Future of English Research Forum
As part of the wider British Council Future of English programme, we are happy to announce the third Future of English research forum which will be held at University of Bedfordshire, Luton ...
As part of the wider British Council Future of English programme, we are happy to announce the third Future of English research forum which will be held at University of Bedfordshire, Luton on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 March 2025.
This two-day event brings together researchers from four international UK-led projects, awarded a Future of English research grant, to exchange ideas, share findings from their global projects and exchange ideas with the wider English language teaching (ELT) community. In this event, we celebrate the highlights of the research and look ahead to what's next in the Future of English programme.
The British Council is also very excited to welcome renowned linguist David Crystal. The session 'The Future of English: a conversation with David Crystal' will be streamed online for free on Thursday 6 March at 14.00 UK time.
This is a hybrid event, and registration is free of charge. In-person attendance is limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis. We look forward to welcoming you at University of Bedfordshire or online.
Who is this event for?
The forum provides an update on the wider Future of English research programme following the publication of The Future of English: Global Perspectives (download a free copy here) in 2023.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with project researchers and in the discussion at the event.
The forum will be of interest to English language researchers and educators, as well as to applied linguists, policy makers and socio-cultural researchers more generally.
Date and venue
The Research Forum will be held on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 March 2025, at University of Bedfordshire, Luton.
Address: University of Bedfordshire, Luton Campus, University Square, Luton, LU1 3JU
Online attendance and participation will be through a browser. A link to the event will be sent in your registration confirmation email and again one day before the event.
Programme
- David Crystal in conversation on the future of English.
- An exclusive peak at the research findings from the projects led by University of Bedfordshire, Lancaster University, The Open University, and University of Warwick.
- Lin Pan from Beijing Normal University, connecting the research findings with her work in language ideologies, sociolinguistics, and language education.
- A networking reception with up to 100 policymakers, educators, and researchers from across the ELT sector.
- The chance to learn what's next for the Future of English programme.
The full programme can be found here.
Explore the research projects
You can find information about each of the projects here.
Registration
Registration is free of charge, though in-person attendance is limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.
We will be sending invitations to the in-person event to our Future of English network. A link to register your attendance online will be added in the coming days.
Contact information
Any questions? Email us at FutureofEnglish@britishcouncil.org