This book was created as part of the Language and Community Engagement course in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. This innovative, student-centered course focuses on community languages, migration, and diaspora studies, with an emphasis on Spanish and Latin American communities in the UK. Through their projects, students designed this book to help children discuss migration through fantasy and folklore, considering the potential outcomes, challenges, and social and ethical implications of their work. 

 

Embedded within the ‘civic university’ concept, the course incorporates methods and practices such as service-learning, community-based learning, civic engagement, and learning-linked volunteering. These approaches, increasingly recognized in the field of second language education, encourage students to interact with target language communities and engage directly with the local community (Baker, 2019). While this type of course is more common in the US, it is relatively rare in undergraduate Modern Languages programs in the UK. The course aims to set a model for language learning by encouraging students to explore languages within various communities, engage with local migrant groups, and foster positive dialogue and understanding about Scotland’s cultural and linguistic diversity. 

You can find a full copy of the book available here

First published: 16 September 2024

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