Student Language Conference “Let’s grow together” 2022
The second student language conference organized by the Institute of Foreign Languages (UKI) at Vytautas Magnus University “Let’s grow together” took place on April 26th, 2022. This year, the conference commemorated the 100th anniversary of the University of Lithuania; therefore, its subtitle was “Future University in the New Century.” A plenary speech „Spiritus Movens: Multilingualism Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow“ was given by the lecturer of the Latin language and the researcher of the Antique culture Sigitas Lūžys. The researcher presented an overview of the development of multilingualism since antiquity until present and revealed its meaning in cultural and social life providing parallels between the ancient Greece and Lithuania at the beginning of the 20th century, when the University of Lithuania was established.
In the plenary discussion, Prof. Vilmantė Liubinienė from Kaunas University of Technology, lecturer Irmantas Ramanauskas from Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vice-Rector for Communication at Vytautas Magnus University Assoc. Prof. Vilma Bijeikienė and students Anna Newmark from Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Larsas Jaseliūnas from Kaunas University of Technology, and Tetiana Ponomarenko from Vytautas Magnus University VMU) shared their insights on the role of languages in the future university. The discussion was moderated by the director of the Institute of Foreign Languages at Vytautas Magnus University, Dr. Teresė Ringailienė.
Following the plenary discussion, participants of a digital film contest ‘100 Words’ were awarded. The contest was organized for the first time in order to commemorate the centenary of the University of Lithuania. It invited students studying languages at A1-B1 levels to compete by selecting and interacting with words as creatively and ingeniously as possible. All films revealed students’ originality, creativeness and their knowledge of different foreign languages.
After the plenary part, students from Vytautas Magnus University, visiting students from the Czech republic and Poland, as well as a few guests from Kaunas University of Technology separated into five sections: “Idiosyncrasies of Language”, “Gaps in Education”, “Multilingualism in Literature”, “Studies and Family Life”, “Law and Politics”, and “Nutrition Issues”. Presentations were read in English, German, Norwegian and Lithuanian as a foreign language. All sections were moderated by the lecturers of the Institute of Foreign Languages at Vytautas Magnus University, Aušra Jankauskaitė, Vaida Misevičiūtė, Ilona Kildienė, and Jurgita Macijauskaitė-Bonda.
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.
Overall, the conference attracted over 100 listeners. Perhaps the most important thing for both participants and the organizers was to fulfill the common goal: to grow and improve together, and this student language conference once again became a suitable and motivating space for that.
