Campus Talks: The strengths that multilingualism brings to universities

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In a globalised world, and with the increased internationalisation of higher education, multilingualism can be a key strength for universities. The ability to communicate in more than one language has cognitive and learning benefits, as well as boosting communication skills, employability, cultural awareness and an open mindset.

So, how can universities, which usually host speakers of scores of languages on their campuses, capitalise on this skill set? 

In this episode, we talk to Anwei Feng, a professor in language education whose research and extensive publications focus on bilingualism and trilingualism with a particular interest in Chinese minority languages. He is chair professor of multilingual education in the School of Education and English in the Institution of Asia and Pacific Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Feng, who speaks Mandarin, English and several Chinese dialects, has worked at universities in China, Qatar, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK, where he did his PhD. He is founder and vice-president of the Chinese Society of Multilingualism and Multilingual Education and co-editor, with Bob Adamson, Zhen Li and Christine Lee, of Nurturing Glocal Talents: The Role of China’s Transnational Higher Education (Routledge), which will be published later this year.

For more advice and insight to support student success in the multilingual classroom, head to our latest spotlight guide.