scilt - Bishopbriggs Academy

SCILT News
CONTENTS
SCILT news ..................................................................................1
Editorial .......................................................................................2
SCILT CPD Outreach update....................................................2 /3
Local Authority news ..............................................................4/5
Edinburgh City Council ...........................................................6/7
Headteachers’ trip .....................................................................8
HSBC/British Council competition ............................................9
Johnstone High School .........................................................10/11
Round up of languages in Glasgow .....................................11/12
News from SCIS .........................................................................13
News from cultural organisations ..................................14 to 18
British Academy schools language award ..............................19
CILT Cymru .................................................................................19
SCILT staff and contacts............................................................20
New Resources for teachers!
e have recently been able to produce and offer new resources for teachers thanks to our enthusiastic
development officer, Anne-Sophie McNeish.
W
Anne-Sophie has recently teamed up with the Institut Français in Edinburgh to work
collaboratively in developing new resources for French teachers. Having joined us fresh from
the classroom, Anne-Sophie was only too aware that most language teachers don’t have
enough time to tailor their materials or source suitable authentic material. Authentic materials
which are relevant to a teenage audience often include too many unknown and difficult
words. Anne-Sophie not only sourced topical materials but structured them to ensure there was an appropriate
balance between challenge and support.
Her drive and passion for creating interesting and relevant materials is
evident in the wealth of new materials which she has produced in a short
space of time. We are absolutely delighted to be able to share these with
you through both our website and that of the Institut Français, and hope
to continue to offer more in due course. The topics which are already available include cultural aspects of life in
France, as well as Healthy Eating, Facebook, Europe and the Olympics amongst others. To access the full range,
please check this area on our website:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/informationandresources/furtherresources/resourcesforsecondaryteachers-french/
Anne-Sophie has produced a range of materials for S1-S6 for French, along with useful websites for discovering life
in France. This area is dedicated specifically for cultural resources:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/media/faculties/hass/scilt/resources/annesophiesresources/List_of_website_about_life_in_France.pdf
There are also some resources available in German and Spanish on our website, and more Spanish resources will
be published before the end of the school year: http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/informationandresources/furtherresources/
Promotional video resource
- interview with Scottish actor Atta Yaqub
ooking for classroom resources to promote the value of languages, either in general or ahead
of course choices? You can now find a fantastic new resource on our website – Language
Horizons - for encouraging your learners to continue with their languages.
L
Language Horizons is a video interview with Atta Yaqub, a Scottish Actor who shot to fame
in his lead role in ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ (Ken Loach, 2004) and who learned German for his role in
Knotenpunkt (2010).
In this video clip, Atta shares what languages have done for him and how they play an
important role in his life and career. The clip is short and easy to use with background
information provided, so no need to do any additional research. The video is
appropriate for use in the languages classroom and in PSE classes, so please
encourage your Pupil Support colleagues to consider using it.
Visit the Promoting Languages section of our website http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/promotinglangs/promotionalvideo/
Leading on Languages
Summer 2012
Newsletter
Editorial
Dear Readers,
It’s only been six months since our last Newsletter but it
feels like a lifetime ago! Back then I had no inkling at all
of the huge development awaiting SCILT, a
development whose official beginning was marked on
Wednesday 6th June with the launch of the Confucius
Institute for Scotland’s Schools, now part of SCILT and
the University of Strathclyde.
I am delighted that Scottish Government has asked us to
lead on the promotion of Chinese language and culture
in Scotland because as Scotland’s National Centre for
Languages we are surely the natural home for this
activity. Chinese, particularly in the new context of 1+2,
needs to sit firmly but not exclusively within modern
languages, and, along with all languages, play a key
role in the delivery of Interdisciplinary Learning. Of
course the work of the SG Languages working Group
has now also come to fruition with the publication of its
Report: “Language Learning in Scotland: A 1+2
Approach”. The key recommendations are summarised
in the foreword: “To deliver the framework, the Report
recommends earlier access to language learning for
children at the primary stage, enhanced partnership
working between primary and secondary schools, closer
collaboration across all sectors of education, more
extensive and more effective use of technology and
regular access to native and fluent speakers to stimulate
young people’s interest in language learning and other
cultures”. Who could possibly disagree with such
commonsensical recommendations? The most radical
one is the idea of starting language learning from P1.
We recognise that this is ambitious and cannot be done
overnight, but it is surely an ambition worth striving for, so
that language learning becomes embedded in the
primary curriculum and we take advantage of the
natural curiosity and ability to mimic sounds of our
younger learners. SCILT will be leading on some pilot
work in 2012-2013, together with our key partner
organisation, Education Scotland. We will be looking at
ways to provide 1+2 from early years through to the end
of the Senior Phase, drawing on examples of existing
best practice and identifying pre-requisites for success so
that we can share these with schools up and down the
country. So, busy times ahead – and that’s before we
consider our new website, due to be launched early
next term… The draft design is looking really good, but
for now I’m going to keep it under wraps, only revealing
that there will be a dedicated “1+2” section and a new
page for our Business Language Champions
Programme - just enough to whet your appetite!
Once again, this Newsletter is testimony to the
dedication, enthusiasm and creativity of the Modern
Languages Community, packed full as it is of inspiring
tales of classroom practice, promotional events, new
resources and competitions. Thank you to you all for
your contributions and congratulations to
Cardinal Newmann
News
News
High School in North
News
s
Lanarkshire for
winning this year’s
W
P
British Academy
Schools Language
Award for its
partnership with a
school in Mallorca,
or “enhorabona!”,
as they say in that
guages
LeadingonLanguages
part of the world!
Leadingon
Lang
uages
Summer2011
Summer2011
Winter201
0
0
Editorial
Wishing all our
readers a very
Happy
Christmas
and a peaceful
New Year
SCILT
SCILT – Branching Out
lConference
SCILT’sNationalConference
sgow
8June2011,TheLighthouse,Glasgow
down Barriers
Challenging Mindsets: Breaking
elcometothef
irsteditionofo
urNewsletterfo
rtheschoolyea
andwhatabus
r2010Ǧ2011
reparations are now well under way
yoneit’sbeens
ofar!We’vebee
nworkingreally
languagesupth
for our annual conference eagenda,firstly
hardtopush
byfocusingon
thequalityofse
Challenging Mindsets: Breaking down
Contents:
acrossthefour
rviceweprovid
keyareasofour
e
workǦcuttingǦedgeCPD,exten
Barriers - scheduled for Wednesday
information,us
sivewebǦbased
at
efulstatisticsan
P2
A
dresearchfindi
8th June from 1.00pm to 7.00pm
ngs,promotion
Editorial/Outreach/FL
andsecondly,b
allanguageeve
yextendingour
the Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane,
ntsǦ
partnershipwo
P3
rkingandbranc
fast and it’s
SCILT/FLAevent
sectorsoftheli
hingoutacross
felonglearning
Glasgow. Places are filling up very
all
spectrum.
clear that the key themes of partnership
P4Ǧ7
Rightnow,aso
LocalAuthoritynews urcountryfaces
working and the need to make language
amajoreconom
young
iccrisis,itmake
resourcesande
ssensetopool
nsurethatwea
P8Ǧ11 learning more relevant to Scotland’s
s
inBusinessand
reworkingwith
CulturalOrganisation
Industryandin
ourcolleagues
thecommunity
people have struck a chord.
inearlyyears,in
andvoluntarys
FE/HE,
importantcontr
ectorstosendo
ibutionlanguag
P12
utconsistentm
escanmaketo
essagesaboutt
ECML/SLR
ourcountry’sec
he
examplesofthi
is to demonstrate
onomyandwel
spartnershipw
conference
our
of
aim
The
lbeing.You’llse
orkinginthisNe
eanumberof
partners
wsletter.
