What does it mean to be a linguist today?

Much of the current debate in higher education focuses on recruitment, sustainability, and curriculum reform. These are, of course, real concerns. But they also point to a deeper question: how we articulate the value of what we do. What does it mean to be linguistically educated today, and how is that recognised beyond our own institutional frameworks?

This is where CIOL becomes relevant in a more direct way. It offers a language for describing linguistic expertise that goes beyond the university. Academic qualifications remain central, but they do not always translate easily into forms that are legible to employers, policymakers, or the wider public. CIOL’s Language Level frameworks help make that expertise visible.

For those of us involved in programme design, particularly in areas such as language learning or intercultural communication, it shapes how we present our degrees and helps students understand their own trajectories.

Looking outward

There is also a question of connection. Universities can become quite inward facing and focused on their own ways of measuring success. CIOL operates in a different space, one that is closer to professional practice and to questions of standards.

This provides a helpful point of reference to academic assumptions and, at times, a reminder of the broader ecosystem that our graduates will be moving into. For those of us working on curriculum or engaging in sector advocacy, this kind of alignment is helpful as it strengthens the case we make within our own institutions.

Multilingualism and embracing complex linguistic repertoires

As a sociolinguist, what I find particularly important is the way CIOL opens up a broader understanding of multilingualism. Increasingly, our students do not follow linear or traditional pathways.

Many now begin languages from scratch at university, and others bring complex linguistic repertoires that do not fit neatly into categories. These cases are increasingly becoming the norm. In that sense, the question is no longer one of ‘maintaining language provision’ but of rethinking who languages are ‘for’ and how progression is understood. CIOL is well placed to recognise these more diverse trajectories, and that alignment with what we see in our classrooms is important.

We can all do more

If CIOL matters for academics, the relationship should be both ways. At the moment, there is still a sense that universities and professional bodies like CIOL operate in parallel rather than in partnership. This feels like a missed opportunity. The challenges facing languages, across education, policy and public perception, are shared and require a more coordinated response.