Multilingualism, Interculturalism & Social Cohesion

Negative discourses that divide society and actively try to exclude plurilingual and -cultural individuals have been on the rise in recent years. Within each news cycle, migration is increasingly falling victim to negative framing, the knock-on effects of which are significant for individuals with past and present migratory backgrounds.

Worryingly, there are signs in many national contexts that a societal counter-movement is increasingly gaining momentum. Even in countries with a history of inclusive affirmative action, there is a critical mass of individual who favour and actively call for the exclusion of migrant minority groups.

While discourses are part of the problem, they can also represent a powerful force for change. We, a diverse and interdisciplinary community of (Applied) Linguists and Educationalists at Maynooth University are confronting exclusionary and divisive discourses around multilingualism, -culturalism and migration head on. Focusing on the valuable linguistic, cultural and economic contributions that the diverse languages and cultures make to the vibrancy of our society, we develop and disseminate powerful counter-discourses in our varied fields of specialisation that value diversity, foster inclusivity, and strive for equity.