The Linguist

6 The Linguist Vol/64 No/3 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist NEWS & EDITORIAL Signs of change? In the media PHILIP HARDING-ESCH Two major reports this summer brought the challenges facing the study of languages into the headlines. The British Council's annual Language Trends report indicated a deepening divide between the state and private sectors when it comes to uptake, and showed that Spanish had overtaken French at GCSE for the first time. While a report by Hepi on the decline in language study was covered widely, including on Radio 4's Today programme. SchoolsWeek featured a report from FFT Datalab which found that languages are consistently graded more harshly than other subjects. This added to concerns that severe and unpredictable grading at GCSE and A level is putting pupils off. Northern Ireland hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as an official review found that the time its pupils spend learning languages is "the shortest in Europe". A more positive regional development saw Sheffield declared a City of Languages. It joins eight other UK cities in what is a growing grassroots movement to promote multilingualism and language learning through partnerships with city councils, universities, schools and community groups. The BBC reported a significant milestone in Scotland, as MPs unanimously voted in the Scottish Languages Bill, establishing Gaelic and Scots as official languages. In the US, a row broke out as US envoy Steve Witkoff, tasked with brokering an end to war in Ukraine, was accused of breaking protocol on a visit to Russia. The Telegraph printed allegations that he had used Kremlin interpreters instead of his own. In language industry news, Slator published research showing a majority (55%) of interpreters are now using AI tools more often, although this still lags behind translators at 76%. Taking the AI biscuit, leading Chinese tech giant Baidu filed a patent for a system that will use AI to translate animal sounds into human words. What is your pet saying, indeed? Philip Harding-Esch is a freelance languages project manager and consultant. Are there reasons to be cheerful about the future for language skills in the UK? We often read about low uptake in schools, university closures and the seemingly rampant adoption of AI language tools with little regard for human mediation, but there is evidence that decision makers are having second thoughts about this direction of travel. In higher education (HE), the British Academy published a new report reevaluating the importance of multilingualism for the scope and impact of UK research across all disciplines. Although there has been an acceleration of university course closures in recent years, with the latest announcements concerning Bangor University and Nottingham University Language Centre, similar proposals are being reappraised. Cardiff University partially rolled back plans to close its language department. And Aberdeen University conducted a review into its plans to close languages, which were also partially reversed, and found the plans to be 'rushed'. In the schools sector, it was significant that the government halted plans to scrap the Mandarin Excellence Programme in schools, which has funded intense study of Mandarin for thousands of state school pupils since 2016. This came following the direct intervention of the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who explained that Mandarin was "hugely important to invest in at this time" for national security reasons. As for AI, there is tangible evidence that stakeholders are beginning to understand the limitations. NHS England has just issued guidance on the risks of using AI language services, and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) has commissioned a report on the impact of AI on those who speak a minority language. It is good to see sector leadership beginning to understand the complexities surrounding the use of AI, which points to a future where the technology is deployed for productivity gains but the risks that come with it are understood and managed. Afghan interpreters data breach A major Ministry of Defence data breach, which revealed the details of nearly 19,000 Afghans who worked with the British forces, became public knowledge in July. The announcement had terrible consequences for Afghan interpreters and their families still in Afghanistan, as the evacuation routes open to them were closed at the same time. The accidental leak, which happened in 2022, had been subject to a super-injunction. In 2024, the government established a secret Afghanistan Response Route to bring some of the affected people to the UK. This has now been dissolved, along with another relocation scheme, despite an estimated 80,000 people remaining at increased risk in Afghanistan. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

• Cover