[15 Dec Seminar] Linguistic Superdiversity and Translanguaging: The Dawn of a New Era in Applied Linguistics?
Dear Colleagues and Students,
You are cordially invited to attend the seminar on Linguistic Superdiversity and Translanguaging: The Dawn of a New Era in Applied Linguistics?, organised by the Graduate School (GS).
Details are as follows:
| Date | 15 December 2025 (Monday) |
| Time | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Venue | D1-LP-06, Tai Po Campus, EdUHK |
| Speakers | Prof Stephen MAY Professor in Te Puna Wānanga (Māori and Indigenous Education) Faculty of Arts and Education University of Auckland, New Zealand |
| Registration | Register HERE *Please register by 12 December 2025 (Friday). |
About Speaker
Professor Stephen MAY is a Professor in Te Puna Wānanga (Māori and Indigenous Education) in Te Pūtahi Mātauranga / Faculty of Arts and Education.
He is an international authority on language rights, language policy, language revitalization, language education – especially, Indigenous, bilingual, and multilingual education – critical multiculturalism, and the “multilingual turn”.
Abstract:
Both linguistic superdiversity and translanguaging – two key theoretical developments in applied linguistics over the last decade – focus on normalizing multilingualism, rather than monolingualism, in language policy, teaching, and learning. Do these theoretical developments signal the dawn of a new era that has, to date, been dominated by the ‘monolingual bias’ in approaches to language teaching and learning – particularly evident in SLA and TESOL (May, 2014, 2019)? More broadly, do linguistic superdiversity and translanguaging effectively challenge the linguistic ‘hierarchies of prestige’ (Liddicoat, 2013) that consistently value dominant languages over minoritized ones, along with related forms of ‘linguistic racism’ (May, 2023) toward non-dominant/ethnolinguistic minorities?
In this presentation, Prof May will argue that while superdiversity and translanguaging have much to offer applied linguistics, they do not yet effectively challenge the ‘linguistic hierarchies of prestige’ (Liddicoat, 2013) that underpin the status distinctions between international, national and local languages, nor do they present sufficiently robust alternatives to the ongoing predilection for monolingual language education policies and practices. He will offer some potential alternatives that might, at least, challenge and contest these status hierarchies more effectively – particularly in relation to the promotion and retention of Indigenous and other ‘local’ languages, both within education and beyond.
We look forward to seeing you there!
All are welcome.
Best regards,
Graduate School
