Major Funding Award for Inclusive Language Teaching

A major new University of Cambridge project will explore how inclusive practice can be embedded across Modern and Medieval Languages teaching.

Magdalene Fellow Professor Silke Mentchen (2005) is leading a £324,000 pilot project developing inclusive approaches to teaching and assessment in Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Mentchen, Fellow, Tutor and Director of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages at Magdalene, took up the role of Deputy Head of the School of Arts and Humanities in September 2025. In this role, she is leading the new pilot, which forms part of the University’s wider Pathways to Inclusive Practice programme.

The ambitious two-year project will take a whole-system approach to designing, delivering and documenting inclusive teaching and assessment across the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos. The University describes the project as focusing on inclusive teaching and assessment across the Tripos.

The project will map and evaluate current teaching practice, develop accessible teaching materials and training for staff, and establish shared competence standards and learning outcomes across language and content teaching. It will also explore the use of technology, including AI and virtual reality, to support inclusive learning.

Running alongside an ongoing review of the Tripos, the pilot will bring together staff, students and partners from across Modern and Medieval Languages, including supervisors, Directors of Studies and support teams. The project will build an evidence base for inclusive practice, with its findings and outputs shared across the University.

As the project develops, Professor Mentchen and the pilot team look forward to engaging with current and former students through a programme of focus groups.

Find out more about the University’s funded pilot projects.