Bristol has been designated a City of Languages. The initiative recognises the city's linguistic and cultural diversity: more than 90 languages are spoken in Bristol's communities and by the international students who are attracted to Bristol every year from around the world.
The City of Languages status is a joint initiative by Bristol City Council, Bristol One City and the University of Bristol's School of Modern Languages. Bristol University teaches a range of languages to over 1,000 students every year, making it one of the biggest hubs for the study of languages and their related cultures in the UK.
As a City of Languages, Bristol joins a small number of cities around the country which are recognising and promoting the many advantages which multilingualism brings to communities and economies.
The City of Languages was launched at a special event on Saturday 10 October as part of the University of Bristol's celebrations of its 150th birthday. Councillor Emma Edwards unveiled the new logo with Professor Michele Acuto, the University's Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement.
Councillor Edwards said: “People have come here and made a home from every corner of the world. They have shaped Bristol, culturally and economically, from food to music, the businesses on our high streets, and the character of our communities. Their languages are part of that. Languages aren't something to leave at the door when you arrive in Bristol. They are part of that.”
Councillor Edwards also pointed to the ways in which young people can use languages as a pathway into further study, new careers and opportunities, and highlighted Bristol's outward-looking traditions with its seven twin cities and two new partnerships with Odessa in Ukraine and Speightstown in Barbados.
Over the coming months, the organisers will build a network across Bristol's language communities to raise awareness of this rich cultural resource and to support new initiatives to support language learning.
Professor Natalie Edwards, Head of Modern Languages at the University, said “Languages play such an important role in our University and in our City. Multilingualism brings cultural benefit, societal benefit, intellectual benefit, cognitive benefit, health benefit and economic benefit.”
“As one of the largest hubs of language-learning in the UK, the School of Modern Languages looks forward to working with Bristol City Council to celebrate, promote and extend language learning and multilingualism across our community.”