News archiveSee below for previous news stories published on the RLN London website. January 2006 - June 2008Mastering languages for business11 June 2008 In emerging economies such as Russia , China and South America, English is not widely spoken and managers who can communicate with the local people in these countries will have an edge. So, should students learn a second language on their MBA programme so they can offer a well-rounded set of management skills? At Cranfield School of Management, a working knowledge of a second language is compulsory for all MBA students. Sean Rickard, director of the full-time MBA programme, says, "We made it a requirement because we believe that in an increasingly global world we should encourage our students to communicate in at least one language other than their own." Win a language learning pack!3 June 2008 CILT, the National Centre for Languages has teamed up with publishers Routledge to celebrate Adult Learners' Week and give away five 'Colloquial' language learning packs. You just need to answer a few questions... the closing date is 13 June. Call for papers: ITI International Conference 200923 May 2008 ITI will be holding an International Conference over the weekend of 16 and 17 May 2009 themed broadly around sustainability. If you would like to submit a paper on themes with or without a sustainability angle, contact the ITI. Please also contact the ITI if you wish to put forward a suitable topic for a poster session or conference workshop. Contributions are welcomed from ITI members and non-members. Favourable consideration will be given to responses received before 20 June 2008. Government consultation: 'Higher Education at Work - High Skills: High Value'23 May 2008 The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills published on 14 April their high level skills strategy 'Higher Education at Work - High Skills: High Value'. Through this they will consult employers, learners and higher education providers on what more we need to do to equip the workforce with the skills required for an innovative and competitive economy. Languages are acknowledged as being of value - see section 5 - and the consultation asks 'What more can we do to provide more graduates with the language skills and cultural awareness to thrive in a global marketplace?' If you wish to respond, the deadline is 7 July 2008. London is the number one choice for international students23 May 2008 International students now account for 23% of the total London student population. There were 89,955 international students studying in London during 2006/07 according to the latest HESA statistics. This represents a 5% increase in the capital in the last academic year. London has more international students than both New York (65,885) and Sydney (37,515). RLN London has highlighted how these students can bring their valuable language skills into the workplace on graduation in their 'World in one city' report The Study London campaign aims to bring even more overseas students to London, attracting almost 100,000 students to its website this academic year. Oriental language challenge for French teacher23 May 2008 At Deptford Green school in London, Tommy, a year 11 Vietnamese student, has been smarting over his identification in the press as a grade F candidate for a French GCSE this summer. He had said he would only work to improve his French if his teacher, who had boasted it was possible to learn a language in three months, took up Vietnamese. London opportunities abound for German companies ahead of 2012 games23 May 2008 Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London, in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany, hosted a seminar in London to promote business opportunities for German companies around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 'Maximising opportunities around the 2012 Games' was hosted at Think London's offices in Canary Wharf on 14th May. Brendan Dineen, Director, 2012 Games at Think London said, "Trade between the UK and Germany is the largest of all EU member countries and totals over $95 billion. Inward investment is also significant with over 3,000 German-owned companies operating in the UK creating over 400,000 jobs." German language skills are widespread in London. Recent research by RLN London showed that according to Reed, the national recruitment agency, almost a third of fluent German speakers are London-based. London attracts more than 11 per cent of all Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Europe20 April 2008 Think London , the foreign direct investment agency for London, has revealed inward Chinese FDI in London has doubled in the last 12 months. The rapid growth of the Chinese economy in recent years has seen many Chinese companies entering international markets, and London is reaping the rewards. London brings in more FDI projects from China than any other location in Europe , approximately 11 per cent of all Chinese FDI projects to the continent. London emerges clear winner as 'European City Of The Future'20 April 2008 London has swept the board and emerged as this year's number one European location in fDi magazine's 2008 Cities of the Future shortlist, published by the Financial Times. Cities and regions were asked to provide information in areas such as economic potential, volume and number of investment projects. Mayor of London , Ken Livingstone said: " London is the international city of the world not only in terms of the business it conducts but also with more nationalities in the capital than any other place on the planet." Adults regret their lack of language skills20 April 2008 Research released this week by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) showed that not learning a foreign language remains the biggest regret from British people's school days. More than one in four adults (27%) regret dropping a language at school, putting languages far ahead of other subjects they wish they had mastered. According to the survey, which sampled over 1,500 adults, the biggest reason for regretting a lack of languages is their usefulness whilst abroad. Over a third of those who completed the survey (39%) believe that having a language would boost their career prospects. The rise of .cn20 April 2008 China has gone from 2 million registrations to 10 million registrations in just 12 months, on course to become the most popular 'country code top-level domain' - surpassing .de. By comparison, this month marks the two-year anniversary of Europe's .eu domain, which