Embracing Linguistic Diversity
- Date
- Friday 23 April 2021, 11:00 - 13:30
- Location
- This event will take place on Teams. For instructions on how to join, please see details below.
The recordings of the event are available here.
Linguistic diversity can be the source of implicit bias: often without realising it, we judge others based on how we interpret their accent, their use of regional language traits, their choice of vocabulary.
On Friday 23rd of April (11:00-13:30), CELT and Language@Leeds are hosting an event to shed light on linguistic diversity from multiple points of view.
The aims of this event are:
- To foster a better understanding of linguistic diversity
- To raise awareness of implicit biases rooted in linguistic differences
- To report on students’ experience of linguistic bias
- To discuss the implications for the language classroom and equality and diversity policy and practice
- To showcase examples of good practice in integrating linguistic diversity in language teaching.
Preliminary programme
| Welcome | 11:00 – 11:05 | Rasha Soliman |
| Insights from research |
11:05 – 11:35 |
What is accent variation and why does it matter? - Gise Tome Lourido – Lecturer in Sociophonetics |
|
Practitioners voices |
11:35 –11:50
11:50 -12:05 |
Cultivating advanced Chinese learners’ awareness of linguistic (and cultural) diversity - Ya-chun Liu – Lecturer in Chinese “Quasi-diglossia” and language learning: dealing with variation on Beginners’ Czech - James Wilson - Lecturer in Russian and Language Studies |
| 12:05 – 12:10 | BREAK | |
| 12:10–12:25
12:25-12:40
12:40-12:55 |
Accent Bias: Rethinking How to Develop Effective Listeners - Niamh Mullen - Senior Teaching Fellow/ Lecturer in EAP & Peter Matthews – Lecturer in EAP Enhancing EAP students' participation in the local community: an approach to teaching a local accent - Deak Kirkham – Lecturer in EAP ‘Teaching' Unconscious Bias to Foundation Year Healthcare Students - Nancy Woods – Lecturer in EAP |
|
| Roundtable | 12:55 – 13:25 | Invited staff (Fozia Bora - DHoS for LCS & Julia Snell - Associate Professor of English Language)
& invited students (Roza Szemis - BA in French, Mariam Fargin - MA researcher in LCS, Rayyan Uddin, BA in Arabic & Islamic Studies, Maram Saleh, AEPS student in LC and Cerys Hodson, BA in Arabic & French) Discussion led by Hanem El-Farahaty & Milena Marinkova |
| Closing remarks | 13:25 – 13:30 | Cecile De Cat |
For more information about the event: Please email: r.k.soliman@leeds.ac.uk.
This event is organised by:
Cecile De Cat (Professor of Linguistic and Director of Language@Leeds)
Hanem El-Farahaty (LCS Academic Lead for Inclusive Practice)
Gise Tome Lourido (Lecturer in Sociophonetics)
Milena Marinkova (Language Centre Academic Lead for Inclusive Practice)
Helen Sadig (Language Centre Director of Student Education)
Rasha Soliman (Director of Leeds Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching)