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Policy

Read here about policy with relevance for community languages and intercultural skills in the context of community languages. Select policy articles from the listing to find out important developments and what these mean for you.

The report of the Nuffield Inquiry into Languages was published in 2000. It made 15 recommendations for change to meet the UK’s requirements for languages in the 21st century. 

The government’s National Languages Strategy for England (NLS) was a direct response to Nuffield, as was the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy Languages Count. The NLS, together with the subsequent Languages Review in 2007, made reference to the importance of community languages and the diversification of the range of languages taught in our education system. The documents featured in these pages post-date Nuffield.

The main Policy pages on the CILT website detail a wider range of key government policy documents which are currently impacting on the support and development of language skills in our education system and beyond. To find out about language policy development in the context of increased mobility and migration, see the Council of Europe website for a summary of initiatives.

Policy articles:

Education for all: the future of education and training for 14-19 year olds

01/06/09

[Policy] The report is of the independent 6-year review of 14-19 education, the largest review of this phase since the 1959 Crowther Report.

Skills for Life: Changing Lives

01/03/09

This document refreshes and updates the original strategy from 2001.

Equity and Excellence

05/02/09

[Policy] Proposals outlined by the paper include a new 'Minimum Curriculum' and a commitment for all learners 7-19 to a '...guaranteed entitlement to study at least one foreign language' (page 16, Curriculum (3.1.1)).

The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

01/02/09

[Policy] The bill confirmed key changes, including transfer to local authorities of responsibility for the funding of 16-19 learning

An updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training

01/12/08

[Policy] The themes continue to be those of the Lisbon Strategy...

Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)7

01/07/08

[Policy] This includes a comprehensive list of the key policy documents on languages from the Council of Europe since 1998.

Companies work better with languages – Report of the Business Forum for Multilingualism

01/07/08

[Policy] The main messages from the Business Forum, established by the European Commission to inform developing Multilingualism policy, were the following:

The changing landscape for languages

01/07/08

[Policy] The report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses in modern languages from survey inspections of primary and secondary schools, initial teacher education and adult education between 2004 and 2007.

Primary curriculum change: directions of travel in 10 countries

01/03/08

[Policy] The report charts recent policy change and includes explicit reference to languages and citizenship

Diploma in Languages and International Communication

01/01/08

[Policy] One of the most significant current policy developments for this phase of learning is the introduction of the Diploma in Languages and International Communication.

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