now stands at 2.8 million registrations. While .eu has averaged 1.4 million registrations per year, China has averaged 1 million registrations per month. If you are interested in web localisation - adapting your site for international business - you can find out more here. Free publications from the CILT on-line shop27 February 2008 The online shop of CILT, the National Centre for Languages has been updated to allow orders of Talking World Class, Talking World Class key facts and Positively Plurilingual - helping education providers and language service providers promote and make the case for languages. You can also order Languages Work careers materials and European Day of Languages materials from the same shop - all free of charge. Every Language Matters27 February 2008 Ofsted marked International Mother Language Day (21 February) with the release of a new report, Every Language Matters, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of initial teacher training in languages other than French, German, Irish, Spanish and Welsh. The education watchdog said that languages such as Arabic, Bengali and Mandarin should be given higher status in England 's schools to give more pupils the opportunity to learn them. Blended language learning project27 February 2008 The Autonomous Language Learning (ALL) project is building blended language learning courses in four European languages (Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Lithuanian). The results of the project are expected to be relevant for language teachers and learners of any language, not only the target languages The project co-ordinators are looking for assistance in terms of telling other language professionals about this project, and completing a survey on the teaching and learning of European languages. You can also subscribe to a project newsletter. London on top of the tourist world27 February 2008 London has been voted the greatest holiday destination worldwide in the World Travel Awards, considered to be the most comprehensive and prestigious in the industry, recognising excellence in travel and tourism. Last year, London welcomed a record 15.6 million overseas tourists, up more than 12 per cent on 2005. Tourist spending equals about £15 billion a year. If you'd like to find out how your business can take advantage of foreign visitors, visit our employers area. Shortage of English mother tongue interpreters27 February 2008 Demand is increasing for EU interpreters, but young blood is sorely lacking. The average age of the interpreters working at the European commission in Brussels, for instance, is now over 58, and this at a time when the numbers of languages spoken at meetings there has reached 23. The biggest demand is for interpreters who have English as their first language and fluency in two others. To find out more language services in London, including interpreting, visit our Private providers area. London 2012 Business Network launched27 February 2008 A new business 'dating agency' helping companies across the UK to compete for London 2012 business opportunities was launched at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in January. The Business Network will help companies compete for Games-related business opportunities either directly with London 2012 or with other suppliers in the chain. RLN London's 2012 Games area can also give you business advice on making the most of the Games. Funding for aspiring interpreters27 February 2008 Deadline: Early April for interviews (although programme is ongoing) 'Interpreting Skills for hospitality' is a thirteen-week programme funded by the London Development Agency, lasting from 22 April to 3 July 2008. It will take place on Mondays and Thursdays in Stratford, recruitment is taking place now with final interviews being held in early April. This programme is aimed at bilingual people who wish to learn the skills needed for interpreting in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors, as well as gain other qualifications that will be useful for work in those sectors. Find out
more about the programme If you'd like to learn more about RLN London's support for language services, visit our private providers area. Think London welcomes Mexican investment27 February 2008 Think London is rolling out its business incubator service, Touchdown London, to Mexican companies looking to invest in London. The joint initiative is a partnership with Avanta, the serviced office company, to help businesses establish themselves in London, and includes subsidised office space and support services. After English and Chinese, Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the world. Latin American businesses can look to benefit from significant native speaker communities across the capital as well a significant upsurge in Spanish language study. Museum celebrates the English language27 February 2008 The English language is the means by which two billion people communicate in a first or second language. Now its story is to be told in the world's first museum dedicated to a language. The English Project - which is due to open in 2012, as part of the Games cultural programme, with support from the British Library and the BBC among others - will aim to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the richness of the English language. The museum will be built in Winchester - the city of King Alfred, who promoted Old English as a language of learning, literature and law. ESOL funding consultation24 January 2008 The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) is currently consulting on targeted funding to foster community cohesion and integration. It recognises that there are still too many long-term residents committed to making a contribution to Britain who cannot engage with other people in their neighbourhoods - or play an active role in their communities - simply because their lack of English prevents it. ‘Focusing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) on Community Cohesion’ (published in January 2008 by DIUS) sets out the aim that ESOL funding should be more specifically targeted towards cohesion and integration. The closing date for the consultation on this document is Friday 4 April 2008 . British bosses see need for cultural awareness24 January 2008 The majority of British bosses (97 percent) taking part in a recent survey by executive communications consultancy, The Aziz Corporation, think that they should make an effort to learn about business etiquette in other countries when travelling abroad. Over