Challenges & Competitions
A number of ALL's member-led local groups (Branches, Networks and Primary Hubs), Language Networks and partners run challenges and competitions for language learners in their local area, or at a regional or national level. Information about competitions which are currently open for entry can be found below. Competition results and success stories can be found under the News tab.
Competitions
The Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry
Those of us who were at Language World earlier this year will remember the inspiring keynote talk by Charlotte Ryland, from the Translation Exchange and the Stephen Spender Trust. She really enthused the audience with the creative teaching possibilities of poetry...
Annual Competitions
Arabic Speaking Competition
Eligibility: Secondary students (years 7-13) studying Arabic.
Please click here for more information.
Contact: [email protected]
Arabic Short Story Contest
Eligibility: Secondary students (years 7-13) studying Arabic
Please click here for more information.
Feature on a UK winner from last year.
Contact: [email protected]
Have Your Say
Have Your Say is a speaking competition for pupils in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10
UK Linguistics Olympiad
Competition for any age, any ability level where competitors have to solve linguistic data problems
Strictly in Isolation
The Strictly Speaking competition as modified for use remotely.
Poetry Live
Poetry Live is a competition for Year 8 pupils with a focus on spoken poetry performance in French, German and Spanish.
French Pop Video
Organised by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, students compete in age-group categories across primary and secondary
Foreign Language Spelling Bee
Information on Spelling Bee , other Bees and further projects is available on the Routes into
Languages website or by email to Sarah Schechter: [email protected]
Foreign Language Translation Bee
Information on Spelling Bee , other Bees and further projects is available on the Routes into
Languages website or by email to Sarah Schechter: [email protected]
German Language Competitions
The 2025 German Language Competition details will appear here: Click Here
European Day of Languages - Report
ALLNE, NfLNE and partners share here details of the annual European Day of Languages writing competition for Schools 2025 'Hearts and minds'
The Stephen Spender Prize
This annual prize for poetry in translation is open for submissions for 2025!
For further information please: Click here
Strictly Speaking
An outline of how to run a Strictly Speaking Poetry Recitation competition within a class, your school or between a group of schools, complete with sample anthologies in three languages.
Read more here
Strictly Speaking 2022 - a school / student review
Review of a Strictly Speaking celebration in German 2022
Strictly Speaking is a poetry recitation event, with a class round of a rehearsed poem, and, for those who proceed to a second round, an unseen poem. An outline of how to run your own event is available to download here.
As teachers, we were really delighted to see how positively and enthusiastically the students participated in the event. All 120 of our Year 8s joined in, and in the class rounds they all had a chance to perform their poem and listen to each other. The students demonstrated great creativity in performing the poems. Some participants sang or rapped their poem to great effect, and all of them enjoyed the Year group final. It was a really fun celebration of German poetry.
Oscar Year 8 (winner)
When I first stepped on stage I felt overwhelmed and extremely nervous. After I performed my first poem though, the crowd went wild, and this gave me the confidence to then perform my mystery poem. Thinking of a musical rhythm was a great way to pronounce and deliver the words in an easier but sophisticated way.
When my name was called out as the winner I was astonished and extremely happy, I was very grateful, and loved performing.
It was a great achievement and am really hoping to continue my German into the future.
Alfie Year 8
I found the German speaking competition something that really brought everyone taking German together, I can remember after I finished that all of the other contestants congratulated me on my performance. I think this is this sort of environment that makes me enjoy speaking German so much.
Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2023 - a school and student view from N Ireland
You can take the skills you learn in class a little bit further. We both really enjoyed seeing texts, poems and stories in different languages. We see lots of books in English, but it was fun to see real texts in French and Spanish.
Please click here for more information.
Routes into Languages Competition winners and details 2025
ALL congratulates winners of the 2025 Routes competitions:
- Primary Bee
- Spelling Bee
- Translation Bee