News Archive 2006
Concerns that Birmingham's place in the global market could be under threat have been raised in the wake of a five percent slump in the uptake of GCSE languages this year. New figures have revealed that, for the first time, less than half of pupils in the city took a language this year.
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A new guide on the cultural aspects of doing business in India was launched launched last week by the Regional Language Network South West with the support of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). This guide, which provides vital information for anyone thinking of trading with India, is now available to download from our website.
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City College in Birmingham are going one step further in their successful Jamaican programme by offering courses for Jamaican teachers to train to deliver ABC accredited courses. The college, which earned international acclaim for running the region's first ever course in Jamaican language and culture, is offering courses at level 3 to teachers of Jamaican who want to find out more about writing the language as well as at level one to anyone interested in learning Jamaican.
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A new website is due to be launched later on this month to help the region forge and develop trade links with South East Asia. The South East Asia Link (SEAL) aims to provide a focal point for international activities between the West Midlands and South East Asia and will predominately focus on Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The website will be officially launched at a free seminar on 27 October at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke on Trent.
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A drive to encourage more students to study languages is being launched after a drop in undergraduate numbers. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) is putting forward £4.5m to enable universities to hold summer events and work with schools. The drive comes as people are being encouraged to brush up their linguistic skills on European Day of Languages.
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Over the summer we have been busy compiling a list of top tips for doing business in a foreign language. Our colleagues, including BLIS Professionals Providers and local businesses contributed useful snippets of advice which we have whittled down into a final list of fourteen top tips to help you and your business succeed in overseas markets.
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UK Trade and Investment have launched a new programme in the West Midlands aimed at helping companies with a focus on innovation and research and development increase their international sales. The Middle Market programme allows companies to structure a project around their own export needs and, provides access to a wide range of practical and financial support. Through local UKTI teams and British Embassies companies can obtain market research, access to sales leads, practical advice and up to £2,000 of matched funding in order to help them sell into at least one new geographical market.
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Coventry's Tile Hill Wood School and Language College are to receive a European Award for Languages for their Immersion Teaching programme. The project sees Year 7 pupils learning Geography, RE and PSHE through the medium of French with lessons delivered jointly by language and subject teachers. The project is one of twelve winners from around the UK who will receive their awards at a prize giving ceremony on European Day of Languages - 26 September.
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This summer Birmingham City Council is establishing the International Partner Cities Football Tournament involving Birmingham's European partner cities Frankfurt, Lyon and Milan. Budding young footballers will have the chance to show off their skills on the pitch as well as socialising with players from other countries and trying out their language skills.
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Commencing after the Spring Bank Holiday, City College in Birmingham will be offering a free accredited course in Jamaican language and culture. This truly is a world first, with Jamaican recently being recognised as a language in its own right, so participants will be amongst the first people to have a qualification in this increasingly popular Caribbean language.
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A new EU-sponsored website has been launched to help adults who want to improve their language skills. Lingu@net Europa helps learners understand their strengths and weaknesses, provides motivational tips and offers advice on overcoming common problems. The website also gives language learners the opportunity to test their new skills through e-mail exchanges, live chat and weblogs.
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Tim Fisher, MD of Aldridge-based international freight forwarders Knightstar Freight, is going back to the classroom to encourage pupils to broaden their job horizons by increasing their language skills. The company will be working with Walsall's Shire Oak school as part of the Business Language Champions Programme, which is designed to bridge the gap between school and the workplace.
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Gifted linguists could have a different brain shape and structure from those of other people, a study suggests. Differences have been noted in the part of the brain which processes sound and also in the symmetry of the brain itself. It is hoped the research can be used to help identify reasons for language difficulties.
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The India Pakistan Trade Unit is a new initiative set up by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce's International Trade Team. The two-way, international trade portal has been designed to maximise trading opportunities between South Asian and West Midlands companies.
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There are now a growing number of secondary schools in Birmingham who are failing to offer any languages post-14. The new concern over the demise of language teaching comes in the wake of a study last year that found half of the city's secondaries had "significantly" cut provision to pupils.
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The application period for this year's European Award for Languages has just opened. West Midlands language initiatives are being invited to prove they can represent Britain on the European Stage with their creative, motivating and inspirational language projects and the chance to win cash prizes totaling over £3000.
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