How many languages are Indigenous to the United Kingdom?
What are the three most widely spoken languages in London?
Why is language diversity important?
The first Syracuse London Symposium of the Spring 2023 semester celebrated International Mother Language Day on Tuesday, 21 February. Attendees were invited to explore ‘lost in translation’ idioms; discuss the implications of linguistic diversity on social and political equity with guest expert Dr Guyanne Wilson from UCL; and consider the impact of English as a lingua franca through testimonies from current students.
Before entering the Faraday Auditorium, participants were sent through ‘passport control’ and received a language passport. They were then directed to sit in ‘language territories’ around the room, where they worked in small groups to learn about their assigned language. Learn more about London’s rich linguistic diversity by browsing the passports:
During the second half of the Symposium, Dr Guyanne Wilson engaged the audience in a consideration of “Language ideologies and social disadvantage”.
Dr Wilson was born in Trinidad and Tobago and now lives in London as the Quirk Lecturer in English Linguistics at University College London. Guyanne holds a BA in English Language and Communication from King’s College London, an MPhil in English Linguistics from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in English Philology and Applied Linguistics from the University of Muenster.
You can review Dr Wilson’s slides below.
