Histories of Languages and Cultures (HLC)

Following the seminal work of Barko and Martin (1997), Fornasiero and West-Sooby (2012), and Baldwin (2019), it is both crucial and timely that more of these histories be documented. As recently emphasised by Hajek and Baldwin (2025), the histories of language programs and departments across Australasia “are also the stories of many different stakeholders, including institutions and their students, as well as of the academics who have dedicated themselves to both their students and their institutions. (…) The presence and work of these scholars and teachers also need to be acknowledged and remembered – for the benefit of all” (p. 227).

In response to these research gaps, HLC aims to provide a collaborative forum for the development of research projects, joint publications, and conference panels, as well as to support funding applications. The scope of our interests extends to both historical and contemporary activities across all university languages and cultures programs, including translation studies.

Possible subtopics include:

• Histories of Translation Studies
• Histories of languages associations
• Histories of teaching methodologies (from grammar – translation approaches to contemporary interactive and communicative learning)
• Technological transformations in language teaching (from labs to CALL to AI tools)
• Culture in language programs (e.g., the place of cinema, linguistics, migrant literature etc. in a historical perspective)
• Community outreach and public engagement (language clubs, cultural festivals, school partnerships)
• The evolution of study abroad and in-country programs (mobility trends, partnerships, pedagogical rationales)
• Sociolinguistic shifts influencing program development (migration waves, community languages, heritage-language learners)

All LCNAU members are invited to join the new cluster. If you are interested, please contact Marinella Caruso marinella.caruso@uwa.edu.au 

References

Baldwin, J. (2019). Languages other than English in Australian higher education. Springer.

Barko, I., & Martin, A. (1997). A short history of the teaching of French in Australian universities. In P. Lane & J. West-Sooby (Eds.), Traditions and mutations in French studies: The Australian scene (pp. 19–92). Mount Nebo: Boombana Publications.

Fornasiero J. & West-Sooby J. (2012) A tale of resilience: the history of modern European languages at the University of Adelaide, in Nick Harvey / Jean Fornasiero / Greg McCarthy / Clem Macintyre / Carl Crossin (edited by), A history of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Adelaide, 1876-2012, Adelaide, University of Adelaide Press. pp.133-180.

Hajek, J., & Baldwin, J. (2025). A History of Italian at Victoria University of Wellington. In Brown, J. & Caruso, M. (Eds.) “La bontà infinita ha sì gran braccia”. Essays in Honour of John J. Kinder, Franco Cesati, pp. 227-254.