Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Speaking our language at international conference
Building on the success of the LGW conference, held in September 2012, Languages at Leeds Beckett held their second event on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May.
The LGW is a biennial conference that provides a forum for teachers and researchers who are interested in the exploration and exchange of research findings, experience and perspectives in language teaching, language learning and language skills development.
Our second conference brought together academics, teacher trainers, materials development experts and PhD students concerned with discourse analysis, bilingual and multilingual education, multilingualism and plurilingualism in a globalised world, language learning provisions in the wider curriculum, languages and the world of work, digital age and its implications on research and language learning and teaching.
The call for contribution went global and attracted speakers from Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Nigeria, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, UAE, UK, Hong Kong and USA. 85% of presenters came from outside the United Kingdom.
Dr Théophile Munyangeyo, the Chair of the LGW, said: “This biannual international conference allows us to increase our visibility nationally and internationally. It enhances our networking opportunities, strengthens our credibility in research and teaching and provides us with a unique opportunity to showcase our research outputs in languages.”
In his opening remarks, Dr John Minten, Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor of the Carnegie Faculty, expressed his commitment to supporting research and enterprise initiatives in languages, raising the profile of research in this area of our University and expanding curriculum developments.
Dr Minten commented: “Leeds Beckett University takes pride in internationalisation where languages play a key role; this conference is very important to us as it paves that path. The LGW is here to stay and grow, and I am looking forward to opening the third LGW in two years.”
Delegates praised the organisation, the quality of keynotes and the variety of topics presented in different parallel sessions.