Routes into Languages: £4.5 million programme for languages

1. Press release: Routes into languages announces national networks for interpreting (Leeds) and translation (Salford)
2. Press release: Routes into Languages announces regional consortia members
3. Further information: Introduction and project summary
4. HEFCE press release: More young people to study languages

1. Press release: Routes into languages announces national networks for interpreting (Leeds) and translation (Salford)

Press release, 1st June 2007

Two national networks have been selected by the Routes into Languages steering group. Professor Michael Kelly, Director of Routes into Languages, comments: We are delighted that universities will work with professional bodies and employers to advance the career prospects for the translators and interpreters of tomorrow. We hope this will redress the shortage of personnel in this specialised professional field.

The funding for the three-year national networks comes through Routes into Languages, a 4.5 million programme funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), in partnership with the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, with the University Council of Modern Languages, and CILT, the National Centre for Languages. The Routes into Languages programme is coordinated by a team at the University of Southampton, directed by Professor Michael Kelly.

The national network for interpreting will be led by Leeds University, and the translation network will be led by Salford University.

Notes to Editors

1. The Routes into Languages programme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (4.5 million).
2. The programme was developed by three organisations working in partnership: the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML), the HE Academy Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), and CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

For further information and contacts:

Mrs Heather McGuinness
Programme Manager
Routes into Languages
h.mcguinness@soton.ac.uk

2. Press release: Routes into Languages announces regional consortia members

Press release, 8 May 2007

Four innovative regional consortia have been selected to increase the take up of languages in their area. They will focus particularly on encouraging students to continue studying languages in school and then at university.

The funding for the three-year consortium projects comes through Routes into Languages, a £4.5 million programme funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), in partnership with the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, with the University Council of Modern Languages, and CILT, the National Centre for Languages. The Routes into Languages programme is coordinated by a team at the University of Southampton, directed by Professor Michael Kelly.

Professor Kelly comments: "We have been astonished at the imaginative ideas and the innovative activities that are proposed. The consortia will build on a lot of experience, and we expect they will produce a real 'sea change' in attitudes to language learning around the country."

The four lead universities running regional consortia are:

• Aston (in partnership with the University of Birmingham, Coventry University, Keele University, University of Warwick, University of Wolverhampton)
• Brighton (in partnership with Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, University of Portsmouth, University of Reading, Southampton Solent University, University of Southampton, University of Surrey, University of Sussex)
• Manchester Metropolitan University (in partnership with the University of Bolton, University of Manchester, University of Salford)
• Newcastle University (in partnership with Durham University, Northumbria University, the Open University, University of Sunderland and Teeside University)

'Each of the consortia will be developing ways of encouraging university students to act as mentors and role models for school students,' continues Professor Kelly.

'These student ambassador schemes will receive significant funding from the programme and will have the added benefit of giving the HE students invaluable experience. Closer partnerships between schools and universities will also be encouraged. Also, in collaboration with Aim Higher networks, the consortia will work to open language studies to a wider social range,' he adds.

The Routes into Languages programme has also invited Westminster University to undertake a research project on the role of languages in major international events, such as the Olympics, to inform future development. Research projects were agreed last month with SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) who will undertake research on the teaching of Community Languages; and with the University of Leeds who will research the relationship between Language education and Enterprise.

The recent Dearing review of languages recommended that additional funds should be allocated to the Routes into Languages programme. If this is approved, it is expected that a further call for bids will be issued in the summer.

Notes

1. The Routes into Languages programme is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (£4.5 million).
2. The programme was developed by three organisations working in partnership: the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML), the HE Academy Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), and CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

For further information contact:

Mrs Heather McGuinness
Programme Manager
Routes into Languages
h.mcguinness@soton.ac.uk

3. Introduction to Routes

HEFCE has recently announced a £4.5 million programme to encourage the take-up of language courses in England.

Under the programme, a number of regional networks will be established in which higher education institutions will work together, and with schools and colleges, to enthuse people about studying languages. National consortia will be set up to promote translation and interpreting as careers; and research projects will be commissioned to help universities develop programmes in community languages and enterprise.

The programme will run for four years from 2006/07 to 2009/10. It will be led by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), in a partnership with the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) and CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

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Project summary: Routes into Languages

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has recently agreed to fund a £4.5 million programme to encourage the take-up of language courses in England. Routes into Languages will be funded from HEFCE’s Strategic Development Fund and follows the Roberts review into Strategic and Vulnerable Subjects published in June 2005 (www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis). Similar projects have been funded for Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Engineering.

Key partners

The proposal has been developed by the three main organisations concerned: the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML), the HE Academy Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), and CILT, the National Centre for Languages. They have worked closely with HEFCE to develop the proposal.

