Zena Hilton, MA (Hons)
Senior Academic Coordinator
Zena is a languages graduate and has worked in a number of education management roles. She has been at the University of Southampton since 2007 managing and supporting a range of language projects. She currently works on a number of projects both in and outside of Modern Languages.
Zena can be contacted by
Email: languagessoutheast@soton.ac.uk | Tel: 023 8059 9135 | Fax: 023 8059 4815
Biography
After finishing her languages degree in 2002, and then relocating to Hampshire in 2003, Zena worked on a range of education projects for Southampton City Council, working with schools and local adult education providers. In 2007, Zena joined the University of Southampton, initially managing the Comenius South East training and support programme for language teachers (managed nationally by CILT, the National Centre for Languages). From 2009 to 2011, she managed the Links into Languages South East regional centre, supporting more than 1000 language teachers through 120 training events. After the Links programme ended in March 2011, Zena continued to provide support and training for language teachers as Languages South East, part of the Network for Languages, offering flexible training packages for schools and key events such as the ICT and Languages conference (#ililc).
Since 2013, Zena has taken on broader roles in the LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, helping LLAS fulfil its Secretariat role for the University Council of Modern Languages (UCML), working on web and communications in the Routes into Languages national coordinating team, and managing its biennial Languages in Higher Education Conference. She has also started working on wider university public engagement roles, managing the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival and the Humanities Festival (The Sea and Me).
Throughout her time at the university, Zena has also coordinated outreach activity in Modern Languages, and organises the Routes into Languages funded Year 8 and Year 12 Able Linguist Days. She is also chair of governors at Great Oaks School in Southampton, a special secondary school.
Expertise
- Project management
- Event management
- Communications
- Overview of languages education in primary, secondary and further education
- Outreach and public engagement
Key achievements
Links into Languages South East – supporting over 1000 teachers via 120 events and developing 15 local training centres from 2009-2011
ICT and Languages Conference – established this event as one of the main events on the language training calendar for language teachers and best known by its twitter hashtag #ililc
Running a growing programme of language outreach activity, which in 2013/2014 attracted more than 360 Year 8s and Year 12s into the university
Project managed the redevelopment of the Routes into Languages website for 2013-2016
Project managed the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival 2014, only starting four months before it was due to happen. Over 3000 people attended, the biggest year yet, and it won the Best STEM institution award in the National Science and Engineering Week awards.
Organised the LLAS Centre’s 2014 biennial Languages in Higher Education Conference (Reshaping Languages)
