Past event
Supported by the University Council of Modern Languages who have supported 30 teacher places for this event.The importance of languages and international communication has grown exponentially in an increasingly globalized world, yet the numbers of students studying a language (other than compulsory English or Welsh) to qualification level at school and to degree level at university is, despite minor fluctuations, very low compared even with the start of this century (British Academy, 2020). This has resulted in an overall contraction of provision in secondary schools and at degree level in universities. Recent surveys (British Council, 2019) have shown that young people from less affluent backgrounds are the least likely to have access to language learning, at least in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This event brings together educators from all four nations of the UK to explore creative approaches to language learning. Where are the examples of good practice, and what directions should policymakers take in future? We hope to engage a wide audience in conversation: current teachers of ancient and modern languages, teachers of English as an additional language, teacher educators, student teachers, school leaders, curriculum advisors, academics, policymakers and employers.
| 16:00 | Intro |
| 16:10 | Individual ‘pitch’ presentations from each panellist |
| 16:50 | Questions from Chairs |
| 17:00 | Audience Q&A |
| 17:15 | Concluding remarks |
| 17:20 | Close of event |
Watching a BERA Virtual event
|
Professor of Classics Education and Public Policy at Durham University
Arlene Holmes-Henderson is Professor of Classics Education and Public Policy at Durham University where she holds a British Academy Innovation Fellowship (2022-2024). After studying Classics at Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge, Arlene qualified as a...
Senior Lecturer Education Studies (with Modern Languages) at Stranmillis University College
Sharon Jones is senior lecturer in education studies at Stranmillis University College, Queen’s University Belfast.
Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages Education at Queen's University Belfast
Dr Ian Collen is a senior lecturer in modern languages education at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), where he leads initial teacher education in French, German, Irish and Spanish. As part of his role at QUB, he is director of the Northern...
Senior Teaching Fellow at University of Strathclyde
Fhiona Mackay is the director of Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT) and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools (CISS) at the University of Strathclyde. Joining SCILT in 2012 from her previous role at Education Scotland,...
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of PGCE Secondary, Modern Languages at St Mary's University, Twickenham
Lisa Panford is a Senior Lecturer and the Course Leader of PGCE Secondary – Modern Languages at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. She is an active and committed member of SMU’s Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team. Lisa is a former...
National Coordinator MFL Student Mentoring Project at Cardiff University
Lucy Jenkins is the Project Director of the MFL Mentoring Project funded by the Welsh Government. Lucy has led on the development of the project since 2017, expanding the scope and size of the project team and programmes substantially. Lucy has...
The British Curriculum Forum aims to bring together all those with an interest in collaborative curriculum, research and development. Through events, awards and grants, the BCF supports...
The BERA Public Engagement and Impact Award recognises and celebrates the impact of research and practice in the education community and how both have demonstrably engaged the public.
Festive felicitations and seasonal salutations to all our readers, authors, curators and guest editors around the globe. Reflecting on yet another outstanding year for the BERA Blog, we celebrate...
BERA hosts seminars, symposia series and workshops online and in person across the UK. Find out more about our upcoming events below.
Supported by the University Council of Modern Languages who have supported 30 teacher places for this event. The importance of languages and international communication has grown exponentially...
