York St John linguistics student shares ‘amazing’ experience presenting multilingualism project at Parliament showcase

A York St John University student has been commended for representing the University at a national parliamentary event. 

Catalina Marseillan, a BA English Language and Linguistics student, represented the University at Posters in Parliament on Wednesday 25 February. The annual event brings together undergraduate researchers from across the UK to share impactful projects with MPs and policymakers. 

Catalina presented findings from Multilingualism for Social Justice: Evidencing the Impact of York St John University’s Community Language School, a project exploring how teaching in more than one language can help multilingual children feel included, take part and get more from their learning. 

Catalina Marseillan said: 

“I had an amazing time at the Posters in Parliament event. It was a great way to present our research and engage with MPs, as well as connect with other students and their work. It was such an inspiring experience to see the range and quality of undergraduate research being presented. Preparing for the event also helped me build confidence in communicating research to different audiences and understand how student work can contribute to policy discussions.” 

The research by the Community Language School (CLS) focuses on ‘Translanguaging’ - an approach that uses more than one language in the classroom to support learning. By observing lessons, gathering teacher feedback and reviewing children’s work, it explores what works and the difference it makes for children, their families and the wider community. 

It also responds to a growing national need. Around 1.7 million pupils in state-funded schools in England speak a language other than English at home, yet heritage language learning remains under-supported within English-dominant education systems. Established in 2022, the CLS addresses this gap by providing free, volunteer-led language classes for children aged 5 to 15 from multilingual backgrounds. 

Hosted the York St John Communities Centre, the CLS is run by a team of experts in language and education. Volunteers are trained and supported to lead classes that use creative approaches like drawing and performance to help children learn in more than one language. 

Dr Mattia Zingaretti, Research Lead and Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, said: 

“At the heart of the CLS is a simple but vital message: children’s multilingualism is a real resource. When we recognise and nurture it, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom, helping to build a fairer, more inclusive society for children, families and communities.” 

“Our student-researcher Catalina represented the work of our whole team with real brilliance. It was wonderful to see this research on a national stage and receiving the spotlight it deserves.” 

The research also received recognition from policymakers at the event. During closing remarks, MP John Slinger gave a special mention to the CLS project, while York Central MP Rachael Maskell praised the initiative and its impact. 

Rachael Maskell MP said: 

“It was great to hear of the fantastic work being undertaken at the Community Language School in York. This work provides not only benefit for the student and public volunteers but allows children in our community to learn an amazing skill without cost which benefits them in the future.” 

Dr Indu Vibha Meddegama, Director of the Community Language School, added: 

“This event offered an excellent platform for our undergraduate researchers to connect with peers from across the UK and share the impact of their work on a national stage. We are incredibly proud to see our Community Language School and Translanguaging research recognised in this way.” 

If you’re interested in collaborating with or finding out more about the CLS, Dr Meddegama would love to hear from you. Contact cls@yorksj.ac.uk  

Find out more about the York St John Community Language School on our website.