Multilingualism and language learning: Challenges & Opportunities

On May, 8th, 2026, the VISION community had the pleasure to participate an online academic seminar titled Multilingualism and language learning: Challenges & Opportunities  led by the 2nd most influential linguist in the world in the Stanford rankings 2025,  Prof. Jean-Marc Dewaele.

Jean-Marc Dewaele is Professor at VIZJA University, Warsaw, Poland; Honorary Professor at University College London and Emeritus Professor at Birkbeck, University of London. He has published and edited 10 books, around 400 papers and chapters on emotion and individual differences in multilingualism and foreign language learning. He is former president of the International Association of Multilingualism, the European Second Language Association and the International Association for the Psychology of Language Learning. He is General Editor of the Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. He won the Equality and Diversity Research Award from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (2013), the Robert Gardner Award from the International Association of Language and Social Psychology (2016) and the Distinguished Scholar Award from the European Second Language Association (2022).

Multilingualism Beyond the Native Speaker Myth

In his vibrant talk, he presented the history of the field, current concepts and debates (Schwieter & Dewaele, 2026), and explained why the “native speaker” myth is harmful to everybody and why so many people perceive multilingualism to be a problem. He focused on research on the acquisition of multiple languages from birth and report on recent studies on immigrant children. Finally, he highlighted the cognitive, neurological, psychological and economic consequences of multilingualism.
The VISION seminar was a meaningful and memorable occasion for reflection on language didactics, multilingualism and emotion, native-speakerism, raising multilingual children, intercultural communication, and many other inspiring themes!
Our Keynote Speaker, Prof. Jean-Marc Dewaele’s remarkable, inspiring, and profoundly insightful presentation sparked lively and engaging discussions, opened new perspectives for future research, and provided a powerful impetus for initiatives and projects we hope to continue developing within the VISION Center.

We would like to thank all our valued Members of the VISION Center for creating such a collegial, welcoming, and stimulating atmosphere. Their engagement throughout the seminar added tremendous depth and richness to the discussions, and it was wonderful to witness so many inspiring thoughts exchanged across disciplines and perspectives. Events such as this remind us of the true value of scholarly collaboration, open dialogue, and the continuous opportunity to learn from one another.
The invaluable support of the Didactic Excellence Office in the co-organisation of the event contributed greatly to the seminar’s success.

References
Dewaele, J.-M. (2025). Multilingualism, Multiculturalism and Emotions. In C.A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, 3rd ed., Wiley-Blackwell. 
Schwieter, J. & Dewaele, J.-M. (Eds.) (2026). Multilingualism. Bloomsbury Publishing. 

Prof. Gessica De Angelis Honoured as Distinguished Scholar

His Magnificence, the Rector of VIZJA University, Confers the Title of Distinguished Scholar in Multilingualism and Teacher Education upon Honorary Member of the VISION Center Prof. Gessica De Angelis.
 On May 8, 2026, during the academic seminar, Honorary Member of the VISION Center, Prof. Gessica De Angelis, was awarded the title of Distinguished Scholar in Multilingualism and Teacher Education.
We extend our sincere congratulations and appreciation to Prof. De Angelis. Her insights and continued support greatly enrich the intellectual and collaborative spirit of the VISION community.
Her contributions were foundational to the conceptualization of the VISION Center, and her active engagement has played a pivotal role in its development. Through her visionary research, she has offered valuable perspectives that resonate deeply with both faculty and students.
We are grateful to Prof. De Angelis for her warmth, encouragement, and inspiring exchange of ideas. We also look forward to her continued mentorship, which we are confident will further foster a vibrant intellectual culture within our community.