Moments from the first student language conference “Let’s grow together”
The first student language conference organized by the Foreign Language Institute at Vytautas Magnus University “Let’s grow together” took place on April 29th, 2021. During the first online conference, 26 students presented in English (B1-C2 level), and one student offered a presentation in Italian. Since the Foreign Language Institute’s mission is to develop multilingual competencies, the hope remains that after this event, students will gain more courage to present in a greater variety of languages offered in the upcoming conferences. Overall, the conference attracted over 180 listeners to the plenary discussion and almost 600 listeners to students’ presentations in seven various sections.
Vaida Misevičiūtė, the initiator of the student language conference, opened the conference and gave a welcome speech in a “bouquet” of various languages. In the plenary discussion, Vilma Bijeikienė, Vice-Rector for Communication at Vytautas Magnus University, Teresė Ringailienė, Director of IFL, and Žieda Tamašauskaitė, lecturer in Finnish and English, shared their insights on language learning. The discussion was dominated by a warm and playful atmosphere. The students were encouraged to enjoy their language competencies and nurture them throughout their lives as languages help people become unique representatives of their profession. The importance to make full use of the opportunities to communicate in other languages even if with mistakes was stressed as one way that guarantees language proficiency. Following the plenary discussion, the students separated into various sections.
The sections “Issues in Education” and “Concerns in Elementary Education” (moderator – IFL lecturer Vaida Misevičiūtė) covered issues relevant not only to the future teachers, but lifelong learners. It should be noted that in this section students did not read presentations, but spoke to the audience with passion and professionalism. The structure of the presentations, the depth, and academic vocabulary use were very pleasing. Students covered such areas as time management, emotional intelligence, and reading. The sections “Physical and Psychological Challenges in Modern Society” and “Current Issues in Today’s World“(moderator – IFL lecturer Aušra Jankauskaitė) delt with physical and psychological health issues arising from an overly sedentary lifestyle, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. These sections of the conference reflected the internationality of VMU students with student presenters from Sakartvelo, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. The fact further stressed the important role English plays as a universal language of knowledge sharing. Other two sections “Students’ Issues Studies & Work Opportunities” and “Insights into Economics” (moderator — IFL lecturer Ilona Kildienė) contained the majority of lower level students who showed high academic competency for this level. Presenters discussed the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning, features of various economic models, career building techniques in Lithuania, and shared success stories in business touching upon the skills that will be attractive and relevant for the future employment. The last but not least, the section on “Cross Cultural Communication” (moderated in English and Italian by Dr. Jurgita Macijauskaitė-Bonda) attracted many curious listeners. One presenter revealed foreign students’ perception about Lithuania and Lithuanians, another focused on the prevailing stereotypes about Scandinavians, and the discussion was followed by the importance of the effective intercultural communication. This section was completed by a report in Italian on the teaching of Italian as a foreign language to children. For many speakers, this conference was the first experience of speaking to a large audience, but youthful enthusiasm and a desire to experience something new overcame fear. Each journey begins with the first step. When embarking on a language journey, perhaps the most important thing is to fulfill the common goal: to grow and improve together, and this student language conference was a suitable and motivating space for that.
Moments of the Plenary Discussion:
Recordings of three Parallel Sessions (modified):
