Multilingualism, Social Cognition and Creativity
Li Wei is a professor of applied linguistics at Birkbeck College, University of London, UK, where he is also pro-vice-master of the College and director of the Birkbeck Graduate Research School. He is principal editor of the International Journal of Bilingualism. His most recent publications include Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism, and Education (with Ofelia Garcia, 2014, Palgrave) and Applied Linguistics (2014, Wiley). Wei is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, UK, and serves as chair of the University Council of General and Applied Linguistics, UK.
Abstract: This talk explores the issue of how multilingual language users process social information and the potential impact of multilingualism on creativity. It reviews existing linguistic and psycholinguistic research on multilingualism and social cognition, and reports ongoing investigations that aim to understand the dynamics of multilingualism and the links with creative and critical thinking. Conceptual and methodological issues that emerge from this research and the implications for research design will also be discussed.
This Provost’s Lecture, co-sponsored by The Center for Multilingual and Intercultural Communication, will be held on Monday, October 27, at 4 pm in the Charles B. Wang Center Theater.
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