Spanish in the United Kingdom (2018)

27 March 2018 (Consejería de Educación)

The Ministry of Education of the Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom, with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Junta de Castilla y León, annually announces the award to the student with the best results in Spanish in the United Kingdom that has, in addition, the best academic record.

Applications are now open for the 2018 award and should be submitted by 30 April. Visit the website for more information.

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Young People in Scotland 2018 YOYP - New National Lottery "Spark a Change" Fund

22 March 2018 (YOYP/National Lottery)

To mark the Year of Young People 2018, a new National Lottery fund has been launched to help young people #SparkAChange in their lives. Grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are available for heritage, community and sports projects which are run by and for young people aged eight to 26. Funding is available for projects which encourage positive mental health for young people and inspire them to lead active lives. 

We’re all aware of the positive mental health benefits of language learning, so why not encourage your students to set up a language project, perhaps a community language class or an outdoor language adventure trail? Visit the Lottery Fund website for more information and to apply by one of the two funding deadlines - 30 April 2018 or 18 June 2018.

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German Teacher Award 2018

21 March 2018 (Goethe-Institut)

The German Embassy is pleased to announce to award the 15th German Teacher Award. The award recognises outstanding achievements by individual teachers of German and pays tribute to the work of German language teachers in primary and secondary schools in the UK. 

Teachers will be selected who have made an outstanding and dedicated contribution to German teaching within the curriculum and beyond, e.g. through: 

• a record of successful teaching at a school, including innovative language teaching 
• successful introduction of German teaching at a school, e.g. in a primary school as a first foreign language or in a secondary school as a new language 
• established and successful link activities with Germany, e.g. projects and exchanges, bilingual projects, curriculum projects 
• use of German language in subjects other than German
• local or regional outreach activities.  

Nominations must be submitted and signed by the head teacher by Monday 7 May 2018.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for more information and to download the application form.

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New competition launched - LinguaChef 2018!

13 February 2018 (SCILT / City of Glasgow College)

We are thrilled to announce that we are working in partnership with City of Glasgow College to host a pilot version of a new SCILT competition called LinguaChef. The competition brings together two of our favourite topics – languages and food! As well as practising linguistic and culinary skills, pupils will work on their wider social, literacy, numeracy and financial skills.

Pupils from P1 – S6 are invited to work in teams of four to submit a recipe for an international dish symbolic of a country where either a language they are learning in school or a language that pupils use at home is spoken. So we are expecting to see some exciting recipes from France, Spain, Germany, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Poland, Russia, the Middle East or even as far as China or Japan. We are also encouraging pupils to be creative, for example they could incorporate a bit of Scottish ‘fusion’ into their recipe to give it a twist.

Three semi-finalists from each age category will be selected based on their submitted recipes and they will then be invited to the grand finale with a chance to prepare, cook and present their dish in the professional kitchens at City of Glasgow College. An overall winner from each category will be chosen to win a prize for themselves and their school. Their recipes will also feature in the first ever SCILT cook book.

There are four age categories:

o P1-P3	Primary categories to present a SWEET dish that could be a cake, biscuit, pudding or dessert for example
o P4-P7
o S1-S3	Secondary categories to present a SAVOURY dish that would be eaten as a main course
o S4-S6

Recipes should include an introduction/explanation of the dish, a list of ingredients and the method. It can be submitted as a video clip (3 mins max) or as a PPT including photos of steps involved and the final dish, and possibly a voice-over too if pupils would like to add audio. Younger primary pupils in particular may find a video clip easier to submit as it does not require writing although if they choose to submit a PPT version we understand they may require some adult help with this.

Register now via the online form. 

MTOT 2017-18 winners announced!

9 February 2018 (SCILT)

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate everyone who took part in this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition in Scotland. The poems we received were inspiring, creative, funny and thought-provoking. We were delighted to receive so many entries and had an incredibly difficult time selecting those we felt were most deserving of a place in the 2017-18 MTOT anthology. Thank you to all who participated!