Dr Erdocia joins €1.5 million research language learning systems analysis project

The project will analyse the systems that support successful cultures of language-learning across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland – and offer recommendations to support these systems.

Dr Iker Erdocia joins an interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by Professor Fiona Barclay of the University of Stirling, which will examine the cultural, social and policy conditions that shape language-learning ecosystems across these four countries.

While in the UK where language learning has been in decline for decades, Ireland has seen 84% of pupils studying an international language, and an 80% increase in language teacher numbers since 2012.

The TransCoLL project will build the most comprehensive overview to date of the factors that sustain healthy and diverse language-learning cultures. 

Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, the research will examine learners’ school experiences, the drivers influencing decisions to train as a language teacher, and the roles of employers, careers advisers and policymakers. 

The research team will also examine the impact of emerging technologies—including immersive virtual reality (IVR) and artificial intelligence (AI)—on learner motivation, confidence, and progression, assessing how these tools are reshaping language-learning experiences across both formal and informal settings. 

The other members of the project are Dr Marina Shapira (University of Stirling);  Professor Claire Gorrara, Dr Daniel Finnegan, and Lucy Jenkins (Cardiff University); and Dr Ian Collen (Queen’s University Belfast).

The project’s findings will deliver evidence-based recommendations designed to support language-learning cultures across these four nations and provide practical benefits for learners, teachers, universities, employers, and policymakers.