If we lose our languages, do we lose ourselves? | In-person

From BSL, Gàidhlig, and Scots, to the many languages brought by New Scots (newcomers to Scotland), this country is home to a vibrant mix of voices.

For people who have arrived from elsewhere and are building their lives as part of our communities, the question of how to belong linguistically remains an important one. This panel will explore how the languages spoken by both New Scots and long-established communities change as their sense of belonging shifts over time.

Our speakers will share stories of “languaging”: the ways languages travel with people through migration, conflict, economic pressures, and chance. They will reflect on the love and connection their languages bring, as well as the losses that can come with changing languages or disappearance. We will also discuss how we can care for and restore Scotland’s living linguistic heritage, seeing it as an ongoing, shared adventure in making our world together.

Note: This is a free event, open to everyone ages 16+, and suited for those interested in language and identity. It includes a panel discussion with speakers sharing their perspectives, plus an audience Q&A.

This event is part of RSE Investigates - a yearly programme of free public events that look closely at a new topic each year. Through research-led insights and personal perspectives, the series explores the nuances and real-world implications of issues that shape our understanding of society.

This year, the focus is on language – how it connects us, how it shapes our identities and the environments, and how language can be a vital lens for examining some of today’s most pressing issues.

Chair:

Professor Alison Phipps FRSE

UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow and Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies.

Alison was De Carle Distinguished Visiting Professor at Otago University, Aotearoa New Zealand 2019-2020, Thinker in Residence at the EU Hawke Centre, University of South Australia in 2016, Visiting Professor at Auckland University of Technology, and Principal Investigator for AHRC Large Grant ‘Researching Multilingually at the Borders of Language, the body, law and the state’; for Cultures of Sustainable Peace, and is now co-Director of the Global Challenge Research Fund South-South Migration Hub. She is Ambassador for the Scottish Refugee Council. She is an academic, activist, educator and published poet.

Panellists:

Dr. Hyab Yohannes

Lecturer in Forced Migration and Decolonial Education with the UNESCO Chair RIELA, University of Glasgow.

Hyab conducts research and synthesises findings to address theoretical, methodological, and policy-related questions. Recently, Hyab co-edited a Special Issue on Intercultural Knowledge Production for the Journal of Language and Intercultural Communication, and a book titled Cultures of Sustainable Peace for Multilingual Matters. His book, The Refugee Abyss, was published by Routledge in August 2025 to critical acclaim. Hyab’s research interests include poetics, decoloniality, and political theories across physical, onto-epistemic, spatio-temporal, and juridico-political dimensions.

Dr. Nadeen Purna

Lecturer in Business & Management, Oxford Brookes University

Nadeen is a lecturer and researcher at Oxford Brookes University. She completed her Masters from Glasgow Caledonian University in Social Business and PhD from Abertay University Dundee in Social Innovation. Her interests lie in exploring how rather small third sector organisations build and mobilise social relationships with people from marginalised or disadvantaged backgrounds, and how to better facilitate these processes. This interest took her to becoming a Trustee of Friends of Scottish Settlers in Falkirk. Nadeen is from Bangladesh and speaks Bangla as her native language.

Dr. Teresa Garrido-Tamayo

Visiting Researcher in Speech and Language Sciences, Newcastle University

Originally from Spain, Dr Teresa Garrido-Tamayo is a researcher in Speech and Language Sciences who recently completed her PhD at Newcastle University. Her doctoral project took a practical approach to tackling the complexities of identifying developmental language disorder in children who are learning English in addition to the languages spoken at home and in their communities across the UK. She is committed to bridging research with educational and clinical practice to improve how multilingual children’s communication needs are recognised and supported, including those from migrant and refugee families, in ways that value and nurture their home languages. Alongside her research, Teresa currently works in early years and community settings, and serves as a Trustee with Friends of Scottish Settlers (FOSS).

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+
• Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on [email protected]

• COVID-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.

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Host or Publisher The Royal Society of Edinburgh