European Day of Languages: Tuesday 26 September 2006

The European Day of Languages (EDL), a Council of Europe initiative, is held annually on the 26 September.

EDL aims to alert the public to the importance of language learning, increase awareness and appreciation of all languages and encourage lifelong language learning

CILT, the National Centre for Languages co-ordinates the initiative in the UK. If you're looking for inspiration, the CILT website has details of competitions, ideas and activity suggestions for your class or school, and you can read about some of last year's successful events and register your own. For more details, visit www.cilt.org.uk/edl

European Award for Languages 2006

The European Award for Languages recognises creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students and make the best of available resources.

The Award is a Europe-wide initiative supported by the European Commission. CILT, the National Centre for Languages, assisted by an advisory group, is the UK co-ordinator of the initiative which has recognised over 600 innovative projects across Europe since the end of its pilot phase in 1999. Eligible projects can be based around any language other than English and are expected to have an international dimension.

The 2006 Awards have now been announced. Winners will receive their Award at the Scottish Parliament on the European Day of Languages (26 September). The primary award winners this year include Oughtrington Community Primary School in Cheshire. For more details, visit www.cilt.org.uk/eal

Ciné-Teens & Kids - Films for young audiences at Ciné lumière, Institut Français, London: September 2006 - February 2007

The Ciné-teens & Kids programme aims to encourage children to explore films from around the world and introduce them to new languages, cultures and different modes of story-telling. Films are shown in their original language, with English subtitles where appropriate.

Ciné lumière will open its fourth season of screenings for young audiences this September with the Basque animated feature Olentzero y el tronco màgico and the classic French comedy Mon Oncle. The programme also includes the latest installment in the Kirikou cycle, Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages, the film spin-off from the enormously successful French cartoon series T'Choupi (Charley and Mimmo) and Jean Vigo’s autobiographical masterpiece Zéro de conduite.

For more information, visit the Ciné-teens & Kids website or contact Ciné lumière at the Institut Français, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT, tel: 020 7073 1350, e-mail: cine-lumiere@ambafrance.org.uk

Ciné-teens & Kids will also be linking up with a number of festivals this autumn: the National Schools Film Week (16 – 20 Oct), London Children’s Film Festival (18 – 26 Nov) and the Institut français’ annual Youth Festival (15 – 18 Nov), celebrating the best of children’s literature from France and Britain.

Teachers' TV KS1/2 MFL programmes: July - August 2006
For more programme details, click on the links below to visit the Teachers' TV website (*Also available to watch online)

Week beginning Monday 24 July
KS2 MFL*: Activity-based approaches, plus building an MFL department
En famille *: Colourful characters cleverly introduce young viewers to French

Week beginning Monday 31 July
Santé*: healthy French eating
Mind Your Languages* : Encouraging modern foreign languages at primary level

Wednesday 23 August, 14:.00
KS1/2 MFL*: Tips and resources for primary French and Spanish
School matters: Lost for words* - Is there a crisis facing the teaching of MFL?

Programmes aired previously - available to watch online
Sharing Skills - Secondary with Primary* and Sharing Skills- Primary with Primary*: Find out how primary and secondary schools are sharing ideas

Primary MFL 1 *: resources for primary MFL

Language Refresher Course at the Japan Foundation London Language Centre: June 2006

This intensive course is designed to increase confidence, fluency and accuracy in Japanese at beginners and intermediate level, up to JLPT Level 3. The course is open to non-native speaking secondary teachers of Japanese, and - for the first time this year – to primary teachers with Japanese language skills. For more information and an application form, visit the Japan Foundation website or contact tel: 020 7436 6698 or e-mail: sophie.lane@jpf.org.uk. Applications should be returned by 30th June (early submission is advised).

BBC Primary Schools programmes: June 2006

Primary Arabic - Life and Language Tuesday 20 June, BBC Two, 10:50-11:10
This programme introduces the Arabic language and reveals what life is like in one fascinating Arabic city - Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The programme gives the opportunity to have fun with Arabic and discover some of the similarities and differences between the language and English. Pupils can also listen to the correct pronunciation and intonation of Arabic as it is heard around Cairo. For more programme details, visit the BBC Schools website.

Becta ICT in Primary magazine: May 2006

ICT in Primary provides guidance, support and inspiration for using and embedding ICT in subject teaching and across the school. The magazine is only available to view on the Becta website.

The summer term 2006 issue includes Focus on: Using ICT to improve language and numeracy; Reviews: The Voyage website; Software to support EAL and community languages; Events: Developing Primary Languages - Details of a range of stimulating CILT courses abroad for teachers

Asset Languages: 30 May 2006

Asset Languages is a new way of recognising and rewarding achievement in languages learning from OCR. The Asset Languages assessment scheme is part of the Government's National Languages Strategy and provides voluntary accreditation options for learners of all ages and abilities from primary through to further, higher and adult education.

Presentation slides on the basics of the Asset Languages scheme are now available on the Asset Languages website. The website also includes a frequently asked questions for teachers, learners and parents, information for primary teachers and case studies from primary schools.

Additional support for the teaching of languages at KS2 in England: May 2006 - February 2007

Comenius 2.2 is the programme which funds school staff to undertake training activities in another Socrates country as part of their professional development. For key stage 2 teachers in England, additional funds are now available to help with the costs of supply associated with foreign language training activities undertaken during the 2006/07 academic year.

Applications for training activities scheduled during the autumn term of 2006 should be submitted by 31 May 2006. The deadline for activity in the spring term and/or break is 1 October 2006 while those looking to the summer term need to apply by 1 February 2007.

