Although now pursuing doctoral studies at Christ Church in the field of Classics, Megan Bowler (2023, Classical Languages and Literature) was excited to return to writing about languages policy.

"In The Languages Crisis: Arresting Decline, I aimed to compile the wealth of languages policy research that emerged within the past five years, highlight data on uptake in schools and HE, and suggest constructive solutions, in a way that would be easily accessible to policymakers and stakeholders. I particularly hoped to raise awareness of the way that language-learning in the UK is characterised by unequal opportunities for participation.

It was also important to make the case for why languages education is not less important, but rather more important in the age of AI. I was able to draw on my own experiences of teaching ancient Greek and Latin, and learning modern languages for reading secondary scholarship in Classics, to identify 13 reasons why the ‘linguistic mindset’ equips learners for this age of technological change. These include close critical analysis, cultural adaptability, creative problem-solving, linguistic precision, oracy, and empathy towards new perspectives.

It was a pleasant surprise that the report gained attention from the press over the summer. I was interviewed by several newspapers, and appeared on radio and TV. I was pleased to see journalists continuing the conversation, sharing their own experiences and contributing further data about regional disparities in languages education. Cindy Yu, a leading voice on China and a Christ Church alumna, wrote a brilliant article for The Times (‘Learning languages helps us to unlock cultures’). I continued to learn a great deal from subsequent conversations with academics and policymakers in the UK and internationally.

This publication has also led to some further exciting opportunities to present my work. In September, I presented the report at a dinner with Luis Van Ahn, the CEO of Duolingo. In October, I was invited to give evidence at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages at the House of Lords, presenting and answering questions from parliamentarians, languages professionals, teachers, and experts in business and diplomacy. The following week, I was back in parliament again to speak at an event at Portcullis House, organised by the European Delegation to commemorate European Day of Languages; we heard from languages experts, MPs, and the ambassadors of the EU and France.

On 21 November, I will be speaking with Professors Emma Cayley and Charles Forsdick at the ILCS ‘thinking strategically’ online seminar series. I will also discuss my policy interests as part of a panel at the Classical Association conference in Manchester in April – I look forward to working more closely with colleagues in Classics on how we can strengthen awareness of ancient languages and promote further collaboration with modern linguists on shared challenges."

The full report is available here.