The MultiLX project: Strategies to strengthen European linguistic capital in the globalised world

Katharina Brizić

Abstract:

In my talk I will present first snapshots from the EU-HORIZON project MultiLX (https://multilx.com/) currently conducted at nine universities across Europe. The German part is associated with the University of Freiburg and the autonomous migrant organisation YEKMAL in Berlin. The latter was founded as a Kurdish-based social services organisation mainly conducted by – and for – political refugees as well as Kurdish-speaking families from Turkey. Over time, however, the multilingualism characterising any Kurdish context has attracted many other migrant communities throughout Berlin and now performs its services in at least nine languages (Kurdish-Kurmanji, KurdishZazaki, Kurdish Sorani, Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, Aramaic, German and English, among others). In my talk I will present empirical examples of multilingual everyday activities observed at numerous YEKMAL sites, such as a reception centre for unaccompanied minors, a Saturday language and arts school for children, language-biographical work with parents, a women’s café, a fathers’ café, adult language classes, mobile social aid, and others. The ambitious aim will be to present to German political authorities and the public what multilingualism can achieve in areas of public interest.

Zoom-Link

Meeting ID: 580 775 4066

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