Multiling Annual Report 2014 Center for Multilingualism in Society Across the Lifespan
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MULTILING ANNUAL REPORT 2014 CENTER FOR MULTILINGUALISM IN SOCIETY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN MULTILING 3 3 CONTENTS 4 DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION 15 PEOPLE 29 THEME REPORTS 30 THEME 1 MULTILINGUAL COMPETENCE 36 THEME 2 MULTILINGUAL CHOICE AND PRACTICES 40 THEME 3 MANAGEMENT OF MULTILINGUALISM: LANGUAGE POLICY AND IDEOLOGIES 47 RESEARCHER TRAINING 53 NEW EXTERNAL FUNDING 57 PUBLIC OUTREACH 63 ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS 75 APPENDICES 76 1. INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, COLLABORATORS AND AFFILIATES 78 2. EVENTS AT MULTILING 80 3. OTHER GUESTS IN 2014 81 4. TALKS OUTSIDE MULTILING 85 5. SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS MultiLing MultiLing investigates how we learn several languages, how we use them in different situations and how sociopolitical factors influence multilingualism – across the lifespan. MultiLing collabo- rates with researchers all over the world and across disciplines. Our goal is to contribute to a language policy that addresses the opportunities and challenges of our multilingual society. COVER PHOTO DESIGN: These photos of a Fete Typer great-grandmother PHOTOS: speaking with her Nadia Frantsen great-grandson TRANSLATION: illustrate MultiLing’s Akasie språktjenester AS lifespan perspective. PAPER: 250/130g silk ANNUAL REPORT 2014 DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION MULTILING 4 5 MultiLing’s innovativeness is captured in our goal to address the lifespan in the study of multilingualism and to bridge the gap between psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic approaches to multilingualism. Elizabeth Lanza Director of MultiLing DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION 2014 WAS AN EVENTFUL 2014 was a very busy year for Some highlights in 2014 MultiLing. New hirings and long- All of the activities in 2014 were YEAR FILLED WITH term visiting guest researchers motivated by MultiLing’s goal to expanded and reinforced the team; generate beyond state-of-the-art ACTIVITIES, BOTH SCIENTIFIC MultiLing’s Graduate School was scientific knowledge on individual AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, launched; cooperation at local, and societal multilingualism across national and international levels was the lifespan and to address the chal- AT HOME AND ABROAD. established and further extended; lenges and potential multilingualism and research results were presented involves for the individual in the and published in various distin- family, in institutions and in society guished forums and outlets. All of in general. MultiLing has an excit- these events and accomplishments ing research agenda with scientific have contributed to making the activities organized along three Center highly visible and recognized mutually dependent and interre- as an exciting venue for the study of lated themes covering multilingual multilingualism. competence, multilingual practices We held 56 guest lectures at and the management of multilin- a fruitful endeavor, and further study of multilingualism across the MultiLing with many international gualism. MultiLing’s innovativeness installments of this sort are sure lifespan. Although all three colloquia speakers. MultiLing’s researchers is captured in our goal to address the to come in the future. are vital for the Center’s research, participated with 105 presentations lifespan in the study of multilingual- focus is placed on the various colloquia MULTILING’S in international and national confer- ism and to bridge the gap between The overarching Colloquia at different times. In 2014, Colloquia 1 ences. We can boast of 54 academic more psycholinguistically/cognitively MultiLing hosted many activities in and 2 were charted on our timeline ACTIVITIES ARE publications. Moreover, new hirings oriented approaches to the study of 2014. MultiLing’s scientific activi- of milestones. Bridging the gap and ORGANIZED ALONG brought in three new postdoctoral multilingualism and more sociolin- ties are organized along what we maximizing the impact of research fellows and two new PhD fellows to guistically oriented ones. call “colloquia” – overarching foci tools were central aspects of the “COLLOQUIA” – the expanding and vibrant MultiLing for various types of activities, such international workshop on Assessing OVERARCHING team. We currently have 4 men and MultiLing – Quo Vadis? as seminars, workshops, and guest Assessment Tools held in October at 29 women among our researchers. We kicked off the year with a day- lectures. Colloquium 1 focuses on MultiLing. Researchers from six FOCI FOR ACTIVITIES In this introduction to MultiLing’s long seminar entitled MultiLing bridging psycholinguistic and soci- countries, who had been involved SUCH AS SEMINARS, annual report for 2014, I would like – Quo Vadis? This