two thirds (68 percent) are embarrassed by their lack of knowledge of other cultures. Most of the 205 senior managers and directors of major companies based across the United Kingdom who completed the survey (96 percent) rely on the fact that most people in business can speak English, with only 21 percent able to use another language. Consultation on draft criteria for new language provision within Diploma23 January 2008 QCA has developed draft criteria for new applied language units and qualifications following research into existing provision and employer and learner requirements. This research showed strong support for the inclusion of languages delivered in an applied context within the Additional and Specialist Learning (ASL) component of the Diploma. It also identified the need to complement existing qualifications with new provision that could be delivered in any language and in any context. QCA is now inviting comments on draft accreditation criteria for new applied language units and qualifications for inclusion within the Diploma ASL catalogue. Response to ‘Skills and Employment in London: Proposals for the London Skills and Employment Board’s Strategy’14 January 2008 RLN London has submitted a response to the London Skills and Employment Board (LSEB), commenting on its draft strategy which was published in October 2007. We have outlined our commitment to plans for a new framework to support businesses and individuals in London, and highlighted where language and cultural skills can play a part. If you would like to provide your own response in support of language and cultural skills, visit the LSEB website. Final deadline is 21 January 2008. Ten web globalisation predictions!14 January 2008 Global by Design, a company that specialises in web localisation (the rendering local of a website, taking into account a wide range of cultural and linguistic factors) has published ten predictions for 2008 connected with globalisation - from Chinese language domain names to multilingual corporate blogs. So let’s see what 2008 will really hold for the world wide web... London pupils with English as a second language on the increase14 January 2008 The proportion of primary school pupils in England with English as a second language has risen by 73% in a decade. Across the country the proportion is 13.5% - up from 7.8% in 1997. Behind the headline national increase is a more complex picture of big regional differences in how demographic changes are affecting schools around England . Across the 14 boroughs of inner London a majority of pupils in primary school - 53% - are classified as having English as a second language. In Tower Hamlets this rises to 76% and in Newham 72%. The Independent publishes lead article on decline in language learning14 January 2008 A leading article, 'Monoglots in a globalising world' was published by The Independent in December 2007. Lamenting the drop of 30 per cent in pupils taking one foreign language at GCSE, the article focuses in particular on the decline in inner city schools - which it says could lead to foreign languages ‘becoming the preserve of the public schools and suburban secondaries’. The point is also made that more effort could be put into the development inner city pupils’ competence in the languages they speak at home. European Award for Languages 2008 - deadline for nominations14 January 2008 The Award is part of a Europe-wide scheme supported by the European Commission, with CILT, the National Centre for Languages as the UK co-ordinator. Applications are invited from primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities, businesses and all other institutions engaged in innovative and effective foreign language teaching. The deadline for this year's Award is 1 February 2008 . The most innovative language initiatives will receive one of the prestigious awards, which recognise creativity in a range of contexts. Special additional awards of £1,000 are on offer for the Euro London Appointments Business Language Prize, and for the Albatross Travel Group Community Languages Prize. New careers factsheets show that Languages Work14 January 2008 CILT, the National Centre for Languages has made a range of new ‘Languages Work’ factsheets available to complement the upcoming 14-19 Diplomas in the Built Environment and Engineering, where languages are a study option. Alongside these, they have also recently published a factsheet on careers in translation and interpreting. If you’d like to learn more about career options using your language skills, visit our careers area. London with a Capital L!9 December 2007 We are pleased to announce the successful bid by a consortium of eight London higher education institutions titled 'Capital L' to join the nationwide Routes into Languages programme. Together with the expertise of regional partners including the Regional Language Network London, they will work over the next three years to deliver activities and programmes to engage young people and showcase the personal and professional opportunities that language study can offer. The London Consortium comprises the School of Oriental and African Studies, London Metropolitan University , University College London, London School of Economics, Birkbeck University of London, University of Westminster , Goldsmiths University of London and Open University London Region. You can find out more about languages in higher education here Taster of the London 2012 education programme9 December 2007 A webcast on 6 December gave a taster of the London 2012 education programme, which launches in 2008 after the Beijing Games. It will encourage students to realise their potential - and engage with other students across the UK and around the world. A particular focus is on celebrating the handover at the end of the Games in China , and 'One Planet Education' which includes an international citizenship programme being developed in conjunction with broadcasters and charities. These will be complemented by a domestic education programme which provides every young person at school and college in the UK with a chance to get involved in the Games. Bromley school wins European prize for Community Languages project9 December 2007 An innovative language project in Downderry Primary School , Bromley has been awarded a European Award for Languages. The initiative effectively engages parents to foster language learning and social integration within the school. The project works with recently arrived Tamil speaking parents who develop their English and IT skills while the children learn Tamil. The scheme has helped raise the status of Tamil to that of other languages in the school and enabled the children to develop their skills and take pride in them. Draft strategy for skills and employment in London9 December 2007 The London Skills and Employment Board has released 'Skills and Employment in London : Proposals for the London Skills and Employment Board's Strategy' for public consultation. If you, like RLN London, would like to highlight the crucial role that language and cultural skills can play in London's future economic prosperity, you can find out more about the strategy on the Board's website. The consultation deadline is 21 January. Consultation on Standards for Intercultural Working9 December 2007 The National Occupational Standards for Intercultural Working identify the skills and knowledge required for working both in multicultural UK and internationally. The benefits are:
