Friday 14 October 2016, 10 am – 4 pm, Language Show Live, Olympia
Join awarding-winning BBC journalist and champion of language-learning Rosie Goldsmith, and a host of key players in the UK’s language landscape, at the 2016 Speak to the Future Symposium.
There is no doubt that the historic decision made on 23rd June 2016 for Britain to leave the European Union raises some fundamental challenges about Britain’s role and influence on the global stage. Now more than ever language skills and cultural understanding are crucial to our future success as a country and as individuals. Speak to the Future will bring together leading employers, language champions, academics and policy makers, to set out a fresh post-Brexit agenda for languages.
The symposium will combine lively and informative presentations, followed by panel discussions and audience participation. We will be covering a comprehensive range of key issues to helpshape languages education and training across the lifespan.
Languages and Business
The symposium will present and discuss the latest national research on languages in business.
- Employers need language skills to boost the economy. 52% of SMEs agree that greater language capability would extend business opportunities
- Brexit may mean less access to multilingual international recruits. Is English enough?
- With a growing deficit of home-grown linguists, the EBACC must provide the solution to the country’s language skills deficit? Can we deliver?
CLIMB – Community Languages for Identity, Mobility and Business
There are currently more than a million children with languages in addition to English in our schools. These include languages of strategic diplomatic and economic importance.
The symposium will present new ideas about how to radically reshape our national policy for languages to include the learning of new languages and the development of languages within our communities. Isn’t it time to make the most of all of our languages?
- Find out from leading practitioners about Critical Connections: Multilingual digital storytelling project.
- Hear first-hand testimony from young ambassadors who use their languages actively to make a difference.
- Learn how mainstream and supplementary schools can transform our national language capabilities
Modern Foreign Languages Review – How do we teach MFL effectively?
The Teaching Schools Council is currently conducting a review aimed at identifying and sharing the most effective ways of teaching modern foreign languages. Hear some early insights from Ian Bauckham, Executive Headeacher of the Bennett Memorial Diocesan School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and a former president of the Association of School and College Leaders, who is leading the review. What are the areas of particular challenge? Grammar? Vocabulary? What is the role of the target language? Time in the curriculum?
Languages and the Global Dimension – maximising support from the British Council
The British Council is actively developing the global dimension in schools. Find out how to engage with the rich range of programmes and resources on offer. Hear about language assistants, school partnerships, support for Arabic, primary FLAs and current innovations in remote teaching. Join the wider #learnalanguage campaign. Discuss solutions to the post Brexit challenges to Erasmus +, teacher supply and how to bring back school exchanges.
Key figures presenting at the Speak to the Future Symposium include: Dr. Jim Anderson, Goldsmiths University; Ian Bauckham, Executive Headteacher of the Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, leader MFL Pedagogy Review; Vicky Gough, British Council; Richard Hardie, Senior Adviser UBS Ltd; Bernardette Holmes MBE, Campaign Director for Speak to the Future; Panos Kraniotis, Regional Director Europe, Rosetta Stone; Dr Yoncan Liu, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge; Dr. Vicky Macleroy, Goldsmiths University; Pippa Morgan, Head of Education and Skills CBI; Jessica Sallabank, former journalist, spokesperson and public relations officer for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Teresa Tinsley, Director Alcantara Communications; Pascale Vassie, Executive Director NRCSE.
More information here.