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MULTILINGUALISM: EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS, TRANSFORMING SOCIETIES

MEITS is a major interdisciplinary research project funded under the AHRC Open World Research Initiative. Linguistic competence in more than one language ? being multilingual ? sits at the heart of the study of modern languages and literatures, distinguishing it from cognate disciplines. Through six interlocking research strands we investigate how the insights gained from stepping outside a single language, culture and mode of thought are vital to individuals and societies.

Recent News

New publications!

24 April 2023

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Publication by the AHRC of The Open World Research Initiative: Showcasing the value of modern languages

29 September 2021

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Upcoming Events

Policy Journal

Recent Blog

?Speak in English!?: Inventing ?everyday? language policies

18 June 2020

When we think about language policies we tend to think big. We might think of national mandates which determine the official language(s) of a country, or policies for education which specify the medium of instruction in state schools. While such policies will undoubtedly influence our experience of living, working or studying in a particular country, the language practices that each individual chooses to follow (or perhaps more controversially, chooses to impose on others) reflect much deeper ideologies. Recently I have come across several examples that have made me reflect on these ?everyday language policies? and particularly on what they might represent. Here are a few examples?

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Benefits or connections? Are we communicating the right message?

03 June 2020

A few weeks ago, I was involved in writing a case study which forms part of a booklet for the MEITS project addressing some big issues in language learning. The theme that I was responsible for was ?why do people learn languages??. This is a question often asked by the general public and in policy making; it is also a very difficult one as the motivations for language learning are many, and very complex. I was hoping to find some straightforward answers in our research, but was struggling to distil a common message across the project, as our strands do not seem to directly address the question of motivation but tend to focus on a related issue on ?the benefits of language learning?. As the title of the MEITS project indicates, the key message is that Multilingualism can Empower Individuals and Transform Societies and there are multiple benefits of language learning, be they social, cultural, cognitive, educational, economic or even health-related.

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Radio connects Irish speakers

14 May 2020

Due to Covid-19 lockdown, I have been working from home for some time along with our youngest son and daughter. So far, the arrangement is going well, although things can get a bit tetchy as cocktail hour approaches on Fridays!

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Video

Audio

• MEITS celebrates International Mother Language Day 21 February 2018

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• Understanding our Multilingual World: (Being Human Festival): photographer interviews in Cambridge

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• Podcast: The need for a national languages policy in the UK

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Visitors (Oct-Dec 2019)

Languages recorded

Top 10 languages amongst our visitors