YOU SIGNATURE MATTERS! Help us save Modern Languages at Leicester.

Sign the petition: www.change.org/p/save-moder...

In this #ShoutOutforGerman week, let's celebrate all things German! I love compound nouns like Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz and Treppenwitz.

Wicked: For Good – what lies beneath correcting the way people speak? Elphaba’s insistence on correctness speaks to a broader challenge facing anyone positioned as an outsider: having to work that much harder to be accepted.

theconversation.com/wicked-for-g...
Fantastic piece on prescriptivism in popular culture by @emhumps.bsky.social

Vaugelas and the Development of the French Language - Wendy Ayres-Bennett Modern Humanities Research Association - Vaugelas and the Development of the French Language - Wendy Ayres-Bennett

Many thanks to @themhra.bsky.social for making my 1987 book open access. It is great to see it available again:
www.mhra.org.uk/publications...

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...

The decision to 'suspend' all courses in Mod langs from Monday is premature & ill conceived. There are world-leading researchers & teachers in languages at @uniofnottingham.bsky.social who must be given the chance to review the data and offer viable counter proposals. @ucflangs.bsky.social

Looking forward to contributing to this seminar on 'Professional agency & language policy in the context of the Curriculum and Assessment Review' @camedfac.bsky.social on 30th Oct with Norbert Pachler, @wendya-b.bsky.social @zhu-hua.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social and others. In-person & online ⬇️

Why top-down language policy matters This paper argues that top-down language policy matters and that policymaking would benefit from: (i) a longer historical purview of what has and has not worked, and (ii) more holistic, cross-gover...

Why top-down language policy matters www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
This paper argues that top-down language policy matters and that policymaking would benefit from: (i) a longer historical purview of what has and has not worked, and (ii) more holistic, cross-government approaches.

An infinity loop made of various European country flags, with a blue heart containing the EU stars at the center-right. Below, bold and regular text reads: "From many languages, one unbreakable bond." A small EU emblem is placed in the bottom-right corner.

Today is the European Day of Languages. And this year, we mark 25 years of celebrating multilingualism in our Union. 🥳

Languages open doors. They help us connect, explore cultures, make lifelong friends, and journey further.

We remain stronger, united in our diversity.

europa.eu/!6FkntW

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

BA report shows that worst cold spots in SHAPE are in Modern Foreign Languages: French & German single honours degrees are declining sharply, with cold spots in all 4 UK nations. Progress in expanding provision of non-European languages is being reversed.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...

New HEPI report calls for urgent action on revitalising language learning UCFL welcomes the release of a new HEPI report, sponsored by Duolingo, that highlights the urgent need for action to support and improve the uptake of languages at school level and beyond. It empha…

Read UCFL's reaction to the new HEPI report on languages: university-council-for-languages.org/2025/07/31/n...
The recommendations for HE are particularly welcome, as are those around equality of access and social justice. @emmacayley.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social

Crossing Channels: What is the value of speaking other languages? In this episode, Richard Westcott is joined by Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Benjamin Pitt to explore a big, everyday question: what is the value of speaking other languages? The conversation looks at ho...

In the latest episode of the @bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk's podcast series, Crossing Channels, Benjamin Pitt & I discuss the value of speaking other languages: pod.fo/e/2fb7e1. @benpitt.bsky.social explains how language & culture shape the way people think & the value of cultural/linguistic diversity

Response to the Interim Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). In the interim report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review of March 2025 , the subject ‘Languages’ was classified as requiring Category 1 intervention, i.e., a subject currently deem…

A great afternoon in Westminster thanks to the APPG ML. We presented our collective response to the Curriculum & Assessment Review: university-council-for-languages.org/2025/06/23/c... Was pleased to be there to represent @ucflangs.bsky.social with @wendya-b.bsky.social & @marcecazzoli.bsky.social

How can we move from cold spots to hot spots? Learning from current practices which nurture languages education in the four nations of the United Kingdom Jo Biddle and Jane Andrews | 9th July 2025 | Opinion PieceIn this opinion piece, Jo Biddle and Jane Andrews consider a small set of examples of close-to-practice research from the four nations of the ...

In our final LSP opinion piece, Biddle and Andrews present inspiring examples of close-to-practice research. The entire collection underlines the vital role of collaboration. Let's all work together! @charlesforsdick
www.lspjournal.com/post/how-can...

Think Like a Linguist: Community and collaboration for a new languages curriculum In this article, Charlotte Ryland reflects on how the learning from creative translation and languages advocacy projects can feed into languages curriculum reform. By focusing in particular on the lin...

