You're kindly invited to our next virtual Plurilingual Lab Speaker Series event with Dr. Enrica Piccardo of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto:
The Role of Mediation for Plurilingualism in Language Education
The concept of mediation has been studied in psychology, pedagogy and the social sciences. In language education, mediation is central to all aspects of knowledge (co)construction and may take place within one language variety or between and among languages, requiring plurilingual action. In turn this implies acting as an intermediary across linguistic and cultural barriers or facilitating pluricultural space in which creativity can flourish, concepts can be developed and issues can be more easily addressed. In the last two decades since the publication of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, a richer conceptualization of mediation has emerged and this broader view has informed the development of new illustrative descriptors for mediation and related areas in the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020). These mediation descriptors foster a new dynamic and plurilingual attitude towards languages and their use. The talk will first introduce the concept of mediation in the new CEFR and the way it fosters a new dynamic and plurilingual attitude towards languages and their use. It will then explore the role of mediation in language learning and in the construction of learners’ plurilingual profiles. Finally, the talk will discuss the role of mediation in facilitating the protection of our societies’ linguistic and cultural biodiversity.
Dr Enrica Piccardo is a Professor in the Languages and Literacies Education Program (Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning) and the Head of the Centre for Educational Research in Languages and Literacies at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Her research is centred around second/foreign language learning and teaching, plurilingualism and bi-/multilingualism, the impact of the CEFR on language teaching and assessment, complexity theories, and creativity in language acquisition.
When: February 25, 2021
Time: 12pm (noon) (EST, Montreal)
Mode of delivery: synchronous via Zoom
All attendees must register. Register here
This is a public event and all are welcome. This Speaker Series is co-organized by the BILD Research Group and McGill's Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE) Research Talks. A recording will be made available on our YouTube channel.