P13
that when schools work with external
Baccalaureate/SEET
Thisbroadervis
and industry,
ionofmodernl
from across the sectors – business
anguagesisrefl
ectedinthema
P14
the
keǦupoftheMo
oneofanumbe
Universities dernLanguages
including the arts and sports, FE/HE,
rofExcellenceG
roupssetupby
etc - language learning
theCabinetSec
ExcellenceGro
up,
oftheplanford
retaryforEduca
voluntary sector, parent organisations
evelopingCurric
P15
tionandLifelon
CILTCymru
and relevant to our young people.
ulumforExcelle
gLearningaspa
nce.I’mdelight
becomes much more meaningful
rt
ExcellenceGrou
edtobechairin
p,agroupwhic
attitude not only affects the
gtheModernL
hcomprisesam
anguages
Moreover, the resultant change in
ixtureofteache
P15
wellasrepresen
rsandothersw
on all those involved in a very
tativesfromthe
ithinthewidere
LinguisticsOlympiad
worldofbusine
learners themselves, but impacts
ducationsector
ssandindustry.
from the Modern Languages
,as
modernlangua
We’relookinga
ges,thinkingno
P16
positive way. These themes, leitmotifs
twhatmakesfo
s
of
tonlyaboutwh
SCILTwebsiteupdate
rExcellencein
athappensinth
explored through a combination
positiveandne
eclassroombut
Excellence Group Report, will be
gative,thatcom
alsoexamining
citizens
efromthewide
theinfluences,
young people becoming truly global
rschoolcommu
both
hardtoidentify
and short film clips of Scotland’s
nity,includingp
thepreǦrequisit
inputs, panel discussions
arentsandcare
keynote
estoExcellence
rs.We’reworkin
bothinsideand
skills.
whichwewillp
language
roduceearlyne
outsidetheclas
developing theirg
sroomandweh
xtyearwillserv
through
story to tell that
opethattherep
easausefulpla
ort
andclassroomt
nningtoolforlo
and each has a personal and professional
eachers.Youca
calauthorities,
come from business and the arts,
nfindoutmore
keynotes
three
And we are honoured to have
Our
seniormanagem
fail.
we
if
aboutthework
Scotland
to
ent
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/To
well as the risk
oftheExcellenceGroupsat
leader of the
the value of language learning as
pics/Education/Schools/curriculu demonstrates
Chief Inspector of Education and
Graham Donaldson, former Senior
m/ACE/excellence
languages
ButScotlanddo
secured the commitment of Professor
around current provision of modern
esn’toperatein
Concerns
panel.
our
chair
to
isolationandth
Scotland,
Donaldson
e
Review of Teacher Education in
languagescomm
“Teaching Scotland’s Future”. Professor
unityisstrength
outlined in the Review’s report,
enedbykeeping
and business.
in our primary schools are clearly
abreastofwhat
schools, HE, cultural organisations
’shappeningin
from a range of sectors including
therestoftheU
K
will be joined by representatives
andinEurope.T
scilt/events/conferences/
othisendwear
esupportingth
For further details go to: http://www.strath.ac.uk/
e
“SpeaktotheF
uture”campaig
n,organisedby
Conference Glow Group
CILTinEngland
,togetherwith
and we intend to
LLAS(Subject
language teaching and learning,
CentreforLang
the use of technology to support
uages,Linguisti
t SCILT, we are active in promoting
csandArea
Mindsets: Breaking down Barriers.
annual Conference: Challenging
Studies)andTh
eLanguagesCo
make full use of Glow for our forthcoming
mpany.Thisfive
up for this group and will
Delegates are encouraged to sign
yearcampaignr
unningfrom20
Group to support the conference.
11to2015aimst
We have set up a dedicated Glow
o
improvetheUK
’sunderstandin
gofthevalueo
benefit from the following:
of the event.
f
languagesinall
conference and share expectations
areasoflife;to
achievea‘step
with other delegates before the
change’inlang
x An opportunity to connect
the event.
capacityinlang
uagelearningat
uageskillsandp
with the conference before and after
alllevelsandto
rofessionalserv
x Join
threads on topical issues connected
improvethena
in discussion
tion’s
ices.
may emerge.
and any changes to practice that
We’vealsobeen
conference with other delegates,
liaisingmorecl
x Share feedback on the
oselywiththeC
ouncilofEurop
Languages)inG
e’sECML(theE
raz,Austria,act
from the conference after the event.
uropeanCentre
ivelypromoting
x Access
forModern
resources
theiractivitiesa
those unable to attend
professionalsin
ndtheCPDopp
Scotland.
live via the Glow Group to allow
ortunitiesforla
nguage
Conference keynotes will be streamed
fully as possible.
the conference to participate as
Wehopetosee
theseeffortsco
metofruitionin
thesummerter
(you will need a Glow login and password)
sectors,wewill
mwhen,togeth
organiseouran
Sign up for the Glow Group - http://bit.ly/mfgusg
erwithourpart
nualconference
nersacrossthe
entitled‘Challe
ngingtheMinds
et’.
SarahBreslin,D
irector,SCILT
A
SCILT CPD Outreach Update
CILT has had a very busy year as usual with our outreach events taking
place in various local authorities across the country, supported by our 3
development officers.
S
Laura, Anne-Sophie and Lorna were able to contribute to a range of new
workshops targeted at different stages of the curriculum. After Christmas,
we were able to extend our choices of workshop even further to include 3
new workshops about resources, interdisciplinary learning and promoting
languages in the senior phase. These proved very popular with a number of local
authorities and culminated in February and March when the team travelled up and
down the country from Aberdeen to Galashiels to accommodate the wealth of requests
from different authorities. We were delighted at the response to our new workshops and
at particular points the calendar was jam-packed with events!
Between September 2011 and March 2012, we managed to deliver SCILT workshops to a
total of 12 different local authorities across Scotland, as well as contributing at a range of
other language events. We also delivered workshops to trainee teachers in both
Strathclyde and Stirling University, and were involved in supporting Foreign Language
Assistants in collaboration with the British Council, amongst others. For a small team, we are always keen to be proactive and support the work of language colleagues as best as we can. We always appreciate the opportunity to
share good practice with others and hear about the good work which is taking place across Scotland.
We’d like to take the opportunity to thank local authorities again for ensuring that our workshops are well
supported by the language community and look forward to working with you again next session.
Page 2
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
CPD Outreach and Outcomes of the Short Working Life Group
SCILT CPD Outreach Update
CILT recently collaborated with two of our partners on two successful events. On 27 April, we hosted a
‘Research in and for Languages’ seminar, which provided a platform for both research students and staff from
across the UK to tell us about the projects in which they were engaged, presenting a refreshingly eclectic range
across the spectrum of language-related research, from language education and language in the workplace to
applied linguistics. The keynote speaker was Professor Richard Johnstone OBE. The presenters have kindly
agreed to make their presentation slides available online. Have a look here:
S
http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/events/past/llasworkshop-researchinandforlanguagesapril2012/
The following Monday, 30 April, as part of the inaugural ‘Engage with Strathclyde’
week, we celebrated our partnership with the British Council on their foreign
language assistants (FLA) programme by highlighting the excellent projects
completed by FLAs during the current session. The event was entitled ‘Alive & Kicking: FLAs in Scotland 20112012’. There were around eighty participants, ranging from national bodies, universities (staff and students), local
authorities, schools (primary and secondary) as well as the main European cultural organisations. All were
impressed by the innovative ways in which FLAs had utilised their individual interests and skills to engage their
target pupil groups in cross-disciplinary language activities, ranging from writing the lyrics to a self-composed
song in German to having a go at subtitling an extract from an Italian TV show (which certainly got students
thinking quite differently about the normally considered ‘tedious’ task of translation). Together with the British
Council, we will conduct a more detailed evaluation and link to the published findings on our website in due
course.
Outcomes of the Short Life
Working Group for Primary
Languages
Further resources for primary teachers to use in their
classrooms are available from the SCILT website. These
resources have been developed by the Professional
Development Officers at SCILT and by some of our
partner organisations. More information -
n September 2011, SCILT invited representatives from
a range of local authorities and partner organisations
to take part in a MLPS working group. Our primary aim
was to create a short-life group to focus on key
recommendations for MLPS planning and transition in
order to better support our primary colleagues. At the
outset, we identified many obstacles which MLPS
teachers already face across the country and tried to
channel our support into these areas.
Teaching colleagues are invited to contribute ideas
and resources to the SCILT MLPS Glow Group, or to use
it as a forum for discussion on various MLPS matters. We
hope the group will act as a catalyst in building an
active MLPS community for teachers online and we
would be delighted to hear your feedback and views.
I
The outcomes of Short Life Working Group are
available from these pages. These include
recommendations as well as resources and are
organised under the following three categories:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/informationandresources/resour
cesforprimaryteachers/
SCILT MLPS Glow Group (Glow log-on required)
https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsit
e/Modern%20Languages/Scottish%20CiLT/MLPS/default.aspx
• Planning
• Transition
• Embedding Language Learning
The outcomes can be downloaded directly from the
SCILT website http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt/informationandresources/resour
cesforprimaryteachers/slwg/
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Page 3
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Local Authority News
The fabulous journey
of the “Apfelsine”
Celebrating Languages at
Taylor High School
pfelsine is the German word for “orange” and a
very special orange is on a journey through
schools in Europe. As part of a PASCH schools’
network project, the orange visited Bishopbriggs
Academy, the only Scottish Partner school. PASCH
stands for Partnerschaft für Schulen (Schools: Partners
for the Future), an initiative of the German
government to promote the learning and teaching
of German in schools around the world.
A
he Modern Languages Department and the
Librarian at Taylor High, New Stevenston, have
been celebrating languages, particularly Spanish, in
a number of ways over the last year.
T
Both departments have created a Spanish Dictionary
Mission for all S1s. Pupils learn how to use a bilingual
dictionary, learn new words in Spanish as well as
using words they have been learning in class, and
learn how to create a Mind-Map. A variety of
different questions are asked in both Spanish and
English to enable pupils to use both sections of the
dictionary. Once pupils have completed this activity
they get an opportunity to decorate their Mind-Map
and the most creative are then displayed in the
Modern Languages corridor.
The “Apfelsine” started its journey in Slovakia.
Everywhere the Apfelsine has visited, pupils are
learning and speaking German. Here at Bishopbriggs
Academy, the orange had an exciting time with Mrs.
Kandi Higgins’ first year German class. The Apfelsine
was invited into pupils’ homes and took part in their
hobbies and day-to-day activities – even baking a
cake! It was also introduced to Scottish school life,
meeting everyone from the dinner ladies to the
headmaster. Apfelsine’s exploits were caught on
camera and made into German short films by the
pupils. These can be watched online on the School
Newspaper website
(http://blog.pasch-net.de/schuelerzeitung/),
also part of the PASCH initiative.
Mrs Higgins’ class had great fun practising their
German and also their art skills, giving the Apfelsine a
beautiful face. They were supported by their art
teacher Mrs Denise Black. After visiting Ireland and
Scotland, the Apfelsine is now “rolling” down to
England. Gute Reise, Apfelsine!
More information on the Partnerschaft für Schulen
initiative in Scotland is available from the GoetheInstitute website -
Together with the class teacher, the Librarian helps
pupils use a Spanish Dictionary. This gives S1s one of
their first opportunities to use a Spanish Dictionary.
This exercise increases pupils’ confidence when using
a bilingual dictionary and in the Spanish language.
The S1 Euro Club also runs every Thursday at
lunchtime from 1pm – 1:45pm and we explore a
variety of topics such as European foods and leisure
activities. Exploring various leisure activities has been
an enjoyable experience for pupils as they have
learned how to play boules, table football and
games on the Wii, particularly a Maracas game.
Pupils have to keep time with the music by
pretending to play these musical instruments. By
researching different
leisure activities pupils
have learned to build
resilience and
confidence by
participating in a wide
range of activities that
promote a healthy
lifestyle and contribute to
the wider community.
http://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/gla/lhr/spz/enindex.htm.
Claudia Kusian, Bishopbriggs Academy
Page 4
Anna Leslie, LRC Manager,
Taylor High School
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Local Authority News
Comenius course in Besançon
n March this year I attended a Comenius course at
the Université de Franche Comté in Eastern France. I
was fortunate to receive funding from the British
Council to cover course fees, travel, accommodation
and daily subsistence.
I
We received lots of information about current
Education policies in France, but we learned most
from visits to local schools. For example, we observed
lessons in the target language using multimedia, as
well as visiting classes bilangues for pupils in the lycée
who have chosen to study two languages mainstream classes e.g. science, are sometimes
taught in target languages.
Tutors for the course Pratiques innovantes dans
l'enseignement des langues were experts in teaching
and producing resources for FLE (Français Langue
Etrangère). Key elements of the course included
multisensory activities to learn des pieds à la tête, use
of contemporary literature, as well as teaching
images and films with the TBI (Tableau Blanc
Interactif).
Participation in the Comenius course required a level
C1/ 2 in French, and with 22 teachers from 8
European countries there was total immersion.
Staying with a family meant I experienced everyday
French life, which further helped refresh my language
skills, update my vocabulary and boost my
confidence prior to redeployment.
Besançon is a beautiful town dating back to Roman
times. The river Doubs flows in a wide loop and it is
very pleasant to walk along the quais. There are old
narrow streets and the town is dominated by
fortifications built by Vauban.
300 words are not enough to describe this wonderful
experience. I hope that colleagues will be
encouraged to apply for a Comenius course.
Janet Storey, Outreach Teacher for EAL, East Lothian
More information on Comenius - http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius.htm
More information on immersion courses (French and Spanish) eligible for Comenius funding http://www.lfee.net/immersion.php
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Page 5
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Edinburgh City Council
Capturing Chinese Language Assistant Good Practice
at Craigour Park Primary, Edinburgh
“Every Monday every
student in our class comes
saying “Wow Henry's going
to be in our class today!”.
This was the reaction from
Leyla, a student at
Craigour Park Primary
school in Edinburgh when
asked what she enjoyed about having a Chinese
Language Assistant. Layla and another student Skye
then proceeded to count in Chinese, showing me the
hand signals as they spoke.
The impact Zhang Qiqiang, or Henry as he is known in
the school, has had in this primary school is huge.
Jenny Avern, the class teacher has seen a rise in the
confidence of her class in general since Henry started.
“They can greet people, they can ask each other
questions, they can reply. They can now listen to a full
lesson that is totally in Chinese and are able to
respond.” Jude McKerrecher, Henry’s mentor added
her praises saying, “Having a Chinese language
assistant has allowed us to vary our language learning
in the school. It ties in wonderfully with CfE”.
The school’s head teacher Carol Cameron proudly
showed me the 6 metre long dragon that was made
for Chinese New Year as part of the school’s Olympics
Opening Ceremony. The ceremony included pupils
performing a Dragon dance, taught in PE lessons
alongside Tai Chi. The school are also hoping to
develop a link with a school in China to keep this
interest alive and make it real for their pupils. As Henry
himself quotes “the limit of your language is the limit of
your world” (Wittgenstein) and in just one hour a week
Henry has successfully widened the world of these
pupils, inspiring an interest that will hopefully be
lifelong.
City of Edinburgh Modern
Languages Conference 2012
Italian Under-21 football team
visit Holy Rood RC High
e were delighted to run our Modern Languages
Conference, “One City, Many Voices: Taking
Modern Languages Forward in Edinburgh Schools” this
year at Broughton High School on the 25th May. To
launch our conference we ran a poster competition
for P6 to S2 pupils. Gillian Tee, Director of Education
judged the competition.
T
W
The lucky winners were Amain Arif of Drummond
Community High School, Hannah Ledlie and Pepa
Chesworth-Russell of James Gillespie’s High School,
Jenny Park of Juniper Green Primary and Haiyang Hu
who have won some fantastic whole class prizes
including a class trip to Edinburgh Zoo, a class trip to
the Filmhouse cinema and a whole class to
Supercube Karaoke Rooms. Well done to all who took
part!
Page 6
he future stars of Italian
football put their skills to
the test when they visited
Holy Rood High School on
the 24th April. Seven
members of the under-21
Italian team took centre
stage to answer questions about their life on and off
the pitch by members of the school football team
and Italian language pupils. The squad were joined
by World Cup Winning stars, Ciro Ferrara and Angelo
Peruzzi who were on hand to talk about their careers
and international playing experiences.