CILT, the National Centre for Languages is developing these new Standards on behalf of the Sector Skills Development Agency. It is currently consulting on the draft Standards, so that they are relevant and valuable to all sectors, whether private, public, voluntary and community. To find out more about a consultation event on 23 January, visit our Events area. Find out more about the consultation on CILT's website (deadline 18 January) Billionaires raise London's international profile27 November 2007 London's position as a global business centre is being reinforced by an influx of wealthy individuals. As new multimillionaires are minted in Russia, India, the Middle East and Europe, many are coming to London, drawn by a combination of low taxes, historical ties and a geographical location that makes the city attractive for people doing business in Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Ajay Goyal is an Indian multimillionaire who lives here but has homes in several cities including in Washington, D.C., Delhi, and Moscow."For Indians, West India and much of Africa, London is a natural destination because of the historical and colonial connection". Read the article in the Wall Street Journal Read articles from thelondonpaper on foreign entrepreneurs in London Lack of investment in language learning costs billions27 November 2007 Billions of pounds are lost to the economy each year because of a lack of investment in language learning, according to a Welsh academic. A report by Professor James Foreman-Peck, of Cardiff Business School, said that investing more in teaching foreign languages to improve people's ability to speak French, Spanish or German would save businesses £9bn a year. Transversal: funding opportunities27 November 2007 The Transversal programme is a new funding programme running from 2007 - 2013. It is part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) and focuses on four key areas: Languages; The Transversal programme aims to support European co-operation in education and training of all kinds and to promote the quality and transparency of education and training systems across Europe. New Diploma in Languages27 November 2007 RLN London welcomes the announcement of a Diploma in Languages to be available to young people from September 2011. The case for improving the position of languages in Key Stage 4 and through into higher education and employment is incontestable, and a subject-based Diploma in languages will help build a wider range of options for fourteen to nineteen-year-olds, as recommended in Lord Dearing's Languages Review earlier this year. Lingua Connections: promoting languages27 November 2007 The Lingua Connections guide - available in hard copy and on-line - is a great resource giving tips to maximise the successful promotion of your language project. Examples of success stories from over 35 EC funded language projects are included. Proposal for bilingual French school in London27 November 2007 A west London comprehensive could be turned into a bi-lingual school, partly-funded by the French government. This would see the school using both the French and English languages and both their national curricula. Hammersmith and Fulham council says it is "very interested" in proposals to revitalise Hurlingham and Chelsea school in Fulham. Tourism benefits from the Games estimated at £2.1 billion29 October 2007 The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games could bring a step change in London and Britain's success in attracting visitors from emerging tourist markets such as India, China and Russia, according to new research published by Visit London and VisitBritain. Marylebone hotel puts languages in the limelight29 October 2007 Hotel La Place, featured in our Business Language Champions programme, has recently enjoyed publicity in the local 'Marylebone Journal' - with an article focusing on the wide-ranging language skills employed by staff. As hotel manager Hal Jaffer says, "If you can even just say hello or a few words in their language, you will have a friend for life." The article is a great example of how supporting language skills - and in Hotel La Place's case, working with a local school to show them languages in use in the workplace - can help generate excellent PR for a business. Find out more about our Business Language Champions programme Beijing ups the ante in the run-up to 200829 October 2007 Nearly 200,000 people in 11 business areas such as tourism have received some language training to improve service for the Olympics. A number of books on the English speaking during the Olympic Games and the volunteer service training have been published. The map of Beijing is also published in Chinese, English and French on the official website of the organizing committee for the Beijing Olympics. Skills strategy for the tourism sector in London29 October 2007 People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism, has launched a skills strategy for the capital - which recognises clearly the part language and cultural skills have to play, especially with London 2012 on the horizon. MPs' review finds that university students fear languages29 October 2007 An MPs' review into financing of higher education in England has also found that UK students' lack of foreign language skills is contributing to a reluctance to spend part of their university studies abroad - and urged universities to provide intensive short language courses to encourage more students to do so. Economic impact of London's international students29 October 2007 IIn a recent report commissioned by London