Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother Language Day IMLD Celebration
Linguists Collective Conference & Celebration
of International Mother Language Day
Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Mainstream or heritage? Languages in UK education
The UK has been in a steady decline when it comes to language learning, and the variety of languages available at school and at further education is severely limited. But beyond the mainstream languages of Spanish, French and German taught as part of school curricula, there are hundreds of other languages spoken in local communities across the country.
In this session, ATC CEO Raisa McNab explores the divide between mainstream and heritage language education, and the pathways to supporting a diverse linguistic landscape, drawing on recent research and initiatives, and on her own experiences as a language learning advocate and a mother of a bilingual daughter educated in the UK and in Finland.
About McNab
Raisa McNab is CEO at the UK’s Association of Translation Companies (ATC), the voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry. As the ATC’s CEO, Raisa spans the boundaries between the language services industry, academia and the public sector, promoting collaboration and best practice. Raisa’s experience as a translator and a production, quality and development manager at a busy language service company have given her a deep insight into the translation industry and the challenges it faces in a changing global landscape. Raisa holds an MA in Translation & Interpreting from her native Finland.