Seminar - Teaching and researching language and migration

You are cordially invited to attend a research seminar by Tony Capstick, University of Reading. Follow the link in your calendar email invitations(Join Microsoft Teams Meeting) to join the seminar on Wednesday, 5th May at 13.00.

Abstract:

In this talk I explain approaches to researching the relationship between language and migration and teaching university undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to language and migration. I will be drawing on two modules which I currently teach at the University of Reading: Language and Migration which is a final year BA and MA module for students in the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics, and Globalisation and Language which is a first-year university-wide module.

In the first part of the talk I focus on how I identified topics to include in each module, the theories which help us explore these topics and the different perspectives needed for interdisciplinary work on migration. Topics range from colonialism to transnationalism and globalisation and are explored through the lens of different communities of speakers and writers, with a particular emphasis on the communicative practices of migrants in countries of destination and origin.

The final part of the talk focuses on the pedagogical approaches I have developed to help students grasp some of the complexities of language use in contexts of migration. I describe how I use case studies from different parts of the world, the transnational partnerships I have set up with agencies in the UK and overseas, and the assessment types that I have designed. I end with a brief introduction to the Language and Migration textbook which was published recently by Routledge and how it can be used with students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.