Routes into Languages
HEFCE Funded PROJECT to promote language learning
In the last few
years, our Department has been building a programme of outreach activities with
Secondary schools in a bid to inject new interest in language learning into the
minds of 11-18 year olds. The impetus for this liaison work was the down-playing
of modern languages in the secondary school curriculum, whereby students were
given the choice to opt not to study a language at GCSE level, meaning the
numbers of British young people studying languages started to decrease.
‘Routes into Languages’ is a government
funded programme implemented nationally designed to help young people
realize the importance of and to benefit from language learning in an
increasingly globalised world. An important initiative when only 18% of
the British population speaks a 2nd language.
Now entering its second year, and encouraged by the response to our
last year's programme of activities, we have designed for 2009 a
programme of varying activities to engage all learners of foreign
languages between years 10 and 12, (aged 15-17), seeking on the one
hand to enable them to better understand the opportunities that might
become available to them if they study a language, and on the other to
help boost an already lively interest they share in language learning.
See event posters:
 "Routes into Languages" programme for 2009
"Routes into Languages" programme for 2008
"Benefits of Studying Languages" event July 2007
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Alex
Pickering, of the Goethe Institut speaking to year 12 students at our Schools
and Business event, The Benefits of Studying Languages - July
2007.
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In the summer of
2007, a bid was put together led by the University of the West of England and
involving six other HEI's in the South-West. The central feature is a
commitment to generate a series of activities, in collaboration either with
Secondary Schools or with business, placing school pupils at the heart of
language focused experiences. Simultaneously, similar bids were being drawn up
providing coverage for most of England.
The South West
consortium, is working to a budget of some two hundred thousand pounds
annually, which will extend over three years, in return for committing to a set
of activities; school visits, campus based events, initiatives to encourage
links between schools and businesses, the annual allocation to the Department
amounts to approximately twenty thousand pounds.
The "Routes into Languages" Consortium Statement
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Very positive
feedback has been received from students and teachers attending. After a
language taster day on February 27th 2008, 66% of the students said that
they would continue to study languages at A-Level, with 97% of students
intending to go on to higher education. Marisol Foster (Torquay Boys
Grammar School)
commented: "Thank you very much for the day you did for the Y11 students last
week. They really enjoyed coming to the University and seeing what the students
do with languages. It is a very positive experience for them and I know that
some of them are really considering coming to Exeter to study. All these days that you have
done have gone really well and it is very important for students to see what
the next stages are in their studies, so thank you very much."
For futher detail please refer to :
"Routes into Languages" Event Reports (updated 30-July-2008)
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 November 2008 )
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