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Manchester City of Languages believes that we should talk about languages in the wider context of a multilingual society; promoting languages is not just about teaching languages as skills to English people, or teaching English to foreigners, though both are important and essential parts of a language policy. Some fifty percent of young people in major cities are multilingual before they enter school. Multilingualism is part of their heritage and intergenerational culture and wellbeing. Supporting it is key to developing confidence and equal opportunities. Many in Britain still see home multilingualism as a threat. While some policy reports have highlighted the need to acknowledge the country’s multilingualism as a social cohesion priority, many policy statements try instead to appeal to the nationalist instinct, linking the study of other languages to Britain’s global power aspirations.