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Dear colleagues, Just to provide an update on this, we have heard that the DfE has still not yet decided what to do and is refusing to give a date for a decision. The assistantships team at the BC would appreciate any letters to the DfE on behalf of them and the scheme. Here in Bath we are about to send such a letter. So - another protest to add to the growing list! Best wishes, David --On 04 November 2010 14:37 +0000 Martha Worsching <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Dear colleagues in German Studies in England and Wales, > > > > > Many of you will have seen the article in the Independent on 23rd October > 2010, about the government?s lack of commitment to the British Council > Language Assistantship programme: > > > ?Century-old teaching programme suspended after spending cuts?, > http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/centuryold-tea > ching-programme-suspended-after-spending-cuts-2114235.html > > > In fact, as the British Council website says: > > > ?Recruitment is not open for candidates in England and Wales > (undergraduates studying languages at a university in England or Wales or > independent applicants living in England or Wales). The Language > Assistants programme is managed for England and Wales by the British > Council on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). As the programme > is funded by the DfE, it is subject to the current government review of > all public spending and at this stage we are unable to open recruitment > for English Language Assistant placements in 2011-12. As soon as we are > advised of the outcome by DfE, we will update the guidance on this site. > Please return to this page to check on progress in due course.? > > (http://www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistants-ela-how-do-i-apply.htm) > > This is very serious for any students hoping to go out as Language > Assistants in 2011-12, and, as Talin Chakmakjian, the Project Delivery > Manager for the scheme has told me today, the recruitment process is > already weeks behind; if the DfE does not clarify the situation very > soon, a whole generation of potential assistants is in jeopardy. In a > country where good linguists are becoming increasingly rare, we cannot > stand by and just hope for the best. > > I would therefore urge colleague to send faxes to the DfE: 01928-794248 > and express your concern. > > Please urge your colleagues in other languages to do the same and also > write to your local MP. > > > > What else can we do as Germanists? > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Martha Wörsching > Department of Politics, History & International Relations > Loughborough University, > LOUGHBOROUGH > LE11 3TU/UK > Tel +00 44 (0)1509 222998 > [log in to unmask] > http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/eu/ > > Office Hours: > Tuesday from 10-12 am > > > Reviews Editor of the JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN STUDIES > For further information on this journal, please visit the following > website: > http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/ > > Dr David Clarke Senior Lecturer in German Director of Undergraduate Programmes Department of European Studies and Modern Languages University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY Tel: +44 (0) 1225 386244 http://germanstudiesblog.wordpress.com/