On 27 June, the University of Bath celebrates the 10th anniversary of the LanGW4 consortium, formed in 2014. Read on to hear from Dr Irene Macías, Associate Professor in Spanish Studies, about LanGW4 and why this anniversary is so important.
Event schedule - morning session
You can expect an interesting mix of panel discussions as well as a roundtable and keynote speech, with plenty of time for networking. Panel 1 in the morning focuses on EDI, while the afternoon panel dives into AI.
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 - 10:30 | Welcome and registration with refreshments | |
| 10:30 - 10:40 | Opening remarks | |
| 10:40 - 10:55 | Panel 1: “Contesting Institutional Whiteness in the Year Abroad: YA and Placement Experiences of Black Students and Students of Colour” | Keji Kamoju and Dr Penny Miles (University of Bath) |
| 11:00 - 11:15 | Panel 1: “Decolonising the teaching/learning of Spanish: reflections and pedagogical developments” | Paula Antela Costa (University of Bristol), Dr Macarena Jiménez Naranjo (UCL) |
| 11:20 - 11:35 | Panel 1: “Enhancing linguistic diversity and community identity through cultural events in educational programs” | Dr Yan Wen-Thornton, Dr Xiaoxi Sun (University of Exeter) |
| 11:40 - 11:55 | Panel 1: “Performative teaching in the Italian language class: an inclusive pedagogical approach” | Enrico Cecconi (University of Bath) |
| 11:55 - 12:05 | Q&A for all presentations | |
| 12:05 - 12:20 | Break and refreshments | |
| 12:25 - 13:10 | Roundtable on the Year Abroad | Dr Steve Wharton (University of Bath), Dr Ian Foster (University of Bristol), Dr Conny Opitz (Cardiff University), Alice Farris (University of Exeter) |
Lunch break: This will be provided so please ensure you notify the host institution of any special dietary requirements when registering.
Event schedule - afternoon session
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 14:00 - 14:50 | Keynote address: “Drawing on a linguistics toolkit for a more diverse and inclusive language learning experience” | Dr Sascha Stollhans (University of Leeds) |
| 14:50 - 15:00 | Break and refreshments | |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | Panel 2: “Exploring the dynamics of AI in foreign language education: Balancing challenges, opportunities, and ethical engagement” | Cathy Molinaro, Nazaret Perez-Nieto, Dr Angelo Silvestri (Cardiff University) |
| 15:20 - 15:35 | Panel 2: "Lights, camera, action! Using collaborative filmmaking to combat AI and enhance language learning" | Dr Marga Navarrete, Dr Mazal Oaknín, Dr Macarena Jiménez Naranjo (UCL) |
| 15:40 - 15:55 | Panel 2: "How our institutions approach AI in teaching and learning" | Chloe Laborde (University of Bristol) |
| 15:55 - 16:05 | Q&A for all presentations | |
| 16:05 - 16:15 | Your views, your LanGW4: feedback |
An interview with Dr Irene Macías
What is LanGW4? LanGW4 is a consortium that brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter with a focus on languages. We joined forces in 2014, right after the GW4 alliance was born. We were inspired to collaborate, but as the GW4 alliance covered research, and our aim was to create network with a focus on pedagogy and languages, we set up our own consortium. And we thought that the best way to come together was to celebrate an annual colloquium where colleagues from across the four universities could network and exchange innovative ideas on good practice. We held the first one in Bath, thanks to the then newly launched Faculty TDFs and some financial support from the University of Exeter, and since then, every year we have rotated the host university. This will be the third time for Bath.
What would you say are the main achievements of these ten years? There are so many, really, but I will start with some of our tangible outputs. In these ten years, we have shared more than 50 papers from colleagues across the four universities; we have listened to stimulating keynotes by leading voices in the field on topics such as decolonizing Modern Languages, teaching translation from a multilingual approach, artificial intelligence in education, intercultural competence skills in the digital age, and many more. Some of these keynotes were published in a special issue guest-edited by us of the peer-reviewed journal Language, Culture and Curriculum. “Modern languages as an academic discipline: where next? Five years of scholarship and collaboration: LanGW4”, 32(3).
Beyond those tangible outputs, I am very proud that we have come a long way as a community. Despite the fact that we are competitors when it comes to student recruitment, we have shown that collaboration trumps competition when it comes to advancing our discipline. LanGW4 is very committed to creating a supporting environment for our colleagues’ professional development as language educators, and to advancing our academic discipline. I am immensely proud that our colloquiums have become an important date in our academic calendar. Also, we have created links beyond the GW4 alliance; for the last few years we have invited an external university, creating lasting connections with other HE institutions in the country. This year our invited university is University College London.
Finally, how come it’s your tenth anniversary but your 9th Colloquium? I am afraid Covid has a lot to do with that. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our event in 2021. Anyway, we bounced back the following year with renewed energy. And this year is definitely a celebration! Ten years is an important milestone, a testament to our commitment and stamina. So here’s to making the next ten years just as special and fruitful!