There was a large response to the call, with a high volume of applications received from across the higher education sector. The overall quality of submissions was also very high, reflecting the depth of interest and expertise in research on language learning, motivation and participation in Ireland at this time.

The funded projects are designed to provide a comprehensive insight into student attitudes to foreign language learning and relevance of same, as well as student attitudes to participation across the sector; comparative perspectives between different types of higher education institutions; and in-depth analysis of how language learning is experienced and positioned within particular higher education settings. The projects will also generate evidence on differences between cohorts engaged in foreign language study and those not engaged in such study, as well as on variation across different modes of language provision. Collectively, the findings will contribute to the evidence base supporting policy development and the implementation of the next phase of Languages Connect.