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The all-party group considered language policy at its recent meeting, says Philip Harding-Esch Inside parliament 6 The Linguist Vol/58 No/5 2019 ciol.org.uk/tl NEWS & EDITORIAL In the media PHILIP HARDING-ESCH The holiday period kicked off with headlines from the British Council's annual Language Trends survey. Schools reported that language study is (still) under pressure, not only from harsh grading compared to other subjects, but also because "Brexit had 'cast a pall' over pupils learning any foreign languages, with some parents actively discouraging their children" (The Guardian). It was therefore with some surprise that this year's GCSE results showed a small but significant uptick in language entries in schools in England, although the 3% rise masked the continued decline of German and "less taught languages" (TES). Later in the summer, SchoolsWeek reported that A level results showed Spanish overtaking French as the most popular language. There was a significant and unusual focus on language policy regarding indigenous and protected languages, as 9 August marked the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. A sobering report from UN-appointed experts warned that 40% of the 7,000 indigenous languages spoken today are in danger of disappearing. The reason? "'Nation-building' had been largely responsible for 'ongoing discrimination' against native speakers… over time, such policies can undermine and effectively destroy a culture and even a people." More prosaically, The Sun reported: 'Motorway Signs to be Translated into Different Languages After Foreign Drivers Cause Chaos on M6'; while BBC News noted that Air Canada had been fined for not using French on signs on a domestic flight, thereby contravening bilingualism laws: "the word 'lift' was engraved on the buckles of their seatbelts in English but not in French." Both may appear faintly ridiculous to the casual reader but also expose the more serious point that implementing language policy on the ground can be seen as disruptive or controversial, especially to those in the linguistic majority. Philip Harding-Esch is a freelance languages project manager and consultant. inadequate language policies can have devastating effects. As part of the solution, TWB has developed a clear framework with a focus on data, language mapping and the intelligent use of technology. TWB recently wrote a joint submission (with Health Poverty Action, Christian Aid, Minority Rights Group and others) to support the Bond Network in drafting a shadow report on the UK's global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Published in July, the report refers to crucial gaps in language and communication policies (bit.ly/UKSDG). This is a significant milestone in terms of making language policy more visible in the UK's international development sector and, indeed, in the SDGs themselves. The APPG noted that this work can increase the impact of Britain's humanitarian and development interventions, referring to reports it had examined previously from the University of Reading (bit.ly/ListeningZonesReport) and the Lords' Select Committee on Soft Power and the UK's Influence (bit.ly/SoftPowerLords). Gain further insights from TWB during their keynote speech at CIOL conference 2020. This July, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages welcomed the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, to its annual 'Languages TEDx' meeting. Presentations fell into two categories: domestic language education policy and language policy in overseas development and aid. The British Council presented the results of the 2019 Language Trends survey, which showed entrenched inequalities in access to language learning starting at primary school (bit.ly/LanguageTrends19). Other emerging issues include the reputation of MFL (modern foreign languages) as a 'difficult' subject and, for the first time, Brexit being regularly cited as a reason why some students lose interest in the subject. Professor Katrin Kohl, of Oxford University, spoke about the comparatively harsh marking of MFL, which appears to be a disincentive for studying languages, as indicated by the declining number of students taking them at GCSE. The minister was attentive to these discussions and the APPG will seek to facilitate further meetings between MFL representatives and Ofqual, the exams regulator. The next speaker was Andrew Bredenkamp, Chair of the Board of Translators Without Borders (TWB), a non-profit organisation offering language support for humanitarian and development agencies across the world. He demonstrated the extent to which Philip Harding-Esch works on behalf of the British Council to support the APPG on Modern Languages. TL © SHUTTERSTOCK