Coaches and players of the Scottish Under 21
football team welcomed the guests on their visit to
Edinburgh, ahead of their match against the Italian
team on Wednesday 25 April. Ferrara, Head Coach
and Peruzzi, Assistant Coach, are former Champions
League winning team mates, taking the title in 1996
with Juventus. The coaches also won several
national titles in their illustrious playing careers with
the Italian giants and represented their country on
many occasions. Holy Rood RC High School has
strong links with Italy through its popular Italian
language course that pupils are continuing to excel
in. Some of the current language stars showcased
their skills with a presentation to the players about
Edinburgh in Italian.
More information
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/blog/newsblog/post/262/Itali
an-Under-21-football-team-visit-Holy-Rood-RC-High
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Edinburgh City Council
Parents learning Chinese at Broughton High School
so long and I feel proud of what I have achieved.’
Another learner, Philippa Sivewright told us: ‘I have
really enjoyed the course and have found it
challenging and fun. I have also learned a lot about
China and its customs, and would like to recommend
the class to anyone who is up to the challenge of
learning a new language.’
or the very first time Broughton High School started
offering a Chinese course to adults for various
purposes: travel, business and fun. Three groups of
parents have been attending beginner’s classes
regularly on Wednesday and Friday mornings since
August 2011, with great success.
F
Melanie Nairn, who is a charity worker, says: ‘I like
learning Chinese because it is completely different
from any other languages I tried to learn before. It has
been a good opportunity to get back into a learning
environment after having been out of education for
Three of the adult learners were also involved with the
Carnival of Culture at Broughton High School on
Friday 20th of April. They successfully assisted Chinese
teacher Lucy Zhang in running a very big Chinese
Workshop on that day. Melanie thinks it was a great
experience to help some pupils to do Chinese
painting, while Kathryn thinks it was extremely
rewarding to teach S1 pupils to draw bamboo with
Chinese brushes.
The very positive news is some of our adult learners
are determined to challenge themselves more: they
are taking the HSK exam this year, and they are
confident they can do it well!
Let’s wish them best of luck!
Pupils Leading Language Learning
at Fox Covert RC Primary
Warum Deutsch! Promoting
German throughout Edinburgh
n Fox Covert Primary school many children have
shown initiative and great organisation running their
own clubs: Polish, Italian, Lego, and soon Irish
dancing! They run during Golden Time or lunchtime
for 4/5 week blocks.
ity of Edinburgh Council has recently run a series of
events designed to promote the uptake of
German in our schools. A city working group was
established in response to an audit which uncovered a
growing concern in schools about the decline in
provision of German. The group comprised of teachers
from all sectors as well as representatives from the
German Consulate, the Goethe Institute and Edinburgh
University.
I
Emilia started her
own lunchtime
Polish club. She
surveyed all the
children in school
to find out who
wanted to learn
and then organised
groups of eight
children from P3-7
pupils. In her club
children have learned numbers, days of the week
poems and songs.
“It was good fun. I gave out certificates for children
trying hard. I want to do it again!”
Chiara has recently started teaching Italian. All the
children in her group have enjoyed this too.
“I really enjoyed it and the children listened well and
learned quicker than I thought!”
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
C
Events have been run for teachers and students alike
including a Higher German Speaking event in
Craigmount High School, a Warum Deutsch event for
secondary and primary teachers of German which
aimed to promote German teaching and the highly
successful German career fair at Forrester High School.
One pupil who attended the fair commented, “I
appreciated the opportunity to speak German. I'm
glad I went to the fair as I have a new understanding of
how useful German is. I am now considering careers
and internships involving German. Danke schön!”
The Development Officer for Languages, Ann
Robertson, commented, “German has such an
important role to play as part of a diverse range of
languages offered in Edinburgh schools. We are keen
to continue to ensure that our learners are engaged in
German and it’s been really fantastic to see this
develop across the city.”
Page 7
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Head Teachers’ trip to China
Head Teachers’ trip to China
I
n April 2012, a delegation comprising of Sarah
Breslin, SCILT, Tim Simons, Scottish Government, and
leaders of education from across Scotland travelled
to China to learn more about the education, culture
and language of the country. The 10 day trip was
funded by the Scottish Government and the Chinese
organisation HANBAN, which is responsible for
promoting the understanding of Chinese language
and education throughout the world.
representatives from the best schools in the area. We
split into two groups for discussion with our Chinese
counterparts, again hospitality was excellent and we
had many opportunities to further our understanding
on visits to a number of primary and secondary
schools. In class the children were keen to impress us
with their grasp of English and entertained us with
demonstrations through role play, reading and
singing.
The first two days in Beijing were spent learning about
the history and culture of China, with a visit to The
Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City
and a Kung Fu show. On Monday 9 April, we
attended two very informative lectures on Chinese
Elementary Education and the work and philosophy
of the HANBAN Institute. We experienced true
Chinese hospitality at a welcoming banquet where
we had the opportunity to discuss and compare our
education system with HANBAN officials. The
following day we travelled to Tianjin where we were
welcomed by representatives from our partner
schools. Our partner school was school No. 42 and
we spent a very enjoyable afternoon observing
children at work and speaking to pupils and teachers
about their learning.
On our return to Beijing, we met with officials from the
HANBAN and each authority’s representatives gave a
presentation where we evaluated the difference
between our expectation of Chinese education and
the reality. All delegates agreed that Chinese
education had many similarities with our own.
The next morning we took a 3 hour flight to Xiamen in
the South East of the country. Over the following two
days we met with the Director of Education and
Page 8
This was an amazing experience which has allowed us
to network with colleagues from other hubs across
Scotland and from HANBAN. We are also much better
informed about the Chinese education system and
are eager to form partnerships with Chinese primary
schools; a development step from the existing
partnerships with secondary schools. The possibilities
are endless and with the resources gifted to us by
HANBAN and continued support from SCILT we will be
able to take the teaching of Chinese language and
culture forward in our own schools.
Anne Dalziel & Frances O’Connell, East Dunbartonshire
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese Speaking Competition
Madras College Students Compete in
annual HSBC/British Council Mandarin
Chinese Speaking Competition
managed to write the script, the PPT slide and even
sang a Chinese pop song “Mouse loves Rice” in
Chinese at the end of the play. The judges and
audience were impressed by their good command of
language and their understanding and presentation
of both Chinese and Scottish culture.
The competition is not only a good opportunity to
show off their language skills, but also it has great
impact on the pupils’ dedication to learning Chinese
and their interest in Chinese culture.
Leith Academy students reach national finals
of HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese
Speaking Competition
A huge congratulations to five S3 to S6 students from
Leith Academy who recently reached the finals of the
HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese Speaking
Competition. They travelled to London for the
competition with their teacher Ms Zhang where they
performed marvellously and were a real credit to their
school.
tudents from S5 at Madras College participated in
the annual HSBC/British Council Mandarin Chinese
Speaking Competition on Feb, 10th 2012. The
competition is organised by the British Council and
funded by the HSBC Global Education Program to
support and promote the teaching of Chinese as a
modern foreign language in UK schools. The
competition is part of the British Council and HSBC’s
work to prepare children in the UK for life in a global
society and work in a global economy. When these
students enter employment, they will need to be able
to compete in a world where links with China are
essential. China overtook Japan to become the
world’s second largest economy earlier this year –
with projections that it will take the number one spot
in the next 20 years.
S
This is the 9th year of the competition. After their first
success in the Newcastle Regional Heat, the four girls
from Madras College made it through to the final
heat held in the British Museum in London. Despite
having just started Chinese in August 2011, they
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Brooke Walker (S6), who gave a solo performance in
which she had to deliver a short speech and respond
to questions in Chinese from judges, said: “I felt very
nervous, but once I had done it I was very proud of
myself since I’ve only been learning it for 3 months”.
