Professor Charles Forsdick honoured with David Crystal Prize
The award recognises outstanding contributions to languages
Charles Forsdick pictured receiving the David Crystal Award from Baroness Jean Coussins
Professor Charles Forsdick, Fellow and Tutor at Murray Edwards College and Drapers Professor of French at the University of Cambridge, has jointly received this year's David Crystal Award from the Chartered Institute of Linguists for outstanding personal contributions to languages.
As Lead Fellow for Languages at the The British Academy, Charles has played a pivotal role in bringing together partners across the languages sector, building a powerful coalition to champion language learning and international engagement. His leadership has helped support initiatives that widen access to languages and global opportunities, including the UK's return to the Erasmus+ programme, a development that will have a transformative impact on learners across the country.
Charles said:
"It is a great honour to be one of the joint winners of the David Crystal prize for 2026. My contributions to the British Academy languages programme have proved deeply fulfilling at a time when advocacy for languages in UK education and beyond is more necessary than ever. I have enjoyed working with a wide range of organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Linguists. At Murray Edwards, we have a long and distinguished tradition of teaching in Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics. I enjoy immensely working closely with our fellowship and student bodies in these areas. We believe that studying languages goes beyond acquiring new linguistic skills and also entails developing a different mindset, an alternative way of engaging with the world. As current co-chair of the Faculty, it is a pleasure to be able to use knowledge and experience of languages to inspire others and to make the wider case for languages at a time when linguistic and intercultural skills, across diverse disciplines and sectors, are required more urgently than ever."
The award recognises Charles's exceptional ability to convene, inspire and advocate for languages at a national level, ensuring that more people can benefit from the cultural, educational and professional opportunities that language learning provides.
The CIOL Awards 2026 took place on 10 June 2026 at King’s College London, bringing together award winners, CIOL Council, Awards and Educational Trust Board members, partners and stakeholders to celebrate achievement, leadership and impact for linguists and languages.