Adult Learners' Week Awards now open
13 December 2007
If you know an individual, group, family or project whose remarkable learning achievements could inspire others, then nominate them for an Adult Learners’ Week Award.
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German experience wins student Erasmus prize
13 December 2007
A business student at Glasgow’s Strathclyde University has won the 2007 Erasmus Student Prize for his account of his year at a German university.
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Web designers win export competition at Devonport School
6 December 2007
Three Devonport High School for Girls language students who have designed a website selling personalised ice-skating boots, have won a competition to find the top international entrepreneurs of the future.
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New website for Polish migrant workers
6 December 2007
The TUC, together with Polish trade union Solidarnosc (Solidarity), has set up a new website to give advice to Polish migrant workers in the UK.
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"Soap stars" are winners in Hayle School export competition
29 November 2007
Three language students at Hayle School in Cornwall have won a competition to find the top international entrepreneurs of the future. The competition is backed by RLN SW, among others.
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Lack of language skills costs business billions
29 November 2007
The UK is missing out on at least £9 billion a year through its lack of investment in language learning, reports Overseas Trade, the UK Trade & Investment journal.
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Celebrities support national languages and film competition
28 November 2007
The Language and Film Talent Awards (LAFTAs) are a nationwide competition that will encourage young people between the ages of 13 and 21 to develop original short film clips that demonstrate the importance of language learning and to display them on YouTube.
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Millennium stadium to host language celebrations
15 November 2007
Winners of this year’s European Award for Languages are to be honoured at a prize-giving ceremony at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff. Fifteen outstanding language initiatives are to receive the EU award for their innovative approach to developing language skills in the UK.
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Doing business in the Arab States
14 November 2007
West Country firms keen to capitalise on lucrative markets in the fast developing Arab States recently seized on the opportunity to participate in an Arabic language taster session and industry briefing of the dos and don’ts of trading in the region.
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Celebration of languages at University of Plymouth
14 November 2007
Glenn Jones, Managing Director of Business Language Champion award company Conway Stewart, recently talked to pupils at the University of Plymouth about the importance of languages for international trade.
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Schools reluctant to set targets for language takeup
14 November 2007
Only 17% of secondary schools have so far acted on the Government’s requirement to set a benchmark for participation in language learning after fourteen, reports CILT, the National Centre for Languages. Over half of secondary schools now have fewer than 50% of pupils continuing with a language in Key Stage 4.
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New languages Diploma proposed
8 November 2007
CILT, the National Centre for Languages welcomes the announcement of a Diploma in Languages to be available to young people from September 2011.
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"Sharp fall" in language GCSEs
8 November 2007
Fewer than half of pupils in England took a modern European language at GCSE level this year, reports the BBC.
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RLN SW milestone achievements announced
1 November 2007
RLN SW has just announced milestone achievements in helping regional businesses improve their performance in international markets, such as giving specialist assistance to companies in the region.
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Skills essential to improve UK's competitiveness
18 October 2007
To succeed and survive in a global economy UK Plc needs a highly skilled, talented and motivated workforce.
The Leitch review sets targets for skill levels including improved literacy and numeracy and aims to increase the percentage of qualified adults.
Tailored training advice is available for companies.
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Modern languages in the workplace - exporting around the world
18 October 2007
UKTI joins forces with Hayle School and Devonport High School for Girls in an International Enterprise Competition to raise the profile of exporting from the South West.
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Being bilingual 'protects brain'
18 October 2007
Being fluent in two languages may help to keep the brain sharper for longer, a study suggests. Researchers from York University in Canada carried out tests on 104 people between the ages of 30 and 88.
They found that those who were fluent in two languages rather than just one were sharper mentally. Writing in the journal of Psychology and Ageing, they said being bilingual may protect against mental decline in old age.
To read the full story visit the BBC News 24 website. |
Is the language of football international?
18 October 2007
Many say that the language of football is international, but Liverpool Football Club have taken things a step further and made part of their website multi-lingual.
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Brush up your Polish and make the most of new routes
8 October 2007
Bristol International has teamed up with the Regional Language Network South West to host an event on the 30 th October aimed at organisations looking to break into the growing Polish market, or employing Polish people.
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'Don't give up languages', employers urge teenagers
8 October 2007
"We want more young Britons to have the confidence to live or work abroad for part of their careers, we want teenagers to understand that language skills make them more employable." urges the CILT Employers' Advisory Group.
