The Language Learning Journal: Special Collection

23 Oct 25

This special collection of the Language Learning Journal features articles exploring policy issues concerning languages education in the school curriculum in the context of the 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) in England.

These articles, written by expert researchers and practitioners, explore the evidence base concerning a range of internationally relevant themes including:

  • Language policy making

  • Aims and purposes of language education and the nature of language learning

  • The social divide in language learning (opportunities)

  • Multilingualism

  • Language pedagogy incl. translanguaging

  • Language learning in primary schools

  • Home, heritage and community languages

  • Oracy

  • The role of digital technology in the languages classroom

  • British Sign Language in the National Curriculum

The editors of this special collection have also written a blog post highlighting their key CAR recommendations:

"We urgently need language education, as a core and essential component of the school curriculum, that enables citizens to speak effectively and fluently to each other and to people of the world, based on a willingness to engage with each other and a disposition to understand each other." (Pachler et al., 2025)