diff --git a/meet/gui.py b/meet/gui.py
index b9acdf2..733b3f0 100644
--- a/meet/gui.py
+++ b/meet/gui.py
@@ -514,6 +514,41 @@ def _on_mlx_model_changed(entry):
         grid.attach(_label("MLX model:"), 0, 2, 1, 1)
         grid.attach(self._mlx_model_entry, 1, 2, 1, 1)
 
+        # Language ---------------------------------------------------------
+        # Whisper auto-detect on sparse / quiet audio (long silences, short
+        # opening utterances) is unreliable and can mis-classify English as
+        # ja/zh, producing pages of CJK hallucinations.  Letting the user
+        # set the meeting language up-front avoids that failure mode.
+        # The list mirrors the alignment-models registry plus a few common
+        # Whisper-supported languages.
+        language_values = [
+            "auto",
+            "en",
+            "de",
+            "fr",
+            "es",
+            "tr",
+            "fa",
+            "it",
+            "pt",
+            "nl",
+            "ja",
+            "zh",
+            "ko",
+            "ar",
+            "ru",
+        ]
+        current_language = self._transcribe_kwargs.get("language", "auto")
+        self._language_combo = _combo(language_values, current_language)
+        self._language_combo.connect(
+            "changed",
+            lambda c: self._transcribe_kwargs.__setitem__(
+                "language", c.get_active_text() or "auto"
+            ),
+        )
+        grid.attach(_label("Language:"), 0, 3, 1, 1)
+        grid.attach(self._language_combo, 1, 3, 1, 1)
+
         expander.add(grid)
         parent_vbox.pack_start(expander, False, False, 0)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_gui.py b/tests/test_gui.py
index 1fbe070..f73b13d 100644
--- a/tests/test_gui.py
+++ b/tests/test_gui.py
@@ -98,3 +98,37 @@ def show_all(self):
     assert tk["device"] is None
     assert tk["torch_device"] is None
     assert tk["mlx_model"] is None
+    # Language defaults to "auto" so Whisper auto-detects.  Users can override
+    # via --language on the CLI or the GUI Advanced panel dropdown.
+    assert tk["language"] == "auto"
+
+
+def test_launch_passes_explicit_language(monkeypatch):
+    """``launch(language='en')`` must thread into transcribe_kwargs so the
+    GUI Advanced panel dropdown can override Whisper's auto-detect."""
+    import meet.gui as gui_mod
+
+    captured: dict = {}
+
+    class _StubWindow:
+        _rec_btn_box = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _alignment_box = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _label_box = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _sync_box = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _progress_bar = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _open_transcript_btn = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _open_folder_btn = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+        _bg_label = type("_X", (), {"hide": lambda self: None})()
+
+        def __init__(self, capture_kwargs, transcribe_kwargs, **kwargs):
+            captured["transcribe_kwargs"] = transcribe_kwargs
+
+        def show_all(self):
+            pass
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gui_mod, "MeetRecorderWindow", _StubWindow)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gui_mod.Gtk, "main", lambda: None)
+
+    gui_mod.launch(language="en")
+
+    assert captured["transcribe_kwargs"]["language"] == "en"