Learning

Bent and broken into a better shape: the magical storytelling of Charles Dickens

Readings and music performed by Jeremy Harmer and Steve Bingham.  

Join us for an evening of celebrating  the life and work of writer Charles Dickens, in honour of the bicentenary of his birth. The show is designed especially (but not exclusively) for teachers and students of international English, but is also open to those with an interest in the characters and novels of Dickens.  

Thursday 9 February 2012, 17.30 – 21.00

The British Medical Association BMA House Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP  

The performance will also be streamed live at www.teachingenglish.org.uk/dickens  

Please find more details and instructions on how to register here

New Blog- British Council's Global English Programme

Michael Carrier, Head of Global English for the British Council has begun a new blog.

The blog aims to share news and updates about the British Council’s Global English programme. Our goal is to support the 1.5 billion learners of English and the 12 million teachers of English around the world, with training, research, resources and cutting edge digital learning materials.

Michael says: "In this blog I’ll share ideas and projects in ELT globally – such as the work we do with policymakers, with ministries of education, and in teacher training.

I hope to bring some interesting examples of how we use technology to reach millions of learners worldwide and bring them better access to learning resources, as part of our goal to support teachers and learners globally.”

View the blog here

Bilingual Education Project Spain - Evaluation Report

This report presents the findings of an independent three-year investigation into the Ministry of Education/British Council Bilingual Schools project in Spain.

Bilingual English/Spanish education is one of the most exciting innovations in the current education scene, with over 200,000 young students in Spain studying a bilingual curriculum from the age of 3, either in British Council project schools or in regional government versions of the project based on this original model.

The evaluation was led by a leading world expert in bilingual education: Professor Emeritus Richard Johnstone OBE of the University of Stirling, Scotland. 

Download the report in English or Spanish here

New publication: The Benefits of the English Language for Individuals and Societies

A new report  has been compiled by Euromonitor International for the British Council- The benefits of the English Language for Individuals and Societies: Quantitative Indicators from Cameroon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Pakistan

What advantages can the English language bring to individuals and societies? The British Council commissioned the research organisation Euromonitor International to investigate and report on this complex topic. We hope that this paper will trigger discussion and inspire further research

Download the report here

New publication: Dreams and Realities: Developing Countries and the English Language

Global demand for English is continuing to grow. Governments increasingly recognise the importance of English to their economies and societies, and individuals see English as a tool to help them fulfil their personal aspirations. However, there are complex issues and challenges associated with this scenario.  

This stimulating collection contains sixteen papers, offering a wide range of perspectives on the complex topic of the role of English in development.  

Order your copy at:  www.bebc.co.uk 

Download the full publication or individual papers for free here

English Language Market Report: Spain

More than 40,000 Spanish students come to the UK every year to study English, making up around five per cent of the total number of overseas students who study at the UK's English language schools.

This report identifies ways in which schools can adapt their marketing strategies to counteract the growing impact of the economic downturn on Spanish students studying in the UK.

View the report