HEFCE initiatives to support languages
Modern Foreign Languages is recognised as a strategically important and vulnerable subject. Alongside funding for the Routes into Languages programme, our support for languages in higher education includes the following:
Japanese provision in Oxford Brookes University
Following a review of modern languages provision in 2005-06, Oxford Brookes University identified that Japanese was too small as an academic unit to continue to operate on the current basis. In view of that, we worked to expand Japanese provision by awarding 30 additional student numbers from HEFCE and support from SEEDA, the South East's development agency and Oxford University.
Modern Languages at the University of London
In 2005-06, we awarded 240 additional student numbers to the University of London Institute in Paris (the only British university where English-speaking students can study French language and literature in French and in France) as well as the development of modern languages - particularly French - within the University of London. Funded numbers were managed flexibly between constituent colleges of the University of London and the London Institute in Paris to balance demand in London with growth in Paris. New programmes resulted, which contribute to widening participation and improve access to European business communities, supporting planned skills and knowledge transfer developments.
Area studies and related languages
This initiative was undertaken in partnership with the other UK higher education funding bodies. The aim is to create a world-class cadre of researchers to enhance the UK's understanding of the Arab world, China and Japan, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Funding of £12 million will be available over five years from 2006-07. Further details.
'Languages of the Wider World' Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CETL)
From 2005-06, we are providing £5 million over five years to establish this CETL, which promotes and supports excellence in the teaching and learning of languages that do not have a large presence in UK HE - the languages of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia. Further details.
Minority subjects initiative
Our support for the teaching of rare or minority languages is long standing. Over £3 million per year of HEFCE funding supports the teaching of 30 strategically important languages such as Ukrainian and Ancient Near East Studies at universities across England. Without our minority subjects funding it may be difficult to sustain the teaching of these languages. We commissioned an evaluation of this initiative in 2005.
Further information
For more information about modern foreign languages, contact Linda Allebon, tel 0117 931 7237, e-mail l.allebon@hefce.ac.uk.
Last updated 4 November 2010