Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

@ilcs.bsky.social

2.2K followers 450 following 230 posts

The national centre for research in languages, cultures and societies, at the School of Advanced Study, University of London https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/ Starter pack for languages, literatures, cultures and societies: https://go.bsky.app/TdEXaP2

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Nov 13

Our new MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders is now open for applications!

Taught by experts across the University of London in UCL, RHUL, KCL, QMUL, ULIP & ILCS, it delivers a unique interdisciplinary degree.

And 3 bursaries are available!

Find out more 👇

ilcs.sas.ac.uk/graduate-stu...

Colourful pedestrianised street with flags hanging across from one side to the other

2 18 33

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Li Wei 李嵬 @professorliwei.bsky.social · 21h

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/2025/10/...

Rethinking language education: evidence for England’s Curriculum and Assessment Review

Language education in school has significant transformational potential in terms of learners’ right to a well-rounded education and the enhancement of their life chances… (read more)

blogs.ucl.ac.uk

2 3

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · 5d

📢 Sign up now for our training sessions this term!

Our first session is on 22 Oct:

🎙️'Podcasts to Engage Audiences in Languages, Cultures and Societies Research and Practice': ilcs.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

ilcs.sas.ac.uk/research-pol...

ILCS Research Training Programme

Training Programme

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

2 4

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · 7d

Come and join us as the ILCS Creative Practitioner in Residence 2025-26!

Spend up to 3 months based in ILCS with a bursary of £1,000/month.

For full details of the scheme and the application process, please visit our website:

ilcs.sas.ac.uk/fellowships/...

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Liverpool University Press @livunipress.bsky.social · 13d

New special issue of Bulletin of Hispanic Studies: Expresiones posliterarias en el ámbito cultural ibérico.
Exploring how literature circulates beyond the book—through branding, tourism, memes & music—across Iberian cultures.
Available online at: bit.ly/BHS-posliterario
@ilcs.bsky.social

2 3

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Dr Eve Hayes @evehayes123.bsky.social · 10d

Sign up for our next CLACS Caribbean Studies Seminar, 21 Oct:

Jamaica’s “Bitter Medicine”: Education and Women Teachers in Debt and Austerity w/ Shari-Lee Carter, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, & Human Development

@ilcs.bsky.social / @soccaribbeanuk.bsky.social

shorturl.at/BLplw

Caribbean Studies Seminar

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

4 5

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Institute of English Studies @ies-sas.bsky.social · 9d

The Out Of Practice Seminar has launched for 2025/26!

We are kicking things off with the first seminar on 22 October.

The Ridge Salon: Undisciplinary conversations at the house on chicken legs

ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

@ilcs.bsky.social

The Ridge Salon: Undisciplinary conversations at the house on chicken legs

ies.sas.ac.uk

1 2

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · 13d

21 November ILCS event on thinking strategically about the challenges faced by language educators.
Don't miss it, sign up now!
university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/24/t...

Thinking Strategically: Challenges Facing Language Educators – ILCS

An online event with the ILCS focussing on issues faced by language educators will take place on 21st November 2025, featuring Megan Bowler (Oxford), Emma Cayley (Leeds and UCFL), and Charles Forsd…

university-council-for-languages.org

6 9

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Institute of English Studies @ies-sas.bsky.social · Aug 21

📣Two new events in collaboration with @thelondonarchives.bsky.social! 📣

Apprenticeship and the Rise of London, 1500-1800 | 15 Oct | 5.30 - 7.30pm
tinyurl.com/2uayfe7r

From Bones to Books to Blitz Scrap – What London Recycled during the Second World War | 10 Dec | 5.30 - 7.30pm
tinyurl.com/3t2f435p

Apprenticeship and the Rise of London, 1500 - 1800

Join us at The London Archives for an illustrated talk by Professor Patrick Wallis (London School of Economics).

tinyurl.com

13 30

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Emma Cayley 谷曦 @emmacayley.bsky.social · 15d

Please do sign up to join in our online conversation event on 21st November, 12 noon, about the recent report on language education in the UK from the @hepi-news.bsky.social by @meganlbowler.bsky.social, sponsored by #Duolingo Thanks to @ilcs.bsky.social
for hosting ilcs.sas.ac.uk/research-pol...

Thinking Strategically Seminar Series

Bringing together researchers to discuss issues of major concern and to ensure joined-up action for the future development of the study of languages and cultures.

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

10 8

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Dr Eve Hayes @evehayes123.bsky.social · 16d

Today! Our first CLACS Caribbean Studies Seminar Series 2025/26!

“The Long Road from Bog Walk: Electricity and Electrification in Jamaica, 1890s–1970s” with Andrew Williams, University of the West Indies (Mona)

@ilcs.bsky.social @soccaribbeanuk.bsky.social

ilcs.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

4 5

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · 16d

Thanks!

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17d

The government managed to recruit only 43 per cent of its target number of modern foreign language teachers for initial teacher training in 2024-25.
www.thetimes.com/article/df90...

