Promoting languages and language learning across Portsmouth

Welcome to the Portsmouth City of Languages project!

This is a joint initiative launched by the city’s language providers, the Local Authority and other interested groups to showcase good practice in language provision at all levels, signpost to resources and develop networks, as well as celebrating languages in the city.

Building on similar initiatives across the UK, the Portsmouth Education Partnership website will regularly update the community on language-related events in and around Portsmouth. It will also seek to create new partnerships between local stakeholders that can further strengthen language learning and language-related careers.

Aims

  • To celebrate all of the languages spoken and studied in our schools and communities;
  • To inspire everyone, whatever their age, to love and learn languages, both formally and informally;
  • To facilitate sharing the experience, skills and expertise of teachers (from nursery to KS5), the Solent Language Hub, members of Portsmouth City Council’s Education department and the staff and students at the University of Portsmouth;
  • To build relationships with all organisations and employers across Portsmouth, and beyond, who value languages and language learning;
  • To create and maintain a source of information and resources, housed on the Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP) website, to act as a point of reference relating to language learning;
  • To engage parents in supporting their children’s language learning and understanding the value and importance of language learning, including for employability;
  • To offer continuing professional development to teachers through events and awareness-raising and to create opportunities for cultural capital across the city.

Key contacts

Liz Lord
ALL Portsmouth Primary Hub (Organiser) and Primary Lead, Solent Language Hub
Email: [email protected]

Tanya Riordan
University of Portsmouth
Email: [email protected]

Karen Thomas
Portsmouth City Council
Email: [email protected]

Paul Joyce
University of Portsmouth
Email: [email protected]

Explore

News

Language Trends England 2024

Language Trends England 2024 surveyed teachers at more than 1,300 primary, secondary and independent schools to gather information about language education. It is the 22nd report of its kind and follows 2023’s research which found two thirds of secondary state schools were teaching just one modern foreign language. Key findings Recruitment of qualified language teachers […]

Celebrating Language Diversity at Charter Academy

Friday 22 March saw nearly 70 students at Charter Academy coming together to take part in a ‘Celebrating Language Diversity’ event run by EMAS and the University of Portsmouth  and based on a project run previously by Sarah Bawa-Mason and others as part of the Translation Nation Project 2010-2014.

Sharing research on linguistic minorities

On 26 June 2023, Eva Mikuska (University of Chichester) delivered a research paper for the School of Education, Languages and Linguistics at the University of Portsmouth. This paper reported on the research carried out in Serbia among Hungarians who are not just ethnic minorities but also linguistic minorities.