When Katie MacDonald signed up for the Australia and New Zealand Language Challenge, she had modest goals. She planned to spend a few minutes a day brushing up on her French, maybe learning a few new phrases before work. But as the weeks went on, those few minutes turned into hours. Her streak grew, her XP climbed, and her curiosity carried her far beyond French—to Swedish, Finnish, Arabic, and seven other languages.
By the end of ten weeks, Katie had earned more than 100,000 XP ahead of any other competitor and inspired an entire community of learners along the way. And when she learned the winner could donate $5,000 to a charity of their choice, her determination took on new meaning.
Katie’s drive to keep learning, to connect with others, and to give back captures the true spirit of this challenge.
The Language Challenge united learners across Australia and New Zealand
Over ten weeks, 723 competitors from 93 institutions earned 12 million XP and logged nearly 10,000 hours of study. Participants showed what’s possible when language learning is social, gamified, and tied to a good cause.
By the end, 326 participants maintained their daily streaks, and three winners—Katie, runner-up Clare Scoble from the University of Queensland, and the University of Queensland itself—shared an $8,000 charity prize pool benefiting Orange Sky, Open Haven, and the AIATSIS Foundation.
Katie found joy in learning ten different languages
Katie, a learner at ILSC in Brisbane, led the challenge with purpose—proving how curiosity and commitment can turn language learning into meaningful action. Her enthusiasm carried her through ten languages, including Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, French, Scottish Gaelic, Portuguese, and Japanese.
“The challenge really made me appreciate the quirks of each language,” she said. “I’ve always loved French, but I picked up Swedish during the challenge and my brain just seemed to click with it.”
Whenever she hit a wall, Katie reminded herself why she started the challenge in the first place.
“It wasn’t always easy, but my lifelong love of languages helped me keep going. And when I realized there was a generous charity donation at stake, that really motivated me—especially on days when I was struggling with Latin verb endings!”
Katie’s cash prize supports people experiencing homelessness
When Katie learned that the challenge winner could direct a $5,000 donation to a charity of their choice, she knew exactly where she wanted it to go. She chose Orange Sky, a Brisbane-based charity that provides mobile laundry, showers, and community support to people experiencing homelessness. The organization’s bright orange vans are a familiar sight in her neighborhood—symbols of care, dignity, and community.
“We moved from Sydney to Brisbane two and a half years ago, and I was genuinely shocked by the level of homelessness here,” she said. “Our five-year-old son would ask why people were sleeping on the streets, and I’ve always struggled to answer that.”
Katie’s choice was both practical and deeply personal.
“When I learned the prize involved a donation, Orange Sky felt like the natural choice—they operate in our area, and orange is also the color of ILSC,” she said. “It felt like everything connected: language, community, and care.”
For Katie, the donation turned her language learning into something bigger than herself—a way to make a tangible difference in her own city.
Language learning can create real change
The Language Challenge proved that language learning can build community and make a tangible difference. It sparked friendly competition, built awareness for multilingualism, and raised funds for local causes. It also proved what that learning languages can change lives. Congratulations to Katie and all of the participants for their efforts!