For further information about the opportunities available to schools under the Comenius action of the EU Socrates education programme, visit the British Council website. For advice on the eligibility of activities and how to apply for funds, contact: chris.souvlis@britishcouncil.org or denise.meade-hill@britishcouncil.org or telephone 0207 389 4221

Learning World: May 2006

Learning World is the British Council's magazine on the international dimension in education. The latest issue looks at global partnerships and CPD, plus the benefits of internationalism and job shadowing abroad. For more details and to subscribe online, visit the British Council website.

Teachers' TV KS1/2 French, German and Spanish programmes: May 2006

For more programme details, click on the links below to visit the Teachers' TV website (*Also available to watch online)
Thursday 10 May, Friday 11 May, Saturday 12 May
Resource Review: Primary MFL* A look at three resources for primary foreign languages
Thursday 10 May
Chez Mimi: En famille A series for 9-12 year-old French beginners.
Friday 11 May
Hennings Haus: Wie heisst du? Engaging characters help teach young learners German
Tuesday 18 May
Inspirations: Mind Your Languages* Encouraging modern foreign languages at primary level

Other programmes, resources and materials are available online:
Integrating Spanish - Reception to Year 3 Introducing Spanish to the primary curriculum
Strategies and Pay-offs - Spanish to Year 6 How progression in grammar and literacy can be built into MFL
Santé The French healthy food scheme that cuts childhood obesity levels.
KS2 MFL: Activity-Based Learning Focuses on a French lesson which aims to help pupils talk about themselves. Introducing MFL into Schools Examines the issues in implementing languages and offers solutions to the areas of staffing, budget and CPD.
Resource Review: Primary Modern Foreign Languages Language resources tried and tested by the professionals
Resource Review: Primary MFL* A look at three resources for primary foreign languages
La Tienda de Luis: La nueva ayudante; Yo soy el jefe!; Una tienda mas elegante; Quiero ir de excursion; La fiesta Fun series aimed at learners of Spanish aged between 9 and 12.
Chez Mimi: En famille; Les Copains; À Table! ; Nos Amis les Bêtes; On joue? A series for 9-12 year-old French beginners.
Hennings Haus: Wie heisst du?; Auf die Plätze, fertig, los; Der falsche Rucksack; So ein Lärm!
A series for young viewers who are just starting to learn German.

Languages in Primary Schools - A short course for teaching assistants and higher level teaching assistants: February 2006

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has developed a short training course for assistants with language skills working with primary age pupils. This 20 hour course offers an introduction to language teaching in primary schools and focuses on practical ideas for delivery and primary languages pedagogy. The course materials are now being made nationally available for providers who wish to offer courses in 2006. The course will be further revised over the coming year and made available in its final format for Autumn 2006.

TeacherNet hotseat: Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages: January 2006

TeacherNet, the DfES' education site for teachers and school managers, regularly hosts hotseats - online question and answer sessions - where you can submit questions for education experts to answer.

On 24 January 2006, Dr Lid King, National Director for Languages, and Kate Green, Project Director, held a joint hotseat to answer questions on the recently launched Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages, the cornerstone of the Government's National Languages Strategy, together with the DfES's National Language Recognition Scheme 'The Languages Ladder' which is currently being rolled out across England. To view this hotseat, visit the Teachernet website.

Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages: October 2005

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has been working with key partners to produce a Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages. The Framework will provide a comprehensive source of guidance and advice for those teachers and curriculum managers who will plan and deliver the entitlement to language learning at Key Stage 2. The Framework consists of three parts: Part 1 - Learning Objectives, Part 2 - Guidance on implementation and Part 3 - More detailed planning and guidance.

Part 3 of the Framework will be available from Autumn 2006. An online version of Parts 1 and 2 of the Framework is now available on the DfES Standards website. A hard copy version of Parts 1 and 2 is available to all schools and Local Authories by contacting DfES Publications at: DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ ; Tel: 0845 60 222 60; Fax: 0845 60 333 60; Textphone: 0845 60 555 60; Email: dfes@prolog.uk.com

Funding announcement: October 2005
The DfES has announced that schools and Local Authorities will receive a share of £49.5m over 2006-07 and 2007-08 to support the introduction of Key Stage 2 language learning. The funding will ensure that the primary languages entitlement can be delivered through the provision of resources, local coordination and training for existing teachers and teaching assistants. Additional funds will support initial teacher training with a language specialism. For more information, see the DfES news update.

Evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders: October 2005

In September 2003, nineteen Pathfinders (partnerships of local authorities, primary schools and secondary schools) were launched in a two-year initiative to establish best practice models for the provision of language learning in Key Stage 2. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has now published the evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders carried out by the University of Warwick. Case studies from the evaluation report and further details about the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders are available on the DfES Languages website. The research brief and evaluation report are available to download from the DfES Research website. Copies of the report and research brief can be obtained from: DfES Publications, P.O. Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ; Tel: 0845 60 222 60; Fax: 0845 60 333 60, Minicom: 0845 60 555 60; Online: www.dfespublications.gov.uk. (Research Reports are priced at £4.95. Research Briefs are free of charge.)

Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education, has announced a £115 million investment to support language learning and teaching over the next 3 years. £60 million of this funding will be used to provide training for 6,000 new specialist primary teachers, additional training for existing teachers and teaching assistants, support for foreign language assistants, as well as support for building regional networks.
Please click here to download 'A Boost for Modern Foreign Languages'.

Piece by Piece - languages in the primary schools
(Implementing the National Languages Strategy); an information pack for headteachers: July 2004

In July 2004, this pack was sent to all state-sector primary schools in England. The purpose of the pack, which was prepared by CILT, the National Centre for Languages working with the DfES, is to update headteachers on what is happening now, what is expected and what help and support is available to them. The pack includes answers from the National Director for Languages to the questions primary headteachers most often ask. To access these answers, please click here. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this document.