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Using your languages

Londoners of all ages are excited by the opportunity to watch the Games in 2012. But did you know that languages and cultural knowledge can help you get even more directly involved? We'll show you the ways you can make the most of your language and cultural knowledge, highlighting volunteering opportunities, job options and advice on learning , whether you want to use a language you speak already or learn a new one. You can find general advice in our Careers and learning area.

Welcoming the World

RLN London's Welcoming the World programme can help you to develop the customer service skills you need to communicate with international visitors to our city and improve your career prospects. Find out about Welcoming the World customer service training and resources on the Talking to the World website.

Languages and volunteering

The 2012 Games will offer this unique opportunity to up to 70,000 volunteers. Language skills and cultural knowledge will be a real asset for a wide range of roles, so if think you could help you can get involved by registering your interest now. Recruitment will start in 2010.

'Games Talk' by Joe Lo Bianco describes the volunteering opportunities for linguists at the Sydney 2000 Games - and could give you inspiration for London.

Languages and sport projects

The Games and other sporting activities have inspired a number of projects involving languages.  If you like to spend time on the water, why not visit the Linguasail website?  Or if time spent in the water is more your thing, try Swim The Language, a project where you can compete in a virtual swimming competition and chat with swimmers from around Europe.  Football fans might be interested in Eurolang 2012, a project which aims to improve communication with overseas visitors to the European Football Championships held in Poland and Ukraine in 2012.  

Looking for job opportunities?

Many businesses in London will think about the international dimension when planning recruitment between now and 2012 - especially if they're in the tourist industry or directly involved in delivering the Games. With language skills and cultural knowledge you can make yourself much more employable.

The agencies responsible for delivery of the Games - the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), the Olympic Delivery Authority and the Olympic Programme Support Unit - also advertise vacancies on the London 2012 website. Podium Skills London publishes information about the language skills needed by volunteers and employees during the Games.

Learning for the Games

The 2012 Games are a greater motivation than ever to learn languages which can be used in your career and voluntary work - or simply to communicate with the thousands of visitors who will come to see the Games. If you speak more than one language, think about how you could use them in serving overseas visitors.

The Languages Work website shows you how a number of London-based people are using their language skills in travel and tourism. There is also a range of factsheets giving advice on careers in translation and interpreting, studying language at university and much more. RLN London's Service Finder can help you search for course providers in London for language learning and training as a professional linguist.

You can also visit our Careers and learning area for more ideas on language learning and jobseeking.