University of Cambridge Language Centre

04/09/2026

01/09/2026

When you first start learning a new language, your only reference is your own tongue (unless you are multilingual). So it makes sense to allow a plurilingual approach to language learning until you're competent enough to only use your newly acquired language.

"Only English, please." It's a phrase most English teachers have used. But does it actually reflect what immersion really means?

In her Voices Magazine article, teacher and trainer Huma Hasna Riaz Ahmed unpacks a common assumption in language teaching: that immersion means English-only. Drawing on research into bilingual education and her own classroom experience, she makes the case for a more flexible, "plurilingual" approach, one where English remains central, but learners' own languages are used as a resource rather than a roadblock.

Are we immersing learners in English, or isolating them from the very languages that could help immersion work? Read the full article to find out.

🔗 https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/english-only-vs-immersion-lost-translation

01/09/2026

Researcher Development Language Training (RDLT) Bursary
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Cycle 1 of the bursary applications for a CULP Languages for All Course opens at 09:00 on Tuesday 01 September and closes at 09:00 on Thursday 01 October 2026.
https://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/graduates/funding-opportunities.html
University of Cambridge

01/09/2026

People who speak several languages may have brains that age more slowly, with four-language speakers showing brains that appeared about 13 years younger than those of monolinguals.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260821012226.htm

People who speak several languages may have brains that age more slowly, with four-language speakers showing brains that appeared about 13 years younger than those of monolinguals. Starting earlier and becoming highly fluent were also linked to a stronger effect.

24/08/2026

21/08/2026

Vicky Gough, British Council Schools Adviser, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their GCSE results today! Spanish has now become the most popular GCSE language…

20/08/2026

🎓 Wishing every success to all GCSE language students! 🌍📚

We hope you feel proud of all the hard work, dedication and commitment that has brought you to this moment.

Languages open doors to new opportunities, cultures and experiences. 🌍✨

A huge thank you to all the teachers, families and everyone who has supported students throughout their language learning journey. ❤️

18/08/2026

The 2026 A-level results bring some welcome news for languages. Professor Marcela Andrea Cazzoli takes a closer look at what the numbers tell us and what they mean for the future of language learning. Explore her insights in this infographic.

17/08/2026

Viewing language diversity as a problem — something to manage or fix — stifles educational innovation. A shift to seeing linguistic plurality as an asset creates space for richer teaching, more representative curricula, and genuinely global engagement.

Treating English as neutral and universally accessible is holding institutions back. Yolanda Cerda and Bee Bond argue for a rethink of the way non-English languages are understood as a deficit