Shortfall
Teachers training compared with target in selected subjects (2024-25)
Physical Education
209%
Biology
119%
English
101%
Mathematics
72%
Modern Foreign
Languages
43%
Computing
37%

Chart: The Times and The Sunday Times • Source: Department for Education

2 6 4

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Charles Forsdick @cforsdick.bsky.social · 18d

Rethinking language education in the school curriculum in England

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Rethinking language education in the school curriculum in England

This Special Collection comprises contributions to the debate on languages across the school curriculum from leading researchers and practitioners in the field. It aims to support the strengthening...

www.tandfonline.com

1 12 16

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Olivia Glaze @oliviaglaze.bsky.social · 23d

Thrilled that @katharinemurphy.bsky.social and my co-edited Special Issue is now out in the Journal of Romance Studies! 🎉 Huge thanks to our contributors across French, Spanish, Italian & Portuguese studies—showing the value of a multilingual approach to the Medical Humanities: tinyurl.com/mrxmznsm

Contents | Journal of Romance Studies 25, 3

This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

2 6 13

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Dr Eve Hayes @evehayes123.bsky.social · 24d

Join us on 23 September for the start of our CLACS Caribbean Studies Seminar Series 2025/26 @ilcs.bsky.social / @soccaribbeanuk.bsky.social
The Long Road from Bog Walk: Electricity and Electrification in Jamaica, 1890s–1970s w/ Andrew Williams (University of the West Indies, Mona) shorturl.at/euVXU

8 13

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · 29d

"Modern Foreign Languages degrees are the most starkly affected, with the number of courses nearly halved since 2011" 👇

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 29d

We've got a chunky @britishacademy.bsky.social report out looking at the emergence of 'cold spots' where you can't study arts, humanities or social science subjects close to home. We call for an urgent review of HE funding & monitoring of at risk subjects
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/univers...

University course closures leave students unable to study many SHAPE subjects close to home - report

A new report shows that students are shut out of SHAPE education in their home regions, as large swathes of the UK are ‘cold spots’ for humanities, social sciences and arts degrees.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

1 11 9

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Liverpool University Press @livunipress.bsky.social · Sep 9

🎉 We’re proud to have launched LUP Open Languages
A #SubscribetoOpen initiative aiming to make research in languages, literatures & cultures #OpenAccess. Thanks to partners & editors for their support.
Find out more ⬇️
#S2O @frenchstudies.bsky.social @ilcs.bsky.social @aupresses.bsky.social

Liverpool University Press Launches LUP Open Languages: A New Subscribe to Open Initiative

Liverpool University Press (LUP) is pleased to announce the launch of LUP Open Languages, a new Subscribe to Open (S2O) initiative designed to make high-quality research in languages, literatures a…

liverpooluniversitypress.blog

9 16

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

ref2029.bsky.social @ref2029.bsky.social · Sep 4

The four UK higher education funding bodies confirm the pause in the criteria setting and publication of final guidance for REF 2029 for a short period, as announced by the UK Science Minister Lord Vallance today at the Universities UK conference. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/pause-t...

Pause to REF 2029 criteria setting and publication of final guidance – REF 2029

2029.ref.ac.uk

25 13

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Liverpool University Press @livunipress.bsky.social · Aug 28

A new special issue of Contemporary French Civilization examines French & francophone documentary cinema in the new millennium. Essays explore aesthetic, ethical & political debates shaping the field.
Browse the issue online at🔗 bit.ly/CFC-Vol-50-3
@sfps.bsky.social @ilcs.bsky.social #FrenchStudies

2 1

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Aug 16

‘2023 polling for the @britishacademy.bsky.social found 71 per cent of Britons would support making language study compulsory in schools.’

Pleased to see this FT editorial makes the case for learning foreign languages

on.ft.com/4mP3rrf

Lost in translation

Even in the language app era there are benefits to learning a foreign tongue

on.ft.com

2 23 44

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Liverpool University Press @livunipress.bsky.social · Aug 6

📢 Introducing LUP Open Languages – a Subscribe to Open initiative supporting access to research in languages, literatures & cultures.
From French & Catalan to Hispanic & Francophone studies, explore journals with archives dating back to 1923.
🔗 bit.ly/LUP-Open-Lang
#SubscribeToOpen #LUPOpenLanguages

1 4 6

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Aug 2

Now postponed to a later date

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Aug 1

📢 Tune into LBC tomorrow morning (Sat) at 10.50 to hear ILCS Director Charles Burdett talk to Matt Frei about languages and the decline in uptake.

@ucflangs.bsky.social

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Aug 1

📢 Tune into LBC tomorrow morning (Sat) at 10.50 to hear ILCS Director Charles Burdett talk to Matt Frei about languages and the decline in uptake.

@ucflangs.bsky.social

1 1 1

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

wendya-b.bsky.social @wendya-b.bsky.social · Jul 31

Read UCFL's reaction to the new HEPI report on languages: university-council-for-languages.org/2025/07/31/n...
The recommendations for HE are particularly welcome, as are those around equality of access and social justice. @emmacayley.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social

New HEPI report calls for urgent action on revitalising language learning

UCFL welcomes the release of a new HEPI report, sponsored by Duolingo, that highlights the urgent need for action to support and improve the uptake of languages at school level and beyond. It empha…

university-council-for-languages.org

9 11

Reposted by Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jul 30

Tomorrow is the *final opportunity to apply for our MA in Languages, Cultures and Societies* - co-delivered with RHUL, UCL, QMUL, ULIP and KCL Language Centre! www.sas.ac.uk/postgraduate...

MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders

This interdisciplinary MA brings together teaching and resources from several University of London federation members, offering a unique breadth of expertise.

www.sas.ac.uk

1 7 8