Centre for Worlding Modern Languages
This Centre provides a home for researchers across the School of Modern Languages who work across geographical, temporal, linguistic or cultural boundaries. The Centre has a broad scope, including those who work with comparative, transnational or global approaches to language, culture and society.
The Centre reflects the School’s interdisciplinary reach, comprising scholars who work on languages and literatures, linguistics, visual culture, history, politics and society, as well as translation and interpretation. Particular areas of interest include cultural exchange, multilingualism and translanguaging, migration and mobility, and comparative and world literatures. Many in the Centre share a critical interest in the theories and concepts that underpin comparative, transnational and planetary enquiry, as well as questions about the ethics and positionality of modern languages research. Many in the Centre have played an active role in the transformation of modern languages as a field, contributing to debates around diversification and decolonisation, both in our research and teaching.
The Centre comprises researchers at all levels of experience, from postgraduate research students to postdoctoral fellows and staff. We host seminars and workshops dedicated to research in comparative and transnational studies. The Centre further provides support and mentoring to colleagues preparing research outputs, writing grant applications or collaborative and impact activities in this area.
The Centre fosters collaboration with researchers across the University. We work with other research centres such as the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, the Brigstow Institute, the Jean Golding Institute, the Bristol Poetry Institute, Bristol Common Press, Migration Mobilities Bristol and the Centre for Black Humanities. Beyond academia, we are interested in pursuing links with partner organisations locally, nationally and globally.