Language Outreach?

At the University of Nottingham, an engaging discussion on language outreach was followed by a lively panel discussion. The event brought together different perspectives on the current state of language outreach in the UK and raised some important questions: What is already being done to promote language learning? Where is there still room for improvement? And, most importantly, are we reaching the people who need and want these opportunities?

The discussion focused not only on what universities, schools and other institutions are currently doing, but also on how teachers, students, parents and employers experience language outreach. How can people become more involved? What do learners and teachers actually need? And how can we build stronger connections between the many initiatives that already exist?

Nicola McLelland: Language, Linguistics and Outreach

One of the speaker was Professor Nicola McLelland, Professor of German at the University of Nottingham and Head of the School of Humanities. She studied German and French at the University of Sydney, later completing a PhD in medieval German literature and an MPhil in Linguistics at the Universities of Sydney and Cambridge. She has taught German at Nottingham since 2005 and was awarded the Grimm Prize in 2020 for her contribution to international German Studies. A passionate advocate of multilingualism, she has also learnt Latin, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Russian and most recently Chinese.

The challenge: Connecting existing initiatives

One of the key points emerging from the discussion was that the UK does not necessarily lack language outreach activities. In fact, there are reportedly more than 2,000 events each year aimed at promoting language learning. The bigger challenge may therefore be one of connection and visibility.Are teachers, pupils, parents, university students and employers actually aware of the opportunities available to them? Do existing initiatives reach the people they are intended to reach? And are universities and schools sufficiently connected to make these opportunities meaningful and sustainable? Rather than simply creating more events, it may therefore be worth asking how existing initiatives can be better communicated, coordinated and connected.

Bringing languages into schools

One of the most straightforward forms of outreach is for universities and other institutions to connect directly with schools. University students, academics and ambassadors can visit schools to talk about languages, organise activities or workshops, or invite school pupils onto university campuses. Online events can also make these opportunities accessible to a much wider audience. Examples include activities such as spelling competitions or events designed to introduce pupils to languages and cultures they may not otherwise encounter. These encounters can be particularly powerful because they provide pupils with real people as role models. University students who visit schools can talk about their own experiences of learning languages, studying at university and using languages beyond the classroom. Instead of presenting languages simply as another school subject, they can demonstrate where languages can lead.

From language learning to career opportunities

Another particularly promising approach is to combine academic language learning with practical experiences and career guidance. For example, university students can introduce pupils not only to the language itself, but also to the wide range of career opportunities that language skills can open up. A visit from a university student or professional can give pupils an insight into what it is actually like to use a foreign language in the workplace.

A field-experience project could, for instance, bring pupils into contact with a local company that works internationally. Pupils might spend a day exploring how German, French, Mandarin or another language is used in different professional contexts — from communication with international clients to marketing, translation, logistics or recruitment. Such experiences can help answer a question that pupils often have: “Why should I learn a language?” Instead of simply telling pupils that languages are useful, outreach can give them the opportunity to see how and why they are useful in real life.

From more events to better connections

Overall, the discussion highlighted an important distinction: language outreach is not necessarily about doing more; it is also about connecting better. There are already numerous initiatives, enthusiastic teachers, university programmes and opportunities for learners. The challenge is to make these opportunities visible, accessible and relevant to the people they are intended to reach. This means listening to teachers, pupils, parents, universities and employers — and creating stronger links between them. Perhaps the most important question for the future of language outreach is therefore not simply “What else can we do?”, but rather:

“How can we make sure that the opportunities that already exist actually reach the people who need them?”