What does it mean to think like a linguist? And how can we bring creativity and inclusive culture into language learning? Read Charlotte Ryland's fascinating piece in our LSP edited collection www.lspjournal.com/post/think-l... @cforsdick.bsky.social

The Power of Stories in the Languages Classroom Jonathan McBride | 11th June 2025 | Opinion Piece In this article, Edinburgh-based languages teacher Jonathan McBride argues that stories have the potential to transform modern languages teaching at a...

Jonathan McBride looks at the power of stories in the language learning classroom in this week's LSP opinion piece. He brings interesting international insights:
www.lspjournal.com/post/the-pow... @cforsdick.bsky.social

‘Language capital’: reframing formal language-learning in Scotland. Fiona Barclay | 3rd June 2025 | Opinion PieceIn this article, Fiona Barclay considers the longstanding deficit in the social value associated with languages. She argues that this deficit has contribut...

Fiona Barclay considers the longstanding deficit in the social value associated with languages, true not just of Scotland, but across the UK. She proposes 3 avenues for improving public perceptions of languages www.lspjournal.com/post/languag... @cforsdick.bsky.social

In our next LSP opinion piece Rowena Kasprowicz tackles the thorny issue of transition from KS2 to KS3 www.lspjournal.com/post/bridgin... An important intervention in light of the curriculum reviews onging in England, Scotland and NI. @cforsdick.bsky.social

Language teachers of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in mainstream primary schools – what can they learn from Irish-Medium (IM) practitioners? In this opinion piece, Thomas Rogan suggests three ways in which teachers of MFL in mainstream primary classrooms might enhance their practice by taking cognisance of the practice of IM practitioners.

What can mainstream modern languages education learn from Irish-medium practitioners? Thomas Rogan shares some fascinating insights in Languages, Society and Policy: www.lspjournal.com/post/languag... @cforsdick.bsky.social

Towards Language Education Excellence in Northern Ireland’s Primary Schools Sharon Jones | 28th May 2025 | Opinion PieceIn this opinion piece, Sharon Jones, drawing on her teaching and research in languages and education, reflects on the potential of broadening access to the ...

How can primary languages best be taken forward in Northern Ireland? Read Sharon Jones's piece on this in Languages, Society and Policy: www.lspjournal.com/post/towards... @cforsdick.bsky.social

Many of us were inspired to be language learners by our international experiences - Vicky Gough and Philip Harding-Esch make a powerful case for the need for this for young learners today. @lspjournal.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social

New Curriculum, New Languages Education? How International Languages Education is Changing in Wales In the following opinion article, Claire Gorrara and Lucy Jenkins explore how the Curriculum for Wales represents a radical shift in language education, embedding International Languages into the core...

In our next @lspjournal.bsky.social opinon piece @clairegorrara.bsky.social and Lucy Jenkins explore the new curriculum for languages in Wales. What could the rest of the UK learn from what Wales is doing? www.lspjournal.com/post/new-cur... @cforsdick.bsky.social

Rethinking the Purpose of Language Education Suzanne Graham and Alison Porter | 14th May 2025 | Opinion PieceIn the following opinion article Suzanne Graham and Alison Porter argue that primary language education needs a more meaningful and cohe...

Here is the next of our opinion pieces in @lspjournal.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social by Suzanne Graham and Alison Porter: www.lspjournal.com/post/rethink... This important piece on primary education should be read by anyone interested in the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review.

The Recruitment and Retention of Languages Teachers of Colour from the Global South in England In the following opinion article Lisa Panford finds that urgent intervention is needed to address the conditions into which languages teachers of Colour from the Global South are inducted. Further, th...

How do we meet the challenge of language teacher shortages? Read Lisa Panford's new thought-provoking piece in LSP on the recruitment of teachers of Colour:
www.lspjournal.com/post/the-rec... @cforsdick.bsky.social @lspjournal.bsky.social

The @lspjournal.bsky.social series on Languages in UK Education is back! @cforsdick.bsky.social Neil Kenny explores alternative qualifications in languages post-GCSE. Could a level 3 certificate be an incentive for STEM students to continue with a language?

Making Languages Research Accessible to Policymakers Interviewing Dr Liv Glaze, MHRA Languages and Policy Postdoctoral Researcher, and her mentors Professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Professor Charles Forsdick.

www.mhra.org.uk/news/2025/04...
Read about our MHRA-funded project to produce readable summaries for policymakers @themhra.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social @oliviaglaze.bsky.social Watch this space for ways to engage!

classiques-garnier.com/remarques-sur-la-langue-francoise-1.html
New version out today at (relatively) bargain price of 13,93 €! New cover to mark the Classiques Jaunes series.

Championing modern languages and linguistics and shaping the future of language policy in the UK Professor Charles Forsdick and Professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett

www.murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk/qa/championi...

Coming next month in a new format for just 21 eurs:

www.britishcouncil.org/school-resou...