The Linguist

32 The Linguist Vol/61 No/2 2022 thelinguist.uberflip.com INSTITUTE MATTERS Since joining CIOL and entering the field of education, I have become increasingly interested in pedagogical research as a way of helping fellow linguists to achieve their learning goals. The idea of creating a multilingual CIOL society that would enable members and prospective members to network internationally, and gain confidence to speak publicly in their target language, started to take shape in the summer of 2021. Remote learning had become a pedagogical staple, and the idea of dialogue spanning continents no longer seemed strange. The CIOL Education Society was created following discussions with the CIOL Events and Networks Manager and interested CIOL members, who became our Steering Group. The group met with the Intern Group (who provided a speaker for our first event) via Zoom to discuss our key objectives and offer some direction for our events. Drafting the first synopsis was trickier than I anticipated, especially as it coincided with the Athens wildfires and a roaring heatwave, so I was at risk of being evacuated and suffering from a lack of sleep. This set the tone for future event planning. All of our committee members are passionate about languages and education, professional in their approach and the work they produce, yet very busy in their respective fields. We will often return from a busy day and, with a hastily prepared plate in hand, start planning the next event. For remote events, it is important to discuss the logistics carefully and understand the potential pitfalls. The benefits of a multilingual education are well documented, and our events highlight the importance of being multilingual in the world today. This was the theme of our inaugural event, aimed at introducing the society, outlining practical routes to fluency via global internships, and sharing testimonials from our Steering Group about their multilingual careers and aspirations. The Education Society aims to unite linguists at various stages of their education and career who are passionate about fluency and keen to acquire new languages, including school leavers, students, teachers, tutors, academics and established professionals. Our events aim to offer practical routes to fluency, tips for acquiring new languages, discussions and debates, workshops, educational research within a multilingual CLIL setting, cultural awareness, a celebration of languages and cultures, and global networking opportunities. Our second event, 'Speaking Like a Polyglot', showed how pedagogical research could be used to recall abstract concepts and vocabulary. An immersive workshop followed the main presentation. In addition to emphasising a variety of learning methods and pedagogy, our events reflect the diverse range of industries and vocations available to linguists. It is becoming increasingly important to consider language trends and emerging fields that require professional language skills in order to remain competitive in an ever-changing world. This is an area that we are considering for future events because providing tangible benefits to language learning is of paramount importance, especially given the bleak landscape in our schools, where dwindling numbers have become the norm. Education Society events provide networking and learning opportunities in a variety of languages. The society seeks to partner with institutions offering international learning experiences and cultural awareness. We look forward to welcoming enthusiastic members, as well as those interested in partnering with us, to our forthcoming events. We aim to offer events throughout the year that unite linguists from many different disciplines, and encourage active participation. For information about joining the Education Society or attending our events, see www.ciol.org.uk/education-society Getting an Education How the Education Society was born and how you can get involved. By Maria-Elena Metaxas © SHUTTERSTOCK

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