Highlights from the Fifth Symposium of Southern Ontario Universities on "Reimagining Languages and Literacies in Education"

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 was a vibrant forum for thoughtful discussions, innovative ideas, and research-informed discourse striving to shape the future of emerging research and praxis in Languages and Literacies Education.

Held both in-person and online, this event brought together over 130 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 by Dr. Walcir Cardoso from Concordia University and Dr. Constanza Tolosa from the University of Auckland. A hybrid panel discussion on the role of research centres featured insights from 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.

Students, faculty members and graduate researchers showcased their work with energy and enthusiasm, engaging with insights and feedback from other scholars. The event provided a 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, facilitating the exchange of ideas and engagement in conversation.

The participation of students and scholars with diverse academic backgrounds encouraged interdisciplinary dialogue and highlighted potential synergies that may advance future educational research on languages and literacies.

The success of the Symposium reaffirms CERLL’s commitment to nurture research excellence and provide a welcoming place for students, faculty and researchers to gather and exchange ideas.