The other four girls - Michelle Whitelaw (S3),
Immaculate Kahembwe (S5), Sadaf Ashraf (S5), and
Jolanta Vanate (S6) performed a group play called
‘Chinese Cinderella’. Michelle, playing the Chinese
Cinderella,Ye Xian, reflected, “Looking back I think we
did really well”, whilst Immaculate said she really
enjoyed the trip. Sadaf thought it was a very fun
event and she enjoyed herself a lot. Jolanta, who
acted three roles, said she was very nervous at the
beginning but felt extremely excited and good
afterwards.
Chinese teacher Ms Zhang was hugely impressed by
the students’ efforts and by the great progress they
have made in their Chinese learning this year,
particularly considering they have only been learning
the language since August. All of the girls are looking
forward to performing again next year in London.
Page 9
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Johnstone High School
Euroscola
n February of this year, I was lucky to have the
opportunity to travel to France, to participate in an
event called Euroscola. Euroscola is a programme
funded by local rotary clubs which gives teenagers from
all over Scotland the chance to visit the European
Parliament in Strasbourg, and take part in a day of
international debate with young people from at least 17
other European countries.
I
From the moment we arrived in France, we had a jampacked itinerary, which meant late nights and very, very
early mornings. This was devastating news to all the girls
who had packed straighteners and had no time to use
them, so the hats we had packed to keep us warm in the
minus 25ºC conditions certainly came in handy!
Throughout our stay we had language workshops to
improve our French speaking, prep classes to prepare us
for our day in Parliament, we visited the beautiful city of
Strasbourg, and even took a walk to Germany, as it is
only across the River Rhine.
One of the highlights had to be the ‘sondage’, the street
survey we carried out, in French, where we quizzed the
Strasbourg locals on their knowledge of Scotland. This
was a clever exercise as it was a way of speaking real
French to real French people, only we controlled the
conversation as we asked the questions, and knew the
answers - or so we thought... according to many locals,
the capital of Scotland is Dublin, and Haggis is a wild
animal which runs around on 2 legs in the Highlands...
although one woman disputed this as she was
convinced “Haggis” is our national anthem. The main
event was of course Euroscola day. We enjoyed a French
breakfast with our European counterparts and made a
big effort to display our pride for our country by wearing
national dress, and as much tartan as possible. This
inevitably resulted in endless photo sessions! The Scottish
group was described as “out-going” “friendly” “funny”
Page 10
and even “muy loca!!” “very crazy”, as true to Scottish
form, we had quickly taken to being the chief minglers.
During the day, we were treated as MEPs, and even had
the chance to interact with politicians of the European
Parliament, and ask them questions about current issues.
We were under strict instructions to ask questions only in
French, despite English being one of the official
languages in the Parliament. The afternoon was filled
with debate over issues ranging from the economy, to
immigration, to nuclear power, and environmental
problems. As Scotland’s representative in the debating
chamber, I performed a highland dance before giving a
presentation on Scotland and its traditions - in French, of
course, in front of the 500 delegates! Suddenly, French
Speaking tests were put in perspective!
The dancing didn’t stop there, though. After the closing
ceremony in the Parliament, it was back to the hostel for
a ceilidh. We taught our new friends - the Germans, the
Swedes, the Hungarians and the Spaniards - our dances,
and we were pleasantly surprised when we finished with
a song - ‘500 Miles’, and surprisingly our new friends knew
all the words!
By the end of the night, we certainly felt as though we
had walked 500 miles, but were more than willing to walk
500 more to do it all again. This experience was not only
extremely eye-opening but also, in a way, a pivotal point
in my life as it confirmed for me my decision to study
languages. I’ve benefited in so many ways: my linguistic
skills did indeed improve, I gained confidence after
having to make the presentation in Parliament, but most
of all I’ve made a group of friends from all over Europe
with whom I’m still in constant contact, although this is
slightly worrying to my mum as I’ve had countless emails
from these friends, all looking for a place to stay when
they visit Scotland this summer!
Eilidh Digney, S6, Johnstone High School
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Johnstone High School
Language Challenge
Languages in Work conference
or the past seven years, the Modern Languages
department at Johnstone High School,
Renfrewshire has been organizing a Languages in
Work Conference for our S4 pupils. The purpose of this
event is to raise awareness of the usefulness of a
second language in the world of work. The
conference usually starts with a presentation by a
guest speaker to the assembled year group. Pupils
are then divided into smaller groups and attend a
range of 25 minute workshops. These workshops are
led by various agencies and have included
contributions from IBM, Strathclyde University,
Glasgow University, University of the West of Scotland,
Erasmus students, Visit Scotland, Foreign Language
Assistants, NCR, Chivas Brothers as well as a local
software company. Some of our speakers are
parents of pupils in the school. We also run an inhouse workshop and have a contribution from the
school’s Career Officer.
F
n Johnstone High School we do a language
challenge every year in October with the S1. As well
as promoting languages, the challenge is a
fundraising event. In recent years we have been
raising money for the local hospice in Howwood – St.
Vincent’s – and to date we have managed to raise
in excess of £5000 for the hospice.
I
Each S1 class learns 10 words from a language they
are not studying at that time. In previous years we
have had languages such as Arabic, Japanese,
Polish, Swahili, Italian. We spend a few minutes at the
end of each S1 period going over the words. The
pupils are asked to get sponsorship for each word
they learn. Then, usually just before the October
holiday, we ‘test’ each pupil in our class. The pupils
are then given a few weeks to bring in their sponsor
money. We keep a running total of the amount each
House group brings in and the winning House gets
points.
After the money is collected we then arrange a visit
to St.Vincent’s Hospice to hand over the cheque. The
pupils get a tour of the hospice and the fundraising
manager talks to them about the value of the
school’s support for the Hospice.
We are very proud of our S1 pupils and the support
they and their families continue to give to this
fundraising event.
Pupils are generally very enthusiastic about the
event. They enjoy encountering ‘real’ French people,
hearing from students about their experiences at
university – some commented that this had made
them consider for the first time going to University
and including languages in their chosen course. They
are also impressed to hear of non-linguists finding
languages becoming part of their working life.
Most pupils learn something new and many come
away saying: ‘Modern Languages are more
important than I thought!’ - which means, we at least
achieved our Learning Intentions for that day!
Susan Belkacemi, Johnstone High School
Round up of languages news in Glasgow
nce again, it’s been a busy
time in Glasgow as we move
forward with not only the Modern
Languages agenda for 3-18 but
also looking at practical ways of
implementing 1+2 languages.
O
Early years training for nursery and
primary has begun for two new
centres for French and two for
Spanish. Language is then
embedded into the daily routine in
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
the nursery to enhance early literacy and giving a
comprehensive cultural input. Technology has a big
role to play in it and our Lady of the Rosary Nursery
has been using innovative techniques like using
French apps on their i-pads with their children.
London Road Nursery and Dalmarnock Primary
continue to work in partnership to use Spanish as a
transition tool for the children. Lamlash nursery has
been doing innovative work with Mandarin Chinese
and community languages through play, with
particular work in literacy through songs and stories.
Page 11
Newsletter
Summer 2012
Round up of languages news in Glasgow • continued
lasgow has been working in partnership with
Education Scotland to pilot MLPS training in
Mandarin Chinese. We have 23 teachers and a
member of the Lord Provost Staff training with Iain
Wilson. The classes have a language input and a
cultural input by our Tianjin teacher Louisa. MLPS
French has also restarted in the Glasgow Gaelic
School for primary teachers.
G
Théâtre sans frontières were recently guests in
Glasgow. They were hosted in John Paul Academy
for two days where over 10 primaries attended their
production of La Chanson du Retour. All children
had the chance to work with materials beforehand
and it was a real hit with all pupils (and staff!) who
attended! St. Vincents Autism unit built on the
momentum of their French theatre experience by
arranging a French Café for staff and parents
following the visit. Class teacher Catherine Nolan
has been working with the children in the unit to
embed French further into the curriculum.
Maryse Payen-Roy (French Staff Tutor) has been
working on Les jeux Olympiques! St Saviours’ is doing
an Olympics Topic across the curriculum and is using
units from Glasgow City Council MLPS pack to
incorporate some French. Unit 4 is used for the
weather in different countries everyday, Unit 9 for
sports, and 10 for the name of countries,
nationalities, and using the third person. The
outcome should be a presentation describing an
Olympian sports person. Pupils will be viewing the
Asterix aux jeux Olympiques film.
