L
inguistic diversity as a general context, and individual and societal multilingualism as consequences of this context, are emerging as major issues for institutions (states, regional and local authorities, inter- and supranational organisations) and citizens at large, whether as individuals, firms, or civil society organisations. Let us refer to all these actors collectively as “stakeholders”. Stakeholders have to navigate complex interconnected demands at many levels (mentioned here without any implication regarding their relative importance), including education and training, family, interpersonal relationships, work and employment, production, consumption, and participation in social and political life, all of this in a world that is rapidly changing– also in terms of expectations regarding language skills and language use.A number of European and overseas stakeholders not involved as partners in MIME have agreed to interact with the MIME consortium through the Stakeholder Forum. The persons representing these stakeholders will provide their opinion, rooted in their activity as practitioners and professionals of questions related to diversity and multilingualism, on issues relevant to the project. The input expected from stakeholder representatives concerns various aspects of research, in particular:
the fine-tuning of certain specific research questions, in order to increase their practical relevance
the identification and sharing of accurate factual information for inclusion in scientific research work
the “extra mile” that sometimes has to be run in order to make sure that research findings (in particular those that are designed to be part of suggested policy orientations) are presented in a way that makes them clear and accessible to practitioners
It is important to stress that the advice that stakeholder representatives will provide obviously does not replace scientific principles and practices. MIME is and will remain a research project that will deliver scientific results for publication in scientific journals and be of relevance to other members of the scientific community. The role of the Stakeholder Forum is to be understood as an addition to these scientific goals, and as part of an approach to scientific work that pays attention to the maximisation of its relevance beyond research. This concern is, of course, particularly important in a project that is intended to deliver practical tools for policy selection, design and evaluation.
Stakeholder Forum Meetings will take place alongside consortium meetings. Each meeting will put the spotlight on one of the four main target groups of stakeholders, namely:
Institutions involved in migration issues with a particular emphasis on migrant integration (relatively closer linkages with WP2)
Professional associations in the field of second/foreign language teaching and, more generally, stakeholders in language education (relatively closer linkages with WP3)
Professional associations in translation, interpreting, mediation and language industries (relatively closer linkages with WP4)
Institutions involved in language policy and planning, at regional, national or inter/supranational level (relatively closer linkages with WP1 and WP5)