Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother Language Day IMLD Celebration
Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother
Language Day Celebration
Saturday, 21st February 2026
Minority and Minoritised Languages with a Focus on Kîîtharaka, the Mother Tongue of the Atharaka People in Eastern Kenya
Professor Chondrogianni’s presentation explores the teaching and learning of under-studied and minoritised languages, focusing on Kîîtharaka, the mother tongue of the Atharaka people in eastern Kenya. She discusses how linguistic research can support community-driven language preservation and revitalisation, and how collaboration between researchers and local speakers can promote linguistic equity. Her talk sheds light on what studying such languages reveals about multilingual development and the wider sociolinguistic challenges faced by minoritised language communities worldwide.
About Vasiliki
Professor Vasiliki Chondrogianni is Professor of Bilingualism and Language Development at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. She studied Linguistics and Classics at the University of Athens before completing an MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics and a PhD in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Cambridge. Her academic career includes research and teaching positions at Bangor University, Aalborg University, and the University of Reading, as well as research collaborations with the City University of New York, where she is affiliated faculty. Her work focuses on bilingualism, language development, and the linguistic experiences of minority and heritage language speakers.