As you know, the LAGB is now part of a consortium supporting the Languages, Society and Policy (LSP) journal, and we hope that members of LAGB will take full advantage of the important opportunities that the journal offers.  All interested members of LAGB are invited to attend the (online) relaunch of LSP on Tuesday 5th of July, 3 pm. You will need to register to attend in advance (link at foot of message).

LSP is an open-access journal publishing high-quality peer-reviewed research in linguistics and modern languages in accessible and non-technical language.  Its policy papers connect basic research insights with policy recommendations to promote engagement with policy makers, journalists, stakeholders and the wider public.

Originating from the OWRI project MEITS, LSP has provided a vital space for interventions on language policy and on the direction of the subject area as a whole. LAGB members have made some key contributions including a  special collection on Linguistic Analysis in Schools, edited by Dick Hudson and Graeme Trousdale and, more recently, opinion pieces commenting on the Languages GCSE curriculum.

Following the end of the OWRI funding scheme, LSP is now supported by LAGB, the IMLR, the Philological Society, and the University Council of Modern Languages. Going forward, the aim of the journal is to enhance the visibility and the policy directed work of the disciplinary field. The editorial team of the LSP will discuss aims of the journal and how it can most effectively serve the subject field.

A panel of LSP contributors will discuss the following questions: what are the key areas of policymaking in which research in languages can have an impact? What obstacles do we need to overcome to impact on policy? How do we build a coordinated strategy as academics across disciplines for policy impact? The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A when the audience can contribute with comments and questions.

15:00     Introduction and Welcome
Dora Alexopoulou (Cambridge) and Leanne Henderson (Queen's University Belfast)
 
15:05     Panel discussion
Wendy Ayres-Bennett (Cambridge), Ludovica Serratrice (Reading), Charles Burdett (IMLR, London), Michelle MacLeod (Aberdeen)
Discussant: Dora Alexopoulou
                
15:25     Open floor discussion
 
16:00     Close

The LSP relaunch is part of an online event organised by IMLR; in the first part of the event starting at 2pm, the three AHRC Future of Language Research fellows will report on their work in consulting the Modern Languages community on research priorities.  You can find more details at the link below. 

https://modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk/events/event/26275