2020
27 January 2020
Inaugural election of Officers and hosting of the launch of Boys studying modern foreign languages at GCSE in schools in England - a report by the Education Policy Institute commissioned by the British Council.
Many schools are missing the government’s Ebacc target of 75 per cent of students entering, and achieving a good grade, in five core subjects (including a language) by 2022. Boys significantly underperform in languages at GCSE, in both entry rates and attainment. If this were addressed, the Ebacc target would be easier to achieve. Download the report.
2019
28 October 2019
Annual General Meeting
There were no thematic presentations at this meeting. Read the minutes.
15 July 2019
Languages TEDx! Including an update from Nick Gibb MP, Minister for Schools Standards
Presentations:
1.The important work of Translators Without Borders in supporting humanitarian and development work around the world: Andrew Bredenkamp, TWB.
2.An update on the current controversy over harsh grading in MFL exams from Katrin Kohl, University of Oxford.
3.The British Council’s latest findings from the annual Language Trends report on MFL provision in England: Vicky Gough, British Council.
4.Update from Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP is the Minister of State for School Standards
20 May 2019
The role of EU Embassies and Cultural Institutes in supporting language learning in UK schools: policy and school perspectives.
Presentations from:
Benoît Le Dévédec, Institut Français; with Philip Yorke, Shaftesbury Park Primary School.
Karl Pfeiffer & Georgia Herlt, Goethe Institut; with David Kennedy, Headteacher, John Warner School (Hertfordshire)
Ruben Barderas Rey, Concha Julián de Vega, & Jesus Manuel Hernandez Gonzalez, Spanish Embassy.
Mara Luongo, Italian Consulate; with Stephanie Toussaint, Christ the King College.
25 February 2019:
Save our school exchanges! Meet the schools who can show us how
Presenters:
Vicky Gough, Schools Adviser for the British Council
Jody Gee and Sinead Earley, Anglo European School (a long established history of school exchanges and international experiences in several different countries in Europe and around the world).
James Edwards and Mark Cottingham, Shirebrook Academy (implementing a school exchange for the first time).
2018
29 January 2018:
The cognitive benefits of learning a language
Presenters:
Thomas Bak, University of Edinburgh
Dina Mehmedbegovic, UCL Institute of Education
Li Wei, UCL Institute of Education
Bencie Woll, UCL
19 March 2018:
A solution to the MFL crisis in schools? Hackney’s innovative primary-secondary MFL teaching model - with leaders, teachers & pupils from Hackney schools
Presenters:
Richard Hardie, former Chair of Hackney Learning Trust & Honorary Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Linguists
Bernadette Clinton, MFL Consultant to Hackney Learning Trust
Teachers and pupils from Hackney schools
15 May 2018
Respecting communities in International Development: languages & cultural understanding. Recommendations for NGOs, donors & HE, with evidence from research in Peru, Kyrgyzstan and Malawi
Presenters:
Prof Hilary Footitt, University of Reading
Dr Angela Crack, University of Portsmouth
21 May 2018
A duty of honour: Securing international protection for interpreters in conflict zones
Presenters:
Linda Fitchett, former President of the International Association of Conference Interpreters/Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conférence (AIIC)
Maya Hess, CEO & Founder, Red T
Lewis Kett, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
16 July 2018
Languages TEDx: Five quick-fire presentations on language innovations in the UK
Presentations:
- New data on the state of MFL teaching and learning in England: 2018 Language Trends survey: Vicky Gough, British Council
- New interactive mapping of language teaching & research in the UK from the British Academy: Neil Kenny, Lead Fellow for Languages, and Maxime Delattre, Policy Adviser, British Academy
- New centres of excellence in bilingual education: Domini Stone, Westminster University; & Emmanuelle Labeau, Aston University.
- Real Lives examinations – Chartered Institute of Linguists: Nick Mair, Dulwich College and Independent Schools’ Modern Languages Association.
- New DfE MFL Hubs: Ian Bauckham, Chair of the Teaching Schools Council’s MFL pedagogy review.
