Annual Report 2023 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 144
Social media and press coverage
Social channels were a hive of activity across the week, with students, schools and partners engaging in the
online conversation and sharing an array of images and videos. Lively updates on their activity helped bring
languages to the fore for the week.
Some Champion Team Members took on the role of reporter for their festival, with articles appearing in local
press both in the build-up, and during the week itself, creating a great buzz in the school and wider
community and promoting the benefits of languages far and wide. Champion Teams were also invited to
participate in interviews on local radio.
Student journalists from HEIs also put pen to paper to report on the activities taking place on campus. These
featured in local print and online press, such as The Limerick Voice which had a dedicated interview with
Killian Sunderman who had taken park in the UL activities.
National press came on board too, with the launch of the national festival featuring on RTE.ie and syndicated
regionally on The Irish Independent for the local events taking place in schools. Partners, including the IFI and
BITCI, shared coverage on their media platforms, including newsletters, social media, and websites, helping to
highlight #ThinkLanguages, and languages in general, during the week.
The national final in January, which was attended by Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, as well as
representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs, also provided another opportunity for social and press
coverage. The Department of Education Communications Team, in collaboration with the #ThinkLanguages
team, developed and shared a press release announcing the winner and providing details of the final. The
release featured on the Government website and was picked up by print, online and broadcast press,
including the Galway Advertiser, Westmeath Independent, Shannonside Radio and Athlone Community
Radio. Social media was also active on the day, with the shortlisted schools capturing their experience of the
final. The Minister also shared dedicated videos and posts of the day on her social channels, underlining the
importance of languages to her extensive following.
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Impact:
Next Steps:
•
15,000 Transition Year students nationwide celebrated the
benefits of language skills together
•
•
1,600+ students visited a university campus and were
involved in #ThinkLanguages activities on campus
Host #ThinkLanguages Week for
the seventh consecutive year
from 18-22 November 2024
•
Continue to build on
partnerships to grow the reach
of #ThinkLanguages into the
wider community and expand
the range of activities available
to students during
#ThinkLanguages Week
•
Cultivate and increase crossdepartment collaboration, in
support of relevant strategies,
such as current partnerships
with the Department of
Foreign Affairs
•
Over 4,000 students visited a cinema or watched a streamed
foreign language film provided by the IFI
•
100+ media clips were secured, raising awareness of
#ThinkLanguages
•
Increase in awareness of language career paths within the EU,
supporting the DFA strategy - A Career for EU – Ireland’s
Strategy to increase Irish representation in the European
Unions, Institutions and Agencies
•
97% of students surveyed said they would recommend the
event to others
•
82% of students realised classmates had language skills they
had no idea about, as a result of #ThinkLanguages
•
85.55% of students said the event changed their opinion on
the value of languages
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2023 -
