Cultural institutes and agencies often provide courses, grants and visits to schools to help develop and promote the teaching and learning of particular languages.

Find information about the opportunities typically on offer for various languages and follow the links for current activities:

Chinese

• Confucius Institutes
  Run Chinese language courses independently and in conjunction with universities. School outreach work includes language taster sessions and cultural workshops. They also offer scholarships for teaching and learning.

French

• Institut français
  Offer a variety of language improvement courses in centres across the UK, coordinated by the Alliance Française.

German

• Goethe-Institut, London
  Provide language courses and training for teachers of primary German.
• UK-German Connection
  Coordinate a range of funding programmes for school partnerships and joint-curriculum projects. They also provide free information sessions for teachers on making grant applications, developing international links and organising German promotional events

Italian

• Italian Cultural Institute
  Providers of Italian language courses. They can also provide information on internships, grants and scholarships offered by the Italian government.

Japanese

• Japan Foundation London Language Centre
  Provide a range of courses for teachers already teaching Japanese or those wishing to introduce it in their schools. They also coordinate training for private tutors, teachers and Japanese speakers interested in becoming StepOutNet volunteers - organising language and culture taster sessions in schools.

The JFLLC offer a number of annual language improvement grants for teachers and learners of Japanese and a Materials Donation Programme to equip educational institutions with Japanese teaching resources.

Portuguese

• Canning House
  Adult language courses in Portuguese and Latin American Spanish. Educational outreach includes school activity days.

Spanish

• Consejería de Educación
  Provide courses and materials for teachers of primary Spanish. They can also give information on funding and bursaries available from the Spanish Ministry of Education.
• Instituto Cervantes, London
  Administer diplomas for Spanish as Foreign Language (DELE Diplomas) and specially designed online and distance learning courses.