event allowed olinguistic approaches to the study in the COST network on Language to highlight some of the events from the expanding MultiLing team to of multilingualism. Colloquium 2 Impairment in a Multilingual Society, WORKSHOPS, AND the year, especially the annual meet- become better acquainted with one concentrates on maximizing the were invited to Oslo to discuss the GUEST LECTURES ing of the Scientific Advisory Board another’s current and planned pro- impact of quantitative and quali- further development of psycholin- and the first site visit by represent- jects through speed presentations, tative approaches to the study of guistic and sociolinguistic assess- atives from the Research Council of in addition to group discussions multilingualism through research ment tools for research and clinical Norway. In conclusion, I outline the and brainstorming on future plans tools for analysis, while Colloquium use along with researchers at challenges that await us in 2015. and visions for MultiLing. This was 3 addresses social relevance in the MultiLing. ANNUAL REPORT 2014 DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION MULTILING 6 7 MultiLing’s Graduate School was launched in 2014. With internationally acclaimed scholars as instructors and highly motivated participants, the energy level at these courses truly contributed to their success. Photo: John Hughes/UiO Colloquium 3 deals with addressing Winter School in Multilingualism, social relevance, and although not the theme for which was Early specified on our timeline for 2014, it Multilingualism in the Family. The is an important aspect of our enter- instructors were Scientific Advisory prise, with many of our researchers Board member Annick De Houwer contributing actively to the public (Germany) and collaborating partner agenda. Xiao-Lan Curdt-Christiansen (Singapore/now UK). In September, the The Research Campaign Summer School in Multilingualism The most important public outreach had the theme Different Approaches event this year, and indeed a major to Multilingualism (Social, Cognitive, one, was the Research Campaign in and Psychological) with collaborating the schools Take the temperature of partner Gabriele Kasper (USA) and THE MOST language! held in the fall of 2014 with Lourdes Ortega (USA) as instruc- IMPORTANT this year’s theme focused on the tors. With internationally acclaimed linguistic diversity in Norway. The scholars in their respective fields PUBLIC OUTREACH campaign is an annual concerted as instructors and highly motivated EVENT THIS YEAR effort organized by the Research participants, the energy level at these Council of Norway and the Norwegian courses truly contributed to their WAS THE RESEARCH Centre for Science Education in success. Present were PhD fellows CAMPAIGN IN THE collaboration with a research unit. not only from MultiLing but also from Beach, to work closely with Alexandra On September 26, the European Day While the annual events usually other Norwegian institutions; more- SCHOOLS ’TAKE THE Jaffe, an expert in linguistic anthro- of Languages, Monika Schmid (Essex cater to the natural sciences, over, a few candidates also came TEMPERATURE pology. Doctoral fellow Yesim Sevinç University/ Groningen University) MultiLing managed to make the from abroad. At the Summer School, was awarded a place at the Peder held the annual Einar Haugen lecture winning bid to turn the tide and have participation from Ethiopia (the OF LANGUAGE!’ Sather Center for Advanced Study at with the provocative title “When the campaign focus on language, NORHED project) and South Africa the University of California, Berkeley your language is your only passport”. thanks to the arduous efforts of was ensured, thanks to stipends pro- for a six-month stay from October In her lecture, Schmid discussed the MultiLing’s Deputy Director Bente vided by MultiLing. The truly inter- to April 2015. Moreover, in 2014, practice of Language Analysis for Ailin Svendsen. The Deputy Director national profile of the participants MultiLing welcomed interna- the Determination of Origin (LADO) is responsible for communication and was very stimulating for the learning tional researchers to Oslo for short as it is used across Europe to deter- promotion of the Center’s research, environment. Scientific Advisory research stays. Notably, three young mine the veracity of asylum seekers’ and this event was successfully Board member Loraine Obler taught French researchers were able to claims of origin, illustrating the prob- orchestrated by Svendsen along with the first part of a special research come to MultiLing, thanks to the lems and pitfalls. The lecture was Else Ryen and Kristin Vold Lexander. course aimed at both MA students generosity of the mobility program well attended by an academic and And what an exciting event it was! and PhD candidates on Communication support scheme of the Programme public audience. Pupils at Vassbonn Primary Children across the country were and Brain in Multilingual Aging.