Secondary pupils have been undertaking a lot of
work and both John Paul Academy and St. Andrews
hosted Joaquín Moreno (Consejería de Educación)
and his team for a Higher Spanish revision day. Over
6 secondary schools participated in a French
revision day hosted by the Alliance Française and
delivered by the French Institute and Strathclyde
University. It has also been a busy time for our senior
students who have been working towards the
Language Baccalaureate and the Interdisciplinary
Project.
Bannerman High recently celebrated China Week
culminating in a showcase of good practice from
departments across the school. The showcase was
compered by two S6 pupils and students performed
an excerpt from Peking Opera including some
fabulous drumming and a musical item. There was a
demonstration of the ribbon dance and a
demonstration of Jian Xi by the S3 football team.
There was a big input from the senior students who
have been learning Mandarin language as well as
displays from other departments.
Gillian Campbell-Thow,
Glasgow City Council
Page 12
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from SCIS
5 School German and Spanish Conference
Hosted by Merchiston Castle School
Lass rocken! This is how we roll in S3!
Wednesday 7th March 2012
ixty two boys and girls
from Fettes, Glenalmond,
Strathallan and Merchiston
attended the annual
German and Spanish
Conference organised by
the group. Unfortunately, the
Stewart’s Melville boys could
not attend because of
exams. There were three groups of Hispanists and one
group of Germanists, as well as a group of fifteen German
native speakers who had a separate programme.
T
The groups rotated between four workshops: speed-dating,
running dictation, film and word game. All the activities
were organised around the idea of pair work, in order to
maximise the use of the target language. Speed-dating
and the running dictation were the workshops that brought
the most laughter, whereas the film and word game
workshops required more concentration. The pastries,
biscuits, juice, tea and coffee were enjoyed by all,
especially the students and staff from Glenalmond and
Strathallan who had had a very early start. The group of
German native speakers did a tour of the school led by
Hannah Botterman, the Merchiston German Assistant. They
then spent an hour doing some creative writing, in
preparation for their summer examination.
Extensive, and often amusing, brainstorming sessions, which
saw the pupils play with rhymes and consider various
possible topics for the song, provided a natural progression
to studying the work of some famous German artists, such as
Die Toten Hosen, Rammstein, Die Ärzte, Fanta 4 and Wir sind
Helden. The result? Sie ist so krass; a song about a girl who is
very much the centre of attention. With the lyrics now in
place, it was time for those of a musical bent to set about
finding that elusive catchy riff which would come to be the
hook upon which the chorus would hang. And find it they
did, as evidenced by the mass nodding of heads and
tapping of fingers when the vocal layer was added.
S
The morning ended with a talk from Tim Steward, a retired
businessman, who was an amazing advocate of languages
and their uses. He gave numerous examples of languages
being used in the world of commerce, industry and even
show-business. His message was that there are many
people with a skill, but not very many with a skill and a
language or two. The latter are therefore highly
employable. He was a very lively and entertaining speaker,
and his last words summarising his personal experience
were: skill + language(s) = fun and money! The conference
was a great success, and we are now looking forward to
the French Conference which will be hosted by
Glenalmond in November.
Helene Gray, Head of Modern Languages, Merchiston Castle School
Video Subtitling: from theory to practice
his year’s project involved Higher and Advanced Higher
Italian students at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. The
project was organised by the Italian
Assistant, Beatrice Battaglino, who has
a degree in Audio Visual Translation
from Turin University.
The aim of the project was to
demonstrate that translation doesn't
simply mean looking up words in a
dictionary. The students were able to
experience a practical, real-life application of translation. To
do this, they learnt the rules and procedures behind the
making of subtitles and also produced their own set of English
subtitles for an Italian video.
T
The two classes started with a discussion about the
challenges of translating humour and cultural references.
This gave them a chance to reflect on cultural difference
between Italy and Scotland as well as think about the style of
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
his year’s S3 German class at George Heriot’s School has
taken the rock and pop music project, already an
established component of the S3 curriculum in German, to
the next level: inspired by Foreign Language Assistant,
Jochen Rehm, himself a skilled musician and FLA
Ambassador for the UK German Connection, the class of 21
pupils decided to compose and record their very own pop
song in German.
The “making of” video, along with the exclusive customised
t-shirts, funded in part by the UK German Connection and
bearing the initials dcuk – (watch out for that name at next
year’s Brit Awards!), provided the proverbial icing on the
cake, not to mention a whole lot of fun - and that’s really
what this project was meant to be all about; using and
playing with the German language in a creative and fun
way – resulting in, as one pupil
put it, “a truly memorable year
of German.” May there be
many more of those to come!
Jochen Rehm (German FLA)
and Mark Grant
(PT Modern Languages),
George Heriot’s School
their own language depending on its context. The second
part of the project was carried out in IT, learning how to use
the professional subtitling software Subtitle Workshop (which
can be easily and freely downloaded from the web). Each
student had a portion of dialogue to work on, which they
translated from Italian into English and turned into subtitles
using the software.
This was everyone’s favourite part of the project, as they
really enjoyed the hands-on experience and they very
quickly picked up on the software’s basic functions.
The project was then brought to a conclusion with an Oscar
Ceremony in which we watched the video with the subtitles
that the students made, and awards were given out for the
best achievements. This project was very challenging for the
students as they had to deal with spoken, everyday
language, which you don't usually find in textbooks, but they
really enjoyed the experience, and it was a chance for them
to learn a new skill and lots of new vocabulary.
Beatrice Battaglino, Elena Bottaro, George Heriot’s School
Page 13
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from the Cultural Organisations
German in the Nursery
hildren in Springburn Nursery had
great fun with Hans Hase – a
German puppet introducing young
learners to German songs, words,
customs and ideas.
C
There is now a worldwide tendency to
start foreign language learning much
earlier. Research has shown that very
young children learn a new language
with enthusiasm and are able to develop both
elementary communicative competence and language
awareness. Children aged 3 to 4 years of age are at an
ideal stage in their overall development to learn a new
language. Exposure to a foreign language gives them an
awareness of other cultures and also helps with their
language development in English.
The Goethe-Institut has co-operated with the City of
Glasgow to bring taster lessons to selected learning
communities in Glasgow. Nurseries in Springburn are the
first to look forward to some sessions of games, fun and
information for our future global citizens. If you like to find
out more about the programme, training opportunities
and how to take part, come along on Monday, 18th of
June 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the Goethe-Institut. We will
present our language programme, teaching materials
and will let you see for yourself that learning languages
can be fun for all ages.
Immersion day
for Spanish Higher Students
he Spanish Consejeria de
Educación in Scotland, in
collaboration with North
Lanarkshire Council and
Glasgow City Council,
delivered a pilot programme
of workshops for Higher
Spanish students on 23rd and
28th of February.
T
Welcome and introduction
The workshops were conducted by a team of six Spanish
Language Assistants. The topics were of special interest
for their age group: El lenguaje de los SMS en español Texting in Spanish, El lenguaje de los jóvenes españoles –
The language of everyday interaction by Spanish
teenagers and Mi primer corto en español – Creating a
short Spanish film collaboratively. Over 120 students
attended both events and they enjoyed the experience
of having to communicate in Spanish all the time.
The Spanish Education Office will organise these
workshops in Scotland again next year. If you have any
suggestions regarding topics or activities that would be
of special relevance or interest, please contact:
Joaquín Moreno. Tel: 0131 220 0624. [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter: @asesoriaedimbur
Please contact our Language Department for
registration:
[email protected]
This event is free of charge.
Le Français en Ecosse –
Pilot project with Scottish Borders Council (Melrose Primary School)
n August 2011, Emma Sowerby, Depute Head teacher of
Melrose Primary School, contacted us to see if we could
facilitate the teaching of French in her school. The
timetable was difficult to organise – French was the first
thing to go whenever there was a problem, and some
teachers were not very confident in their own linguistic
abilities.
