By Claire Gorrara. For some time, there have been many stories told of the “crisis” in modern languages in secondary schools and universities. There is hard evidence to support this. Even though there have been upsurges in modern languages provision – following the introduction of the English Baccalaureate for example – pupil numbers continue to fall. More...

By Dawn Mannay. At times, it can feel like adults are speaking a completely different language when talking to young people. Even small generational divides feel like gaping chasms as each party tries to relate their experiences in a way the other will understand. More...

By Stephanie Rudwick. The status of languages is a political hot potato on South Africa’s university campuses. The country’s minister of higher education and training believes that all university graduates in South Africa should have learned at least one African language during their studies. More...

By Dilip Menon. In South Africa’s bad old days white people spoke English or Afrikaans. These were the languages of command. When needing to engage with those who didn’t speak English, whites could use Fanagalo – a pidgin based on Zulu and peppered with English and some Afrikaans. It was developed on the country’s mines and was good for giving orders, if not having a conversation. More...

By Samuel Ouma Oyoo. Research involving a wide range of educators in a number of countries has consistently found that teachers do most of the talking in classrooms. Language plays a crucial role in the formation and development of concepts. This suggests that a teacher’s language is vital in teaching science and creating the condition for meaningful learning. More...

By Bonny Norton. The benefits of learning, understanding and speaking in several languages are well-documented. But teaching children in Africa to read in their mother tongues as a springboard to literacy in other languages can be a fraught process. More...

By Elizabeth Redden. The Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program published new final policy guidance Friday on pathway programs, defined as programs that include a mix of remedial English language course work and credit-bearing classes for international students who are unable to meet English proficiency requirements for regular admission. Read more...

By Colleen Flaherty. Princeton general-education proposal would require all students -- even those already proficient in a foreign language -- to study a language other than English. Most of the shrinking number of institutions with requirements let students test out of them. Read more...