Fostering Dialogue and Collaboration among Minority Language Educators: Basque, Occitan and Irish within our Teacher Academies

Elizabeth Pérez Izaguirre is an Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), with accredited six-year research (2015-2021) and five-year teaching track record. (2017-2021). She is currently the principal researcher of the AKTIBA-IT research lab at the EHU. Her academic work focuses on ethnographic studies of education, particularly exploring teaching practices, identity, and minority languages in multilingual contexts. She has led interdisciplinary projects, conducted international research stays, and explored linguistic and cultural diversity in education through collaborative research.

Karin van der Worp holds a Doctoral degree in Education (UPV/EHU, Basque Country), a Master degree in Teaching Spanish Language and Culture (RuG, The Netherlands), a Master degree in Applied Linguistics (RuG), a Bachelor degree in Romance Languages and Cultures (RuG) and a Bachelor degree in Pedagogy (UPV/EHU). She is associate professor at the UPV/EHU University of the Basque Country, at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, at the Department of Educational Sciences, where she teaches classes related to educational research in the bachelor programs of Pedagogy and Social Education, and in the Master of Secondary Education. Karin van der Worp is member of the DREAM research group. Her research interests include multilingualism in the workplace and in education and minority languages. She has presented her work at national and international conferences and has published several articles in international academic journals.

Iris Orosia Campos Bandrés holds a PhD in Education and is an Associate Professor of Language and Literature Didactics at the University of Zaragoza, where she also directs the Specialisation Diploma in Aragonese Philology and the Teaching Innovation Group in Linguistic and Literary Education. She is a member of the ECOLIJ research group. Her research interests focus on the teaching of Aragon’s linguistic heritage, educational sociolinguistics, and reading and literary education. She is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Spanish partner in the European project “LocalLing. Revitalisation of Linguistic Diversity and Cultural Heritage”, and a member of the project “PYRENLANG. Multilingualism and minority languages in schools of the western Pyrenees: a transdisciplinary approach”, led by the UPV/EHU and the UB. She has published several monographs on the teaching and learning of Aragonese, including El aprendizaje del aragonés en la vida adulta. A qualitative study on students’ representations (2023). In terms of knowledge transfer, her coordination of the PlurilingüES project stands out: Teaching materials on multilingualism in Spain, promoted by the Government of Aragon and sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport.

Marie-Anne Châteaureynaud is professor of applied linguistics at the INSPE (College of Education) of University of Bordeaux. Her research focuses mainly on Occitan, minority languages, sociolinguistics, Language teaching and learning, and multilingualism.

Secondary education inspector for Basque (Euskara) within the French National Education system. I completed my studies at the Bayonne campus of the University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour, specialising in Basque Language and Civilization. I began my professional career in primary education, carrying out substitute teaching as a Basque-language teacher within public bilingual education. After passing the secondary education competitive examination, I worked as a tenured teacher in various lower and upper secondary schools, gaining a wide range of experience. Subsequently, I spent twenty years as a Basque-language teacher at the Villa Fal public school in Biarritz, where I was actively involved in language teaching and pedagogical projects. For the past four years, I have been working as a secondary education inspector in the Bordeaux Academy. I currently serve as a subject-matter advisor to the Rector, contributing to teacher support, the implementation of educational policies, and the promotion of multilingualism.

Education 2015 – Master’s degree in Teaching 2014 – CAPES qualification in Occitan 2014 – Master’s degree in Contemporary History: “La course à l’espagnole in Parentis‑en‑Born: stakeholders, challenges and organisation of novilladas from 1927 to the present day” Professional experience Since 2014 Secondary school teacher Currently teaching in Langon Participation in committees responsible for designing final competitive examination assessments (upper secondary and higher education) Since 2017 Occitan voice actor with Conta’M Provided voice‑overs for Mr Stick / Stick Man (Martin Freeman), several characters in Avril and the Twisted World (including Olivier Gourmet’s character), Solan Gundersen in two feature films (The Big Cheese Race and Journey to the Moon), Astérix in The Mansion of the Gods, as well as various roles in animated series and films (Arthur and the Children of the Round Table, Mini‑Loup, The Badger‑Fox Family, Terminator 2, The Name of the Rose, among others).

Education PhD candidate in Sociolinguistics and Didactics of Occitan, University of Bordeaux (since 10/2022) German state qualification for teaching at secondary level (lower and upper secondary) in German and French MEEF Master’s degree in German and French, University of Bochum (Germany) Master’s degree in Romance Languages Literature, Linguistics and Culture, University of Bochum (Germany) Master’s degree in Language Didactics – French as a Foreign Language, University of Le Mans (France) Bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences, University of Paris 8 Vincennes–Saint‑Denis (France) Professional experience Current position Primary school teacher in Germany Previous positions Teacher of German and French in secondary education in Germany Teacher of German in secondary education in Strasbourg (France) Teaching and Research Associate (ATER) in German Literature and Translation, University of Strasbourg (France) German Language Assistant at the University of Reims Champagne‑Ardenne (France) Lecturer in German at Sciences Po Reims (France) Lecturer in German at Sciences Po Nancy (France) Teaching and Research Associate (ATER) in Romance Linguistics, University of Bochum (Germany)

Seán Ó Grádaigh is a Lecturer in Teacher Education at the School of Education, University of Galway, and Director of the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO), an Irish-language immersion programme preparing teachers for second-level Irish-medium schools. An Apple Distinguished Educator, he has served for over a decade as Ireland's Country Lead for Apple Professional Learning Specialists. He is founder and Chair of the MiTE Conference (International Conference on Mobile Technologies in Initial Teacher Education), with previous editions hosted in Sydney and Los Angeles. His research focuses on Digital Learning, artificial intelligence,  teacher education & Irish-medium education.  He currently serves on the International Expert Panel on AI for the Wales Collaborative for Learning Design, which advises the Welsh Government on educational policy.

