Press Release

Schools see benefits of supporting pupils’ community languages

19 June 2006

Community languages are an essential element for achieving education policy objectives. That is the message of the first national conference on community languages teaching, organised jointly by CILT, the National Centre for Languages and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

The conference will hear from primary and secondary schools who are already reaping the benefits of encouraging children to value the languages they speak at home, and helping them to develop their skills in them. These benefits feed directly into the Government’s Every Child Matters agenda, the DfES National Languages Strategy and International Strategy, and the objectives of 14-19 curriculum reforms.

Speakers will show how focussing on community languages can help forge better relations between school and the community, promote social inclusion, improve attainment, provide qualifications and enrich the curriculum. Sessions will discuss how provision can be developed both within schools and in the context of the extended schools initiative.

Isabella Moore, Director of CILT, the National Centre for Languages said, ‘Community languages are becoming more and more part of wider educational agendas as we respond to the emergence of ‘superdiversity’ in our society. Speaking another language in addition to English is a huge asset and if we develop young peoples’ skills in them both they and society will benefit from them later on’.

‘Community languages: developing practice for the 21st century’ will be held at Queen Mary University, London on Wednesday 21 June 2006. For further details contact conferences@cilt.org.uk or telephone 020 7379 5101, quoting course code 286LO0606CLN.