Many of the values which we hold dear – language as a source of mutual understanding, the value of communication, openness to the world – have been called into question. In the coldness of this winter there are lessons to be learned about the strength of an opposing tide – the fear of change and the desire to return to an imagined simplicity.

This does not change what we believe, but it creates new and more challenging contexts in which we work. We know that languages are for all, that openness is not the preserve of an elite, and yet in our schools they are becoming more marginalised than ever. It has become an annual ritual to lament the decline in numbers of learners: languages for the few; while the “gift of bilingualism” offered by immigrant communities is largely ignored.

Are we without hope? Of course not. As always new solutions are emerging, new answers being sought. Teachers continue to find ways to engage with learners. Although much official support for languages has disappeared since 2010, new possibilities emerge – in teacher organisations such as ALL, in new networks and the creativity of the classroom.