I
In order to tackle these problems, and enhance the
learning experience for the pupils, we decided to embed
French within the life of the school, from nursery to P7. A
programme of work was then devised by the LFEE team in
conjunction with the teachers with realistic teaching and
learning targets to support non-specialist teachers for
each year with a progression within each and across all
levels.
It was decided that French would be taught throughout
the week at different times of the day. Each class had
similar targets:
• Use a well defined morning routine, which evolves as
the year progresses.
Page 14
• Work on 4 projects throughout the school year: learn a
poem in French, play a traditional playground game,
perform a role play at assembly in front of other pupils
etc.
• 1 school project is to be organised every year, and is to
include the wider school community, including parents
as well as teachers and pupils from the local secondary
schools.
The teachers now have at their disposal short audio
recordings of the materials used, as well as simple
classroom vocabulary and instructions. In addition, LFEE
visited the school on two occasions at the start of the
project to run 20 minute French sessions with the children.
These sessions were attended by all teachers and
followed by a discussion and training session with the
teaching staff and management.
For further information please email
Richard Tallaron ([email protected])
or Emma Sowerby ([email protected]).
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from the Cultural Organisations
Le Français en Ecosse – Immersion Courses
for France and Spain
e are currently taking registrations for our Easter 2013 Immersion Courses for
primary / secondary teachers in France and Spain under the Comenius
Programme. Contact [email protected] for more information. Please also contact us
should you be interested in “One-week Shadow” Training Courses in France
under the Comenius Programme.
W
Promoting French in Scotland Institut français d’Ecosse
C20 mars : Journée de la francophonie
Quiz en ligne : Découvrez la Francophonie
53 équipes des Shetlands aux Borders ont participé à la
première édition du Concours « Vive la Francophonie » le
21 mars 2012. «My S3 pupils absolutely loved it and I
enjoyed looking at them having so much fun! A l’année
prochaine!», Shona F. French teacher from Dumfries &
Galloway. Rendez-vous en mars 2012 pour la deuxième
édition du quiz online “Vive la Francophonie!”
RENCONTRES THÉÂTRALES 2012, une expérience unique !
En coopération avec la Franco-Scottish Society
d’Edimbourg, Aberdeen et Glasgow.
Motivés et enthousiastes : Les élèves des écoles primaires
et secondaires en Ecosse ont (dé)montré leurs talents
d’acteurs devant un public nombreux. Bravo aux élèves
et leurs professeurs!
More than 500 pupils from 29 schools participated in the
interschool drama competition in French.
“La valise d’Alice”: From September 2012, you can
borrow a suitcase full with French children’s books from
the Institut français d’Ecosse. A great inspiration for
storytelling and plays in French, as well for use at parents’
evenings in your school.
Online resources and CPD for teachers
The Institut français d’Ecosse has been working with SCILT
to produce a range of online resources for primary and
secondary teachers. These resources are free to
download from the IFE website. You can bake the galette
des rois in January, make animal masks for Carnival in
February, discover the Francophonie in March, travel
through European countries in May, and celebrate the
Fete de la musique in June. Throughout the
year, you can celebrate French and
motivate your pupils with these miniprojects in your class. Faites la fête
avec vos élèves!
More information on all of the
above stories http://www.ifecosse.org.uk
(rubrique Education)
Marie-Christine Thiébaut, Education
Officer, Institut français d’Ecosse
([email protected])
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Page 15
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from the Cultural Organisations
Russian clubs in Glasgow schools
edicated to raising interest in
Russian culture, the Scotland-Russia
Forum (SRF) has been particularly
concerned with the issue of Russian
language teaching, particularly in
schools. Currently only Peterhead
Academy in Aberdeenshire offers
Russian as one of their Modern
Languages choices. Availability of the
language at school level is important,
not only for its own sake, but also to support language
learning, of Russian and other Slavonic languages, in
higher education.
D
In response to the situation, Jenny Carr, chairperson of the
SRF, developed a pilot project aiming to bring Russian to
Scottish school children, thanks to a grant from Glasgow
City Council. The plan is to create weekly Russian clubs in
two Glasgow schools in the academic year 2012-13. It is
likely that Shawlands Academy will be one of them.
Ruta Quetzal BBVA 2011
here is some very
special news from the
Consejería: Ellen Renton
from St. Thomas of
Aquin’s High School (Edinburgh) and Sigi Whittle from
Ullapool High School were selected among the 20 best
students in the UK to take part on the Ruta Quetzal BBVA
competition. They were both happy to be interviewed and
share their experience with SCILT Newsletter readers. You will
learn about Sigi now, but look out for Ellen’s experience in
the next edition of the SCILT Newsletter.
T
¡Hola Sigi!, You were among the top three participants on the Ruta
Quetzal BBVA this year. ¡Enhorabuena!
Can you please introduce yourself?
¡Hola! My name is Raghnall Whittle but everyone calls me
Sigi. I was born in Aberdeen but live and go to school in
Ullapool in the Highlands of Scotland. Ullapool is a great
place to grow up, as there is freedom and it is surrounded by
amazing landscapes.
And why did you take Spanish at school?
Mi mama es española. For this reason I have grown up a
fluent Spanish speaker although I have studied it so as to
learn the grammar and spelling. Spanish is the second
foreign language in our school along with French meaning
that it is more popular due to the fact that people choose to
learn it and it is not compulsory.
Page 16
Shawlands S1 pupils have a
link with a school in Rostov,
Glasgow’s twin city, and a
Russian club would be very
motivating for students taking
part in the exchange
programme. Another school
considering participation in
the project is Hillside Primary
School, where ‘taster’ lessons offered by students from
Russian Society of Glasgow University, in collaboration
with SRF, earlier this year proved to be highly popular with
children. The teachers for the clubs will be provided by
the Glasgow-based Russian Centre in Scotland ‘Haven’,
which has been offering Russian courses since 2004.
This initiative aims to challenge the established view of
Russian as a complicated language. The plan is to involve
more schools in future, in order to show that there is
interest in the language and to promote its restoration as
a discipline in Scottish Universities.
Varvara Bashkirova, SRF (http://www.scotlandrussiaforum.org )
How did you get to know about
the Ruta Quetzal BBVA
competition?
My teacher informed me of
the competition as a few
former students had taken
part in it. My parents and
teacher helped me to
prepare for the competition
with studies of the history
and current affairs of the country and with practice of
improvised speaking and of performance. An ex-participant
also helped me with the explanation of what was good to
know and the programme for the day.
How did you like the experience and what did you learn from your
participation?
The whole experience was hugely enjoyable (except for not
winning). All the people I met were hugely interesting and
pleasant. The various tasks, though nerve racking, were fair.
The written tasks were based on wide variety of knowledge
but with preparation were not hard to answer whereas the
performance task was based mostly on confidence.
Last but not least, what would you say to other Scottish students
who may now be thinking of taking part in next year’s Ruta Quetzal?
The Ruta Quetzal competition is a huge opportunity and well
worth taking! If you are dedicated to it and work to expand
your knowledge of the country and practise your
performance vigorously the competition is well within your
grasp. My tips are to be hard working and willing to learn for
the written tasks and for the performance to be confident
and not to be scared and shy away from talking and
making your presence felt. This is where, I think if I had done
this I would have had a great chance at victory.
Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!
Further information on the Ruta Quetzal BBVA competition
is available at
http://www.educacion.gob.es/reinounido/en_GB/convocat
orias-programas/convocatorias-reinounido/Ruta-Quetzal
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from the Cultural Organisations
Think German Career Fair
The Think German Career Fair was opened by former Convenor for
Education, Councillor Marilyn McLaren (left), Head Teacher Derek
Curran (middle) and Consul General Wolfgang Mössinger (right).
he first Think German Career Fair in Scotland took place at
Forrester High School in Edinburgh on 2 March 2012. The
event was organised by the German Consulate General
Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council Education, Children
and Families Department and was supported by the
German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Scotland.
T
The Career Fair gave 445 pupils, from 16 schools, and 100
students, from six of Scotland's universities, the opportunity to
meet representatives of German companies active in
Scotland and Scottish companies with links to Germany. It
provided a unique environment for young people to speak
to experts about the opportunities available for school and
university graduates with German language skills.
