Londoners flock to get Tamil accreditation

New figures have indicated that the number of people taking language tests in Tamil has increased by over 300% in the last year, Greater London being a particular learning hotspot. It’s thanks to the impact of the Asset Languages qualification which, with the support of CILT’s ‘Our Languages’ programme, has brought language learning to new audiences and encouraged people across the UK to celebrate their bilingualism.

Sarah Cartwright, Consortium Programme Manager of the Our Languages project, is extremely pleased with the impact of the project on take up of Asset Languages qualifications. “It’s so important that everyone, young and old, feels a sense of pride in their bilingual skills and culture. If we are to achieve community cohesion, we need to celebrate diversity and recognise the wealth of linguistic expertise in all our communities. It is a tremendous national resource.”

Siva Pillai, Principal Examiner for Tamil for Asset is equally enthusiastic about the impact that these qualifications can have: “Getting a qualification in Tamil is very important for pupils from Tamil families. Parents are keen and proud of their children’s achievements”.

 Valuing and nurturing the linguistic diversity all around us in the UK is one of CILT’s key messages as it launches into its new Agenda or Languages. One in seven primary school children and one in ten secondary school children speak another language as well as English – and this is something that, as a nation, we should be really proud of.

Community languages, like Tamil,  should be nurtured and valued, which is exactly what the ‘Our Languages’ project aims to do – by forming partnerships between complementary and mainstream schools. A new toolkit has just been created to help people to build these important partnerships. You can order your copy here.