University of Cambridge Language Centre

27/05/2026

"The future of modern languages will not be secured simply by attempting to reverse falling demand. It will depend on expanding access to the point where demand can genuinely be expressed."

Contraction of modern languages provision is often painted as a response to falling demand. For Ana de Medeiros and Marcela Cazzoli, if you look across the whole education system then HE starts to look like part of the solution Contraction of modern languages provision is often painted as a response...

22/05/2026

Why Humanities Still Matter
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An interview at Clare College, from Professor Jocelyn Wyburd: "There is a widespread underestimation of the skill involved in cross-cultural communication"
University of Cambridge Clare College The University Council For Languages - UCFL Association for Language Learning

Fellows Spotlight 💡

Professor Jocelyn Wyburd is the Head of the School of Arts & Humanities, one of the six academic divisions of the University of Cambridge. At Clare, she is a Fellow and Dean of Students, and was a long-serving undergraduate Tutor before stepping back from the role in 2024 to take up her senior position in the University.

In an interview with Clare Review, Professor Wyburd reflects on her over a decade of experience at Clare, and shares insights into the challenges facing Arts & Humanities today, particularly modern languages, whilst highlighting the value of language learning in an increasingly global job market.

🔗 You can read the full article here: https://stories.clare.cam.ac.uk/clarereview-202425-humanities/index.html

22/05/2026

A warm wish for the long weekend!
University of Cambridge

07/05/2026

On behalf of our colleagues at Newcomers and Visiting Scholars, here is the list of activities they offer this term... University of Cambridge

24/04/2026

And that's the same for any language... which has enough speakers and regions to multiply the variety of accents.

20/04/2026

¿Habla Español? As we reopened the Language Centre today, we wondered about the origins of the Spanish Language. Did you know all that?

09/04/2026

Listen to our Latin teacher, Ioan, to understand the importance of the Latin language in our everyday lives.

09/04/2026

Latin is the origin of words like justice, manual, video, and science. It's the language behind medicine, law, history. Learning Latin doesn't just teach you words, it trains your brain.

Latin is the origin of words like justice, manual, video, and science. It's the language behind medicine, law, history. Learning Latin doesn't just teach you words, it trains your brain. From ancient Rome to modern classrooms, Latin connects you to 2,000 years of ideas, stories, and power. If you ca...

23/03/2026

Visit the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Library for its Open Day, open until 5pm today...

17/03/2026

Happy Sign Language Week (SLW) 2026! ⁠

Did you know that fingerspelling positively correlates with stronger reading skills? Deaf and hard of hearing children who are good fingerspellers are good readers, and vice versa⁠!⁠
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The fingerspelling alphabet is used in sign language to spell out names of people and places for which there is not a sign. Fingerspelling can also be used to spell words for signs that the signer does not know the sign for, or to clarify a sign that is not known by the person reading the signer. ⁠
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British Sign Language (BSL) uses a two-handed alphabet however some other sign languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL), or Spanish (LSE), use a one-handed alphabet.⁠
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Did you also know that ⁠27% of people in the UK say they would struggle to start a conversation with a Deaf person?⁠
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We want to share with you this BSL fingerspelling poster to help get you communicating in BSL right away!⁠
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✅Remember to save this post to refer back later!⁠
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⁠Alt text: Alt Text: A British Sign Language (BSL) fingerspelling chart from Deaf Umbrella. The image displays hand-drawn illustrations of hand signs representing each letter of the alphabet, arranged in a grid format. The title "British Sign Language Fingerspelling" appears at the top, and the website www.deafumbrella.com is displayed at the bottom. The background features a soft blue and purple gradient design.⁠
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⁠ SignLanguage