The Linguist

@CIOL_Linguists Britain's Multilingual Children: 'We speak whatever language gets the job done', 4/9/22 The most widely known strategies for language learning in multilingual families have clear rules… However, with an appreciation of linguistic variation in superdiverse societies, many language experts advocate a new, more democratic approach to language learning: plurilingualism. In essence, the approach suggests that parents use different languages in ways that make sense to them, rather than follow a set of predetermined rules. What the papers say… Experience: I speak more than 50 languages, 12/8/22 I completed Spanish GCSE, then A-level. From there, it became a way of life. I did a combined languages degree… I sat in on Swedish and Old Icelandic lectures, and did language exchanges for Romanian and Catalan. I went to Lyon, playing darts with the French gas and electricity trainees who were sharing my accommodation… Having a world of languages out there and not learning them is like watching TV in black and white and not knowing there is colour. They will continue to enrich me for a lifetime. The most important thing about learning languages is the ability to build bridges with other people. How I Made It: 'I went from learning foreign languages to teaching them', 16/7/22 You can almost literally see things clicking in your students' brains. Being part of that proud moment where they can finally say: '¿Dónde está el baño?' Oh, it's beautiful… Teaching also got me into stand-up comedy – I discovered early on that humour is a very powerful tool to teach languages, because language learning can be frustrating. The latest from the languages world Services in languages other than English to be cut BBC slashes offer The BBC has proposed the closure of more than 380 World Service posts in 17 languages. The cuts, which aim to save £28.5 million a year, mean that nearly half of its language services will only be available online. Although no language will lose provision altogether, radio in Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Kyrgyz, Persian, Tamil and Uzbek will end, while services in Chinese, Gujarati, Igbo, Indonesian, Pidgin, Urdu and Yoruba will be entirely web-based. The World Service is the international arm of the BBC, with a weekly audience of 364 million people for its radio, digital and TV output in 41 languages. In a statement, the corporation cited the government's decision to freeze the TV licence fee, through which the BBC is funded, as well as high inflation and soaring costs, for "tough choices across the BBC". In a bid to save £500 million annually, other services, such as children's channel CBBC and BBC Four, also face cuts. Pitching the proposed changes as a move to a "digital-first service", the corporation said they form part of a wider plan to create a "modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation". Since 2018, the proportion of NEWS & EDITORIAL users accessing the service online has more than doubled, from 19% to 43%. The strategy also involves moving some production out of London to increase local output, for instance relocating the Thai service to Bangkok; and creating an Africa hub to commission online content for the BBC's 12 African language services. No changes to TV content in Persian and Arabic are planned, and ring-fenced funding for the Ukraine war will not be affected. World Service Director Liliane Landor said the service would continue to "serve audiences during moments of jeopardy", including delivering news to people in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Russia. She added: "The role of the BBC has never been more crucial worldwide. The BBC is trusted by hundreds of millions of people for fair and impartial news, especially in countries where this is in short supply." However, crossbench peer Lord Alton claimed the developments make "a mockery of Global Britain". With 400 jobs at stake, the broadcasting union Bectu said it was "disappointed" by the plans, which are now under consultation with staff and trade unions. WINTER 2022 The Linguist 5 BROADCASTING HOUSE, LONDON (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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