Higher, Oxford Economics estimated that the 86,000 international students in London contribute £1.5 billion to the economy and support 44,000 jobs in and around the capital. Their contribution to London's economy has doubled in the last five years and demonstrates the robust growth in the number of international students choosing to study in London. The overall impact of London's international students to the economy will be far wider as even the international students who return to their home countries will strengthen cultural and economic links wi London - and those that choose to stay in the UK offer strong language skills and cultural awareness, much needed by our businesses. Diplomatic language29 October 2007 Even senior diplomats can fall foul of language barriers - where use of idiom can create problems for the interpreter. Some amusing gaffes made by Australian politicians illustrate the point. Sharp rise in study of less widely-taught languages29 October 2007 Success for students of Portuguese, Turkish and Chinese in Greater London is on the up, according to exam board OCR. The number of qualifications issued by OCR to people in Greater London learning this trio of less widely-taught languages has risen sharply in the past two years. The capital is being identified as one of several hotspots for less commonly- taught languages in figures released by the exam board in September. OCR chief executive Greg Watson said: "Learning these languages has proved to be increasingly popular in London, wi more significant rises than the rest of the country. A Level and GCSE examination results30 August 2007 While hope has emerged for the advanced study of languages - with an upturn in take-up for A Levels and signs that university entries for languages are on the increase also - the picture for GCSE is steadily worsening. Entries for French GCSE have gone down by 8.2% and German by 10.2%. Although Spanish has risen 3% and other modern languages by 5.5%, overall numbers have decreased considerably. At A Level, 0.3% more students took a modern languages A Level, and 1.7% more entered at AS Level. Stakeholders in London are concerned that the discontinuity at GCSE level could cause UK plc to suffer on the global stage. Professor Tim Connell of City University and others commented in the Guardian on these trends. Read the Guardian article Beijing speaks foreign languages ...22 August 2007 The Beijing dining experience will be filled with surprises for many of the half-million visitors expected for the 2008 Games. As well as the standard pleasures to be had from a well-roasted Peking duck or a huge and cheap bowl of dumplings, they could be confronted with scorpion kebabs, starfish fluff, crispy silkworm grubs or any of number of other exotic temptations. Translating menus, and for that matter a huge range of other items like signs and tourist information, is a huge challenge for Beijing. Their 'Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages' programme is aiming to tackle the current shortcomings in time for the Games. Read the article Languages and the new Diplomas22 August 2007 Diplomas are the new qualifications for 14-19 year olds which herald the biggest change to the 14-19 curriculum for many years. Sitting alongside GCSEs and A Levels, they offer young people the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills within an applied, sector-focused context. All five of the Diplomas which come on stream in September 2008 - for Engineering, Construction, ICT, Society, Health and Development, and Creative and Media - include languages as an option. CILT, the National Centre for Languages is offering advice for schools and colleges delivering this new vocational curriculum on its 14-19 website. Vocational Turkish at College of North East London (CONEL)19 July 2007 As part of CILT's 14-19 learning networks project CONEL has developed a short Turkish language course (a 10 week course, including 15 guided learning hours) alongside a Health & Care programme, leading to a Certificate in Childcare & Education. There are 15 learners enrolled on this Turkish course and 15 learners enrolled on a similar Spanish course - 30 learners in total. The plan is then to roll out language courses across several vocational areas delivered by the College of North East London - and encourage other partners to do the same. Downing Street launches Arabic language website19 July 2007 Downing Street has launched an Arabic language version of its website in a fresh bid to win hearts and minds. The online guide boasts that it is "a place to find a lot of very interesting information about the British Prime Minister and how the British Government works". The Foreign Office already has Arabic and Urdu versions of its website, but it is a first for No 10, which has not until now had a foreign language version. A spokesman said: "We are always looking at ways to improve our service and we are considering adding other languages in the near future." Multilingual London may get languages museum19 July 2007 Language enthusiasts want to open a dedicated museum in London to coincide with the 2012 Olympics. Linguist David Crystal said the interactive museum would draw on high-tech gadgets to boost people's interest in languages - both foreign and their own - and would be the first of its kind in the country. A team including Crystal and Museum of London Director Jack Loman were waiting to see if the board for the 2012 Games will approve the idea, according to news agency Reuters. UN proclaims 2008 'International Year of Languages'19 July 2007 On May 16, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming 2008 the 'International Year of Languages'. The proclamation is meant to highlight the fact 'that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding'. According to the Assembly recommendation, the organisation must avoid an over-reliance on English. Preserving linguistic diversity respects the cultural diversity that exists among UN nations and makes the harmonious work of the organisation possible. Language learning doesn't stop at school8 June 2007 Almost one in three people (30%) in the UK have learned languages as an adult compared to almost half (45%) who learned other languages - as well as their mother tongue - as a child. These are the headline findings of the 2007 NIACE survey on languages - 'Figures of Speech' - published for Adult Learners' Week (19 - 25 May 2007). Currently four per cent of adults are participating in language learning - roughly equivalent to two million adults in the UK. In addition one in three (31%) want to learn another language: the most popular languages being French, German, Spanish and Italian. Adults from minority ethnic groups (52%) are more likely to learn languages and these are predominantly non-European languages and English. European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 20088 June 2007 The European Commission has designated 2008 the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The aim is to increase people's mutual understanding and appreciation of the many different cultures in Europe. In addition, the year aims to highlight the contribution of different cultures to the member states' heritage and way of life, and to recognise that intercultural dialogue is essential for learning to live together in harmony. Intercultural Dialogue events and activities can complement existing community programmes and raise awareness of these issues. Non-profit-making organisations are invited to apply for the limited EU funding available for eligible projects. Guidance on funding applications can be found on the EUCLID website. Deadlines for applications are 9 July 2007 for UK-focused projects and 31 July 2007 for trans-national projects. Further information about the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue can be found on the European Commission's Europa website. French business to use 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London as appetiser8 June 2007 Non-UK business should take the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London as an appetiser when assessing broader business opportunities and deciding to set up business in the city. This was the key message of Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for the capital, at a seminar in Paris dealing with business around the 2012 Games, hosted by Ubifrance. Think London's Director 2012 Games, Brendan Dineen, said 'When we distil the data, the Games are forecasted to create €5.8 billion of economic growth by 2012. And this does not take into account the legacy the Games will leave.' London is the most popular destination for French FDI projects in Europe and in 2006 the capital won a 6.4% share of all projects. One in four Eastern European migrants in the UK spends no time with British people8 June 2007 This was the headline finding from a Joseph Rowntree Foundation study into East European immigration and community cohesion, based around interviews with migrants in Brighton and Hove and the London boroughs of Hackney and Harrow. The study also found only 35% of recent arrivals said they felt "very strongly" or "fairly strongly" a sense of belonging in their neighbourhood - but this rose to 72% among long-term residents. More than two-thirds described their English skills as "none" or "basic" upon arrival in the UK. Lithuanian Laura Dzelzyte, 25, has lived in London for five years and works as a business consultant advising both British and Eastern European firms on overcoming cultural barriers in trade. She commented, "Ultimately, the key is language - when we can speak to each other, we realise we are all the same underneath." Read
the BBC news article including interviews with migrants Study of language provision in the further education system8 June 2007 The Department for Education and Skills has charged the Quality Improvement Agency with conducting a study of language provision in the further education system in England - which will be complemented by an employer survey currently being promoted through Sector Skills Councils. Consultants SQW have been commissioned to undertake a comprehensive study which explores how current language provision meets the needs of employers and learners. 'Routes into Languages' - Languages and International Events Research Project18 May 2007 This £40,000 research project has been awarded to Debra Kelly, Professor of French at the University of Westminster with Dr Alison Phipps, Director of the School for Education, University of Glasgow as consultant. It will result in a report to higher education (HE) modern languages departments on their potential contribution to high profile international and sporting events such as the 2012 Games. The main aims are to raise the profile of HE languages departments and to stimulate public and business interest in languages. A particular feature of the project is in making a connection between the formal Games support services - provided by professional bodies of translators and interpreters - and work with the wider community including both London's residents and international visitors, focusing on the multilingual information requirements and on the selection and training of Volunteer Languages Specialists drawn from the city's multilingual population. The Routes into Languages Programme is a HEFCE funded initiative to increase and widen participation in language study in higher education. For more information, visit the LLAS Subject Centre website. You can find out more about the 2012 Games on our website. London attracts 40% of Korean foreign direct investment projects into Europe9 May 2007 Over the past seven years, London has attracted 40 percent of all Korean foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into Europe, making the UK the most popular investment destination for Korean businesses in Europe in terms of FDI projects. The announcement was made at a Korean Business Reception, hosted by Think London. London offers a natural fit for Korean companies, and there are now over 120 Korean firms located in London. Michael Charlton, Chief Executive, Think London said: "London has seen an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) from Korea in recent months ... and we expect this trend to continue over the coming years as London's vibrant Korean community continues to expand". London is home to the largest Korean population of any European city, now thought to number over 20,000 people. Students comprise a significant proportion of this population with 1,600 Koreans studying in the capital - 43% of all Korean students in the UK. Morgan Stanley can't bank on tongue-tied Brits24 April 2007 Demand for the graduate training scheme at Morgan Stanley is intense and much of the competition comes from the rest of Europe. "Because there's a greater need for languages in divisions such as investment banking and sales and trading, many of the new graduates joining these areas will be from other European countries," says Joanne Scott, head of European campus recruitment at the bank. New Japan