Exhibitors at the Fair included businesses, such as Bosch, Lidl
and Siemens, as well as universities, cultural institutions and
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
government organisations. Throughout the day talks by
representatives from the Centre for Scottish Public Policy
(CSPP), the University of Edinburgh, the Saltire Foundation,
the European Commission Scotland and the European
Parliament Office Scotland provided further insight into the
relevance of speaking German today.
The owner of German bistro Frankfurter Eck took over the
school canteen for the day, enabling all participants to try
traditional German food, including Brat- and Currywurst,
Apfelstrudel and Spätzle. The smell of German food and the
sound of German pop music in the background created a
genuinely continental vibe.
Participating schools received an information pack prior to
the Career Fair, which included a short quiz on companies
represented at the Fair and Germany, encouraging all pupils
to engage with the stand holders.
The organising committee received great feedback from
everyone that took part and are hoping to run a similar
event next year.
Page 17
Newsletter
Summer 2012
News from the Cultural Organisations
Welcome to our SCEN
Ambassadors!
his academic session the Scotland-China
Education Network (SCEN) launched the new rank
of SCEN Ambassador. The event took place in the
grand surroundings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
and was introduced by SCEN President Lord Wilson
of Tillyorn, former Governor of Hong Kong. SCEN
Ambassadors are students in the senior phase of
school education, at university or college, or young
professionals with China connections. The mission of
SCEN Ambassadors, according to position and
opportunity, is to promote the importance of
learning about China, and learning Chinese, in
Scottish schools, colleges, universities and
workplaces, and to promote links between Scottish
and Chinese education, culture and business.
T
One SCEN Ambassador, Alasdair Falcon of George
Heriot’s School, has already spoken eloquently to a
group of senior pupils from various schools at
Dumfries and Galloway College. Others took part in
a special meeting at the Confucius Institute for
Scotland, which included Ambassadors from
Lasswade High School, Liberton High School, Bo’ness
Academy, Queen Anne’s High School Dunfermline,
Page 18
Holyrood High School, the University of Aberdeen
and young professionals, as well as representatives of
Education Scotland and the British Council Scotland.
There was much enthusiasm!
Now we are looking forward to some splendid
events. SCEN is working with the University of
Strathclyde and the University of the West of
Scotland on a unique programme entitled Defining
Scotland’s Unique Identity in an era of Globalisation:
the Chinese Perspective, to take place in Edinburgh,
Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Ayr, from 29
October to 8 November 2012. Distinguished
Professors from China will lead an impressive range of
events, dealing with such issues as enterprise
education, entrepreneurship, the attitudes of young
Chinese and young Scots, cross-cultural business and
managing educational change. There will be a
parallel series of events for schools, culminating in a
Scotland China Youth Summit in the glorious
Gleneagles Hotel on Monday 12 November. It is vital
that we engage our young people in learning about
China – and, if possible, Chinese! Do listen to our
Ambassadors and join us.
Judith McClure, Convener of SCEN ([email protected])
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Newsletter
Summer 2012
British Academy Schools Language Award
Cardinal Newman High School
scoop prestigious language prize!
his year the British Academy Schools Language
Award for Scotland has been awarded to Cardinal
Newman High School in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.
T
Cardinal Newman High School has been selected for
the top prize in the Scottish category due to their
successful and innovative partnership with a school in
Mallorca. Judges were very impressed with the
enterprising approach to the partnership and the
opportunities which both Spanish and Scottish pupils
experienced through this link.
The modern languages team have used
interdisciplinary learning as a means of developing
the partnership beyond their department and into
other areas of the school, including subjects such as
music, history, art and hospitality, as well as working
with cluster primaries. One group who benefited in
particular were the senior hospitality students who
were able to visit the Spanish school in person and
take part in work experience abroad. Like Cardinal
Newman High School, the partner school in Mallorca
offers similar hospitality courses to their students, and
were therefore able to develop the skills and
knowledge of the Scottish students during their visit.
The panel agreed that the project had really allowed
foreign languages to come to life for Cardinal
Newman students and it was clear that the
partnership added greater relevance to language
learning as well as direct exposure to Spanish culture
for pupils of all ages, from primary through to S6.
On receiving the news, the Head Teacher of the
school said, “I am delighted that Cardinal Newman
High School has won the British Academy Schools
Language Award for best mainstream school in
Scotland. It is a great honour and will be celebrated
by the whole school. Everyone is so excited and
delighted that their hard work has been recognised.”
Cardinal Newman will be invited to an awards
ceremony in London later in the year to officially
receive their prize from the British Academy.
More information on the British Academy Schools
Language Award 2012 http://www.britac.ac.uk/policy/Schools_Language_Awards.cfm
CILT Cymru
Language skills
and STEM
join forces!
See Science (http://www.see-science.co.uk/) and
CILT Cymru (http://www.ciltcymru.org.uk/) are
joining forces on an exciting new programme….
n the coming months both organisations will pilot a
scheme in which STEM Ambassadors from industry
will visit secondary schools in Wales to emphasise the
need for language skills within a career in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths.
I
In the initial phase (summer 2012) Ysgol Gyfun
Glantaf in Cardiff, Cwrt Sart Comprehensive School
in Neath and Hartridge High School in Newport will
receive a STEM Ambassador visit.
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages
Sian Ashton, STEM Ambassador Coordinator at See
Science, explains: “Each Ambassador will explain
how having language skills has supported and
enhanced their chosen career. They will illustrate
that in a global workplace, the transfer of
information and communication with business and
research partners cannot be avoided”.
Pupils will hear how cultures, ethics, politics and
different languages are something that employees
will come across and need to understand,
appreciate and cope with during the course of their
chosen profession.
CILT Cymru Director, Ceri James, echoes the view
that MFL and Science can lead to a successful
career, saying: “Engineers for example, are very
likely to travel the world and to work within
multinational companies, so a skill-set which includes
both scientific and linguistic skills would fit the bill
perfectly for a prospective employer…”
Following evaluation of these visits it is hoped that
the scheme will be expanded allowing further
schools to tap into this opportunity. Sian says,“We
are hoping this will be the first of several successful
collaborative initiatives with CILT Cymru”.
Page 19
Newsletter
Summer 2012
SCILT staff
Fan Lin
– Confucius Institute for
Scotland’s Schools Manager
e are delighted to welcome Fan Lin as
Manager for Confucius Institute for Scotland’s
Schools (CISS). As CISS Manager, Fan will work
closely with government organisations in both
Scotland and China to promote and develop
Chinese language and culture for schools in
Scotland.
W
Fan was an English teacher in China before moving
to Scotland, and has worked in education for more
than 10 years in both China and Scotland. She
worked at the Scottish Qualifications Authority for
four years, leading the development of National
Qualifications for Chinese for Scotland. Fan also uses
her expertise to train PGDE Mandarin students at the
University of Edinburgh.
Fan has established a wide network and good
relationships with various stakeholders in the UK and
China, such as the Chinese Embassy, Chinese
Consulate in Edinburgh, the British Council, and the
China Britain Business Council. She works closely with
Chinese communities across Scotland and we are
looking forward to collaborating with her as she
leads CISS in supporting the Chinese agenda in
schools across Scotland.
Contact us
Sarah Breslin, Director
- [email protected]
Hannah Doughty, Professional Development Officer
- [email protected]
Sheila Gallacher, Administrative Assistant
- [email protected]
Fan Lin, Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools Manager
- [email protected]
Hongjie Liu, Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools
Chinese Director
SCILT
Room D1.23, David Stow Building
University of Strathclyde,
76 Southbrae Drive,
Jordanhill,
Glasgow G13 1PP
Tel: 0141 950 3308/3369; Fax: 0141 950 3181
Website: http://www.strath.ac.uk/scilt
Email: [email protected]
- [email protected]
Sarah Macfarlane, Information Officer
- [email protected]
Emma McLean, Secretary
- [email protected]
Mandy Reeman-Clark, Administrator
- [email protected]
Laura Stewart, Professional Development Officer
- [email protected]
Page 20
SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages