Stirling study will transform cultures of language-learning

A major new study will analyse the systems that support successful cultures of language-learning across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland – and offer recommendations to put languages on a sustainable footing.

Across the UK, participation in formal language-learning has fallen dramatically in recent decades, with implications for international trade, diplomacy and social cohesion.

Ireland, by contrast, has seen 84% of pupils studying an international language, and an 80% increase in language teacher numbers since 2012.

The interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by Professor of French Studies, Fiona Barclay, will examine the cultural, social and policy conditions that shape language-learning ecosystems in the Celtic nations.

Professor Barclay will be joined by the University of Stirling’s Dr Marina Shapira, an expert in mixed and statistical methods for education, and academics from Cardiff University, Dublin City University and Queen’s University Belfast.

The major new research initiative, titled Transforming Cultures of Language-Learning (TransCoLL), has been awarded a Standard Grant from the UK Research and Innovation Arts and Humanities Research Council (UKRI AHRC) totalling £1,287,289.

Professor Fiona Barclay

Professor Fiona Barclay said: “Language-learning is one of the key routes to developing the global perspective needed in our interconnected century. It fosters communication skills, intercultural competence, and confidence in navigating all kinds of different situations.

“Research shows that greater use of linguistic and cultural skills could overcome cultural barriers and expand exports, resulting in an increase in economic growth that politicians strive for.

“Language-learning is linked with cognitive benefits for the individual, and it positively impacts disadvantages in learners’ socio-economic status – by fostering respect for other cultures it supports social cohesion.

“These potential benefits to our societies are not being fully realised, with language-learning rates in decline in much of the Anglophone world.

“Yet, where language-learning rates are healthy, such as in Ireland, we do not understand the factors that enable this, from education policy to the requirements of business, and the relationship with indigenous languages.

“This major grant is an important step in recognising the value of languages to society, by investing in research that will illuminate the factors that support healthy cultures of language-learning in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

“The findings will provide recommendations that will benefit learners, parents, teachers, universities, careers advisers, business leaders, and policymakers across the four Celtic jurisdictions.”

The TransCoLL project will build the most comprehensive overview to date of the factors that sustain healthy and diverse language-learning cultures.

Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, the research will examine learners’ school experiences, the drivers influencing decisions to train as a language teacher, and the roles of employers, careers advisers and policymakers.

The research team will also examine the impact of emerging technologies—including immersive virtual reality (IVR) and artificial intelligence (AI)—on learner motivation, confidence, and progression, assessing how these tools are reshaping language-learning experiences across both formal and informal settings.

Significant opportunity

Joining Professor Barclay and Dr Shapira on the research team are Professor Claire Gorrara, Dr Daniel Finnegan, and Lucy Jenkins (Cardiff University); Dr Ian Collen (Queen’s University Belfast); and Assistant Professor Iker Erdocia (Dublin City University).

Professor Claire Gorrara, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Public Engagement) and Dean of the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, said: “This cross-jurisdiction project is timely and important, allowing us to understand language learning cultures beyond England, a geographical context which can often dominate research findings on languages in the UK.

“This project is a significant opportunity for us to support the languages pipeline in schools in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, contrasting and comparing language learning with our nearest neighbour Ireland.”

The project’s findings will deliver evidence-based recommendations designed to revitalise language-learning cultures across the Celtic nations and provide practical benefits for learners, teachers, universities, employers, and policymakers.

The UKRI AHRC award will enable the TransCoLL team to undertake an ambitious investigation into the conditions that nurture thriving cultures of language-learning.

The AHRC Standard Grant supports world-leading arts and humanities research that advances knowledge, fosters innovation, and delivers clear public benefit.