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Revitalisation of Linguistic Diversity & Cultural Heritage

18/10/2026

Three LocalLing colleagues - Prof. Gratien Atindogbé and Prof. Michael E. Apuge from the University of Buea, Cameroon, and Dr. Messan Tossa from the National Archives of Togo - recently completed a secondment at the University of Thessaly in Volos.

Their activities included research meetings and knowledge exchange on documenting local linguistic practices, the role of language in shaping local identities, and the integration of linguistic heritage into education. They also discussed shared research challenges and opportunities for future publications and academic collaboration.

Many thanks to Achilleas Kostoulas and the whole University of Thessaly team for hosting our colleagues and helping strengthen the LocalLing network!

12/10/2026

Benedicte Pivot from Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry spent a month at Universidad de Caldas exploring language policy, identity and Indigenous language revitalisation from critical and decolonial perspectives.

Her secondment included teaching and research exchanges, training in qualitative fieldwork methods, an inaugural keynote at the 6th International Conference on Sociolinguistics and Interculturality, and a field visit to an Indigenous community to learn about language documentation and the development of teaching materials.

The exchange also opened up discussions on future collaborations, including the role of artistic practices in transmitting language, culture and identity.

A big thank you to Universidad de Caldas and our colleagues Germana Carolina Soler Millán and Guillaume Bruno Roux for their warm collaboration! 🤝

22/09/2026

On 16 September, our LocalLing fellow Dr Michael E. Apuge from the University of Buea, Cameroon, gave a guest lecture to English majors at Tallinn University.

As part of the course Lexicology and Stylistics of the English Language, second-year students explored multilingualism, language policy and lexicon in Cameroon, gaining insights into the country’s rich linguistic landscape and the ways language is shaped by its social and policy contexts.

Dr Apuge was in Tallinn through the Erasmus+ ICM programme, providing an additional opportunity for this exchange of knowledge and perspectives.

We’re happy to see the LocalLing community bringing diverse linguistic experiences into the classroom and creating opportunities for learning across contexts. 🤝

17/09/2026

The VI International Colloquium on Sociolinguistics and Interculturality brings together international scholars to explore the connections between language, culture, education and diversity. Among the invited speakers is Dr Benedicte Pivot from LocalLing.

13/09/2026

Team Colombia (prof Guillaume Roux on the far right) are in the village of Mistrató with Benedicte Pivot as part of her secondment in Colombia, together with Professor Mauricio Pardo from the Department of Anthropology at Universidad de Caldas and two teachers, Eduardo and Albeiro, who are native Embera Chamí speakers, for a session documenting their language in the context of its revitalization.

31/08/2026

📍 Welcoming our LocalLing partners to Tallinn!

We are delighted to welcome Dr Samanthi Jayawardena and Dr Sarasi Kannangara from the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, who are spending a month at Tallinn University as part of their secondment.

Also pictured from Tallinn University:

Prof Tõnu Viik, Former Rector (Vice Chancellor),
Dr Tanya Escudero, Senior Adviser of Doctoral Studies and LocalLing Fellow,
Prof Merilyn Meristo, Professor of Language Didactics and LocalLing Project Leader,
Ms Jekaterina Maadla, Junior Research Fellow and LocalLing Fellow,
Dr Maris Saagpakk, Associate Professor of German Cultural History and Literature and LocalLing Fellow,
Prof Reili Argus, Professor of Estonian Language, Acting Director of the School of Humanities and LocalLing Fellow,
Dr Uku Lember, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs,
Ms Siiri Soidro, Head of Studies.

We are looking forward to sharing the coming weeks in Tallinn with Samanthi and Sarasi.

15/08/2026

Tallinn University had the honour and pleasure of hosting representatives from our LocalLing partner, the Universidad de Caldas, Colombia: Vice-Rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies Hector Fabio Torres Cardona and Professor Milton Rosero Moreano.

Also pictured are Kerstin Liiva, Head of Research Administration and LocalLing project support, and Professor Merilyn Meristo, LocalLing Project Coordinator.

29/07/2026

Our colleagues Iris Orosia Campos Bandrés and Daniel Laliena Cantero from the University of Zaragoza recently completed a secondment at the University of Thessaly, where they worked together with partners across the LocalLing consortium on collaborative research and scientific publishing.

Among the main outcomes was the completion and submission of the University of Zaragoza's chapter for the forthcoming LocalLing monograph, Global Perspectives on Local & Heritage Languages: Policies, Practices & Linguistic Justice. The chapter explores the linguistic situation in Spain, with a particular focus on the Aragonese language.

The secondment also helped advance a second collaborative publication on Aragonese children's and young adult literature, strengthened scientific exchange on language policy, multilingualism and language revitalisation and laid the groundwork for future researcher exchanges and collaborative research projects.

A big thank you to University of Thessaly, Achilleas Kostoulas and Eleni Motsiou for hosting this secondment, and congratulations to Iris Orosia Campos Bandrés and Daniel Laliena Cantero on these excellent outcomes!

21/07/2026

Every LocalLing secondment is an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and build lasting research connections. 💙
This Caroline Calvet visit to the University of Zaragoza focused on the revitalisation of Occitan and Aragonese - another great example of our partners working together.

12/07/2026

🎉 The final day of our LocalLing academic programme celebrated linguistic diversity, intercultural dialogue and the growing collaboration between researchers from Morocco and Tunisia.

The programme featured two inspiring contributions from members of the LocalLing community. Nadia Bouchhioua (University of Manouba) presented her research on the intonation patterns of the endangered Shilha Berber variety in Tunisia, highlighting the importance of documenting endangered languages and safeguarding linguistic heritage. Oumaima Elghazali (ITQAN Foundation) led an interactive workshop on interculturality, encouraging participants to reflect on how education, research and community engagement can foster meaningful dialogue across multicultural societies.

As the three-day programme concluded, participants reflected on the shared challenges and opportunities for cooperation in multilingualism, heritage language preservation and intercultural research.

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http://www.localling.org/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/111894535

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