Presentation

Globalisation has made diversity of languages, accents and cultures increasingly evident on a daily basis. Thus, having the knowledge and tools to act in this diverse world has become a must.

This key role of languages presents new challenges to universities, central agents of knowledge production and transmission. In this context, the Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Language Policy and Management - UNTREF LINGUA was created. It constitutes a novel transversal and interdisciplinary academic space, whose originality lies in the articulation between research and innovation in language policy and management. At UNTREF LINGUA we study the problems, needs and demands related to languages in academic or professional environments, and we design and administrate suitable language policies and training programmes.

UNTREF LINGUA is a natural consequence of the diagnoses that have been carried out since 2017 by the Linguistic Policy and Internationalisation of Higher Education project (PLIES) research team, made up of teacher-researchers, students, and thesis students of the Master's Degree in Language Management at Universidad de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), as well as guest researchers from other universities in the region. It is at once a centre for general and specialised linguistic training, a centre for academic research, a laboratory where linguistic products and services are developed with a focus on innovation, an actor in international university cooperation, and a project incubator for young professionals in the field.

Objectives

In short, UNTREF LINGUA is an interdisciplinary laboratory for applied research in solutions to the linguistic needs that arise in university, professional and social life. As such, its action is situated in various fields: academic, labour and professional training, civil society and international cooperation. In all of them, the aim is to contribute to the equitable development of the linguistic capital of individuals and institutions, given the key role it plays both in access to knowledge and international experience, and in economic, cultural and social development. More specifically, UNTREF LINGUA aims to:

• Produce scientific knowledge on uses, needs and problems related to language and languages among its target audience: primarily, the UNTREF community and its socio-economic environment.
• Offer services and products (courses, training, consulting, translations, selection and/or development of tools) tailored to the linguistic needs detected and to evaluate their implementation.
• Support innovation and improvement processes in the field of languages in other organisations, companies and institutions. 
• Contribute to the training of young professionals in the field by providing support in the implementation of projects.
• Participate in national, regional and international academic debate on language policy and management issues.