“I, Expert” Conference: Advancing Media Competence in Science through Linguistics
The conference on the language of science communication strengthened the academic dialogue between the TU Chemnitz and the University of Zaragoza as part of a DAAD project of the Chair of English and Digital Linguistics
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The “I, Expert” Conference inspired many discussions and collaborations. Photo: Alba Ansó
The “I, Expert” conference at Chemnitz University of Technology (7-8 October 2024) brought together students, doctoral candidates and researchers from Chemnitz University of Technology and the University of Zaragoza, Spain. The conference was part of the project “I, Expert: Media competence for science through linguistics” of the Chair of English and Digital Linguistics funded by the DAAD program “Higher Education Dialogue with Southern Europe”.
The project aims to promote language awareness in science communication, helping researchers disseminate their findings effectively and credibly while allowing citizens to better understand and engage with scientific information. The initiative bridged the expertise of the Chairs of English and Digital Linguistics, Media Communication, German Linguistics, and Digital Humanities at Chemnitz University of Technology with the InterGedi research group from the University of Zaragoza, as well as the linguistics researcher Lauren Gawne from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.
The “I, Expert” conference provided the participants a platform for discussing their research projects on important topics such as the recontextualization of scientific information across various media platforms, the discourse of different genres in science communication, and the role of linguistic strategies in fostering clear and accurate science reporting. Participants also discussed linguistic aspects they consider when producing their personal science communication like press releases and podcasts. The findings will be used in the autumn school in Zaragoza (19-21 November 2024), where participants will characterize and produce different science communication genres, to be published as an annotated collection of best practice examples.
Through collaborative dialogue, the conference advanced the understanding of how linguistic awareness can enhance science communication, benefiting both the academic community and the public.
Further information on the project: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/english/sections/edling/research/scicom.php
Contact: Dr. Marina Ivanova, Tel. +49 (0)371 531-34037, E-Mail marina.ivanova@phil.tu-chemnitz.de
(Author: Dr. Marina Ivanova)
Mario Steinebach
10.10.2024