Conference "Research methodologies and regional or minority language research"

The Conference “Research Methodologies and Regional or Minority Language Research”, will examine methodologies of researching the main challenges facing language policymakers and practitioners and how to engage with the more practical aspects of policy-making and implementation in the area of regional or minority languages (to use the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages).

Attention will also be given to responding to Oakes’ challenge of re-engaging with language planning and policy’s interdisciplinary origins by examining existing and potential multidisciplinary engagement with the field to address the complexities and challenges of fostering links across disciplines in research regarding regional or minority languages.

Amongst the key interest areas for considering methodologies to research regional or minority languages during the conference are:

• Promoting language use, particularly researching the factors and values affecting social language use;
• Including the voice of children and young people, and marginalised groups in research on regional and minority languages;
• Researching bilingualism;
• The potential of citizen science in research in this area;
• Methodologies for evaluating language policies and plans formulated as part of public policy;
• Landscapes;
• Research into technology and regional and minority languages and/or usage of technology as a research tool in researching these languages;
• Multidisciplinary research and challenges that call for multidisciplinary research, such as the impact of climate change on minority language communities, lesser-used languages, and artificial intelligence.

The conference will be organised as follows: sessions led by key speakers, panel sessions with papers being presented or panel discussion form, and posters.