The Linguist

Chartered Institute of Linguists AUTUMN 2026 The Linguist 25 FEATURES Humanities Research Council) as their Theme Leadership Fellow for Translating Cultures. That programme sought to transform the study of languages by shifting the focus, in interdisciplinary contexts, from traditional monolingual perspectives to the study of everyday multilingualism, and of translation and transcultural exchange. When the theme came to a conclusion in 2020, it comprised a portfolio of around 120 interconnected research projects focused on translation, interpreting and multilingualism across the UK (and often far beyond). For this programme, I worked in close collaboration with large-scale, multi-institution grant teams based in Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow in order to explore border-crossing, mobility, translanguaging and linguistic diversity. Key to the theme was cross-disciplinary research in which we bridged academic silos by connecting Translating Cultures directly with other major AHRC initiatives, such as Science in Culture and Digital Transformations. Researchers also translated their academic findings into actionable evidence for policymakers in an attempt to address contemporary global challenges, highlighting for instance the role of languages in refugee integration and social cohesion. The theme also enabled significant public engagement, addressing concerns surrounding language discrimination (aka linguaphobia), post-Brexit migration and linguistic diversity through languages research and collaborative events. When I was named by the British Academy as their Lead Fellow for Languages in 2023, I was able to build on the achievements of Translating Cultures. The work, coordinated by the Academy in partnership with many OUTSTANDING WORK Baroness Coussins presents the David Crystal Award to Charles Forsdick, surrounded by colleagues and family members (left); and (above) Baroness Coussins with the Surrey University Centre for Translation Studies team, including Sabine Braun (centre l), who received the Threlford Cup on the team's behalf others, has sought to articulate a simple but urgent proposition: that linguistic and intercultural competence is fundamental to education, research, business, diplomacy and civic life. The strengthening of partnerships across the languages sector, launch of the Languages Gateway, renewed participation in Erasmus+ and growing recognition of the importance of domestic multilingualism in the UK have all been reminders that sustained advocacy can make a tangible difference. We continue to advocate for a consistent pipeline of or pathway for language learners. This begins with a curriculum at primary level that meets pupils where they find themselves, in terms of the linguistic repertoires they bring to the classroom and of their curiosity about the world. These are ambitions that remain central to the 'Towards a National Languages Strategy' initiative, launched in 2020, of which the Academy is a co-signatory. A focus on education Following the decision, in the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review in England, to withdraw the EBacc qualification, we are more committed than ever to ensuring there are clear incentives for schools to continue to offer languages post-14 and post-16, and for students to engage with those languages. We also hope to see the diversification of the experience of language learning with alternative qualifications. We persist in advocating for a variety of provision in Further and Higher Education to meet the country's need for high-level language capabilities and intercultural skills across a broad range of sectors. We were, of course, delighted when it was announced that the UK would be rejoining the Erasmus+ programme from January 2027. This decision marks a significant step in restoring student and staff exchange, as well as other mobility opportunities that were lost after Brexit. At Cambridge, we have been working with colleagues in Oxford on an outreach programme called 'Think like a Linguist'. This name reflects the way in which studying languages goes beyond acquiring new linguistic skills and entails developing a different mindset, enabling an alternative way of exploring the world through language. Ways of seeing Looking back over my work, I realise that a common thread has always been an interest in travel and circulation: of languages, of texts and images, of people and objects, of stories and ideas. Whether working on the Haitian Revolution, on French and Francophone literatures, on histories of slavery, on travel writing or on translation, I have been drawn to subjects that remind us that cultures are never self-contained. They emerge instead through encounter, exchange and movement. That conviction has also shaped my understanding of languages themselves. Languages are not simply objects of study, nor merely functional skills to be acquired. They offer distinctive ways of seeing the world, of opening new perspectives that allow us to understand differently both others and ourselves. That belief has informed not only my research and teaching but also my commitment, shared with increasing numbers of colleagues, to make the case consistently for languages in public life.

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