News Archive 2005
The Regional Language Network West Midlands is pleased to welcome Chris Everall, who will be taking over from Alan Feely as the RLN Manager in January 2006. Chris is a language graduate who is fluent in German and has lived and worked abroad for many years.She has wide-ranging business experience across the manufacturing, finance and service sectors and spent three years in the public sector designing and managing UK Trade & Investment’s highly successful “Passport” programme for new and novice exporters in the West Midlands. Find out more...
CILT, the National Centre for Languages launched a report into languages in major companies at its Languages for Competitive Advantage conference on 12 December 2005. Talking sense: A research study of language skills management in major companies, shows that while UK businesses believe they are as prepared as their European counterparts to meet the challenge of international communication, they lack language awareness, language-management strategies and the ability to respond to international clients and suppliers.
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A survey of language trends at Key Stage 4 for 2005, has recently been published. The survey, based on a questionnaire sent out to 2000 randomly chosen secondary schools, was carried out by CILT, the National Centre for Languages supported by the Association for Language Learning and the Independent Schools Modern Languages Association. The survey has found that the proportion of maintained schools with compulsory languages in their KS4 curriculum has further declined from one-third last year to one-quarter this year.
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A scheme giving children the chance to learn a language, which was piloted in 1,400 schools , will now extend to all primary schools in England. Ministers are publishing funding plans and guidance for teachers, with the aim of making language lessons available to all seven to 11-year-olds by 2010.
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Pathfinder has now launched the Comenius Satellite Centre at Wolverhampton Science Park. The launch event which took place on September 30th was attended by local, regional and national partners. The Black Country satellite Comenius Centre is part of the Comenius Regional Network, which is managed by CILT, the National Centre for Languages.
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Corrin Stewart 21, and Sam Johnson 80, have just become this years youngest and oldest newly qualified sign language interpreters in the UK, thanks to help from a leading national sign language interpreting and training agency based in Alvechurch in the West Midlands.
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Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, has been made the first fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Isabella, who is also the former president of the British Chambers of Commerce, received the honour at a celebration at the Foreign and Commonwealth office on 27 September 2005.
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Two projects in the West Midlands are celebrating after winning a European Award for Languages. The two projects, a Jamaican course run by Jamaica 2K and a healthcare project co-ordinated by the Black Country Pathfinder, received their awards at a prizegiving ceremony on European Day of Languages (26 September).
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A study carried out by the OCR exam board suggests that 65% of people in the Midlands have, at some point in their lives, tried to learn a language. The survey of 1000 people was carried out to coincide with European Day of Languages (26 September).
To find out more visit the BBC website
A new study has found that ethnic minority communities make provision for teaching 61 different languages across the UK. The study also showed that the linguistic map of Britain is changing, with multilingualism spreading beyond typically multi-ethnic areas.
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Advantage West Midlands have responded to London's Olympic win, saying that it will be an opportunity to create new jobs, business contracts and enhance language skills within the region.
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Children are to translate signs at Wolverhampton Wanderer's Molineux stadium, including the famous Wolves motto. They will also perform England supporters' anthem 'Three Lions' in a variety of languages as part of a course run by Wolverhampton University to improve language skills.
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A new publication launched last week by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, highlights the benefits of language skills in terms of business competitiveness, enterprise and employability.
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The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has recently published a report, which identifies languages and area studies in higher education as 'strategically important and vulnerable'.
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Recent statistics for patents applied for and patents granted, issued by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), suggests that 70% of worldwide patented technology is not immediately accessible to us as it is developed in countries where other languages are used.
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A unique course in Jamaican language and culture has just completed its first run at City College, Birmingham. The course has generated lots of interest and has confirmed the decision by the Institute of Linguists to recognise Jamaican, or Patois as it is known, as an official language in its own right.
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Research carried out by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, has demonstrated that adults are keen to learn languages, studying a wider range of languages than ever before.
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Last week saw the launch of the Languages Ladder, a voluntary recognition scheme that for the first time gives learners of all ages and abilities the chance to measure their achievements in languages against a single grading system.
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A survey carried out in autumn last year has revealed that 64% of West Midlands schools have removed languages from the core curriculum at KS4, this figure adheres to the national trend in dropping languages since the government's decision to make MFL optional in KS4 teaching.
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Languages ICT website is now live! 06.05.05
This new resource from CILT, the National Centre for Languages and the Association for Language Learning, focuses on the use of information and communications technology to teach foreign languages. It is aimed at primary and secondary teachers and teacher trainers.
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Recent statistics published by CILT, the National Centre for Languages suggests that although local language graduates are highly employable, they are not finding that employment within the West Midlands.
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Bytronic Automation Ltd of Warwick Technology Park is celebrating an exciting new contract from drinks giant Coca-Cola Enterprises following a trade mission to Belgium organised by the International Trade Team based at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
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CILT, the National Centre for Languages has recently completed a revised version of the National Language Standards – the scale of competence for languages within a work setting.
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Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has announced a £115 million boost to support language learning and teaching over the next three years, bringing us a step closer to the prospect of every primary school child learning another language such as French, Spanish, or German. The investment will provide more specialist language teachers in primary schools and also increase the number of schools specialising in languages. For more information read the press release from CILT, the National Centre for Languages.
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