What is Happening?
Cardiff University has proposed to cut all Modern Language and Translation degrees
Students, Alumni, Stakeholders, current and former Staff and other Supporters speaking up for languages in Cardiff and Wales
What is Happening?
Cardiff University has announced plans to cease providing Modern Language and Translation degrees as part of a proposal to cut 400 jobs across the university. The university will create a new school of 'Global Humanities' that will merge schools within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, but, under current plans, the new school will not provide any Modern Language and Translation degrees.
Key Points
Languages Cut
Cardiff University degree programmes in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Translation are to be cut entirely under current plans.
Redundancies
Cardiff University leadership has said that it plans to cut 120 jobs in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. All members of 10 of the 12 schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, including the School of Modern Languages, have received 'at risk of redundancy' notices. Staff in Modern Languages are likely to be hit hard.
No Global Humanities Without Languages
Staff at the University recognise the need for structural change in the face of funding deficits that have emerged under successive UK governments. However, we believe that the new School of Global Humanities will simply not be credible without languages.
Cardiff University is one of the universities in the UK best placed to deal with these challenges, with a reported £500 million in financial reserves. These proposals have been announced without a clear business case for the exclusion of Modern Languages; a decision that, if plans were to go ahead, will have a devastating impact on Cardiff and Wales.
Why It Matters
The elimination of languages at Cardiff University will have a devastating cultural, social and economic effect on Cardiff and Wales as a whole.
Key Points
A Strategic Blow to Languages in Wales
Cardiff University is currently the largest provider of degrees in Modern Languages in Wales. It provides no less than 60% of all Modern Language, Translation and joint-honours undergraduate programmes for the whole country. This will be a killing blow to the study of French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Translation in Wales.
A Loss for the People of Wales
These cuts will make Wales the only country in the developed world where it is not possible to do a degree in a Modern Language in its capital city. It will also make Cardiff University the only Russell group university to not provide language degrees. This will have a catastrophic impact on the global reach and international reputation of Welsh institutions and the country as a whole. The closure of Modern Languages at Cardiff will significantly erode the provision of graduate language skills, with the very real possibility of the total loss of Modern Language degrees in Wales over the next five years.
Impact on Welsh Speakers
These cuts will have a devastating impact on the relationship between Welsh and foreign languages. They send a message to the people of Wales that University leadership thinks 'English is enough'. Currently, Cardiff University Modern Language and Translation degrees give students the opportunity to continue to be tutored and assessed in Welsh throughout their higher education. These cuts will inevitably reduce the supply of foreign language teachers in Wales and, in particular, those who are able to deliver teaching through the medium of Welsh.
Social Impact
Cardiff University is at the heart of the largest and most populated area in Wales. It also serves some of its most underserved communities. These cuts will make it more difficult than ever for Welsh children to engage with and learn about modern foreign languages, both at school and degree level. They will create 'cold spots' with no language provision. This goes directly against Welsh government strategy for languages and the role of Wales on the international stage.​
Modern foreign languages are a priority area for the current Welsh government and the only academic subject directly mentioned in its current programme for government. Since 2015, the Welsh government has invested over £7 million in support for Modern Languages in Wales through its Global Futures programme (2015-2026). Cardiff Modern Languages has been a critical partner in such endeavours through the leadership of the Cardiff Confucius Institute, the hosting of the pan Wales Routes into Languages Cymru network (school outreach in primary and secondary schools) and the sector-leading MFL Mentoring providing support to over 30,000 younger learners in secondary schools in Wales to take up a language at GCSE.
Loss of Expertise and Infrastructure
Cardiff Modern Languages is a UK-leading centre for Modern Languages and Translation. For the UK’s Research Excellence Framework 2021, It was ranked 14th out of 47 submissions for Modern Languages and Linguistics in the UK. It was the top submission in Wales, with a particularly strong performance in impact (research which makes a difference to communities and organisations beyond academia), rated as 3* and 4* (top accolade). Two of its three impact case studies submitted for REF2021 were based directly on Modern Languages research (museum and media narratives of war in Paris and languages and mentoring in schools in Wales) – demonstrating its local and global reach. Cardiff Modern Languages is a centre of excellence for research and research-informed practice on languages, histories, societies and cultures of Wales and the world. Its closure would be a significant blow to Humanities research infrastructure and expertise for Wales and the UK. The new school of Global Humanities needs Modern Languages to succeed.
How You Can Help
If you feel as strongly as we do that the people of Cardiff and Wales deserve a Higher Education system that can deliver top-tier language education and research, please consider supporting us in saving Modern Languages at Cardiff University.
Key Points
Sign and Share Petitions
Be Visible on All Social Media
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Tell your personal and professional stories about why Modern Languages and Translation Studies degrees need to remain at Cardiff University.
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Make sure you use the hashtag #SaveCardiffLanguages and tag @CardiffUniversity
Send Emails
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Send emails outlining your objections to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Wendy Larner (LarnerW@cardiff.ac.uk) and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Damien Walford Davies (WalfordDaviesD@cardiff.ac.uk).
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Copy in newid-change@cardiff.ac.uk and savecardiffmodernlanguages@proton.me