Welcome to Routes into Languages West Midlands!
Routes into Languages (RIL) is a consortium of universities working together with schools and colleges, to enthuse and encourage people to study languages. RIL currently sits under the custodianship of the University Counsel of Modern Languages. Each Consortia works independently but there is collaboration on specific bids and projects. All Regional Directors and Project Managers are members of the Routes-UCML Sub-Committee.
The West Midlands consortium is led by Aston University in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton. Located in the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Aston University, the RILWM team comprises the Regional Director Raquel Fernández Sánchez, the Project Manager Claire Richards and currently eight Student Ambassadors, all of whom are current Aston University languages students.
- Meet the team
Raquel Fernández Sánchez
Regional Director, Routes into Languages West Midlands
Claire Richards
Project Manager, Routes into Languages West Midlands
- For Schools
RILWM offers various events and activities throughout the academic year for students including ambassador ‘Why Study Languages’ presentations, online languages events for year 12 and 13 students and a summer holiday languages challenge. We also offer two competitions, open to both primary and secondary school students; our European Day of Languages Poster Competition and Foreign Language Christmas Card Competition. RILWM are very grateful for the generous funding we receive from Santander Universities which enables us to offer our ambassador presentations free of charge to schools and award prizes for the competitions that we run.
If you are interested in hearing more about our events and activities or have any other questions about how Routes into Languages West Midlands can support your school, please contact Claire Richards, Project Manager.
- For Aston University language students
Routes into Languages Ambassadors work as part of the RILWM team whilst they are studying for either their undergraduate or postgraduate degree at Aston University.
It’s a great opportunity to fly the flag for language learning, it’s fun, rewarding and provides you with some great work experience. The work is very flexible and enables you to fit it around your studies. Here are a few things you could be doing as a Routes Ambassador:
- Online and in-person ‘Why Study Languages’ presentations (COVID-permitting) to students in schools throughout the region
- Online events for students looking to study languages
- On campus events for students (COVID-permitting)
If you are interested in becoming a Routes into Languages Ambassador during your time at Aston or would like more information about the role, please contact Claire Richards, Project Manager.
