Artwork by Sophie Herxheimer

Listening Without Borders

Listening Without Borders is a commitment to ethical relationships and a practical, research-informed approach to working across differences. Bringing together interdisciplinary research, community engagement and creative practice, we explore how the practice of listening without judgment can help people and organisations navigate difference, challenge marginalisation and develop more inclusive ways of educating, working and living together.

We are a growing network of researchers, practitioners and community partners who put these ideas into practice. The Listening Without Borders Approach offers a framework for reflecting on how we listen, whose voices are heard, and how we can build more meaningful and equitable relationships. Our current focus is on educators and community leaders working in multilingual settings, particularly those in which languages of some groups have been historically marginalised. Through professional development, collaborative research and community-based practice, we explore how the method can respond to challenges that people face in their own contexts.

What we do

  • Building Communities in Multilingual Spaces

    ‍An experiential programme for community leaders who want to understand ways in which linguistic diversity can connect rather than divide. We come together to explore creative possibilities for mobilising linguistic diversity to strengthen our local communities and make everyone’s experience, story and language count. ‍

  • Educating in Multilingual Spaces

    An experiential programme for educators wishing to explore the full potential of their linguistically diverse students and build inclusive communities in their schools and classrooms. We see linguistic diversity of our students and teachers as a resource and an asset for building meaningful educational relationships and for nurturing curiosity, collaboration and civic care in our classrooms and wider communities.

  • Listening Without Borders Research

    We draw on internationally recognised research that connects sociolinguistics, education, philosophy and arts. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the UK, the interdisciplinary project Ethics and Aesthetics of Encountering the Other investigated how people of diverse worldviews, visions and histories encounter their difference.

  • Listening Without Borders Approach

    The Listening Without Borders approach has grown from longstanding research and community relationships. We use it as a tool for building communities in settings of social division, educating in settings of linguistic marginalisation, researching across disciplinary boundaries and for deepening our everyday interactions. To find out more about the core principles and how you can use them in your practice, check out our professional development opportunities.

  • Listening to Research Stories Otherwise

    We see research as the art of tuning in to people’s voices and stories and acting ethically on what we are taught. Sophie Herxheimer transforms her listening to research stories into poetry and painting ‘to nudge the consciousnesses of readers towards the irrefutable kinship that exists between all humans, our intrinsic need to be listened to.’ Anna Koptová listens in to bring the stories to life in the Romani language.

  • Language Education for Third Spaces

    A professional development programme for volunteers who teach multilingual students in community spaces. “Encounter: Language Education for Third Spaces” is a guide that helps volunteers develop their understanding and skills of teaching in a way that is grounded in partnership, dignity, and mutual listening. Read about the profound impact on participants beyond the language proficiency. Get in touch if you’d like us to work with you to develop a bespoke professional development programme for your organisation.

  • Discussing Difference and Belonging in Schools

    Developed in collaboration with Leeds Museums and Galleries, this resource is aimed at promoting constructive classroom discussion around othering – the practice of recognising, and often labelling, someone as different from you. It helps pupils to engage with the subject matter in respectful and open ways.

“Learning and meeting in a multilingual environment can be enriching for both majority and minority communities, as we can learn a great deal from one another and deepen our understanding of each other”
— Nikolas Čisár, ETP Slovakia

Photo: Juliána Kaščáková

Partners and Collaborators

Interested?

Let’s Talk

There are many ways of collaborating with us, contributing to our network or participating in our professional development events. If Listening Without Borders matters in your own practice, we’d like to hear from you.

Contact Us