Apologies for cross postings

MAKING THE MOST OF LANGUAGES IN THE EAST MIDLANDS:
NEW CHALLENGES AND NEW SOLUTIONS IN POLICY AND PRACTICE

Monday 11 April 2005, Leicester

'The ability to understand and communicate in other languages is increasingly important in our society and in the global economy. Languages contribute to the cultural and linguistic richness of our society, to personal fulfilment, mutual understanding, commercial success and international trade and global citizenship." Languages for all: languages for life (DfES 2002)'

Policy-makers, funders and providers in the East Midlands, in common with colleagues across the UK, are seeking ways in which language programmes can play an appropriate part within key policies and strategies for post-16 education. The National Languages Strategy, the national Adult Skills Strategy, the Tomlinson report, and regional and local plans for learning open ways for languages to become part of a set of competences valued in workplaces and in people's daily lives.  In the East Midlands, Destination 20/10, the regional economic strategy for 2003-2010, will be supported by successful development of language skills through high quality learning and teaching.

The development of new policies, new approaches, new programmes and new audiences for language learning is complex. Local and regional variations in the needs of employers and communities present planners with situations for which there are no 'off-the-shelf' solutions. Singly providers find it difficult to respond creatively to the changing needs of learners and the broader educational and economic agendas.  Funders and policy-makers struggle to relate language acquisition practice to learner, community and employer need.

Collaboration is the way forward. The benefits of collective practice are already visible in the East Midlands through the work of the Leicestershire and Leicester City Learning Partnership Languages Strategy Group. Bringing together expertise from providers from all educational sectors improves practice.  Supporting agencies, employers and business representatives promotes better understanding of the place of language acquisition in an area's learning plans.  Collaboration can lay down strong foundations for developing innovative practice to meet the language needs of the region and its learners.

This conference will provide opportunities to:
        ·     Receive an update on current developments in national languages policy
        ·     Map language acquisition and application in the East Midlands
        ·     Explore through workshops aspects of language activity and good practice
        ·     Discuss the findings and outcomes of current collaborative practice
        ·     Examine how effective future collaboration can be achieved in languages policy and practice in the East Midlands
*       Bring together planners and policy makers with providers and practitioners to cement regional relationships to support language learners and Destination20/10

For further information visit the NIACE website: http://www.niace.org.uk/Conferences/languages05.htm
or contact Gurjit Kaur on Tel: 0116 2042833 Email: [log in to unmask]