1. Identifying authenticity in procedures of language analysis for the determination of origin (LADO) with the forensic linguist Yaron Matras is the title of the next talk in the University of Reading Applied Linguistics Research Circle series of weekly talks at 16:00 UK time on Tuesday, 22^nd March.

Full abstract below in PDF form; here’s a taster: “LADO (‘language analysis for the determination of origin’) is a procedure used by governments in Europe, the US and Australia to support the processing of applications for political asylum. It is based on the assumption that linguistic features are a reliable indicator of a person’s place of socialisation and so they can help verify a person’s claim to originate from a particular region, and hence their entitlement to refuges status based on international law. LADO practice, particularly the outsourcing of language analysis to private contractors, has been controversial.”

As usual, please contact Rodney Jones r.h.jones@reading.ac.uk for Zoom details.

2. Early notice of this one at 10:00 UK time on Wednesday, 30^th March, from the Centre for Research in Education in Asia at Bath University: Yongyan Zheng from Fudan University will be talking about Social mobility, multilingualism and language education.

More info and registration here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/development-in-education-in-asia-crea-2022-seminar-series-3-tickets-289985593717

3. Oxymoronic: Can you even attempt to decolonize English teaching? Is the title of J P B Gerald’s talk at 14:00 UK time on Monday, 21^st March – speaks for itself, I reckon! https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/oxymoronic-can-you-even-attempt-decolonize-english-teaching

Here’s JPB’s own site https://jpbgerald.com/

4. And, finally and heartbreakingly, from the Ukrainian poet Olga Bragina and translated by Elina Alter, There’s No Getting Out https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/march-2022-catalan-theres-no-getting-out-olga-bragina-elina-alter