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Routes into Languages: Community and Lesser-Taught Languages Project (COLT)

The COLT project is a Consortium of five universities led by Manchester Metropolitan University and including the partner universities of the University of Manchester, University of Salford, University of Bolton, and the University of Central Lancashire. The consortium of universities are working together to support mainstream and supplementary schools in the region. The project receives funding through the Routes into Languages initiative and is currently in its fourth year. The project promotes all languages, with a focus on

Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Urdu and Italian, as the most widely spoken community languages in the North West.

Key aspects of the project include:

  • Motivational Language Enrichment Events for year 8 & 9 pupils
  • A Level and GCSE days
  • Sending Student Ambassadors into schools to deliver talks
  • Film and Language events in conjunction with the Cornerhouse
  • Building relationships with teachers and learners in supplementary schools
  • The provision of resources for language teachers (available to download from the Routes NW website)
  • The collection, collation and evaluation of research data

For more information please visit the COLT website.

Watch a short video of Dr Sharon Handley and Nabia Suriya explaining more about the ‘Routes into Language’ programme that gets young people learning different langauges and the culture associated with them.