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Routes into Languages in the South West
8 October 2007
A further four consortia are to be funded to increase the take up of languages in the English regions. New regional consortia for the South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the East of England have been announced by the Routes into Languages steering group.
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GCSE languages - are employers really to blame?
8 October 2007
Commentators on this summer’s GCSE figures for languages pinned the blame for the decline on employers. If languages were genuinely sought after in the workplace, teenagers would have more incentive. Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, comments.
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Fifteen UK projects rewarded for innovative language teaching
8 October 2007
Fifteen outstanding language initiatives are to receive an EU award for their innovative approach to developing language skills in the UK. Two award winners are schools in the South West.
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RLN SW celebrating language and cultural success
7 September 2007
Leading business agencies, employers, training providers, schools and public sector organisations in Dorset, are celebrating the success of the Cultural Awareness and Language Skills project, organised by RLN South West and funded by the Learning and Skills Council. The project raises awareness of the importance of language and culture in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics event in Dorset.
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Thousands of free resources to celebrate language day
6 September 2007
CILT, the National Centre for Languages, is making available thousands of free resource packs to schools, colleges and community groups looking to celebrate the European Day of Languages on 26 September.
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Languages revival no quick fix
30 August 2007
Isabella Moore, CEO of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, comments on the GCSE figures for foreign languages published in August.
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University and College Union fears language crisis
16 August 2007
The University and College Union has issued a warning that UK students in the future could suffer heavily from increased internationalism in higher education. It was found that too few British undergraduates study abroad, compared with those from other countries.
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Downing Street goes multilingual
16 August 2007
The website for number 10 has just launched a new foreign language section. Visitors to the site are now able to access a selection of information on the British Government in a variety of different languages.
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Increase in language degree applications
26 July 2007
UCAS, the central organisation that processes applications for UK universities and colleges, has recently published research which indicates that many languages are experiencing increases in applications for degree courses this year.
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Champion companies for Business Language Awards
19 July 2007
RLN South West has recognised businesses from across the region as industry champions of good practice in using languages and cultural understanding to improve business performance.
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RLN SW at the first Plymouth International Trade Forum
5 July 2007
Plymouth Chamber of Commerce recently launched the first International Trade Forum. RLN SW Devon & Cornwall business advisors attended the event.
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Local company wins champagne in intercultural quiz
5 July 2007
BPA International of Honiton, Devon was presented with a bottle of champagne by RLN SW Devon & Cornwall business advisor Amanda Pléven.
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Business links provide boost for languages
28 June 2007
Education and Skills Secretary Alan Johnson praised business leaders and educationalists in Yorkshire & The Humber last week, congratulating them on their highly successful campaign to boost language skills for pupils.
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Museum proposed for multilingual London
28 June 2007
A new interactive Museum dedicated to languages may open in London to coincide with the 2012 Olympics. London is one of the world's most multilingual cities - with more than 350 languages spoken by its populus. A proposal is under consideration by the London Olympics board for the museum, which has the backing from the British Council and CILT, the National Centre for Languages. Barcelona will open a similar project next year to coincide with the International Year of Languages as designated by the United Nations to draw on the importance of multilingualism. |
Annual conference for 'national asset'
28 June 2007
Practitioners involved in the Community Languages sector will have an opportunity to hear from experts in the field at the second national Community Languages conference in Leicester on 5 July. The recent DfES Languages Review recognises that our community languages are a 'national asset', and Developing practice for the 21st Century, offers teachers, headteachers and LA co-ordinators the opportunity to discuss recent policy developments and to participate in CPD workshops. An information and resources exhibition is also open to delegates, where a new series of CILT publications, Curriculum Guides for Community Languages, will be launched.
More information about the event |
Are you going on holiday abroad?
20 June 2007
A recent survey revealed that only 20% of Brits try to speak the local language while abroad. If you don't have time for a course there are still lots of ways you can get to grips with the basics.
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Put students' skills to work for your business
20 June 2007
Do you have a project you’d like to complete, but no time or resource to undertake it?
Several partnership schemes are available to place students with businesses to undertake projects.
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New DVD and training guide from GoSkills highlights benefits of workplace diversity
20 June 2007
Many employers now have a much more varied and diverse workforce than five years ago. Examining diversity issues within a training/workplace context and demonstrating the legal, moral and business case for employers is the aim of a thought-provoking new training resource produced by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Passenger Transport.