11 October 2018
Working together: How universities can boost language learning in schools and the wider community – lessons from Wales.
Presenters:
Prof Claire Gorrara, University of Cardiff and Chair of the University Council on Modern Languages
Lucy Jenkins, National Coordinator for the MFL Student Mentoring Project in Wales
Students and mentors participating in Routes Into Languages Cymru and the MFL Student Mentoring Project
5 November 2018
Annual General Meeting of the APPG
Fighting transnational organised crime in 2018: improving police communication across languages
Presenters:
Joanna Drugan, Professor of Translation, School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich; Principal Investigator, Transnational Organised Crime and Translation (TOCAT) research project
Jenni Heggs, Detective Inspector, Leicestershire Police; Staff Officer to Chief Constable Simon Cole
Jo Taylor, Policing Standards Manager for Investigation and Forensics, College of Policing
In 2018 the APPG also supported two other events:
Roundtable Discussion: Language skills and intercultural understanding for UK businesses working with China chaired by B. Garden
Reception to celebrate the Arts & Humanities Research Council's Open World Research Initiative - a four-year flagship research programme demonstrating the value of modern languages hosted by Stephen Kinnock MP
2017
23 October 2017
An end to “shambolic”? Evaluating the MoJ’s £120m contract for providing court interpreters
Presenters:
Stephen Bishop, Executive Director of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
Tim Connell, Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Linguists
17 July 2017:
Inaugural meeting of the APPG MFL
British Council Language Trends survey 2017: the state of language teaching in schools in England
Presenter:
Teresa Tinsley, Alcantara Communications (lead researcher)
The outcome of the election of Officers was as follows:
Chair: Nia Griffith MP (Labour)
Co-Chair: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench)
Vice-Chairs: Sir David Amess MP (Conservative), Tonia Antoniazzi MP (Labour), Lord Dykes (Crossbench) and Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat).
21 March 2017
Languages, the World Service, and Soft Power - A meeting with Fran Unsworth, Director, BBC World Service.
Presenter:
Fran Unsworth, Director, BBC World Service
30 January 2017
The future of language teaching? The DfE’s Mandarin Excellence Programme: a meeting with its leaders, schools and students.
Presenters:
Philippa Vallely, UCL IOL Confucius Institute for Schools
Students and teachers from Anglo European School, Essex
Ministry of Justice: Damian McCleave (HMCTS Senior Head of Contracted Services) and Mark Stewart (HMCTS Deputy Director Central Operations)
The Big Word (holders of the contract): Diane Cheesebrough (Deputy CEO) and Paul Evans (Global Sales Director)
The Language Shop (external evaluators of the contract): Jaimin Patel (Managing Director) and Sam Lingard (MoJ Contract Manager)
2016
21 November 2016
Teaching Schools Council Review of Pedagogy in Secondary Language Teaching.
Presenter:
Ian Bauckham, Tenax Schools Trust; author of the Review.
24 October 2016
Languages & exports, post-Brexit
Presenters:
Susannah Poulton, Trade Adviser, International Communications based in Cambridge, UK
Mike Josypenko, Director of Special Projects, Institute of Exports
13 July 2016
Languages in our universities: sink or swim? To what extent is the decline in MFL degress mitigated by the increase in institution-wide language programmes (IWLPs)?
Presenters:
Dr Peter Skrandies, London School of Economics
Jocelyn Wyburd, University of Cambridge Language Centre and Chair, UCML
Dr Stephen Forcer, Head of the Department of Modern Languages, University of Birmingham
Dr Christine Hoffmann, UCL
4 May 2016
Language Trends 2016: the state of MFL in schools in England
Presenter:
Teresa Tinsley, Alcantara Communications (lead researcher)
26 January 2016
Global graduates: the strategic importance to the UK of increasing the international experience of UK graduates
Presenters:
Anne-Marie Graham, Head of Programme, Outward Student Mobility, UK Higher Education International Unit
Lizzie Fane, Founder, ThirdYearAbroad.com
2015
21 October 2015
‘Born Global’ – British Academy final report: languages, education and employment.
