A collaborative article written by colleagues from the ILCS, UCFL and the School of Modern Languages at St Andrews has been published by The Times Higher Education. The piece highlights how Modern Languages have been and are actively working towards ‘decolonising’ language teaching in the UK and the relevance and value of studying languages, cultures and societies today. In response to a recent opinion piece, the article argues that ‘‘Language is not an ancillary service. It is crucial for expanding understanding of key issues of our age beyond anglophone perspectives and assumptions.” The piece also challenges misinformed views of technologies and insists on the need to broaden and deepen strategies for languages learning in the UK:
The focus in coming years has to be on extending cooperation between university departments and broadening the language curriculum for schools and universities to include home, heritage and community languages. We also need to ensure public awareness of the benefits of language learning and reduce regional cold spots for language acquisition, in part through cross-sector initiatives such as the Languages Gateway: a one-stop shop for getting information on language teaching and research.
The article can be found here. Please read and spread widely.