The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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6 The Linguist FEBRUARY/MARCH www.iol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL Did you know that Portugal is one of the world's most renowned wine producers? For those with a thirst for knowledge (no pun intended), Portuguese wines took centre stage at a special evening last October, jointly held with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wines & Spirits and the APPG on Portugal. The event had as a Guest of Honour His Excellency the Portuguese Ambassador. This was a great opportunity for all attendees to taste Portuguese wines, network, and learn more about Portuguese language and culture. It proved to be a highly entertaining and very popular evening. 'Language Rich Europe' was the topic for discussion at the very well attended December meeting. Baroness Coussins, Chair of the APPG, welcomed the session's speakers, Dr Lid King from the Languages Company and Simon Ingram-Hill, Director of the British Council in Hungary. Language Rich Europe (LRE) is a networking project for 1,200 policymakers and practitioners spanning 24 European countries. The aim of this project, led by the British Council, is to agree and develop better policies and practice for multilingualism in Europe. Network members come from fields as diverse as business, education, public sector and media. At the heart of the project is the belief that multilingualism has a key role to play in securing a prosperous future for Europe, including enhancing the employability of its population. Developing and implementing good language policies and practices is building the foundations towards that future. Each year, Language Rich Europe network members participate in more than 80 events to discuss findings and formulate recommendations at national and international level. Dr King and Mr Ingram-Hill explained that the research element of their project aimed to facilitate the comparison of different languages policies across EU countries. This was done from a number of perspectives, including media, business and Higher Education. The results showed that England is performing quite well, particularly in relation to sign language. Following the presentation, an interesting and lively debate took place. A number of issues were raised by attendees, including the difference in status between languages described as 'migrant' and those seen as minority European languages; and the need to educate parents on the links between globalisation, mobility and future education and career opportunities for their children. APPG meetings will now be held on Wednesdays. The 2013 APPG programme includes themes as diverse as the Olympic legacy and links between languages and sports, policy changes affecting Teacher Training, and the opportunities and challenges for languages brought by the EBacc. To have your say, and to listen to what others are saying about important languages policy and practice issues, please contact sjeffery@cfbt.com to receive invitations to future meetings. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages ended 2012 on a high note, with two popular – yet very different – events, says Eva Oliver Inside parliament Eva Oliver is Communications Officer at CfBT Education Trust. TL SAÚDE! A vineyard in the Douro region of Portugal © I S TOCKPHOTO