In this case study of innovative practice in higher education (HE) pedagogy I begin by reflecting on my own experience of (re)learning to write and speak at university. I link these experiences to some of the challenges related to the use of language(s) faced by my current students and suggest three reasons why (re)learning to write and speak is an important issue for UK universities. I introduce the two pedagogical practices that provide the focus for the case study. The first is an online task designed to raise students' awareness of how they are talking to each other in mixed language groups and the effect of their talk on their task achievement. The second is a project that aims to raise staff awareness of the acquisition and use of discipline-specific language by their UK and international students. Learning in a linguistically and culturally diverse context requires careful thought about how linguistic (and cultural) knowledge can be converted into academic success and disciplinary advancement. Not to pay attention to this issue is to risk failing to provide our students and ourselves with equal (or indeed any) opportunities for learning.
