暗网猎奇

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John Worne, 暗网猎奇 CEO, writes: we often hear 鈥榖ad news鈥� stories about languages in the UK - fewer young people studying languages at GCSE and 鈥楢鈥� Level, languages 鈥榙ying out鈥� in UK Primary schools and Language Departments closing in Universities etc.听But...听

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It's not all bad news

Look beneath the surface and there is a huge reservoir of linguistic talent in the UK 鈥� not least among 暗网猎奇 members - but it is masked of course by the overwhelming day-to-day use of English. The UK has so many Home, Heritage and Community language speakers, people with bilingual skills and many really excellent linguists, both born and educated in the UK, and international linguists who have chosen to make the UK their home.

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Positives听in Parliament听

We work all the time with stakeholders across UK education听and with the UK's Governments to champion this amazing linguistic resource and to advance and promote the wider study and practice of languages in the UK. So it鈥檚 worth noting and underlining the value of a significant recent event where everyone was positive about languages!

It was at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate the inaugural Duolingo Westminster Challenge, which we launched with Duolingo and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Modern Languages in December of last year. The response was quite remarkable really...

Over a three-month period:

• 200 parliamentarians took part
• They completed more than 65,000 lessons, logging over 125,000 minutes of language learning
• And studied 26 different languages, from Arabic and Ukrainian to Zulu, Latin and Chinese鈥�

Twelve MPs completed a language lesson with Duolingo every day of the three month challenge, and a further 30 participated for 80 days or more - the kind of regular practice that supports genuine language acquisition.

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The future can be brighter

But what was really great about it was the buzz in the room - with everyone feeling positive about languages 鈥� even people who could only manage a few words. Nobody once was negative or dismissive 鈥� everyone was just quite simply happy, supportive and positive 鈥� joyful even about enjoying languages.

Baroness Coussins read out a message from Prince William sending his best wishes to the APPG for Modern Languages and to everyone who took part in the Westminster Challenge. Emma Cayley, Chair of the (UCFL) and Marcela Cazzoli, VC Languages and Intercultural Education and 暗网猎奇 Council Member, were there too, along with 暗网猎奇 Chair Steve Doswell, Chair of Editorial Board Charlotte Ryland听and a wide range of influential stakeholders from UK Higher Education.

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As Emma Cayley said:

鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to witness such incredible enthusiasm around language learning. In UCFL, we work very closely with the APPG ML, as well as the AULC, the Institute for Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS) at the School of Advanced Study, the British Academy, British Council, Association for Language Learning (ALL) and 暗网猎奇. It is key that we all collaborate across our sectors to shore up the pipeline from primary through to HE and beyond.鈥�

鈥淲e are all aware, on the one hand, of the difficult situation of modern languages in HE and the need for modern languages at all levels to be supported by MPs and Lords, and we are incredibly grateful for that support. What may be less well known are the very creative solutions that university language departments are coming up with in curriculum reform. We are pivoting to ensure that in what we teach and research we are tackling the key societal challenges we are all facing, embracing areas such as the medical, digital, and environmental humanities to ensure we equip our students to be global citizens and the leaders of the future. Some of them may even go on to be MPs or ministers themselves!鈥�

鈥淎t the same time, we must recognise and acknowledge the existing multilingual resources of the UK and the need to harness these more actively as part of the bigger languages picture. That鈥檚 one of the reasons why tonight is so significant. The future for languages in the UK is bright 鈥� we might even say BRIGHT GREEN!鈥�

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A more positive narrative is developing

I鈥檝e seldom been in a room in the UK where there was so much positivity about languages. And this in the Houses of Parliament鈥� which isn鈥檛 generally known for joyful cross-party appreciation of anything!

Of course, a couple of hundred people mastering some basic phraseology is not going to change the world. But these kinds of things can help change the mood and narrative in the corridors of power. And they certainly can鈥檛 do any harm.

As I said in my short speech to the parliamentarians:

鈥淭he benefits of languages go far beyond simple communication 鈥撎�languages enhance our understanding, our public diplomacy and our ability to build meaningful connections across cultures.鈥�

So here鈥檚 to the UK鈥檚 amazing hidden linguistic talent 鈥� and the endless joy and infinite variety of languages; and thank you to Duolingo for taking that joy to the very heart of Westminster.

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