Keeping Up Some Research – Maybe?

I received this announcement this past week: Multilingualism and Education: Global Practices, Challenges and the Way Forward; Conference co-hosted by Kenyatta University and the University of

Pennsylvania

The conference is intended to bring together researchers, professionals, classroom practitioners, policy makers, and language specialists interested in issues that relate to multilingualism, education and linguistic diversity as global phenomena. Papers at the conference are expected to range from presentation of research findings to analysis of practice.

I have had the opportunity to participate in the social in the Common Room here at the language school for over a month now. The room truly is common – a place for students and teachers to both relax and work. Our teachers – assistant teachers – are all young people (mostly men) who have to pass one or more national exams before going on to university.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that the teachers take advantage of the presence of native American English speakers in the common room re: English language questions. However, unlike questions elsewhere (“Am I in the road or on the road?”), questions in the common room are more likely to be about register: “How would I say baadaye (later) in American slang?”

A lot more to think about -- and talk about with the teachers; but I think I just may have a paper to present (and it will get me to Nairobi!).