The presence of Polish: a look at translanguaging and other multilingual practices in the UK

Over a million Poles live currently in the UK, and Polish is the second most commonly spoken language on the British Isles. Yet, its integration into local educational systems and cultures has varied. The talk discusses the presence of Polish in the Scottish school system and children’s literature written by British authors. Its key investigative question regards the most effective language-based integrational practices that can lead to mutual respect and understanding. 

Elwira Grossman is Stepek Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Comparative Literature programme at the University of Glasgow. Her research interests include intercultural communication, the presence of Polish language and culture abroad as well as teaching Polish as a foreign language. Between 2012 and 2015 she was involved as a critical friend in an AHRC-funded international project Researching Multilingually and co-designed a MOOC course Multilingual Learning for a Globalised World. Her most recent collaborative projects consist of two Polish language units prepared for local Scottish schools.

Moderation: Professor Dr. Bernhard Brehmer