Conference

Final conference of the Prolanguage project

‘The protective role of language in global migration and mobility: language policies and practices in refugee settings’

Dates: 20-21 September 2018

Location: University of Reading, London Road Campus, Building L022, Lecture Theatre G01, University of Reading

You can download a PDF of the programme here.

This is the final conference of ProLanguage, a multiple partner project that addressed how language and language policies in refugee camps, and in facilities outside refugee camps that are accessible to refugees, can enhance their physical and mental health, act as social protection, enhance their chances for mobility, and facilitate their integration into the destination society.

The conference will present the main findings of the project and will include presentations that address the main objectives of the project:

  • Explore how language can facilitate communication, access to information and services, and physical and psychological well-being of people living in refugee settings;
  • identify language needs in refugee camps in terms of education and health, including the language needs of Unaccompanied Minor Asylum-Seekers (UAMAS);
  • identify how language skills can enhance the mobility chances of people living in refugee camps;
  • explore how structures in refugee camps can support language needs/services and training of refugees providing useful and cost-effective support;
  • identify the training and professional development needs in terms of language teaching, language policy, and translation practice for people working or volunteering in refugee camps;
  • explore how social media and apps can be beneficial to language teaching, practice and policy, and evaluate the effectiveness of Computer Assisted Language Learning and Massive Open Online Courses for providing education for hard to reach learners;
  • share good practice between people working in education and health inside or outside refugee camps;
  • explore whether book-sharing activities are suited for children in refugee settings.

For more information about the ProLanguage project, see https://research.reading.ac.uk/prolanguage/

As part of the conference a photography exhibition by Luca Prestia will be organised at the Holybrook Gallery at the Reading Library.

The conference will also include a concert by Limpopo Groove on the 21st September at the South Street Arts Centre.

Registration is free for this conference.

Please note: Registration will now be closed after the 18th September.

Please contact registration@venuereading.com for any queries.

The Conference is organised by the Centre for Literacy & Multilingualism at the University of Reading.

Organising committee: Theo Marinis, Federico Faloppa, Tony Capstick, Shirley Reynolds & Doug Saddy