scholarships at London Business School24 April 2007 Application deadline: 25 May 2007 The London Business School and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation have announced the launch of new scholarships for outstanding Japanese students and outstanding British students with a keen interest in Japan. The scholarships involve a £10,000 contribution towards the tuition costs for a selected Japanese student and a selected British student each year, for an initial five year period. New Italian scholarship24 April 2007 Application deadline: 18 May 2006 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is offering scholarships of 38 months for British citizens who wish to spend time in Italy attending language courses, or carrying on studies and research at Universities or in various arts and education fields. Contact the Italian Cultural Institute in London for application forms and guidelines Think London brings leading Chinese publishing group to the capital24 April 2007 Think London, the foreign direct investment agency for London, welcomed the China Youth Publishing Group (CYPG) to the capital at a launch ceremony on April 17. CYPG, one of China's top publishing groups, opened their first global office in London as part of the company's international expansion plans. CYP International Ltd. will act as a global hub in the capital, helping the company gain international publishing information, publish books in the UK for distribution in the international market and bring foreign copyright and foreign language books to China. CYPI will provide training for publishing and design talent from China in the UK, and operate as an exhibition and copyright agency. BA plans growth at London City Airport24 April 2007 British Airways is launching an ambitious expansion at London City Airport. BA's initial plans are to extend its flights to Edinburgh to eight daily and fly to Glasgow four times a day. It is also launching to the Swiss business capital of Zurich and flying to other major European business centres in Frankfurt, Milan and Madrid. European Award for Languages - you could win £2,000 for your organisation!10 April 2007 The European Award for Languages recognises creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students and make the best of available resources. If you are involved in an innovative language-learning project, which could benefit others, you may eligible for an Award. We're currently looking especially to profile businesses and how they are making best use of languages. The Award is supported by the European Commission and co-ordinated in the UK by CILT, the National Centre for Languages. All winners receive a certificate and prizes of books, vouchers or teaching materials from a range of sponsors. The award for the best project initiated by initial teacher trainees and for business languages this year each have a prize of £1,000. Every year one of the winning projects is selected by the Mary Glasgow Language Trust to receive its annual award (£2,000). Awards are to be presented this autumn by Sir Trevor McDonald at a special ceremony. The deadline this year is 30 April - so don't delay! Go to the CILT website to find out more - and find inspiration from previous winners. There are even tips on preparing your application, which is a straightforward process. Chinese media take their Olympic lead from the UK10 April 2007 Journalists and media managers from China have been studying at Luton University since 2003 in order to gain a better understanding of the media in the West - in time for an influx of journalists from across the world at Beijing 2008. The course is led by Garry Whannel, a professor of media cultures specialising in sports reporting. "Beijing are expecting up to 20,000 media workers, all arriving for the same three weeks," he explains. "It is a terrifying thought." Trends for language learning in schools10 April 2007 Following on from the 2003, 2004 and 2005 surveys of languages at Key Stage 4, CILT, the National Centre for Languages has expanded its language trends research. The Key Stage 4 survey itself has also been expanded to give a picture of languages in secondary education. The 2006 Language Trends Key Stage 4 survey highlighted the following key findings:
Why Try Harder?28 March 2007 Whether as an individual or a business, we may have asked ourselves this question when it comes to languages. With competition building from people, businesses and cities around the world capable of working in English and other languages besides, Regional Language Network London is challenging this mindset with its newly launched Language and Cultural Skills Strategy for London. Download a copy below or request a hard copy from info@rln-london.com. RLN London on the move!22 March 2007 We're very pleased to have received funding from London Development Agency to increase our activity further still over the coming year - thanks to all of our partners and colleagues whose support has enabled us to take this important step. Look out for regular news and event updates on this website, we'll be busy over the next few months. In the meantime, please note that we've moved to brand new offices on Tottenham Court Road. 94% of London employers make the case for languages2 February 2007 The fourth London Business Survey by CBI London highlights for the first time that foreign language skills are a key factor in business success - with 94% of employers believing that these skills are important for the London economy. Positively plurilingual6 November 2006 London is among the most multilingual cities in the world with
over 300 languages spoken. 75% of schoolchildren in Kensington
and Chelsea speak another language in addition to English. The UK has a major linguistic asset in its multicultural population which, if developed wisely and inclusively alongside English and other languages, has the potential to benefit society as a whole as well as improving the life chances of individual children. New report highlights lack of language skills hampering recruitment of UK graduates in the City17 October 2006 The report Graduate Skills and Recruitment in the City commissioned jointly by the City of London Corporation and the Financial Services Skills Council, examines the relationship between Financial and Related Business Services employers operating from the City of London and the UK's universities. Among the findings are concerns that employers in the sector believe that UK graduates do not compare favourably with their international counterparts in terms of language skills, international experience and cross-cultural awareness. The report concludes that students from UK Higher Education Institutions suffer from a lack of mobility and that British students' greatest problem in this respect is their consistent lack of language skills. Results of Language Trends 2005 community languages survey22 September 2006 This regional report for Central and Outer London is based on information gathered from local authority representatives. It is the result of collaboration between CILT, the National Centre for Languages, Scottish CILT and CILT Cymru to look at trends in community languages. The main findings are:
New characters to get UK talking on European Day of Languages
This year's A to Z highlights the range of fun activities where languages can be used and forms the basis of a range of resources to mark the European Day of Languages (EDL) on 26 September. The A to Z of activities, which has each character saying hello in a different language, is part of a national campaign to champion language diversity, encouraging schools, parents, employers, communities and specialist interest groups in the UK to join the celebrations taking place across Europe. The resources, produced by CILT, the National Centre for Languages, include free stickers and postergames as well as button badges and T-shirts and can be ordered from the CILT website (www.cilt.org.uk/edl). The 2006 EDL characters are joined by those featured in last year's A to Z of languages and careers on the postergame, a poster with a board game on the reverse. A suite of on-line resources will also be available for the Day. Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, the National Centre for Languages, said, 'We wanted to build on the popularity of the EDL characters to highlight the range of opportunities language skills offer. We hope these new characters will inspire people across the UK to try using another language whatever they're doing on 26 September.' The deadline for T-shirt and badge orders is Friday 30 June, bulk orders should also be received by the same date. Free stickers and postergames will be available while stocks last but early orders are encouraged to avoid disappointment. The new characters can be previewed here and images of the resources are available on request. Order your free resources from the CILT website here.
New report highlights London's need for language skills13 July 2006 A new report Talking World Class: The impact of language skills on the London economy released today by Regional Language Network London explains why the capital needs to make the most of language skills. It also identifies what further support is required for London to realise its future economic potential and ensure the success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. Languages and culture play a part in the Mayor's plans for future tourism26 June 2006 Mayor Ken Livingstone's London Tourism Vision 2006-16 will be delivered through a series of three-year action plans, the first of which was published by the London Development Agency this month. Regional Language Network London is proud to be included as a partner in this strategy - which recognises the vital part that languages and culture can play in achieving the end goal. Languages taster classes help staff at Heathrow 'talk to the world'2 June 2006 In a project co-ordinated by Regional Language Network London over 60 employees in a range of companies at Heathrow airport were able to learn key phrases in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese and Arabic, in order to assist passengers in their own language. As part of the project a series of Talking to the world taster packs in six languages was developed by Thames Valley University. Read
the press release (PDF, 34 KB) View the taster packs: Talking
to the world in Arabic (PDF, 601 KB) FE Curriculum Conference: Realising and delivering employment potential for 20122 June 2006 Representatives of RLN London and CILT, the National Centre for Languages presented as 'expert witnesses' at the FE Curriculum Conference at Tower Hamlets College in April 2006. Around 70 representatives from London's FE colleges discussed the importance of language and cultural skills in the run-up to the Games. The conference led to a series of recommendations relating to languages and diversity for consideration by the Learning and Skills Council, London Development Agency and Association of Colleges London Region. London BLIS Professional features in Adult Learning Inspectorate report10 May 2006 A new report Languages for adults:overcoming the barriers looks at the barriers that exist to the success of the strategy in the adult learning and skills sector and suggests how they might be overcome, as well as examining good practice where it exists. In the introductory video, Peter Walser, Inspection Manager at the Adult Learning Inspectorate, gives the background to the report and outlines his concerns regarding the impact of the lack of progress on the UK economy. London BLIS Professional, City Lit, is featured as a good practice case study for its foreign language and British Sign Language provision. RLN London press release2 March 2006 RLN London website launched to help London businesses profit from languages China in London 20067 February 2006 China in London 2006 is the largest celebration of Chinese culture ever seen in the capital. Backed by the Mayor of London, it began with the switching on of specially designed Chinese lanterns at Oxford Circus on Thursday 26 January and the annual Chinese New Year parade and festival in central London on Sunday 29 January, marking the start of the Year of the Dog. China in London 2006 will run until the end of March and feature more than 100 events across the capital, including not only theatre, dance and a range of live performance, but also film, window displays, food tasting, and the promotion of Chinese literature and language. For more details see www.london.gov.uk/mayor/culture/china Website launch31 January 2006 The RLN London website was launched on 31 January 2006. We hope you enjoy browsing and find it useful and informative. Please contact us with any comments. |
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Popular activities will feature in UK languages celebrations
this September as learners get to know 26 new characters each
with a favourite pastime, from acting and hopscotch to modelling,
texting and zodiac predictions. 
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