Jun192017

Jeremy Corbyn statement on van attack in Finsbury Park

Labour
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“I am shocked by this horrific and
cruel attack in Finsbury Park, which is being treated as an act of terror.

“I offer my condolences to the
family and friends of the man who has died, and our thoughts are with the
people who have been injured, their family and friends.

“As the local MP, I have met with
Muslim community leaders at the Muslim Welfare House alongside Islington
Council Leader Richard Watts, the council’s Chief Executive Lesley Seary and
the Metropolitan Police.

“Richard and I will attend prayers
at Finsbury Park mosque later today.

“I appeal for people and the media
to remain calm and respectful of those affected.

“In the meantime, I call on everyone
to stand together against those who seek to divide us.”

Jun192017

New drive to connect Welsh pupils with coding – Kirsty Williams

Welsh Government
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Computer code is a set of rules or instructions that makes it possible to create computer software, apps and websites. It is a means by which learners can transition from being users to becoming authors of technology. 

The Welsh Government aims to expand Code Clubs in every part of Wales. 

Approximately 300 clubs currently exist across the country and the Education Secretary wants all pupils to have the opportunity to learn about and get involved in coding as the importance of digital skills continues to grow.

There are currently around 1.5 million jobs in the digital sector in the UK, 400,000 of which involve coding. It is estimated that there will be 100,000 new coding jobs by 2020.

The new plan to expand Code Clubs in Wales – ‘Cracking the code’, aims to:

  • Raise awareness and highlight the benefits of Code Clubs to teachers, pupils and parents;
  • Break down barriers to participation in code clubs;
  • Broker and facilitate coding experiences with business and industry. 

The plan will have a specific focus on encouraging stronger relationships between business, industry and the third sector to support the development of coding skills.

The plan will focus on:

  • Encourage parents to get involved in coding and the development of digital skills;
  • Welsh medium support and resources;
  • Getting more girls interested in coding and technology.

A number of local, national and international partners have agreed to work with Welsh Government to support the delivery of the plan. They include Code Club UK, Microsoft Education, Sony, Bafta, Big Learning Company, British Council, BT Barefoot Computing, Computing at school (CAS), Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, Raspberry Pi Foundation, the RAF, Technocamps, and Universities in Wales.

Kirsty Williams said:

“Code is part of almost everyone’s lives. When we check out social media, access an app or computer we are using systems created through code. It is an essential building block of our modern world and I want to make sure as many of our young people have knowledge of it as they develop their digital skills.

“Through this £1.3m of new investment we are aiming to expand the number Code Clubs in every area of Wales for learners aged 3-16 so that they can develop their skills which will be vital part of thriving in our increasingly digital economy.

“We will work with teachers, the education consortia and others to help us crack the code for all our pupils.”

Maria Quevedo, Director Code Club UK said:

“We’re excited to be working with the Welsh Government to give more children and young people across Wales the opportunity to attend a Code Club, and to learn about computing and digital making.

“Code Clubs are a fun and engaging way to help the next generation develop these essential skills, so they are capable of understanding our increasingly digital world and equipped for the jobs of the future.”

As part of this initiative, the Welsh Government will shortly be launching an innovative Minecraft Education pilot programme with Microsoft UK

Changes to the curriculum mean digital skills will now be used through all parts of a pupil’s schooling and not just isolated to specific ICT or computer science classes. The Welsh Government’s Digital Competence Framework is now available to all schools and follows two independent reviews that recommended changes.

Jun192017

Recording of the week: language and identity

British Library
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This week's selection comes from Jonnie Robinson, Lead Curator of Spoken English.

This short exchange during a conversation between two young females talking about life and relationships offers a fascinating glimpse into how our linguistic choices reflect our identity. One of the speakers, a British Muslim, uses the phrase bringing home the bacon which instantly sparks off giggles as, culturally and linguistically, it somehow encapsulates her reflections on her joint British and Muslim identity. The phrase she chooses could not be more quintessentially English – the first citation recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary is from the 1924 PG Wodehouse novel, Ukridge.

Bringing home the bacon

021I-C1500X0088XX-0001A0Photograph of participants

This extract is taken from the Listening Project – a collection of over 1000 conversations contributed by members of the public on a variety of topics of their own choosing. Listen to the full conversation between Afshan and Olivia here. 

Follow @soundarchive for all the latest news.

Jun192017

CIPG, BFSU to boost cross-cultural communication

East Asia
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Zhang Fuhai, president of CIPG, addresses the signing ceremony for cooperation between CIPG and BFSU. [Photo by Zhao Na/China.org.cn]

China International Publishing Group (CIPG) is seeking to extend its influence in the international cultural arena in partnership with Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), one of China’s most prestigious linguistic schools.

The two sides, hoping to develop a close relationship designed to enhance China’s voice in the international community, signed an agreement in Beijing on July 16.

According to Zhang Fuhai, president of CIPG, the two organizations may have more to cooperate.

He said that CIPG is the oldest and largest professional cross-cultural communication institute in the country, while BFSU is an eminent school with a long history and rich language resources among domestic universities.

“Despite their different functions, the two organizations should make full use of their advantages to jointly assume responsibility to present China’s stories, voices and images and enhance China’s discourse power and influence in the international community,” Zhang said.

With courses covering 84 foreign languages, BFSU enjoys high prestige rarely surpassed by domestic universities in terms of size and diversity of linguistic education, particularly those of less-widely used languages, said Peng Long, president of BFSU.

Regarding cooperation with CIPG, Peng said, “It is an historic moment [in which] we are both inspired and encouraged.”

In addition to conventional language education, BFSU has explored multi-disciplinary majors, such as international journalism, business and law. Besides, it has set up 22 Confucius Institutes abroad.

CIPG Vice President Wang Gangyi said, “We are confident in pressing ahead with cooperative programs one after another through a pragmatic approach.” Wang is also one of the initiators of the cooperation.

The two sides are dedicated to building personnel pools of those with a good command of foreign languages as well as competent in journalism and new media technologies.

The exchange, focusing on faculty, students and CIPG staff in the form of internships, continued education and symposiums, such as research for handling diverse cultures under the Belt and Road Initiative, will complement the first-hand experience of translation via the China Academy of Translation.