2026 IIW Keynote Speaker: Dr. Paul Malovrh

​Please join us Monday, May 11th at 3:30pm in Dow 100 for our 2026 IIW Keynote Presentation. This year's keynote speaker is Paul Malovrh, Professor of Hispanic Linguistics at the University of South Carolina. The presentation is open to the Yale language community and will be followed by a wine and cheese reception.

Abstract:
This talk explores L2 advancedness in terms of L2 identity construction and shared meaning among interlocutors with a common native language versus those without. It explores advancedness in terms of the L2 learner’s awareness of sociocultural and linguistic aspects of self and of others, the agency with which they use their L2 to effect positive change, and how they can do so while pursuing a harmonious outcome in intercultural contexts in which there is a lack of shared meaning. The presentation begins with an overview of traditional notions of advanced proficiency, more contemporary discussions of advancedness, and then an analysis of beliefs and practices among students, administrators, and faculty, regarding language use throughout North America and Western Europe. It then explores learnerhood, native-speakerism, elite bilingualism, and expertise, as constructs that influence the co-construction of shared meaning in an L2, all of which leads to two overarching questions: Can advancedness be measured? And is it teachable? 

The address concludes by asserting that linguistic identity, advanced language use, and intercultural competence among our students encapsulate the present and future of language study in higher education and should guide programmatic reform. As the Instructional Innovation Workshop explores sociocultural nuance of advancedness, methods to assess it, and the potential and limitations of curricular reform, it also addresses important questions that Malovrh and Moreno (2023) did not explore. It posits questions pertaining to the degree to which current definitions of advanced language use apply to typologically distinct languages, to different modalities of communication, such as American Sign Language, and to different genres of academic language and foci of study, such as Biblical Hebrew, all of which the 2026 Instructional Innovation Workshop will subsequently explore. 

Bio:
Paul A. Malovrh is Professor of Spanish and Second Language Acquisition at the University of South Carolina. His research appears in journals such as The Modern Language Journal, Language Teaching Research, and Hispania, and includes books and volumes published by Cambridge University Press, Benjamins, and Wiley-Blackwell. His work explores themes pertaining to advanced second-language proficiency, linguistic identity, sophisticated language use, instructional intervention, and explicit knowledge. He currently serves as Chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

Center for Language Study (CLS) | Website | View More Events

Contact the organizers