Kletskoppen (‘Chatterboxes’) allows children from diverse backgrounds to discover the science behind language, so that they increase their enjoyment of language, broaden their view of science, and appreciate their own (multilingual) knowledge. Our activities include festivals in libraries and community centres, and lessons in schools about ‘being a scientist’ using language science. Kletskoppen, an initiative of Radboud University and Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, increases the visibility of language science by showing that the science behind language is serious and more than reading and writing. Migrant children feel empowered when their linguistic and cultural expertise is considered as an asset rather than a liability. We collaborate with educational and social organisations at the local and national level to engage children with limited science capital. Everyone, young and old, is familiar with language, so everyone has the potential to become a language scientist.
Falling Walls
Falling Walls Science Summit 2023
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Sharon Unsworth: Breaking the Wall to Language Science in a Diverse Society
Sharon Unsworth is a language scientist at Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, where she researches the language development of bilingual children. She is the Scientific Director of Kletskoppen, an initiative which she set up in 2017 together with colleagues at Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. Sharon feels a strong sense of responsibility to share the insights obtained through scientific research with a broader public, and as a first-generation student herself she is keen to encourage all children to engage with science, no matter their background. Sharon is also the host and maker of the podcast Kletsheads, a spin-off project from Kletskoppen. Kletsheads is a podcast about bilingual children for parents, teachers, and speech language therapists, and is available in both English and Dutch.
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