Spanish Language Forum at VMU receives attention from the Spanish Ministry of Education
On Saturday, 2 December, the 7th Spanish Language Forum of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) will take place. With the growing popularity of Spanish in Lithuania and the increasing demand for Spanish both in universities and schools, the international event, now in its seventh year, aims to bring together Spanish language teachers, lecturers, translators and other professionals to share news, research results, and discuss the latest language teaching methods.
Focus of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
“Spanish is currently facing various challenges in Lithuania, and while we are waiting for major decisions and actions to be taken regarding the teaching of the language in the country’s schools, we can be pleased that an event such as the Spanish Language Forum is being organised for the seventh consecutive year. Every year we have more and more participants, both from Lithuania and from neighbouring countries. This year, we can even count on the support of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The Ministry’s representative, Joana Lloret, will be presenting professional development opportunities for Spanish language professionals.” – Vigilija Žiūraitė, Spanish lecturer at the Institute of Foreign Languages, is the organiser of the Forum.
Speakers from Spain and the Baltic States
The programme of the 7th Spanish Language Forum will include presentations by professionals from the Baltic States, Spain and Mexico, as well as scientific presentations and practical workshops. José Hernández Ortega, Associate Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, will give a plenary lecture on “Challenges of Teaching in a Changing Society”. The Baltic countries will be represented by Spanish language specialists Jorge López Parreño (Vilnius University), José María Rico Mateos (University of Burgos) and Noa Philippon Salinas (University of Latvia). The forum will also feature a presentation on the influence of Spanish on contemporary art by journalist and cultural manager Liudvikas Jakavičius, who is a native speaker of both Spanish and Lithuanian.He will discuss the situation of the Spanish language in a global context.
The Forum will conclude with a roundtable discussion on the challenges of teaching Spanish as a foreign language in a global context, with the participation of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain in Lithuania, Nieves Blanco Díaz. Spanish is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide and is an official language in 21 countries, with as many as 580 million people fluent in Spanish. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of Spanish language specialists and formal education programmes in Lithuania. In 2017, VMU was the first to draw attention to the training and development of Spanish-speaking professionals by organising the 1st Spanish Language Forum in Kaunas. The Spanish Language Forum is not only for professionals, but also for those who are still thinking about making their career in the language.
The 7th Spanish Language Forum is open to the general public. Anyone can come and listen to presentations in Spanish. The event will take place at the VMU Multifunctional Science and Studies Centre (V. Putvinskio str. 23, Room 310), 9.30-18.00.
