MultiDiv 2021

28^th June-16^th July 2021, Online

MultiDiv is a specialised and highly intensive summer programme for students and academic/non-academic stakeholders interested in Multilingualism, Diversity and Social Justice pedagogy, policy and research from a Linguistics, Modern Languages and Translation Studies angle. MultiDiv is a unique hub which brings together senior academics as well as UG (undergraduate) /PG (postgraduate) research developed through the formal curriculum and relevant extracurricular activities. It takes the form of an intensive, two-week-long activity and involves workshops, data training and sessions on interpreting research for wider audiences, policy makers and the media most notably. In cross-university teams, students design and carry out an original research project on Multilingualism, typically from a Linguistic Landscape angle. Below, you can read about some of the projects our 2021 students undertook, in the form of blog posts.

Aims

The linguistically diverse nature of contemporary societies is related to a range of complex phenomena in the areas of:

• language policy and practice
• language contact and change
• translation, interpreting and heritage learning
• public sector translation/interpretation
• translation and human rights

These constitute areas in which Monash and Warwick have an unbroken history of world-leading research. MultiDiv builds on this expertise and aims to push further current knowledge in the field.

MultiDiv and MITN share a commitment to supporting student research and the development of early career researchers. MultiDiv includes all students, undergraduate and postgraduate, as equal participants and is keen to encourage and embed further undergraduate research in the curricula of the two institutions. It aims to become a global hub of excellence for the study of multilingualism and diversity.

Organisers

MultiDiv is led by the following academics as part of the Monash Warwick Alliance:

• Professor Jo AngouriLink opens in a new window (Warwick)
• Dr Chantal WrightLink opens in a new window (Warwick)
• Dr Louisa WilloughbyLink opens in a new window (Monash)
• Professor Kate BurridgeLink opens in a new window (Monash)

Student blogs

Did you know that your public library acts as a community centre? This is because it brings people together from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Or at least, it does in theory.

In this study, we examined three libraries to see whether this is actually the case. We focused on how Chinese speaking communities were represented in three public libraries: Coventry Central Library, Bristol Central Library, and Knox Library in Melbourne. According to the 2011 UK census and the 2016 Australian census, there is a large Chinese-speaking proportion of the population in Knox, Coventry and Bristol, which made this minority group highly interesting to us.

Our project was guided by a specific focus on stock. We paid close attention to the presence of different languages to ultimately see if the libraries provide for the Chinese-speaking community. We asked the question: How are Knox Library, Coventry Library and Bristol Library using stock—through display, language choice, and stock titles—to provide for the Chinese-speaking community?

Read the full blog here.

Have you ever eaten at a Chinese restaurant and been befuddled by the menu? Have you skipped past a restaurant because it had no English—or do you prefer the authenticity?

We explored how Chinese restaurants use multilingualism to construct and market a collective identity, across three Melbourne suburbs. Chinese use correlated with the Chinese ethnic population, but also constructed a restaurant microculture. This has implications for government language policy, cultural relations, and the definition of collective identity.

Read the full blog hereLink opens in a new window.