Symposium 2024 Highlights
Symposium Highlights
On October 04-05, the Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies (CERLL) co-organized the Fifth Symposium of the Southern Ontario Universities, sponsored by CERLL, Western University and Niagara College.
With the theme of ‘Reimagining Languages and Literacies Education’, the two-day symposium, hosted by Western University, was a vibrant hub for thoughtful discussions, innovative ideas, and research-informed discourse striving to shape the future of emerging research and praxis in Languages and Literacies Education.
The event saw robust participation from across Ontario, Canada and beyond, both in-person and online, and brought together over 120 educators, researchers, and students to present, and engage with expert insights on the evolving landscape of language and education research. The symposium featured more than 45 presentations, 7 panel discussions, roundtables and plenary talks: the first day by Dr. Walcir Cardoso from Concordia University and the second day by Dr. Constanza Tolosa from the University of Auckland. A hybrid panel discussion was also held on the role of research centres with the participation of Dr. Enrica Piccardo, Dr. Jim Cummins, Aisha Adebayo and Lisa Lackner from CERLL, OISE and Dr. Angelica Galante, Jon Wayne dela Cruz, and Yunjia Xie from the Plurilingual Lab, McGill University.
One of the highlights of the Symposium was the energy and the enthusiasm with which students, faculty members and graduate researchers presented and showcased their work. This opportunity offered an invaluable experience and a free of charge platform for students and early-stage researchers to share their emerging ideas and engage with insights and feedback from other scholars.
The event afforded an excellent forum for educators, researchers, and students alike to foster meaningful connections through networking sessions, panels and roundtable discussions. The beautiful venue and the hospitality provided by Western University created a welcoming atmosphere, offering opportunities to exchange ideas freely and engage in candid and pertinent conversations.
Through the participation of students and scholars with diverse academic backgrounds, and from various universities across Southern Ontario and beyond, the event encouraged interdisciplinary dialogue. It prompted not only the exchange of ideas but also highlighted the potential of promising synergies for advancing the future of educational research on languages and literacies.
The success of the Symposium reaffirms CERLL’s commitment as a leading centre providing a welcoming and conducive environment for students, faculty and researchers to gather, share and engage with research, nurturing academic and research excellence in the field.
