London

We would like to invite your school to participate in an exciting new project called Active Languages.  In partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, the London Consortium for Routes into Languages is coordinating this project that aims to take languages out of the classroom and combine fun language learning with sports and exercise.

The Active Languages project will begin on Tuesday 14th July 2009 with a full day event for participating schools at the London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road Campus. A proposed programme is enclosed. This introductory event for teachers of MFL and PE/Sports will provide advice, demonstrations and practical sessions delivered by secondary schools and Youth Sport Trust representatives. After learning how effective this combined form of teaching can be, you will then have chance to begin planning your own Active Languages project, with your school colleague, that can be delivered in your school later in the year. Projects might involve pupils producing guide books in the target language for a school trip abroad, or learning how to play a new sport through a new language - you can tailor your project to suit your school and your pupils. We encourage schools to develop projects that are aimed at pupils in Year 8 or 9, although this is flexible.

There are places for a maximum of 8-10 schools to take part in this project. All participating schools will have an opportunity to bid for funding (up to £1k) to run their Active Languages project during 2009/10. Representatives from the London consortium programme will be on hand to offer help and support throughout the length of your project.

In order to take part, you will need to book a place for yourself AND a colleague from your school's PE and Sports department by returning the enclosed reply form.

Please note that the morning sessions will involve active participation in the activities. It is therefore recommended that you arrive dressed in appropriate sportswear (for example, track suit and training shoes) and be prepared to take part.

You may also wish to bring a fully charged laptop to assist with Action Planning for your own Active Languages projects in the afternoon.

Synopsis
The Languages Immersion week is a four day immersion language programme, and is being offered for two languages, Urdu and Turkish.

Each day, the programme will consist of language classes in the morning and group work in the afternoon. There will also be sessions exploring Pakistani and Turkish history, music, and business. For the group work, participants will be given a choice of project titles and work together with SOAS students to prepare a presentation in whatever format they chose. The presentation will be delivered on the last day. Students will also receive information about studying languages at universities as well as about other language qualifications.

The aims of the week are to give speakers of these languages the opportunity to develop their written skills, to raise the profile of world languages in general, and to provide young speakers of world languages the chance to explore cultural-political-historical topics related to Urdu and Turkish.

The students
The students should be Urdu or Turkish speakers, in years 9 to 11. Priority should be given to those who would be the first generation in their family to attend University. This is a widening participation event forming part of the Capital L-Routes into Languages project.

The deadline for submitting an application is the 1st of May and there are 30 places for Turkish speakers and 30 for Urdu.

Capital L Summer School is targeted at Y10 pupils.

It will be held at London Metropolitan University, SOAS, UCL, University of Westminster and LSE.

Deadline for application: 5th May

On the summer school pupils will:

• Further your knowledge of languages

• Try new, exciting languages

• Explore languages in relation to broadcast journalism & film

• Visit Brussels for a day

• Learn more about languages at the European Commission

A day for Year 11-12
learners of French to demonstrate the wider links between language, culture and
history; based at SOAS.

The programme will consist
of two main sessions - the first will look at the history of the French empire
in North Africa, and the second will discuss
some of the cultural ramifications of this period.  Some language work will be embedded in these
sessions.

Students will also work with
Ambassadors to discuss their thoughts about issues raised throughout the day,
and what implications these have on the importance of languages.

The London consortium is working with Sports Leaders UK to offer London schools and FE Colleges 4 teacher packs - equivalent to 10 students' registration, free of charge.

Sports Leaders UK Foreign Language Leader Award aims to teach young people how to lead others through basic languages activities (teaching the colours or days of the week for example) by working to develop their leadership, communication, organisation and motivational skills.

Language Ambassadors are available to help with this activities

For more information on the Language Leader Award, please visit:
http://www.sportsleaders.org/our-awards/foreign-language-leader-ward.asp...   

AS level language revision programme to revise and prepare for your exams.

Subjects:
 AS French
 AS Spanish
AS German

+ Let us know any other language you study
at AS Level and we will look to provide support
depending on numbers

A 90 minutes workshop exploring languages of the world, careers and languages, and the Olympic Games using ITC. This activity may be delivered at your school.

The Japanese Film Festival is a series of film screenings and a masterclass for Year 11-12 pupils, at SOAS, giving them the opportunity to investigate wider links between language, culture and film.

The masterclass will give students the opportunity to discuss these issues with an academic from the Centre of Media and Film Studies, also contrasting the films with those produced by Disney and Pixar. Pupils who attend the screenings and seminar will also work with current university language students to discuss their thoughts about issues raised, and what implications these have on the importance of studying languages.

The aims of the event are:

* to use the power of media and animation to engage with students and to enthuse them about studying languages
* to introduce ideas on how different cultures engage with the world through language and visual media
* to develop pupils’ knowledge of the intrinsically linked relationship between language and culture

All sessions will start at 4.15pm and take place at the School of Oriental and African Studies in central London. Entry is free but you must reserve a place beforehand. 

The Japanese Film Festival is being held with support from Capital L and the Sasakawa Foundation.

The students:

The students should be in Year 11 or Year 12 and have an interest in either languages or film studies. The Festival would also be suitable for students who have studied Japanese, or who intend to do so.

This is a Widening Participation event and preference should be given to students who would be the first in their family to go to university.

Students will not need to be accompanied by teachers at the event.

Capital L-Routes into Languages:

Capital L is a consortium of 8 universities working in partnership with London’s schools and colleges, Comenius London and the RLN London, with the aim of encouraging and supporting 13-19 year old learners to continue to study languages in Key Stage 4 and 5.

Sasakawa Foundation:

The Sasakawa Foundation’s aim is to develop good relations between the United Kingdom and Japan by advancing the education of the people of both nations in each other’s culture, society and achievements.

The London consortium will hold a teacher focus group to inform activities with schools, evaluate the programme and obtain ideas. If you would like to take part in the group, please contact us on routes@soas.ac.uk

The London consortium is currently expanding links with schools and colleges to deliver a programme of activities with pupils from Y9 to Y13. Activities will follow the London Consortium's 5 thematic strands: Progression, Employability, Culture and Sport, Diversity and Inclusion, and Influencing the Influencers.

For more information, please contact the London Consortium Project Manager, Renata Albuquerque via e-mail on routes@soas.ac.uk.