Why should STEM invest in other languages?

Dr Iria Gonzalez-Becerra awarded Best Short Talk at the CERU International Symposium 2026

'Collaborate to Innovate' was the theme of the 13th SRUK/CERU International Symposium, held in the Oxford Museum of Natural History this June.

Dr Iria Gonzalez-Becerra, Languages Field Leader, presented "Raising the Profile of Spanish as a Language for Science, One Student at a Time" at the event.

The talk posed an increasingly pressing question: in a world where English operates as what Swales (1997) memorably called a "Tyrannosaurus Rex" - a dominant force consuming the linguistic diversity of scientific communication - why would STEM undergraduates invest in other languages, and why should their institutions care?

Dr Gonzalez-Becerra argued that CLCC Languages provision represents a key contribution to Imperial College London's Science for Humanity strategy. This is precisely because not all of humanity speaks English, and modules create the conditions in which English-speaking STEM students can begin to imagine themselves as part of a plurilingual, and thus richer, scientific world.

The talk, which Dr Iria Gonzalez-Becerra posted about on LinkedIn, received the CERU International Symposium's Best Short Talk award, as voted for by the symposium delegates.