About this event
Europe has experienced major waves of refugee immigration, which has led to over a million refugees and asylum seekers across EU countries to date. Children and adults have been equally affected and often placed in marginalised positions by their host communities who often failed to fully value their contributions. This event, which has been organised by the BAAL Multilingualism SIG and hosted by Newcastle University’s School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, celebrates the linguistic and cultural contributions of refugees, both children and adults, in Europe. It will bring together researchers, practitioners and members of the public interested in current debates about refugee integration in Europe.
Programme
10:00 – Welcome by the BAAL Multilingualism SIG Committee
10:10 – Keynote: LADO in the UK: Does it work?. Dr Mohammed Ateek (Birkbeck, University of London)
10:40 – Teaching refugee children in Cyprus: Developing inclusive and multilingual practices. Dr Alexandra Georgiou (University of Nicosia)
Ms Rena Choplarou, Mr Giorgos Stogias (Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Republic of Cyprus)
11:00 – Break
11:10 – Success stories of highly-skilled refugees in Europe. Dr Sara Ganassin, Dr Alina Schartner (Newcastle University)& Dr Stefanie Schneider (The Open University)
11:30 – Q&A. Chair: Dr Judith Reynolds (Cardiff University)
11:50 – Closing remarks
Speakers’ bios
Dr Mohammed Ateek is a Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL in the Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London. Mohammed’s main areas of interest are theories and practice of TESOL, language and migration, and Language Analysis for Determination of Origin (LADO). He also researches the role of language in refugee/migrant education and how it facilitates social cohesion in hostile environments.
Dr Judith Reynolds is a Lecturer at the Centre for Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University, UK. Her research examines legal advice communication between immigration lawyers and refugee and asylum seeking clients in the UK, engaging with issues of intercultural communication, legal-lay communication, professional and institutional communication, and critical perspectives on multilingual interaction.
Dr Alexandra Georgiou is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Education at the University of Nicosia. Her research focuses on inclusive education and multilingual teaching and learning drawing on sociocultural perspectives. She shows special interest on the ways in which researchers and practitioners create inclusive practices that allow refugee children’s voices to the forefront.
George Stogias studied at the University of Crete and University of Cyprus (Curriculum Studies). He has been working for three decades with children in diverse contexts (e.g. SOS Children’s Villages, Faneromeni Educational Priority Zone, Private and public schools, Summer Camps). He directed dozens of plays with children and adults. His work includes the novel Spring Semester (APOPIRA, 2013), the theatrical Excretions to kill (APOPIRA, 2015) and the collection of short stories The Last Wheel of the Carriage (MELANI, 2018).
Rena Choplarou holds a BA in Primary School Education, University of Crete; a BEd (Hons) from the Faculty of Education, University of Greenwich; a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies from the Institute of Education, a post Ad. Certificate in Theatre Education, from the Central School of Speech and Drama, London. An educator, teacher trainer and author of educational materials, she has been working in schools (public and private sector) and universities in London, Athens and Nicosia since 1996.
Dr Sara Ganassin is a Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Newcastle University, UK. Sara teaches and researches in intercultural communication and sociolinguistics, with a particular interest for migrant and refugee communities and heritage language maintenance. Sara has also worked for seven years in the voluntary sector as project coordinator with refugee women and young people
Dr Alina Schartner teaches and researches intercultural communication at Newcastle University, UK. Her research interests focus on internationally mobile individuals and groups, including refugees and international students. She is especially interested in intercultural adjustment and adaptation.
Dr Stefanie Schneider is a Lecturer in Intercultural Communication at the Open University, UK. One of her main research interests lies in intercultural communication in the workplace, and she currently creates short courses in Intercultural Competence in a range of professional settings for the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures.