- Sheffield becomes a 'City of Languages' in recognition of its vibrant multilingualism
- New initiative will create a space that promotes and celebrates cities language learning activities and events
- Over 120 languages are spoken in Sheffield, and the city supports many heritage language schools and groups who celebrate language related arts, traditions, cuisine, and cultural activities from countries around the world
- City of Languages partnership opens new logo competition for Sheffield's children to get involved
Sheffield is the latest city nationally to be declared a 'City of Languages', in a new initiative aimed at promoting and helping the city's multilingualism to flourish.
Supported by the British Council and Association for Language Learning, the 'City of Language' initiative means Sheffield has joined eight other UK cities including cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Aberdeen and London, who make a commitment to promote language learning, raise the profile of the languages spoken in their regions and celebrate multilingualism as an important cultural asset.
Working together, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Libraries, the Home, Heritage, Community Languages (HHCL) Advisory Group, the Association for Language Learning South Yorkshire, and Sheffield Children's Hospital will provide a network to organise and celebrate language events happening in the city, its schools and communities.
Dr Sabine Little from the University of Sheffield's School of Education, said: "Sheffield has a long and vibrant history of celebrating its heritage, history of migration and multilingualism, which have all contributed to the over 120 languages now spoken in the city.
"Sheffield as a City of Languages might be new, but the title recognises the multilingual culture which has always thrived here; through film, art, music, education and its many festivals. Sheffield has always been a city whose people have celebrated its multilingual culture throughout its history."
Sheffield's commitment to promoting language learning is decades long, the South Yorkshire branch of the Association for Language Learning has supported language teaching in its schools for over 30 years. The award-winning Home Language Accreditation Project (HoLA) also developed in Sheffield helps multilingual children to get an accreditation in their home or a heritage language and its Multilingual Children's Library - founded by Dr Little in collaboration with Sheffield Libraries - won the International Brenda Eastwood Award for Diversity and Inclusion in 2019.
The city also hosts many heritage language schools, groups and clubs teaching languages such as French, Arabic, Korean, Urdu, Greek, Japanese, Russian and Lithuanian, which are dedicated to promoting the benefits of language learning, as well as supporting heritage language arts, traditions, cuisine, and cultural activities.
The city's Universities also have a long-standing tradition of welcoming a diverse international student population every year. The national #WeAreInternational campaign was founded over a decade ago by the University of Sheffield and its Students' Union to highlight the contributions that international students make to Sheffield, and showcase the city's ongoing appeal to people from all corners of the globe that make it such a vibrant place to live.
Today, the City of Languages partnership has launched a website, which will capture the amazing work happening in Sheffield to create an environment rich for language learning and the preservation of heritage languages and lists upcoming events that local people can participate in.
Encouraging children in the city to get involved, the organisers have also opened a competition, for anyone aged between five and 18 to design a new logo for Sheffield as a City of Languages, to find out more visit: https://www.sheffieldcityoflanguages.org/
Dr Little said: "We would love to have a logo that represents Sheffield's multilingual and multicultural heritage, and we would love it even more if that logo came from a member of the Sheffield community. Our competition will be open until 30th June 2025 and the winner will have their design chosen to represent the Sheffield City of Languages initiative."
Vicky Gough, Modern Foreign Languages Adviser at the British Council, said: "The learning of languages is essential for developing international and intercultural skills. In our multilingual and multicultural society, every child should have the opportunity to learn a language and to celebrate their home and heritage languages. We welcome the launch of Sheffield City of Languages - this initiative plays an important role in the recognition of multilingualism as a national asset which should be nurtured."
Clare Allison, lead for Home, Heritage, Community Languages (HHCL) Advisory Group, said: "Recognising Sheffield officially as a City of Languages is an important step in highlighting the inspirational work that is already taking place to support language learning and the maintenance of home, heritage and community languages in Sheffield. This initiative celebrates the rich tapestry of cultures and languages that shape our community and values all languages as both educational and cultural assets."
- The initiative is overseen by co-founders Dr Sabine Little from the University of Sheffield, and Clare Allison, lead for Home, Heritage, Community Languages at the National Consortium for Languages Education.
