The yearly effort, arranged by Duolingo in collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, saw individuals jointly studying 43 languages.
This year’s challenge saw parliamentarians and vice chancellors going head to head to win the most Duolingo XP.
Languages studied varied from commonly taught European languages such as French, Spanish and German to Welsh, Ukrainian, Hebrew and Arabic.
Mayer, MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, took first place in the Westminster classification after finding out French through the app. She was followed by Caroline Johnson, who studied Italian, and Mike Wood, who learned Arabic.
In the college category, Lemm, deputy vice-chancellor and provost at University of Greenwich, declared the leading prize. Cranfield University’s vice-chancellor Karen Holford finished second, while the University of Greenwich’s professional vice-chancellor education, Jenny Marie, came 3rd.
Meanwhile, Cardiff Metropolitan University secured the top university title in general, with five locations in the leading ten institutional rankings. The University of Aberdeen and University of Bradford followed in second and 3rd location respectively. Awards were presented at a ceremony in your homes of Parliament.
The difficulty broadened into the college sector for the very first time in 2026, bringing senior university leaders into the competition together with MPs and parliamentary staffers.
Speaking after her win, Mayer said the challenge highlighted the importance of language knowing in the UK.
“Knowing another language opens up chances and expands horizons,” she stated.
She also cautioned that too many young people were dropping languages early in their education, including that the competition “sparks an important discussion about how we can offer young people the opportunities and skills they should have and the nation requires”.
Languages bring individuals together in unanticipated and enriching way Vanessa Lemm, University of Greenwich Lemm, who revitalized her Italian while likewise starting Portuguese during the obstacle, said language learning had actually become “an essential part of my life and identity “.” I have actually constantly wondered about other cultures wanting to discover more about other people and their traditions,” she said.” Languages bring individuals together in unforeseen and enhancing methods.”Holford, who has actually studied both Welsh and Italian, stated language
knowing was “an act of respect and curiosity “.”It opens doors to richer communication, improves cultural understanding, and strengthens our capability to collaborate in an increasingly interconnected world,”she said. This year also introduced prizes for parliamentary staffers and university staff members.
Matthew Brown, who deals with MP Perran Moon, was called leading parliamentary staffer, while Marie Chan from Cardiff Metropolitan University’s global trainee support team topped the university employee category. According to Duolingo’s UK and Europe director Michael Lynas, the challenge demonstrates growing interest for language knowing in the UK. “Contrary to popular perceptions, Duolingo’s data reveals that the UK is a leader worldwide when it pertains to discovering multiple languages, and our young people are the most enthusiastic age,” he stated. The Duolingo Language Difficulty released in 2024 and has actually now attracted support from more than 250 MPs.