Two UST Faculty of Arts and Letters academic staff presented their papers in the Third Hawaii International Conference of English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS) held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao on May 14 to 15, 2024.
Asst. Prof. Joram Kim Corcuera from the Department of English and Mr. Raffy Quines from the Department of Literature shared their insights and discoveries in the research conference, with the theme, 鈥淚nnovations in Language and Literature Pedagogy: Navigating Multiliteracies for Effective Teaching and Learning.
Corcuera discussed the roles of translanguaging in the realm of sports media through his paper titled 鈥淟anguage at play: Examining the role of translanguaging in shaping athlete identity amidst media biases in sportscasting.鈥� In his study, he mentioned that translanguaging fosters a deep sense of national pride and inclusivity among viewers, especially those in the Filipino audience, and that local sportscasters use it to increase emotional engagement while also promoting inclusivity, resulting in a broadcast environment in which every fan feels valued and represented.
Corcuera also shared that his study was inspired by the Filipinos鈥� love for sports, which was evident in record-breaking crowds during local sports events. Additionally, in his study, Corcuera also emphasized the importance of understanding the language of sports given that the domain of sports and athletics is a research area left unexplored and uncovered in the field of linguistics.
Meanwhile, Quines examined the identities of local comedian Vice Ganda as negotiated and expressed through her tweets that function not only as comedic displays but also as platforms for interactive engagement. His presentation further revealed a deliberate and playful challenge to linguistic norms, evidenced through practices such as translanguaging, code-meshing, and code-switching, alongside the vibrant use of gay lingo, and noted that these elements are intricately woven with creative wordplay, unconventional digital spelling, and distinctive linguistic clownery.
Around 200 language scholars and experts attended the international conference in person and online. HICELLS 2025 conference will take place in Oman.
HICELLS is a platform for advancing the fields of English language and literature studies by fostering academic collaboration, developing innovative research, addressing contemporary challenges, enhancing pedagogical practices, and celebrating cultural diversity.
