LESLLA 19th Annual Symposium - Bridging the gap between research and practice with LESLLA Learners: challenges and opportunities

If only connect: L2 multiliteracies, socio-emotional factors and inclusion

There is a growing interest in research on multiliteracy and additional languages, which offers new approaches to literacy problems and recommends a pedagogy of multiliteracy as an inclusive pedagogical practice. The pedagogy of multiliteracies represents  much more than a shift from print-based literacy to 21st century multiple forms through which learners can learn and create meaning. Today, in order to be fully integrated into a society and live a prosperous life, every citizen needs to be literate in many areas that overlap with language literacy. Multiple literacies represent several key challenges related to language learning: the beneficial use of multimodality, giving voice to all students in order to develop citizens' critical thinking skills, and the implementation of inclusion practises. In this sense, LLESLA's needs have been analysed and, as a result, different language programmes have been designed, but there is still room to reflect on the socio-affective drivers of cultural connectedness between (and among) migrants from different countries and native speakers of the host country.

This lecture explores the different dimensions corresponding to the L2 multiliteracies framework for migrants and considers the role of language teachers in affirming cultural openness, engagement, positive emotions, motivation, sense of belonging and connectedness for inclusion in the school context.

The Catalonia of 300 languages

In the first decade of the 21st century, Catalonia received one and a half million people from all over the world. One of the most obvious effects of this demographic change is that Catalonia has ceased to be a bilingual country. Currently, between 10-12% of Catalans do not have either Catalan or Spanish as their first language and our linguistic landscape has been enriched with more than 300 languages. In the plenary we will talk about the attitudes towards Catalan, the effects that the linguistic situation in Catalonia has had on speakers of subordinate languages, the transmission of the languages ​​of origin and the function of these languages ​​in education.

Trying to make LESLLA real in Catalonia in 2023: situation, challenges and future developments

Catalonia is an autonomous nationality within the Spanish State with two main official languages, Catalan and Spanish. In comparative terms, Catalonia is currently one of the European territories with a higher rate of people born abroad, many of whom have arrived without knowing one or both official languages. In this presentation, we will begin by briefly describing the reality of Catalonia in demographic, sociolinguistic and legal terms in order to adequately frame the activities of literacy education and second language learning for adults. We will then review the regulatory framework in which most activities take place, and review the institutions responsible for offering this training. Once both the general sociolinguistic framework and the training institutions have been drawn, we will analyze the results that are being obtained using various sources, and we will take stock of the achievements, the shortcomings and the challenges that must be faced. Finally, in view of this balance, we will consider what reforms should be undertaken in the field of language training for adults and we will explore the possibilities of these reforms being applied in the coming years.