Engaging creatively with modern languages (Portsmouth)

Date: 24 October, 2008
Location: School of Languages and Area Studies, University of Portsmouth
Event type: Workshop

Location map | Programme

students in class

This workshop aims to introduce, on a theoretical and practical level, an innovative model of language teaching and learning which directly engages students’ personal identity, agency and creative potential. Two intensive practice-based workshops will be offered. The morning workshop will illustrate the integration of practices adapted from creative writing into modern foreign languages teaching and learning: genres, such as ‘list’ poems, haiku and acrostics; styles such as anaphora, alliteration and assonance, and novel use of grammatical forms. These will be used by participants to create group and individual pieces. The afternoon workshop is designed as an active introduction to the Japanese language for complete or near beginners, and will enable all the participants to create their own short poems in Japanese. The workshop has the following aims:

  • To contribute to the decompartmentalisation of languages, linking and further developing task-based language pedagogies, intercultural knowledge, language awareness and grammatical competence.
  • To offer MFL lecturers and tutors a menu of creative writing activities, task types and exercises at graded level which can then be used flexibly to support their own teaching practice in the language classroom.
  • To develop MFL students’ dynamic use of existing generic competences and linguistic resources in their target language in order to create an original poetic or prose composition.

All colleagues, lecturers and tutors in any European or world language are welcome to attend.

The event is organised under the Subject Centre’s Workshops to go scheme, with support from the School of Languages and Area Studies, University of Portsmouth. Organised by Margaret Anne Clarke, and Elizabeth Maldonado.

Workshop fee

There is no charge to attend for employees and postgraduate students of publicly funded UK educational institutions. The fee for employees and postgraduate students of private institutions/organisations and non-UK institutions is £40. Lunch will be provided. We reserve the right to charge a £50.00 non-attendance fee.

Provisional programme for 24 October 2008
Time Session
09.45 - 10.20 Registration
10.20 - 10.30 Welcome and introduction
10.20 - 12.00 Workshop 1: Writing creatively in a modern language: genres, forms and styles
Margaret Anne Clarke
12.00 - 13.00

Lunch
Poster session and exhibition

13.00 - 14.30 Japanese Creative Kickstart: a hands-on workshop introducing words and sounds to complete/near beginners
John Cross
14.30 - 15.00 Coffee and tea break
15.00 - 16.00 Reading circle and discussion
led by Margaret Anne Clarke and Elizabeth Maldonado