Languages after Brexit

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Jean Coussins, Philip Harding-Esch

   Pages 1-9

3. Living in a World of Languages

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 11-11

      PDF

   2. Why Are Many People Resistant to Other Languages?

      • Michael Kelly

      Pages 13-24

   3. Trouble with English?

      • Jennifer Jenkins

      Pages 25-34

   4. A Language-Rich Future for the UK

      • Maria K. Norton

      Pages 35-45

4. What the UK Needs in Languages

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 47-47

      PDF

   2. This Post-Brexit Linguanomics

      • Gabrielle Hogan-Brun

      Pages 49-59

   3. Speaking to a Global Future: The Increasing Value of Language and Culture to British Business Post-Brexit

      • Bernardette Holmes

      Pages 61-74

   4. Science and Languages

      • Charles Forsdick

      Pages 75-83

   5. Languages in the Eye of the Law

      • Ann Carlisle

      Pages 85-94

   6. Language Plenty, Refugees and the Post-Brexit World: New Practices from Scotland

      • Alison Phipps

      Pages 95-107

   7. What Every Policymaker Needs to Know About the Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

      • Dina Mehmedbegovic

      Pages 109-124

5. Where the UK Stands in Language Capacity

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 125-125

      PDF

   2. Languages in English Secondary Schools Post-Brexit

      • Teresa Tinsley

      Pages 127-136

   3. Modern Languages in Scotland in the Context of Brexit

      • Hannah Doughty, Marion Spöring

      Pages 137-147

   4. Speaking from Wales: Building a Modern Languages Community in the Era of Brexit

      • Claire Gorrara

      Pages 149-158

   5. Languages in Northern Ireland: Policy and Practice

      • Janice Carruthers, Mícheál B. Ó Mainnín

      Pages 159-172

   6. Building Capacity in UK Higher Education

      • Jocelyn Wyburd

      Pages 173-183

   7. Support Unsung Heroes: Community-Based Language Learning and Teaching

      • Kate Borthwick

      Pages 185-194

This book represents a significant intervention into the debates surrounding Brexit and language policy. It analyses the language capabilities and resources of the United Kingdom in a new, post-referendum climate, in which public hostility towards foreign languages is matched by the necessity of renegotiating and building relationships with the rest of Europe and beyond. The authors scrutinize the availability of key resources in diverse sectors of society including politics, economics, business, science and education, while simultaneously offering practical advice and guidance on how to thrive in the new international environment. This extremely timely edited collection brings together leading researchers from across the field of language policy, and is sure to appeal not only to students and scholars of this subject, but also to practitioners, policy makers and educators. 

• EU
• Language policy
• Brexit
• Referendum
• Politics
• Education
• Business
• Translation
• Schools
• Higher Education
• european union politics

“Languages after Brexit: How the UK Speaks to the World is a timely and thought-provoking study. … the first book-length research of the linguistic issues pertaining to Brexit and should be of interest to all who are involved in the academic study of the interplay between languages and politics. … It is believed that more research output in this respect will be yielded.” (Hong Diao, Journal of Language and Politics, Vol. 19 (1), 2018)

“The UK's future hangs on maintaining both its position in international trade and our soft power—on being outward-facing. This perceptive book makes the case for a strategic approach to language-learning as authoritatively as you'd expect from such a diverse and expert group of contributors.” (Richard Hardie, Senior Adviser UBS UK)

“The book is both timely and urgent. Language practitioners in the UK are very concerned with the new challenges they face following the Brexit decision, which comes on top of many years of decline of MFL teaching at all levels of the UK education system. It is helpful to read not only an analysis of the problem but also specific recommendations to mitigate it.” (Naomi Segal, Birkbeck, University of London, UK)

• Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

  Michael Kelly

Michael Kelly is Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Southampton, UK. A specialist in modern French culture and society, he is active in developing public policy relating to languages and cultural diversity. He edits the European Journal of Language Policy, while his most recent books focus on languages in the context of war and conflict.

Policies and ethics