Imanol Larrea to begin the first research project for the Alan R. King Basque Studies Chair

The Etxepare Basque Institute and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David have selected Imanol Larrea Mendizabal to carry out the first research project for the University’s Alan R. King Chair, promoted by the two institutions, during the 2022-2023 academic year. Larrea will also give talks on Basque sociolinguistics and will be able to delve deeper into the Welsh linguistic context.

The title of the research project is: ´Hizkuntza ohiturak aldatzeko ikerketa soziolinguistikoa Euskal Herrian: hainbat esperientzia / Euskal Herria eta Gales: hizkuntza ohiturak aldatzeko ikerketa soziolinguistikoa elkarrekin eraikiz´ (´Sociolinguistic research to change language habits in Euskal Herria: various experiences/Euskal Herria and Wales: jointly building sociolinguistic research to change language habits´).

The six-week stay will be hosted by the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) in Aberystwyth, where Larrea will develop research activities revolving around Basque sociolinguistics and language.

This chair, launched in 2022, aims to promote research and academic collaboration in the fields of sociolinguistics, language planning and Basque and Welsh language policy, and to foster mutual understanding between the two languages and cultures.

Larrea will therefore give a talk about his research, inviting the Welsh participants to establish links between the sociolinguists of the two regions. The idea is to exchange information and work together on research, taking into account the similarities between the two language communities.

Imanol Larrea Mendizabal is director of the technical office of ‘Soziolinguistika Klusterra’, where he manages and develops the office’s goals, strategies and projects. With a degree in Sociology and a PhD in Communication, he has worked in the areas of immigration, linguistic attitudes, Catalan sociolinguistics, the promotion of Basque in the socio-economic sphere and the management of R&D&I (Research, Development and Innovation).

Larrea will also present an overview of the research carried out by Soziolinguistika Klusterra on the changing linguistic habits in Basque sociolinguistics, providing participants with elements for understanding the context and the basic results in a coherent and interrelated way.