Aim, objectives, outputs and outcomes

Routes into Languages aims to increase and widen participation in language study in higher education, and to support the national role of HE languages as a motor of economic and civic regeneration. It will foster closer collaboration between the secondary, FE and HE sectors of education, piloting different models of collaborative activity based on regional partnerships. It will seek to increase the numbers of first-language English students taking translation/interpreting courses, and help widen the range of languages offered on those courses. And it will support HEIs in developing their languages curricula in the areas of community languages (note 2), enterprise, and engagement with major international events. The components of the proposal will be woven together by the key partners to amplify their impact and to support the strategic aim of improving the take-up of languages in Higher Education.

Supporting HEFCE strategic priorities

The programme will support HEFCE strategic priorities in widening participation and fair access, in enhancing the contribution of HE to the economy and society, and in fostering social inclusion.

Details of programme activity

The four-year programme will call for proposals to:

1. establish a number of regional consortia, offering different approaches to collaboration between HEIs, schools, 6th form and FE colleges, and agencies concerned with increasing and widening participation in language study;
2. establish national consortia for both translation and interpreting, bringing together HE providers, professional bodies and stakeholders, including employers, to develop programmes that will support economic and civic regeneration;
3. undertake research projects in order to map provision and make recommendations on developing the capacity of language programmes a) in world languages spoken by minority communities in this country, b) in attracting and supporting major international events and c) in building language students’ capability to engage in enterprise. Each research strand will inform the work of the regional consortia and provide an evidence base for outreach activity and help to raise the profile of HE Languages.

The Programme will be overseen by a steering group of key stakeholders chaired by a nominee of UCML. It will be managed on a day-to-day basis by a small team based at the LLAS Subject Centre at the University of Southampton, in partnership with CILT, who will together provide support for the consortia and research projects, coordinate dissemination and evaluation and monitor the strands of activity on behalf of the Steering Group and HEFCE.

More information

For further information, contact the Subject Centre, email llas@soton.ac.uk

All information about this programme is being posted on this webpage (www.llas.ac.uk/routes). Calls for bids will be published on this page and announced through LLAS, UCML and CILT mailing lists.

4. Press release: More young people to study languages

HEFCE press release, 25 September 2006

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has today announced a £4.5 million programme to encourage the take-up of language courses in England. The announcement is being made to coincide with European Day of Languages (note 1).

Under the programme, a number of regional networks will be established in which higher education institutions will work together, and with schools and colleges, to enthuse people about studying languages. National consortia will be set up to promote translation and interpreting as careers; and research projects will be commissioned to help universities develop programmes in community languages (note 2) and enterprise.

The programme will run for four years from 2006-07 to 2009-10. It will be led by the UK Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS), hosted by the University of Southampton; in a partnership with the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) and CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

The programme, Routes into Languages, aims to increase the take-up of language courses in higher education by encouraging more young people to continue studying languages at school and college and then at university, especially those from social groups currently under-represented in language study. A key feature is to provide the secondary, FE and HE education sectors with the resources to work together to promote language study. It will also raise awareness of the role of languages in HE as a driver of national economic and civic regeneration.

Funded activities may include: undergraduate ambassadors, e mentor schemes, language graduates talking about their experiences to students in schools and colleges, summer schools for non-Western European languages, and taster days.

One strand will investigate how best to ensure a lasting legacy for the London Olympics, in terms of promoting languages, culture and internationalisation. This will draw on the experiences of previous host nations. It will look at the role universities and colleges have in preparing communities for the Olympics and in harnessing the event to promote interest in schools.

The decision to launch Routes into Languages stems from the recognition by HEFCE that language skills are of crucial strategic importance to the UK. It follows a number of reports, showing that the study of languages has suffered a serious decline in recent years; and responds to both HEFCE's recent review of strategically important subjects and the Government's National Languages Strategy. Research by the DfES to inform the strategy showed that over the four years from 1998-99 to 2001-02, the number of UK students taking language courses at English universities fell by 15 per cent at a time when overall student numbers were expanding.

Professor Mike Kelly (LLAS) said:

'This will give a real impetus to language take-up and will combine the efforts of people from schools, colleges and universities to reverse the recent decline of language learning in the English education system.'

Professor Roger Woods (UCML) said:

'This important programme recognises that languages are key to this country's cultural, economic and political future. It will give language teachers at all levels the resources to get this message across. This is a good day for languages.'

Isabella Moore (CILT) said:

'This is a significant step forward in collaboration to bring our young people's capability in other languages up to the level of their counterparts in other European countries, with whom they will be competing for jobs in the global economy.'

Notes

1. The European Day of Languages (EDL), a Council of Europe initiative, is held annually on the 26 September to celebrate language and cultural diversity. CILT, the National Centre for Languages co-ordinates the initiative in the UK. See www.cilt.org.uk/edl
2. Community languages are considered to be languages in the UK other than the official languages of the state (ie, other than English in all parts of the UK and other than Welsh in Wales.