The conference aims at bringing together scholars and language education professionals to share their research insights and discuss the issues relevant to the development of individual and societal multilingualism, including language policy, linguistic human rights, plurilingual pedagogy and language education in higher education.
On 7-8 June 2018 the international conference “Teaching and Learning Languages in the 21st Century: Linguistic, Educational and Cultural Aspects” organized jointly by the Institute of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Philology (Vilnius University), Language Teachers‘ Association of Lithuania (LKPA) and the FIPLV Nordic-Baltic Region (NBR) took place in Vilnius. The event gathered about 150 participants from more than 20 countries. The aims of the conference were to bring language policymakers, teaching professionals and researchers together for discussions about the mission of teaching in the 21st century, the meaning of teaching quality, efficiency and effectiveness, as well as analyse the aims, needs and perspectives of teaching /learning languages in multicultural environment that could consequently enhance the promotion of democratic citizenship, social cohesion, and intercultural dialogue. The international scientific event was a venue to exchange information and knowledge, share best practices and experiences across national boundaries on teacher training and the enhancement of the development of teachers’ competences that would serve to acquire a better understanding of teaching the New Generation of students. The discussion focused not only about the international practice but also about Lithuania where Lithuanian researchers had opportunities to introduce themselves, share best practices and establish new connections with practitioners and scientists in the field from other countries.
On 24 March, 2017 Language Teachers’ Association of Lithuania (LKPA) organized the traditional annual event “The Baltic Philologist Coffret” award ceremony to award the members of the association for the most prominent contribution and activities, for fostering and ensuring the continuity of the Baltic culture, promoting multilingualism and multiculturalism in the year of 2016.
Every year in March the Baltic Philologist Coffret is given to meritorious members of the association or organizations in accordance with certain pre-specified criteria. The Baltic philologist is a professional, ethical, and enterprising educator. The Baltic Philologist Coffret is attributed to an educator (or an organization) who is fostering and ensuring the continuity of the Baltic culture.
On January 20, 2017 Lithuanian State Language Commission together with the Institute of Foreign Languages of Vilnius University (VU) and Language Teachers’ Association of Lithuania (LTAL) had a round-table discussion “Language Policy in Higher Schools: Objectives, Needs, Benefits.”
The aim of the event was to bring together representatives of Lithuanian institutions of higher education and the Ministry of Education and Science, managers of foreign language institutes, heads of the departments of Lithuanian and other languages, professionals, and anyone interested in issues of language policy in the area of Lithuanian higher education in order to discuss language policy in the area of higher education in Lithuania.
Assoc. Prof. dr. Roma Kriaučiūnienė is the Director of the Institute of Foreign Languages of Vilnius University.
She graduated in the English Language philology from the University of Vilnius in 1985 and she has been teaching at Vilnius University since 1989. In 2004-2008 she was a doctoral student at Klaipėda University (Lithuania) and in 2009 was awarded a doctor‘s degree in Social Sciences (Education) (07 S).
