Lessons from the US. Et tu, UK?

GCSE languages sees rise in Wales after new approach After a long decline, the number of pupils taking language GCSEs in Wales rises for two years.

Languages and culture go together so well!: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
The Green Party has won a Kent County Council by-election, which was called after the serving Reform councillor was jailed.

UK job cuts hit English and modern languages staff hardest ‘Vicious cycle’ of course closures means system ‘gradually losing breadth and depth of expertise’

"The issue is the system, not the subject.”

Professor Charles Forsdick FBA on higher education funding cuts hitting language courses hardest and the wider risks to skills, research and opportunity in Times Higher Education:

bit.ly/4tFzJbD

UK job cuts hit English and modern languages staff hardest ‘Vicious cycle’ of course closures means system ‘gradually losing breadth and depth of expertise’

UK job cuts hit English and modern languages staff hardest www.timeshighereducation.com/news/uk-job-...

Long-form open access can’t rely on unfunded mandates The UK needs a national strategy involving funders, universities, libraries, publishers and scholarly communities, says Lindsay Farmer

"Long-form OA cannot rely on unfunded mandates or publication fees that many institutions cannot afford."


Prof Lindsey Farmer FBA reflects on new British Academy commissioned research on green open access for THE:
https://bit.ly/4t1EcWh

What’s going on inside UKVI? (redux) Delays are up, refusals are up, and the stated reasons don’t always make sense

'The jump in refusal rates compared to previous quarters for applicants from Pakistan and Nigeria is particularly pronounced, and both Bangladesh and Ghana are concerningly high as well.' 1/2

British Academy urges national long-form OA strategy - Research Information Report calls for institutions, publishers, policy makers, academic, libraries and funders to work together on a plan

'The UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences, the British Academy, has called for a joined-up strategy, a sustainable financial model and meaningful engagement with authors when it comes to developing long-form open access (OA).'

Link to the report in next post. 1/2

Something fierce. What Essex tells us about the fate of the plate glass universities The plate glass universities were founded on intimacy, radicalism and community. Adam Wright asks whether an obsession with growth has made those promises impossible to keep

'Essex is a cautionary tale of how a vision which began in the 1960s became turbocharged in the 2010s, only to burn out so disastrously in the 2020s. It’s a story that will feel uncomfortably familiar to anyone who knows the other universities wrestling with the same contradictions.' 1/2

‘A fire that’s burning again’: Welsh language resurges thanks to adult learners The number of people on Dysgu Cymraeg courses has risen by 61% since 2017, as people in Wales rediscover the ‘poetry’ of the language

'Almost 40% of people come to the classes through the workplace, where uptake is particularly strong in the NHS and the police. There has also been a huge increase in younger people learning Welsh, with the number of learners aged 16 to 24 up 56% in 2024-25 compared with the previous year.'

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The Banality of ICE This week videos and images of ICE agents at American airports went viral.

julianphilosophy.substack.com/p/the-banali...

Japan's association to #HorizonEurope is a tailwind for forming new research consortia.

During a full-house seminar at the EU Delegation on 26 March, key stakeholders in 🇪🇺🇯🇵 research collaboration strongly encouraged entities on both sides to take action!

Save Languages and Linguistics at Essex To add your signature to this letter, please complete this form: Save Languages and Linguistics at Essex (Google Form) Dear Prof Bowen and members of the Executive Committee, We, the undersigned, ...

We’re deeply concerned by Essex’s plans to cut Italian, German, Portuguese, all Chinese Translation & Interpreting PGT programmes, and Languages for All.

Read the open letter (docs.google.com/document/d/1...) and sign in solidarity: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A Guerra Colonial levou “fantasmas” e a “morte concreta” à obra de Lobo Antunes Dois anos de guerra em Angola marcaram a obra do autor de Os Cus de Judas. Ouvimos um académico que a conhece bem e um realizador e um encenador que trabalharam a partir dela.

A Guerra Colonial levou “fantasmas” e a “morte concreta” à obra de Lobo Antunes www.publico.pt/2026/03/05/c...

António Lobo Antunes (1942-2026), construtor e desconstrutor da literatura portuguesa Irrompeu como qualquer coisa de novo na ficção em português e provocou uma revolução. Depois, virou-se para si, num eterno aperfeiçoar da escrita. António Lobo Antunes morreu nesta quinta-feira.

www.publico.pt/2026/03/05/c...

There’s a lot to hate about AI. But what if there was a mindful way to use it? Our new free course AI for the People will show you practical ways to work with AI –without giving up judgment, privacy or your humanity

There’s a lot to hate about AI. But what if there was a mindful way to use it?

Japanese Language Test: The application for the July 2026 exam will open on Monday 16th March 2026 at 12 Noon. www.kcl.ac.uk/language-cen...

What's the best way to learn a new language? Krupa Padhy uncovers how we really learn foreign languages – in a dual challenge involving both Portuguese and Mandarin.

www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

Why do I call Languages an Employability Superpower? Because Languages are loaded with Transferable Value. When I describe languages as an employability superpower, I’m pointing to more than bilingual fluency.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do...

While we sit around to find out how bad exactly it all is, a bit of cheer: the best baguette of Paris competition was won by a Sri Lankan who appears to have started as a dish washer in restaurants and eventually trained as a Boulanger.

www.paris.fr/pages/la-mei...

The report “reveals that multilingualism is not simply a communication tool but a social, emotional, ecological, and cultural resource foundational to belonging, learning, and resilience for all”.

We couldn’t agree more.

New on the King’s Digital Humanities blog:
A Social Critique of AI amid the Climate Crisis by Paul Schütze (University of Osnabrück)

AI as a system that sustains extractive logics and narrows our imagination for climate action
kingsdh.net/2026/02/27/a-social-critique-of-ai-amid-the-climate-crisis/

Foi um prazer encontrar-me com Presidente Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa no final do seu mandato.

Gostaria de lhe agradecer por ter liderado Portugal ao longo destes dez anos turbulentos.

Representa o espírito democrático de Portugal.

UCL’s planned Dubai outpost sparks free speech concerns: first foray back into overseas education since branch campus failures proves controversial
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/ucls-planned-dubai-...

Lecturer in Spanish | King's College London

Great new post to join a wonderful department: www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/139585-...

Sign the Petition Save Modern Languages courses at the University of Leicester!

Save Modern Languages courses at the University of Leicester!

Please consider signing the petition to protect language courses in Leicester.

c.org/mBNDBjLHMd

We are deeply concerned by the proposed cuts to Languages & Intercultural Studies (LINCS) at Heriot-Watt University.

Please read, share, and stand in solidarity with staff & students.

heriotwatt.web.ucu.org.uk/2026/02/05/s...

Susie Dent: Foreign languages help children decode English The Countdown wordsmith gives her tips for language learning for children — and adults — saying it gives you a ‘huge perspective on human life’

www.thetimes.com/uk/education...