Aston University: Aston University to launch Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics

Aston University is launching a new research centre within its College of Business and Social Sciences.

The Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics (ACAL), formerly known as the Centre for Language Research at Aston (CLaRA), aims to build on Aston University’s longstanding expertise in research into language education, languages, and applied linguistics by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing national and international networks and partnerships.

ACAL is an interdisciplinary, multilingual group of researchers – academic staff and research students – who work in the field of language and language education research.

The Centre will officially be launched through a hybrid event at the University on 14 September 2022. There will be talks by Aston University’s Dr Lucia Busso & Dr Marton Petyko, Dr Marcello Giovanelli, Dr Megan Mansworth and Dr Emmanuelle Labeau as well as guest lectures from Professor Zhu Hua (IOE faculty of education and society, UCL) and Terry Lamb (professor of languages and interdisciplinary pedagogy, University of Westminster and Aston University language graduate).

The event will conclude with a celebration of the major publications of ACAL members in 2021-22.

Dr Emmanuelle Labeau, director of ACAL, said:

“Language actually is all around us: we use it to articulate all our human activities.

“Languages actually are all around us: over 100 languages are spoken in Birmingham

“My recent AHRC-funded project BRUM (Birmingham Research for Upholding Multilingualism) has shown that research in language(s) is needed in local schools, businesses, public services and culture.

“ACAL wants to put the ‘applied’ into linguistics to serve the University, the city, region and beyond. Our researchers are a great asset to the University’s ambitions, and we cannot wait informing and helping shape the Aston University 2030 Strategy.”