Towards 250 Years of Modern Languages at Third Level

12 Dec 2023

The event was designed to open up conversations around the value and significance of languages across education, business, technology, science, politics, peace-building, diplomacy and culture. It explores ways in which policy can support languages to overcome existing challenges and harness potential opportunities.

Panel sessions included a keynote address by An Tánaiste, Micheál Martin and a range of panellists including Linsey Farrell, Deputy Secretary for Education Policy and Children's Services, Department of Education, Northern Ireland, Claire McGee, Head of Education and Innovation Policy IBEC, Barbara Nolan, Head EU Commission Ireland, Karen Ruddock, Director PPLI Languages Connect, Liam Ryan, CEO SAP Ireland, with interventions by multiple stakeholders including Professors Michael Cronin and Professor Jürgen Barkhoff (Trinity College Dublin), Professor Nuala Finnegan (University College Cork), Deirdre Kirwan, former Principal, Scoil Bhríde Cailíní, among others.

Topics and questions that arose included how to embrace the challenge of AI, how best to work with the richness and diversity of languages currently in use on the island, and how linguistic and intercultural competence can sustain global engagement.  Panellists and contributors shared heartfelt stories of their own language-learning journeys and what it has meant for their professional lives including Professor Luke Drury (former President of the RIA) and the afternoon ended with an emphasis on how language learning is rooted in love, by Linda Ervine, manager of the Turas Irish language project in East Belfast.  

Full programme can be consulted here: Towards 250 Years of Modern Languages