Department of Language Studies

Department of Language Studieshttps://www.umu.se/Language Studies calendaren-usSun, 13 Sep 2026 19:35:18 +0200https://www.umu.se/en/events/from-plain-english-to-accessible-communication_12192652/EC2U hybrid lecture: From “Plain English” to Accessible CommunicationWhen language is clear, communication becomes more accessible, inclusive and participatory. To participate on 17 September, registration is required.Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0200When language is clear, communication becomes more accessible, inclusive and participatory. This is the focus of the hybrid lecture “From Plain English to Accessible Communication: The Evolution of Clarity as a Democratic Value”. Organised by the University of Pavia, the event will take place on Thursday, 17 September 2026, from 11:00 to 13:00 CEST at Kirolab San Felice (Piazza Botta Adorno Antoniotto) and online. Promoted by the <a href="/link/8478b4e6edc844c5815e0ff05ab131bd.aspx">EC2U Alliance</a>, the initiative is part of the activities of the Virtual Institute for Quality Education (VIQE), which brings together education, research and innovation to promote inclusive and equitable quality education, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.The event is open to everyone interested and will be held in hybrid format (in person and via Zoom). To attend remotely, registration is required by completing <a href="https://survey.ec2u.eu/index.php/757228?newtest=Y&lang=en">this form</a>.<h3>Participation as a Democratic Value</h3>English is often regarded as a language that naturally lends itself to clear, accessible communication because of its linguistic structure and long-established writing conventions. The development of the <a href="https://www.plainenglish.co.uk/">Plain English movement</a> in the United Kingdom since the 1970s, however, shows that linguistic clarity is not simply an inherent feature of the language but also the outcome of sustained advocacy and institutional commitment.Professional associations, public bodies and scholars have played a key role in promoting and systematising plain language practices across administrative, legal and business communication. Among the movement’s leading figures, Martin Cutts, co-founder of the Plain Language Commission, has made a major contribution to establishing plain language as both a professional practice and a field of study through influential manuals and practical guidance. Placing Plain (and Easy) English/Language within the broader framework of accessible communication, and drawing on the British experience, this lecture explores the relationship between linguistic tradition and organised language reform, arguing that clear communication is not merely a stylistic preference but a fundamental requirement for accessibility, democratic participation and inclusive public communication.<h3>About Elisa Perego</h3>Elisa Perego holds a PhD in Linguistics and is Associate Professor of English Language, Linguistics and Translation at the University of Pavia, Italy, where she also serves as President of the University Language Centre. Her main research interests include audiovisual translation, audio description for blind and partially sighted people, accessible communication, and language simplification, with a particular focus on Plain and Easy English. She investigates these areas from a comparative English–Italian perspective through an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach. Her recent publications include the monographs Audio Description for the Arts (Routledge, 2024) and Accessible Communication (Frank &amp; Timme, 2020), as well as the co-edited volume The Routledge Handbook of Audio Description (with Chris Taylor, 2022). In June 2025, she organised the first Intensive School for Advanced Graduate Studies, Plain English: Accessible Communication across Disciplines and Cultures, at the University of Pavia.Hybrid/OnlineLecturehttps://www.umu.se/en/events/from-plain-english-to-accessible-communication_12192652/2026-09-17T11:00:00+02:002026-09-17T13:00:00+02:00https://www.umu.se/en/events/book-club-fiction-and-sustainability_12177566/Book Club: Fiction and SustainabilityWelcome to an open book club discussion on climate fiction, sustainability and society organised by Young UTRI and Umeå City Library.Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0200Welcome to an open book club discussion on climate fiction, sustainability and society! Participants read Emmi Itäranta's Memory of Water in advance and then meet for an informal but guided discussion connecting the book to contemporary academic and societal questions.Memory of Water is an acclaimed climate dystopia set in a northern future marked by water scarcity, political control and questions of knowledge, environment and power. Global warming has changed the world geographically and politically. Wars are fought over water, and China has taken power over Europe. Seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio is to become a tea master, the same position her father held before her. It brings great responsibility and deep secrets. Only the tea master knows where the hidden water sources are.The conversation will be held in English and is open to the public. Lena Leimgruber Haraldsson will guide us through the conversation. The book is available at Umeå University Library and Umeå City Library as well as other libraries around Umeå.Sign up here by 2 October: <a title="Link to registration form" href="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-aZLWjH1Mk-UZzmPGead5GKiNCM0vzZGo52X1qufHOhUMjlaS1ZMMUw3STVXWjVZUEcxMFFNMFQ0MC4u">Link to registration form.</a>The book club is organised by Young UTRI in collaboration with Umeå City Library. <a title="Read more about Young UTRI." href="/link/649f243367d94c829d4d944332948e68.aspx">Read more about Young UTRI.</a>Matverkstad, Umeå City LibraryWorkshophttps://www.umu.se/en/events/book-club-fiction-and-sustainability_12177566/2026-10-06T18:00:00+02:002026-10-06T19:30:00+02:00