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South West export growth higher than UK average
20 June 2007
South West England's businesses are increasingly trading abroad but more needs to be done, according to new research by the region's top economists.
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Languages and the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics
20 June 2007
The RLN London website has a new expanded section looking at the relationship between languages and the Games.
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Language and culture volunteers drive
14 June 2007
Volunteering for those with an interest in different cultures and languages can be rewarding and bring about great opportunities – that was the message at a get together evening held by the RLN SW at Weymouth College to further develop the RLN SW Volunteer Register for Culture and Languages.
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Record number of projects compete for language award
14 June 2007
This year a record 120 projects applied for the European Award for Languages, which recognises innovation in language learning. The entire UK was represented, with applications coming in from the Isle of Skye to Cornwall. Applications covered a diverse range of languages with a high number of community languages on offer. There was also a steep increase in projects involving adults enjoying language learning in less traditional settings.
Winners will be announced on the European Day of Languages (26 September) and invited to receive their Award from CILT patron Sir Trevor MacDonald later in the year. |
Business success in India
7 June 2007
Over 40 business representatives interested in trading in the Indian market received expert advice on “Doing Business in India” at an event this week organised by the Regional Language Network South West at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
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Doing business in India event
31 May 2007
Businesses in the West of England interested in the Indian market are invited to register for a Doing Business in India event organised by the Regional Language Network South West on Tuesday, 5th June 2007 at the University of the West of England in Bristol.
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RLN language survey - final report available
31 May 2007
The final report from the RLNs North of England's Language Survey 2006 has now been published and is available to download.
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Surveys show popularity of language classes for adult learners
31 May 2007
Two surveys released during Adult Learning Week have shown that learning a new language is still the top choice with adult learners, reports Further Education News.
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German welcome for cruise ship visitors
24 May 2007
Employees at the frontline of welcoming cruise ship passengers to Portland and Dorset teamed up recently with volunteer German speakers for an unusual “German on Tour” training day organised by RLN South West.
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Diet and culture - Halal style
24 May 2007
Managers and catering staff from Dorset businesses sampled a taste of diet and culture – Halal style –at a recent, innovative training event in Weymouth. The workshop organised by RLN South West aimed to broaden the cultural awareness of local firms catering for overseas visitors and foreign companies from Muslim countries.
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Firms urged to brush up on lingo
17 May 2007
RLN SW is looking for companies wanting to be recognised as a communicationi link with the rest of the world. A new scheme, Forty Companies for Forty Languages, seeks to tap into the expected increase in visitors for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
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New guide for international workers published
3 May 2007
Fractal Publishing, in conjunction with Multicultural UK have just produced a guide which is helpful to migrant workers anywhere in the UK. It covers issues such as health, employment rights, money matters, transport, and anything else that workers from abroad are likely to need to know.
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Cultural briefings for front line tourism staff
5 April 2007
RLN South West, together with Weymouth College and with support from the Learning & Skills Council, are offering a number of courses for people who come into contact with overseas visitors, tourists and students of English.
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European Award for Languages - deadline 30 April
5 April 2007
The European Award for Languages is a Europe-wide initiative which recognises projects demonstrating an innovative, effective and replicable approach to learning languages. Deadline for applications is 30 April 2007.
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90,000 Europe maps gratis for schools
5 April 2007
To celebrate this year's Europe Day on 9 May and the European Day of Languages on 26 September, the European Commission has produced large-scale wall maps of Europe.
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Passport to Export return from Spanish business trip
29 March 2007
International Week at Hayle Community School got off to a flying start this March with the return to Exeter Airport of the winning team of the Passport to Export students from their prize winning “business trip” to Alicante in Spain.
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Government support for a renaissance in language learning
29 March 2007
Education Secretary Alan Johnson has agreed the recommendations set out in Lord Dearing's final report on languages policy and learning a foreign language is set to become compulsory for 7-14 year olds.
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Why try harder?
29 March 2007
Whether as an individual or a business, we may have asked ourselves this question when it comes to llanguages. Regional Language Network London is challenging this mindset with its newly launched Language and Cultural Skills Strategy for London.