Dr. Clíona Murray is an assistant professor at the School of Education, University of Galway. She teaches sociology of education and research methods and is coordinator of practitioner research on the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas teacher education programme. Her research interests include education policy studies, social inclusion, minority languages in education, and narrative research. A graduate of University of Galway, UCL Institute of Education and Maynooth University, her doctoral research examined the interplay of education policy and teacher identity. Clíona worked as a post-primary teacher of French and German prior to taking up her current position. 

Roseann Uí Fhlatharta is a Lecturer in Teacher Education at the School of Education, University of Galway. She contributes to the preparation of future post-primary teachers on the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO), an immersion Initial Teacher Education programme delivered through Irish. Her work centres on supporting and guiding future post-primary teachers, through a strong emphasis on creative, reflective, and research-informed approaches to language immersion education. Through her teaching on the MGO, she is focused on modelling high-quality pedagogical practice in Irish-medium contexts and fostering confidence, adaptability, and professionalism amongst student teachers. Roseann brings extensive classroom and leadership experience to her work in ITE. She has contributed to national curriculum developments and has played a key role in designing and delivering professional learning for teachers at post-primary level. She has a longstanding interest in curriculum development, teacher pedagogy and innovative teaching and learning strategies for language education.

Sinéad is a lecturer in Teacher Education in the School of Education, University of Galway. She is Co-director of the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO), a flagship immersion language Initial Teacher Education programme through Irish. Sinéad’s role involves preparing teachers for the future, modelling best practice at the forefront of Irish medium Initial Teacher Education. A parallel function is the continued networking and support of teaching and learning in Irish medium schools and the encouragement of learning within this medium. Her research interests lie in active teaching & learning methods, with an emphasis on creativity, inclusion and the use of drama in the classroom. She also has a keen interest in the research and implementation of CLIL, and offers CPD to inservice teachers in this area.

Since 2025: Full Professor of Basque Studies at Université Bordeaux Montaigne (UBM). Since 2022: Associate Professor (Maîtresse de conférences) of Basque Studies at UBM. 2013–2021: PRCE in Basque Studies at UBM. 2023: Habilitation to Supervise Research (HDR) in Basque Studies. School culture in the Basque context. HDR defended on 15 June 2023 at UBM. Supervisor: Jean Casenave. 2022: Triple CNU qualification for Associate Professor positions: Section 73 Regional Cultures and Languages; Section 07 Language Sciences: General Linguistics and Phonetics; Section 70 Education and Training Sciences. 2017: Doctoral dissertation in Basque Studies (joint supervision). Teaching spoken Basque: a linguistic and didactic analysis. Dissertation defended on 27 November 2017 at Université Bordeaux Montaigne. Supervisors: Jean Casenave and Itziar Idiazabal Gorrotxategui. 2012: Research Master’s degree in Basque Studies, UBM. Contemporary identities of Basques in Argentina. 2005: BA in History, University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour. 2002: Successfully passed the external CAPES examination in Basque Regional Language. 2001: BA in Basque Regional Languages and Cultures, University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour.

Elizabeth Pérez Izaguirre is an Associate Professor at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), with accredited six-year research (2015-2021) and five-year teaching track record. (2017-2021). She is currently the principal researcher of the AKTIBA-IT research lab at the EHU. Her academic work focuses on ethnographic studies of education, particularly exploring teaching practices, identity, and minority languages in multilingual contexts. She has led interdisciplinary projects, conducted international research stays, and explored linguistic and cultural diversity in education through collaborative research.

A certified teacher of Occitan (langue d’oc), he has worked for over thirty years in the Bordeaux Academy, where he has developed recognised expertise in regional language didactics and educational design. His career is defined by the creation of structured interdisciplinary teaching frameworks and by a sustained commitment to the development of educational provision, resulting in a significant increase in student enrolment and training opportunities. Holder of the CAFFA qualification, he has been involved for more than twenty years in both initial and in‑service teacher education (INSPE), particularly in the preparation of bilingual primary teachers, closely aligned with university requirements. He has contributed to academic‑ and national‑level initiatives, including curriculum development, examination design for the baccalauréat and CAPES, and participation in juries for national competitive exams. As the author of key pedagogical resources (Oc ben, Trobadors), his work is grounded in the production and dissemination of knowledge. He is currently acting as an IA‑IPR, applying his scientific, didactic and institutional expertise to the steering of educational policies.

Karin van der Worp holds a Doctoral degree in Education (UPV/EHU, Basque Country), a Master degree in Teaching Spanish Language and Culture (RuG, The Netherlands), a Master degree in Applied Linguistics (RuG), a Bachelor degree in Romance Languages and Cultures (RuG) and a Bachelor degree in Pedagogy (UPV/EHU). She is associate professor at the UPV/EHU University of the Basque Country, at the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology, at the Department of Educational Sciences, where she teaches classes related to educational research in the bachelor programs of Pedagogy and Social Education, and in the Master of Secondary Education. Karin van der Worp is member of the DREAM research group. Her research interests include multilingualism in the workplace and in education and minority languages. She has presented her work at national and international conferences and has published several articles in international academic journals.