Press Release

New push for foreign languages

5 February 2008

Routes into Languages, the Government-funded programme to increase and widen participation in language learning in secondary and higher education, celebrates its national launch today at London’s City Hall.

The three-year Routes into Languages programme involves more than 50 universities across the UK. Set up to address the decline in language take up at GCSE and beyond, the programme is co-ordinated by the HE Academy Subject Centre for Languages at the University of Southampton, with CILT, the National Centre for Languages, and the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) as partners.

Programme director Professor Michael Kelly said: ‘Over the last few months, Routes has been transformed from a small project group into a bustling network of activities that stretch the length and breadth of England, and beyond. The launch not only recognises the hard work of all involved but also aims to promote this unique project.’

Routes into Languages projects include recruiting Student Language Ambassadors to encourage young people to think about the various careers and study options offered by language learning, and the ‘Language Learning in Partnership’ initiative, where local businesses and students work together to learn languages with a business focus.

Attendees at today’s launch will receive a copy of the recently published Languages Work Activity Guide, an essential resource for anyone promoting languages for teenagers.

CILT’s Languages Work project has already collaborated with the new programme with the launch of the Languages and Film Talent Awards (LAFTAs), a new film competition to get young people thinking about languages.

Isabella Moore, Chief Executive of CILT, the National Centre of Languages said: We are delighted to be involved in the development of this exciting project, which we hope will have a strong positive impact on the number of young people taking up languages at GCSE and beyond. CILT's ELAN report recently demonstrated that we lose a significant amount of money by a lack of language skills in the workforce. We urgently need to encourage more young people to take up languages in order to support our economy; not to mention the wonderful experience they will gain from discovering a new language and culture.'

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