Poor language skills put Scots at disadvantage

Early opt-outs and removal of foreign assistants fuel rapid decline of languages, TESS survey reveals

There has never been a more perilous time for modern languages in our schools.

So says Eddie Morrison, headteacher of John Ogilvie High in South Lanarkshire, whose commitment to languages makes him the exception, rather than the rule.

Some heads are counting the hours that pupils are taught a modern language in primary, and once they are sure their 500-hour entitlement is met, are “dropping it like a hot tortilla”, he says.

Times Education Supplement

FCO travel advice mapped: the world according to Britain's diplomats

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues travel warnings and advice for British citizens. See the snapshot they paint of the world today

The Guardian

Poorly organised language provision has major effect on success of military intervention

A University of Reading led study has found that poorly organised language provision can have a major effect on the success of military intervention. The three-year project is the first study to examine the way war is spoken, and focus on the people who give a voice to the 'friendly faces'.

Reading website

Concerns expressed about lack of experience on ML and Linguistics REF panel

The lack of previous experience among members of two subpanels in the forthcoming research excellence framework could undermine researchers' "grudging acceptance" of the exercise, an academic has warned.

The membership of the 36 subpanels was announced last month by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The law subpanel contains just one person who has experience of working on the research assessment exercise, which preceded the REF. None of the Hispanists on the modern languages and linguistics subpanel has prior experience.

Times Higher Education

Bilingualism impacts on colour perception

Learning a foreign language literally changes the way we see the world, according to new research. Panos Athanasopoulos, of Newcastle University, has found that bilingual speakers think differently to those who only use one language.

Science Daily

UK Ambassador in Mexico to give careers talk in Southampton

“Careers in the Diplomatic Service”- by Judith Macgregor, British Ambassador in Mexico

Date: Monday 7 March / Time: 5:45-6:30 pm / Location: Lecture Theatre C (Avenue Campus), University of Southampton

Brussels seeks to woo monoglot Brits

Monoglot Britons may be allowed to take a special "English-only" entrance exam to work in Brussels, in an effort to boost the dwindling number of British officials at EU institutions.

Financial Times