UCML Winter Plenary 2021: Adapting/Shaping Change

The UCML Winter Plenary, entitled “UCML Winter Plenary 2021: Adapting/Shaping Change” took place via Zoom on Friday 15 January 2021.

Timetable

Time	Session
10-11.30am	UCML Business Meeting (papers below)
12.30-12.45pm	Log-on for Afternoon Workshops
12.45-1.45pm	Special Interest Groups: Year Abroad (12.45-1.05pm) Early Career Academics (1.05-1.25pm) AMLUK (1.25-1.45pm)
1.45-2.00pm	Break
2.00-3.00pm	Change in Challenging Times
3.00-3.15pm	Break
3.15-4.15pm	Rethinking Research/Teaching Directions for Languages
4.15-4.30pm	Review and Concluding Remarks

Workshops

Special Interest Groups (12.45-1.45pm)

This session comprised three 20-minute updates from UCML’s three Special Interest Groups, which each gave an overview of activities and future plans, as well as giving opportunity for discussion. These sessions were led by Jonathan Long (Year Abroad); Hilary Potter and Dominique Carlini-Versini (Early Career Academics); and Godela Weiss-Sussex (AMLUK, Alliance of Modern Languages, Area Studies and Linguistics Subject Associations UK).

Change in Challenging Times (2-3pm)

This session gave an overview of how ML departments and language sectors have responded to change, including an overview of the ‘(re)creating modern languages’ project from Liz Wren-Owens, followed by an exploration of the IWLP aspects of the project from AULC Chair, Mark Critchley. It also included a discussion of the subject survey carried out by UCML’s outgoing Lusophone Studies Representative, Hilary Owen.

UCML/IMLR joint panel: Rethinking Research/Teaching Directions for Languages (3.15-4.15pm)

This session was led by the incoming IMLR Directory, Charles Burdett, and showcased three projects that highlight new and emergent directions in languages research/teaching from across the UK. The session included presentations from Rafaella Folli and Christina Svedali (Ulster), Amaleena Damlé (Durham), and Joe Ford (IMLR).