Austin Selected to Participate in Language in The Human-Machine Era Research Group

Theresa Y. Austin, professor of multilingualism and multiliteracies development in the College of Education's language, literacy and culture concentration has been selected to participate in the European Union's linguistic research network, Language in the Human-Machine Era Research Group (LITHME) at the National Distance Education University of Spain (UNED) at its Ávila campus.

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Granted primarily to researchers in member states of the European Union, this highly competitive honor is awarded to a limited number of select researchers from around the world. One of the goals of this research group is to explore the ethical implications of emerging language technologies, including inequities in access to emerging technologies, questions of privacy and security, among other critically significant issues that merit an applied linguistics perspective.

Austin will join 57 other researchers from multidisciplinary areas to engage in range of lectures, roundtable discussions, practical training and workshops. These activities have a goal of “Widening the knowledge of LITHME’s activities; Bringing together trainees from a range of subdisciplinary areas across linguistics, language research, and language technology; Providing intensive training on new and emerging interdisciplinary challenges; Familiarising trainees with unique equipment provided.”

According to Austin, “This experience will help build capacity to expand applied linguistic work through supportive networks of eight working groups; I look forward to sharing the knowledge and skills with our second language and literacy community at UMass and local schools.”