Latest News

All the latest news from the world of languages and language teaching.

FT: Global Britain needs to improve its language learning

In a classroom this summer at Azbuka, a London bilingual primary school of which I am a governor, the children switched easily between English and Russian as they designed colourful posters in the two languages to help learn about coronavirus, climate change and...

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European Parliament Ambassador School programme

Are you interested in Accreditation for your school/college for staff and students taking on leadership roles? Links and travel throughout a network of 1600 schools across the EU and the UK? Support in the form of free resources, lesson plans and funding for events?...

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Press Release: GCSE 2021 Results

  Press Release 12/08/2021 GCSE 2021 Results   ALL President Kim Bower Comments “At the end of this exceptional year, I want to congratulate all language learners across the U.K. who are collecting their GCSE results today. I particularly want to acknowledge...

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Japan Olympics

As well as the sporting events that dominated broadcasting in Summer  we spotted this cultural aspect of the Games : https://japaninsides.com/196-countries-are-getting-represented-in-ambitious-kimono-project-for-tokyo-olympics/   As reported on Twitter by...

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10 best Spanish series on Netflix right now

Watching TV shows and films in a different language is the most effective and practical way of learning that language. RM from BTS confirmed this by talking about how he managed to learn English by just watching the highly popular show Friends. If you are a native...

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BBC Sounds:

Music Planet brings the WOMAD experience into the studio with live sets by some of the artists who would have been playing at the festival this weekend, including Italian collective Amaraterra with pizzica music from the country's south-eastern region, Welsh guitarist...

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Which language did people want to learn most in each country

Language is one of the critical components pertaining to the identity of a nation; and learning another language can help enrich the experience of someone who is visiting a country — but teaching yourself to speak a foreign language can introduce you to the culture of...

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Schools Week: DfE and Ofqual launch exams 2022 consultation

The government has set out draft plans for GCSEs and A-level exams next year, including a choice of topics for some GCSE subjects and advance information about the focus of exams in others. But schools will have to wait until the autumn to hear the government’s final...

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The Guardian: Advance notice of GCSE & A level topics

Pupils who are due to sit GCSEs and A-levels next summer will be given advance notice of the focus of some examinations to try to mitigate for learning lost as a result of the pandemic, according to plans unveiled by the government. Ministers have already stated their...

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Study shows second-language learning can happen quickly

Study shows second-language learning can happen quickly In a finding that runs contrary to one of the most-cited studies in the field, a new research paper from University of Kansas linguists shows that even as beginners, adults can quickly begin mentally processing...

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European Day of Languages update from ECML

European Day of Languages : ECML Update June 2021 https://edl.ecml.at/   A new secret agent’s language challenge app Following the success of the language challenges handbook (now available in 29 languages) and a first version of an app last year, version ‘2.007’...

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Recent publications from OFQUAL

Recent publications from OFQUAL which might be of interest: A consultation on proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for Exam Procedures Review Service (EPRS) in summer 2021. The consultation closed on 28 June 2021. A report on The use of assistive technologies...

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Responding as a community to issues which concern the teaching of languages.

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Press releases & open letters from the Association for Language Learning.