Presenters:
Bernardette Holmes, University of Cambridge – lead researcher
1 July 2015
The successful implementation of primary languages
Presenters:
Dr Marina Dixon, Primary Languages Adviser, Schools’ Choice, Suffolk LA
Lara Townsend, Languages Independent Adviser, Suffolk Lead Key Practitioner
18 March 2015:
The UK’s need for lesser-taught languages: what can be done? [Part 2 of the previous meeting on the strategic need for these languages; focussing on the supply-side]
Presenters:
Luljeta Nuzi is the founder of Shpresa Programme
Martin Pinder, Honorary Secretary, 'pro bono', Newham Partnership for Complementary Education
Katharine Carruthers is the Director of the UCL IOE Confucius Institute for Schools
Teresa Tinsley, Alcantara Communications
28 January 2015
The UK’s strategic need for lesser-taught languages.
Presenters:
Dr Elisabeth Kendall, Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies at Pembroke College, University of Oxford
Martyn Roper, UK Deputy Ambassador to China
2014
22 October 2014
Reform of A Levels and GCSE in Modern Languages
Presenters:
Stephen Parker. Chair of the ALCAB Panel for Modern and Classical Languages.
Katrin Kohl, Professor of German Literature and Vice-Chair, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford
Bernardette Holmes, Cambridge University
16 July 2014
Opportunities for the UK through Erasmus+.
Presenters:
Ruth Sinclair-Jones, Director, Erasmus+ UK National Agency, British Council
Stephen Isherwood, Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters
And two young graduates who benefited from Erasmus+
14 May 2014
Languages in Government - with particular reference to the British Academy’s Lost for Words; and the report of the Lords Committee on Soft Power and the UK’s Influence.
Presenters:
Lord Wallace of Saltaire has kindly agreed to speak for the Government. He is the spokesperson in the Lords for the Cabinet Office and Whip responsible for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and is a member of the Civil Service Reform Board.
David Thomas, Head of International Skills Unit, Human Resources Department, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Lord Howell of Guildford
12 March 2014
The plight of MFL in Wales [marking the closure of CILT Cymru, the national centre for languages in Wales].
Presenters:
Ceri James, CILT Cymru
Prof Claire Gorrara, University of Cardiff
Sarah Grain,Eriez Magnetics Europe
22 January 2014:
The languages industry in the UK – successes and challenges’
Presenter:
Gary Muddyman, CEO of Conversis Global, based in Oxfordshire, which specialises in international copywriting, multilingual translations and localisation.
2013
5 December 2013
Are Modern Languages degrees on the road to extinction?
Presenters:
Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive, Universities UK.
Prof Jim Coleman, Open University & Chair of the University Council of Modern Languages
23 October 2013
How British People can – and should – use language skills at work.
Presenters:
John Wastnage, Head of Employment & Skills, British Chamber of Commerce
Juliet Park, Director MFL, Yewlands Technology College, Sheffield
17 July 2013
Ensuring effective implementation of languages at Key Stage 2.
Presenters:
Alison Peacock, Headteacher, The Wroxham School
Christopher Toye, Executive Headteacher, Wyvil Primary School and Centre for Children with Speech and Language Impairment
15 May 2013
Opportunities and challenges of the curriculum changes on the teaching of languages.
Presenters:
Elizabeth Truss, MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education and Childcare
Carolyn Robson OBE, Executive Headteacher at Rushey Mead School
13 March 2013
The impact on the teaching of modern languages of current educational reforms.
Presenters:
Carmen Wotton and Marc Cavey, DfE National Curriculum Review team.
Carolyn Robson OBE, Executive Headteacher at Rushey Mead School in Leicester
23 January 2013
What can the teaching of languages and sports learn from each other?
Presenters:
Baroness Campbell, Chair of UK Sport
Baroness Garden, Government Whip in the Lords with ministerial responsibility for education in Business Innovation and Skills and Department of Culture, Media and Sport.