Coventry community languages project wins Parliament UK award - The Coventry Observer

Coventry community languages project wins Parliament UK award

Coventry Editorial 8th Apr, 2022   0

THE COVENTRY City of Languages has won the Parliament UK Community Campaign of the Year in recognition of its work with schools, universities, businesses and politicians.

The project celebrates the variety of languages spoken across Coventry and the team was presented with its trophy at the 2022 ‘Your UK Parliament Awards’ at The Palace of Westminster.

During the awards, they met with Coventry MPs Taiwo Owatemi and Zarah Sultana who have both been supportive of the project.

Founded in January last year by teachers Anna Graigner and Victoria Seaton, the project also encourages people to develop their language skills by inspiring school pupils to develop a love of languages.




It aims to work with the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service to celebrate the advantages of multilinguism and has support from the Lord Mayor of Coventry Coun John McNicholas, Coun Kindi Sandhu Baroness Estelle Morris (a former teacher in Coventry as well as Education Minister) and the British Council.

The partnership has expanded the number of teachers through a Modern Foreign Languages hub and has helped the Spanish Embassy to give higher quality training to primary school teachers.


Ms Sultana said she was thrilled for the Coventry City of Languages, adding the award recognised its fantastic work celebrating languages in the city and opening up opportunities for young people.

“I have been proud to support them from the beginning and look forward to helping the group go from strength-to-strength.”

Ms Grainger added: “We hope this award will enable us to give a louder voice to all those people who speak other languages in our city, and draw attention to the linguistic diversity and the benefits this brings.

“Language education in the UK is at crisis point.

“A 2019 report by The National Academy estimates the UK economy loses out on £48billion a year due to the lack of language skills in the workplace, and this is only going to get worse.”

Visit covlanguages.org for more.

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