University of Wales Trinity Saint David – Alan R. King Katedra 2025: Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran

The Fellowship, named after the eminent linguist, the late Dr Alan R. King, is an opportunity for a scholar from the Basque Country to go to Wales to research and to contribute to teaching and knowledge exchange in these fields of sociolinguistics and language policy and planning.

Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran will spend six weeks at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth, where she will develop research activities revolving around Basque sociolinguistics and language.

Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran holds a PhD in Education from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She also holds a Master´s degree in Bilingual Education and another in Intercultural Communication, and has worked as an assistant lecturer and academic advisor at the same university. Her future lines of research focus on analysing and highlighting the linguistic practices of immigrant students in multilingual settings involving minoritised languages and regional contexts.

The core of her research addresses the linguistic practices and perceptions of immigrant students enrolled in the Basque-medium Model D, exploring the influence of the language beliefs and expectations of their parents and teachers. Through the Alan R. King Chair, she will be able to further investigate the relationship between language, education, and schooling for immigrant students.

During her time as a visiting researcher at the Chair in Wales, Jaione Diaz will carry out a wide-ranging academic programme. First, she will deliver the lecture “Language, Beliefs, and Belonging: Immigrant Students in Basque-Medium Education” at the National Library of Wales. Second, she will lead a follow-up workshop for professionals on 3 November. Finally, on 10 November, she will offer a postgraduate seminar.