April 2016 NUI Galway Celebrate Multilingualism with Two Day Event

NUI Galway will host a public lecture and a one-day seminar series on multilingualism and language diversity in contemporary Ireland on 22 and 23 April in the Aula Maxima.  Both free events are open to the public and are part of NUI Galway’s official 1916 centenary programme.

On Friday, 22 April, at 7pm, Professor Antonella Sorace, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, will deliver a public lecture entitled ‘Why multilingualism matters: the view from linguistic and cognitive research’. Professor Sorace is a world-leading expert on multilingualism and is committed to disseminating her research findings beyond academia. She is the founding director of the information and consultancy centre ‘Bilingualism Matters’.

On Saturday, 23 April, leading researchers from Ireland and Europe will deliver a series of talks as part of a one-day seminar. Topics include multilingualism in education, in the home, in modern-day Europe and in speech and language therapy. All talks will be in English but will refer to a variety of languages including Irish, English, Chinese and Polish.

Insurgents in the GPO in April 1916 were joined by a Swede and a Finn, neither of whom could speak English. Then as now, linguistic diversity was part of Irish life, even in unusual circumstances. The public lecture and one-day seminar will investigate aspects of multilingualism in Ireland 2016.

Dr Rióna Ní Fhrighil, Lecturer in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at NUI Galway and Chairperson of the organising committee, said: “This is a unique opportunity for parents, teachers and other interested parties to hear about the latest research in the area of multilingualism and to discuss the challenges posed and the opportunities presented by linguistic diversity in Ireland 2016.”

Further information and the full programme is available at www.multilingualism2016.wordpress.com

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An t-Ilteangachas á Cheiliúradh in Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh

Beidh léacht phoiblí agus seimineár lae faoin ilteangachas in Éirinn na linne seo ar siúl san Aula Maxima’, OÉ Gaillimh, ar 22-23 Aibreán. Tá an dá imeacht mar chuid de chlár comórtha 1916 na hOllscoile. Beidh fáilte roimh an bpobal agus ní bheidh aon táille le híoc le freastal ar cheachtar den dá ócáid.

Ar an Aoine, 22 Aibreán ag 7pm, tabharfaidh an tOllamh Antonella Sorace, Ollscoil Dhún Éidinn, léacht phoiblí dar teideal ‘Why multilingualism matters: the view from linguistic and cognitive research’. Is saineolaí aitheanta ar an dátheangachas agus ar an ilteangachas í an tOllamh Sorace agus bhí sí ar dhuine de bhunaitheoirí ‘Bilingual Matters’, ionad eolais agus comhairleoireachta do thuismitheoirí atá ag tógáil clainne le dhá theanga. Is é an Dr Zbyszek Zalinski, iriseoir agus láithreoir le RTÉ, a dhéanfaidh cathaoirleacht ar an léacht phoiblí.

Ar an Satharn, 23 Aibreán, beidh saineolaithe ó Éirinn agus ó Mhór-roinn na hEorpa ag tabhairt cainteanna faoi ghnéithe éagsúla den ilteangachas, ina measc, sealbhú teangacha sa bhaile, páistí ilteangacha agus cúrsaí oideachais, an teiripe chainte agus urlabhraíochta. Cé go mbeidh na cainteanna ar fad trí mheán an Bhéarla, díreoidh na cainteoirí ar theangacha éagsúla an Pholainnis, an tSínis agus an Ghaeilge, san áireamh.

Bhí Sualannach agus Fionnlanach nach raibh aon Bhéarla ar a dtoil acu in éindí le lucht an Éirí Amach in Ard-Oifig an Phoist ar 24 Aibreán 1916. Mar atá anois ann, bhain éagsúlacht theangeolaíoch le saol na hÉireann an uair úd chomh maith, fiú amháin i gcásanna fíoreisceachtúla.

Deir an Dr Rióna Ní Fhrighil, Scoil na dTeangacha, Litríochtaí agus Cultúr agus duine den lucht eagair: “Beidh faill ag tuismitheoirí, ag múinteoirí agus ag an bpobal i gcoitinne tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoin ilteangachas féin agus faoi na deiseanna agus na dúshláin atá romhainn in Éirinn ilteangach na linne seo.”

Tá an clár iomlán chomh maith le heolas faoi na cainteoirí aonair ar fáil ag www.multilingualism2016.wordpress.com.

-Críoch-