Business Language Champions

The Business Language Champions programme is designed to bridge the gap between school and the workplace and to reverse the recent decline in the take up of modern foreign languages.

What is it?

Business Language Champions is a nationwide programme aiming to encourage exciting and innovative partnerships and showcase best practice.

Typically a school will work with a local company to enable the students - ideally Year 9 who will soon be making options decisions - to see the benefits of languages in the workplace.

Examples of activities

  • Business representative visiting school to give talks/presentations on the importance of languages in their organisation and how such skills are used on a day-to-day basis.
  • Business hosting visit for small groups of students to visit the workplace and see languages in action.
  • Business providing authentic materials (i.e. marketing information) for students to e.g. translate.
  • School holding a languages event and getting business involved.
  • Business providing existing foreign language materials for school to use as basis of language exercises.
  • Business representatives acting as languages mentors to students.

 

Who co-ordinates it?

Business Language Champions is a programme funded by the Department for Children, Skills and Families (DCSF) and supported by a network of sponsors: BNP Paribas, Goethe-Institut, the National Network of Education and Business Partnerships, Business in the Community and the Comenius Network. It is co-ordinated by the Regional Language Network West Midlands with the support of CILT, The National Centre for Languages.

Benefits to business

Gain a higher media profile, broaden your firm’s culture, harness enthusiasm for languages amongst employees and develop your Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.

Benefits to school

Gain access to authentic learning materials, in-school visits from business representatives, media coverage of your school’s involvement in the programme and opportunities for work-related learning and student placements.

Case studies

Arrow Vale School and Oakland International Ltd (pdf 991 KB) *New*

Coleshill School and BMW (pdf 1 MB) *New*

Harris School and Positive G Limited (pdf 1.10 MB) *New*

Kings Norton Girls' School and Angela Maxwell (pdf 924 KB) *New*

Lyndon School and Roevin Translation Services (pdf 1.04 MB) *New*

Moseley School and Galleon Systems (pdf 267 KB)

Paget High School and Angela Maxwell (pdf 197 KB) *New*

Shire Oak School and Knightstar Freight

St Augustine’s Catholic High School and Oakland International Ltd (pdf 127 KB).

The Sixth Form College, Solihull and GPS PE Fittings Ltd (pdf 89 KB).

Trinity School and ActionCOACH (pdf 878 KB) *New*

Weston Road High School and various providers and businesses (pdf 175 KB) *New*

Other examples of best practice

Small Heath School (pdf 488 KB)

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (coming soon)

Where to find further info?

For more information about the Business Language Champions programme you can download:

Flyer for businesses (pdf 324 KB)

Flyer for schools (pdf 253 KB)

If your school or business would like to become involved in the programme please contact Frances Pallett, RLN Programme Co-ordinator, on 0121 329 3297 or e-mail frances.pallett@rln-westmidlands.com


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