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Dorset prepares welcome for 2012 Olympics
16 March 2007
The Learning and Skills Council, working with RLN SW, has launched a pilot project to raise awareness of language and culture in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics events in Dorset.
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Business success in China
16 March 2007
Some knowledge of the language and an understanding of the business culture are the essential ingredients for successful negotiations when doing business in China, delegates heard at a special event organised by RLN South West.
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Languages a great learning option
16 March 2007
Business Language Champion companies continue to spread the message of the importance of language learning in schools across the region. Teignmouth Community College is one of seven schools across Devon being visited by one exemplar company, Flybe, to coincide with Year 9 pupils aged 13 to 14 years, choosing their ongoing study options.
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Study shows link between language skills and export success
16 March 2007
A study of the impact of languages on enterprise has shown that language skills can significantly improve export success for European companies. SMEs which have a languages strategy and invest in staff with language skills are shown to be able to achieve 44% more export sales than those which don’t.
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Call for volunteers at National Sailing Academy
21 February 2007
Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) is seeking volunteers with an interest in sailing and who would like to learn some basic French or Spanish. The Academy has teamed up with the RLN South West to attract enthusiastic volunteers to undergo free practical language training.
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Tourism Skills Network offers language training in Cornwall
21 February 2007
More and more overseas visitors are coming to Cornwall! Tourism Skills Network has developed courses in French, German and Spanish for staff working in tourism and hospitality.
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New free translation tool for emails
16 February 2007
Language and culture specialist Kwintessential has launched a free online email translation service. The tool uses computer assisted translation technology to translate text from English into French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and vice versa.
Try the new service on the Kwintessential website. |
RLN offers free podcasts
15 February 2007
RLN East Midlands has added to its range of free podcasts featuring country profiles and essential phrases in several languages. You can now listen to interviews with international business executives to find out their perspective of doing business with the British.The podcasts focus on five growth markets - China, India, Russia, Turkey and Brazil.
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Benefit from students' skills
15 February 2007
Have you ever thought what a luxury it would be to dedicate 4 - 13 weeks to solving just one of the challenges you face in developing your organisation? Why not recruit a student on a project placement to tackle your business issues. There are several business partnership programmes available in the South West, lasting up to three years.
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Olympic Delivery Authority launches eTendering website
13 February 2007
The Olympic Delivery Authority has launched an online eTendering and planning package to help companies compete for up to 2,000 contracts throughout the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
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Doing business in China
9 February 2007
Businesses wanting to capitalise on trade and investment opportunities in China, one of the fastest growing markets in the world, are urged to attend a specialist event on Chinese language and business culture taking place in Bristol on Wednesday, 28th February 2007. The event is organised by the Regional Language Network South West.
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Resources on China
1 February 2007
RLN South West in the West of England is holding a free event on 28 February, in conjunction with UKT&I, briefing companies on doing business in China.
To complement the event, we have compiled additional free resources on doing business in China.
Read more |
Executive training programme in Japan and Korea
19 January 2007
The Executive Training Programme with Japan and Korea (ETP) trains EU business executives to work and interact in Japan or Korea.
Applications are invited from executives working for EU companies, the deadline is end of May 2007.
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Study shows link between language skills and export success
19 January 2007
CILT has co-produced a study into the "Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language Skills in Enterprise". The survey found that a significant amount of business is being lost to European enterprise as a result of lack of language skills.
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Paris the prize in French language competition
19 January 2007
French students in England have the opportunity to win a two-day trip to Paris thanks to a new French Language Week National Schools Competition.
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UK employers: new recruits lack language skills
17 January 2007
UK employers feel that new recruits lack workplace customer service and languages skills and that greater attention to developing these skills is needed in schools and colleges, according to a new report - 'Skills for a World Class Service' - launched by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Passenger Transport.
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RLN Yorkshire & Humber sponsor Employability and Languages at Yorkshire Universities Conference
17 January 2007
The Regional Language Network Yorkshire & The Humber are pleased to announce that they are supporting this year's Yorkshire Universities Annual Conference with the theme "Europe: Working Together to Exploit Opportunities" at the De Vere Oulton Hall, near Leeds; 7 - 8 February 2007
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Using ICT in modern foreign language teaching
4 January 2007
The Guardian reports on Joe Dale, a French teacher at a middle school on the Isle of Wight who has made a big impact by implementing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in his classroom. He shares his experience and advises other teachers.
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