This case study includes a toolkit (doc 76KB) and appendix (doc 249KB) so you can replicate the work.

Institution: Torquay Boys' Grammar School

Context
Torquay Boys' Grammar School has coordinated the CILT 14 to 19 Language Network which is running events called 'Making Languages Our Business'. The project has produced a series of fun one-day events which emphasise the importance of languages in the world of business.

In 2007 the network won CILT’s European Award for Languages for its highly successful collaboration between three sectors — Torbay secondary schools, Exeter University and local businesses such as Centrax Gas Turbines, Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts as well as working with CILT and the Goethe Institut.

Key objectives

• To promote language learning by emphasising the importance of languages in the world of work.
• To link schools, HE providers and local business.

How the programme is organised
The programme began following a successful innovation in the South West called Business Language Champions. This programme, supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, has now spread nationwide and aims to inspire companies to actively engage in partnerships with a focus on language learning. As part of the project, schools were linked with businesses and took part in a number of activities which raised awareness with pupils of the value of languages for work.

The Making Languages Our Business network (fondly known as MLOB!) developed the work of Business Language Champions by organising events within the South-West region which schools and businesses participated in. The events were targeted mainly at pupils from Year 9 in order to help inform them when they had to choose their GCSE options. The aim of the events is to make the case for languages as an important employability skill, which can help students get jobs in a variety of different professions.  
An example of one of the events is the ‘Business simulations’ event which took place at Exeter University in February 2007. Language undergraduates took students for a tour of the campus and students attended a 50-minute Chinese lecture to give them a taste of the university experience. Students also took part in business simulations with languages. Centrax, a local company which manufactures gas turbines, organised role plays making telephone conversations with an overseas client, while Paignton Zoo organised the recording in different languages of some information about animals, which could be used as audio guides for foreign visitors to the zoo. These simulations gave students an idea of how important languages are in the work place. The Goethe Institut also played an active role in the project by presenting at the events on the importance of languages for business. This was as part of their work for Project Engage. Project Engage is an initiative that actively supports partnerships between schools and businesses and gives support in carrying out German-related community projects.

Pupil evaluations from the event show an overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement about the possibilities that language learning can bring. Read the evaluation report (doc 28 KB) and see a summary of pupil activities (doc 23 KB). This gives a good model to follow if organising a similar event in your area.

Another Making Languages our Business event was held at Exeter University in January 2009 for over 90 students from 11 Devon schools. This event was the best ever and attracted participation from Reuters, Flybe and Centrax who ran workshops for the students. The day also included an introductory lecture in Japanese by a teacher from Torquay Boys' Grammar School which was enjoyed by 100% of the students and a tour of the university campus. During the event, one student told his teacher that:

"Even though I had not considered taking a language to GCSE I am definitely going to take it as i realise how important languages are in the world of work" (participating student)

The event was followed up with mini 'Making Languages Our Business' replication events at some of the participating schools. It is also being used as an example of good practice for a Department for Education toolkit about how to promote languages among young people.

Results/effect
This project has already led to a rise in the take up of languages at Key Stages 4 and 5 and the school is currently seeing the largest numbers ever choosing a language at A level. 

The European Award for Languages judges said of Making Language Our Business: 'The project is effective, successfully achieving its main aim and encouraging more students to see that languages are an essential tool in business. It has set up productive links with three local businesses and a university'. The project is now being replicated in other parts of the country such as Oxfordshire, Hull, Leeds and Buckinghamshire.

Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Marisol G. Foster, said: 'I was thrilled to hear that Making Languages Our Business had won a European Award for Languages. It is a wonderful recognition for all the hard work put in by so many people to open doors to youngsters and make them aware of the real importance of languages in the business world.'

Parallel project
Devonport High School for Girls, the second Language College involved in the 14 to 19 network, set up a parallel project, acting as a satellite hub for the MLOB network in the Plymouth area. Working with ten schools, the University of Plymouth, representatives of CILT and the Goethe Institut, the initial conference in November 2006 also included the Honorary French and German Consuls, plus 6 local companies and a representative of the University College of St. Mark & St. John in Plymouth. 

On January 29th 2007 the school hosted an event for 100 pupils from 10 secondary schools in Plymouth. Pupils worked in teams, mixed by gender, languages and schools, and after a challenging warm-up activity, they worked hard to produce on a laptop computer a poster, PowerPoint presentation and an oral presentation suitable for teenagers. They learned a considerable amount of new sales and technical vocabulary, ably assisted by a group of Foreign Language Assistants from the participating schools, and because of the competitive spirit, no one was shy of performing in a foreign language, whether French, German or Spanish. There were prizes for the winning team and the most committed male and female pupils on the day.

Read a report on Making Languages Our Business activities (doc 2.66 MB) in the Plymouth areas.

Devonport High School for Girls has noticed an increase in the number of students choosing to continue the study of a second language from KS3 to 4, from 49% in 06 - 07 to 72% in 07 - 08.

Resources
Some resources developed as part of the Business Language Champions Project and integrated into the curriculum can be found on CILT’s Vocational Languages Resource Bank.

Company profile in French, a resource created from authentic materials from Centrax, a local manufacturer of gas turbines.
Company profile in Spanish, as above but in Spanish.

Future developments
More events are planned for new networks in Plymouth and Devon based on the initial format set by Torquay Boys’ Grammar School.

Download the replication toolkit (doc 76KB) and appendix (doc 300KB)