Global Voices An Exploration and Celebration of Language 2025
Global Voices An Exploration and Celebration of Language 2025
June 30th, University of Liverpool
The third Global Voices conference, with the theme Learning Languages in Multilingual Spaces, took place on 30 June 2025 in the elegant setting of the School of Arts Library at the University of Liverpool. The event marked the continuation of the successful collaboration between SIL (Support Inspire Learn, formerly School Improvement Liverpool) and CTELL, bringing together academic research from the University and the expertise of practicing teachers. The conference focused on the teaching of languages, both English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL).
The event began with a keynote address by Dr Peter Skrandies (London School of Economics) titled Teaching ‘foreign’ and ‘other’ languages. Dr Skrandies explored traditional categorizations of languages—such as home, heritage, community, minority, and ‘foreign’ languages—where ‘foreign’ I usually associated with monolingual native speaker norms and nation-states. He explored more inclusive frameworks that recognize the rich potential of multilingual communities and linguistic landscapes, encouraging educators to view “City-zens” as valuable resources in the classroom.
Three workshop sessions followed, each offering unique perspectives on language teaching in multilingual contexts:
- Dr Victorina Gonzalez and Dr Sofia Lampropoulou (University of Liverpool) presented their research in a session titled Oracy, local dialect and language teaching: the case of Liverpool English. They emphasized the importance of oracy in education and advocated for the inclusion of regional dialects, such as Liverpool English. They concluded with a call for more inclusive oracy education policies that validate regional varieties of English and contribute to a more empowering educational environment for all pupils.
- In her workshop Thinking in Two Tongues: Tapping into Home Languages to Boost Learning, Lisa Brennan explored ways to support multilingual learners by valuing, rather than sidelining, their home languages. Participants engaged with tools and activities designed to foster cognitive and linguistic transfer, while also reflecting on unconscious language hierarchies.
- Ana Bela Almeida (University of Liverpool) led a session titled Beyond the Book: Enriching Literature in Language Learning Pedagogy, which explored the integration of paratextual materials—such as interviews, podcasts, and news articles—into literature-based language teaching.
The conference concluded with a thought-provoking plenary by Dr Ursula Kania (University of Liverpool), titled How we can talk about bi-/multilingualism – and why it matters. Dr Kania raised important questions about the conceptualisation of language practices. Who gets to decide who counts as ‘bilingual’ or ‘multilingual’ and whose language practices are seen as beneficial? She highlighted the far-reaching implications of these issues for language policies and for the construction of linguistic identities.
