The Linguist

Chartered Institute of Linguists What the papers say… What Happens When we Lose a Language?, 10/5/26 It is clear that linguistic and human rights often go hand in hand… attempts by communities to reclaim and celebrate their heritage often focus on language revival. Why does this matter? In Canada, research showed that among groups where more than half could maintain a conversation in their native language, youth suicide rates were low to absent, whereas they were six times higher in groups where that wasn't the case. The latest from the languages world New evidence shows the UK does have an appetite for language learning, says Philip Harding-Esch In a recent essay for Duolingo on sustaining language learning in the UK, CIOL Honorary President Baroness Coussins and I argue that there is a language policy disconnect in this country, with policies often working against each other. This results in avoidable barriers to language study. There is often an assumption that British people are not good at languages and that young people are not interested, but Duolingo's data shows that UK users do very well on the app compared to other countries. In addition, the majority of users – and those who use the app the most – are under 22. We already know that there are over 2 million plurilingual students in our schools. Now Spotify data shows that young people's music listening habits are moving away from English-language dominance to a much more diverse palette of artists. This is especially true worldwide, but even in the UK two of the Top 40 songs of 2025 featured non-English lyrics. When BBC Newsround asked young readers if they listen to music in other languages, 73% answered 'sometimes' or 'all the time'. And the enthusiasm is palpable from early years. The British Council recently conducted a survey of primary school children which showed that nearly 70% would like to spend NEWS & EDITORIAL more time at school learning a language, and would like to keep learning when older, while 85% said they found language learning fun. Grassroots success is also evident in the burgeoning Cities of Languages movement. As one of the London organisers, it has been a joy to encounter enthusiasm and energy almost everywhere we have turned: from primary and secondary school children to teachers, local councils, university departments and community groups. Young and old, people are at once proud to share their own linguistic and cultural heritage, and excited to discover new languages, meet new people and have new experiences. The huge success of Newcastle's Express Yourself North East Festival of Languages (pictured) is inspiring. After several years of exponential growth, over 93,000 young people took part last year. In the words of Michael Lynas, UK Director of Duolingo, low uptake in language learning in schools is "not a case of falling interest in languages, but a case of untapped potential". The current reviews of primary and secondary curricula are an opportunity to capture that enthusiasm and channel it into formal education. SUMMER 2026 The Linguist 5 Doing This Throughout Life May Cut Alzheimer's Risk by 38%, 15/4/26 Engaging in mentally stimulating activities across your lifetime, including reading, writing, and learning new languages, may be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and slower cognitive decline. That is the conclusion of a study published recently in Neurology… "Our study looked at cognitive enrichment from childhood to later life, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind," said study author Andrea Zammit, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Enthusiasm grows Surprising Hidden Pattern Connecting Over 1,500 Languages Found, 6/4/26 Scientists assessed Grambank, a comprehensive database of grammatical features across the world's languages, and found statistical support for about a third of the proposed linguistic universals. Some of these universals include specific word order patterns. For instance, if a language puts the verb at the end, it usually uses postpositions after the verb… "Shared cognitive and communicative pressures push languages towards a limited set of preferred grammatical solutions," said [study co-author] Russell Gray.

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