Portland Spa Hotel champions school's language competition

5 March 2009
The Royal Manor Arts College at Portland is at the centre of an initiative developed by RLN SW and the Portland Spa Hotel to provide the warmest of welcome to overseas visitors to the Island and Royal Manor of Portland.

read more

China-Britain Business Council launches new services for exporters

26 February 2009
The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is introducing a number of new services specifically designed to help UK exporters achieve more for their business in China, such as a business culture training programme.

Read more

London student wins best young translators prize

26 February 2009
An A level student from North London has been named Britain’s best young translator by the European Commission (EC). Sabrina Vashisht from Chorleywood, Herts, was awarded the UK prize in the Europe-wide Juvenes Translatores competition last week.

Read more

British and Chinese Chambers of Commerce join forces to combat economic downturn

12 February 2009
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) have signed a strategic agreement to encourage trade relations between the two countries, help businesses combat the global downturn, and to prepare for the economic recovery.

Read more

Hundreds of state schools giving up on language exams

29 January 2009
Only 30% of pupils leave secondary school with a good grade in a foreign language GCSE, reports The Guardian. Languages have fallen out of favour since 2004 when the government removed a provision which required every pupil to learn a modern foreign language for GCSE.

Read more

Languages in the South West

22 January 2009
A new report setting out the business need for languages and the current position in the region with regard to language learning has been produced by the RLN SW. This looks at exporting and tourism and also at the situation in all tiers of education. It quotes from various reports including one commissioned by the EU as well as national and regional data.

Download the report (750 kb pdf document)

Winners of unique business challenge in the South West announced

22 January 2009
South West Tourism and Kwintessential, a leading regional provider of cross cultural solutions, teamed up in December 2008 to launch an innovative competition. Three businesses were given the chance to win a multi-lingual website design package to attract more overseas visitors to the South West.

The winners are:

West of England region - award-winning Cotswold restaurant Allium

Read more

Cornwall and Devon - Isles of Scilly Travel Centre in Penzance

Read more

Dorset - Rockley Watersports Ltd in Poole

Read more

English language training for migrant workers in Somerset and Dorset

22 January 2009
The ICEBreakers project is being set up and managed by Learning South West, based in Taunton. Funded by the European Social Fund – via the Learning and Skills Council - it aims to help migrant workers throughout Somerset and Dorset improve their English language skills.

Read more

New website launched for Diploma in Languages

8 January 2009
The Diploma Development Partnership for Languages has launched a new website, providing information and advice on the innovative new qualification for students aged fourteen to nineteen.

Read more

Back to top

2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
2006 News Archive

Back to current news