David Crystal Award

Current holder and previous winners

 

2025 joint winner: Philip Harding-Esch
 

Philip Harding-Esch (pictured at the CIOL Awards) is the tireless organiser, secretariat, project manager and writer of so much which is positive in support of languages in the UK, especially latterly providing the secretariat for the Modern Languages APPG and leading the development of the British Academy backed Languages Gateway UK languages web-portal.  

 

 

 

 

 

2025 joint winner: Mark Critchley

Mark has been Director of the Centre for Foreign Language Study at Durham University since October 2013 and Chair of the Association of University Language Centres in the UK & Ireland (AULC) since April 2018. He has also chaired the Editorial Board for the new portal for languages in the UK www.thelanguagesgateway.uk since its inception in January 2023.
In 2016-17 Mark led the Language Learning Frameworks project, which developed the first set of recommendations for language course design, aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
 

 

 

 

2024 Winner: Professor Michael Kelly OBE

Michael Kelly, as professor of French at the University of Southampton held numerous important positions as a strong advocate of languages and language learning, including as prime mover and member of the Nuffield Language Inquiry, which put languages on the public agenda in 2000. Chair of UCML in the 1990s, and Director of the national Centre for Languages Linguistics and Area Studies his work supported Higher Education Institutions in developing their research-informed education practices, including hosting what were then the only national conferences on Higher Education teaching and learning of languages and related subjects. In his numerous national positions, he has always been a strong and influential advocate for languages and language learning.

 

 

 

2023 Winner: Chris Dennis

The multilingual sports correspondent Chris Dennis received the David Crystal Award, presented to an individual for whom languages have been part of their work and life and who uses their knowledge to inspire others to learn languages. Chris is a regular on TV and radio reporting on sporting events. He broadcasts in French, and speaks Spanish and Mandarin among other languages. He frequently visits schools where he encourages young sports enthusiasts to consider adding a language to their GCSE and A-level choices.