The health of language learning in schools across Scotland has been a hot topic in recent months. Findings show that over the last 20 years, there has been an overall drop of more than 30% of young people studying French, German, Spanish and Italian during the final stages of secondary school.

As a small charity focussing on promoting and enhancing language learning in Scotland, the Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) is passionate about raising enthusiasm and uptake of languages in our schools.

SEET is a dynamic and forward-thinking charity dedicated to promoting international education, skills development and language learning amongst children and young people in Scotland. We run a programme of innovative educational projects that not only broaden horizons but also empower young people with the tools they need to thrive in an interconnected world.

SEET’s flagship project, Euroquiz, is a national initiative (regularly working with 500+ schools across all 32 local authorities in Scotland) which encourages the languages, history, geography, and culture of European countries to be explored at P6 level. After competing in regional heats, winning teams represent their local authority at the Euroquiz Final held in June each year. Euroquiz is regularly praised for its ability to provide an engaging learning experience for children which supports them in developing core skills, as well as language skills, fostering an interest in other cultures, and in turn promoting more outward-looking, engaged citizens.

SEET has been a grateful recipient of EIS Sponsorship of the Arts funding for the Our World project for several years. Our World is a filmmaking and language learning project for pupils in S1-6. Teams of pupils send us storyboards for their multilingual film ideas based on topics relating to Learning for Sustainability (such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals). Successful teams are invited to a skill development filmmaking workshop where they get the chance to turn their film ideas into the real thing with the help of industry professionals. The use of filmmaking provides young people with a creative outlet for their thoughts on topical issues, but also provides them with a real-life application for their languages. In 2023-24, we have broken our participation record, with over 50 secondary schools participating from 24 local authorities in Scotland.

With our significant reach across Scotland, we are using the current exposure of languages as a timely opportunity to take stock of the recent trends and consider our position to help raise enthusiasm for language learning amongst children and young people.

Inevitably, in a post-Brexit society, with fewer opportunities for mobility and exchange, young people may struggle to see how language learning can be relevant in their day to day lives and futures beyond school. It is clear to us and many languages teachers across the country that the benefits of learning languages extend far beyond the classroom, and are essential in building empathy, collaboration, and communication amongst our future workforce.

Providing pupils with an engaging context and reason for learning languages, such as SEET’s Euroquiz and Our World projects, may be just the kind of opportunity that Scotland’s young people need to revitalise their interest in languages, and apply their learning.

If you would like to learn more about SEET’s work, or how to get involved with Euroquiz or Our World, please check the SEET website (www.seet.org.uk) or contact info@seet.org.uk.