Archived March 2004 ebulletin

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This bulletin contains information on the following:

1. Conference: Scotland, Languages in Higher Education and the Future
2. Area Studies Conference: Understanding the World: Developing interdisciplinary area studies to meet the needs of the 21st Century
3. Workshop: Residence Abroad
4. C & IT Workshop: Microsoft Powerpoint 'Making your point in HE'
5. Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies Conference 2004 Navigating the new landscape for languages
6. Area Studies online project: Call for images
7. Powerpoint presentation 'Why study Languages'
8. The British Universities/MATSDA Postgraduate Conference 2004: Perspectives on Materials Development
9. Responding to the needs of the Chinese Learner in HE Conference
10. Exploring the use of ICTs in teaching and learning: Request for project help
11. The European Language Teacher: publication by M. Grenfell, M. Kelly & D. Jones
12. TechLearn: technologies for Learning and Teaching
13. Survey of Non-Specialist Language Provision in Further and Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom - Translang Project

Subject Centre events

1. Conference: Scotland, Languages in Higher Education and the Future

18 March 2004, University of Stirling
This event will include presentations and discussions on our subject areas in Scotland. Places are still available to attend the event. Please visit the Scottish CILT website for more information and details of how to register.

2. Area Studies Conference: Understanding the World: Developing interdisciplinary area studies to meet the needs of the 21st Century

24 March 2004, Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London
Keynote Speaker is Sir Harold Walker, former Ambassador to Iraq, who will address the conference on the theme 'Why the World needs Area Studies'. Parallel sessions include the themes of interdisciplinarity and interculturality as well as health and safety in fieldwork.

Full information, a downloadable event poster, location map and online registration form can be found on the conference's webpage. The conference fee is £40 which includes lunch.

3. Workshop: Residence Abroad

07 May 2004, British Council, London
Following on from the expert focus group held earlier in the year, this event will explore developments relating to residence abroad. Further information and details of how to register will appear on the event's webpage.

4. C&IT Workshop: Microsoft Powerpoint 'Making your point in HE'

14 May 2004, Kingwood City Learning Centre, Fulham, London
This is a one-day hands-on course using Microsoft PowerPoint in language teaching in Higher Education. It is a collaborative venture between CILT and the Subject Centre. Bookings for this event are being taken by CILT. For more information or to register, visit the event's webpage or email he-enquiries@cilt.org.uk

5. Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies Conference 2004 Navigating the new landscape for languages

Wednesday 30 June and Thursday 1 July 2004, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
This is the second biennial conference jointly organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and CILT, the National Centre for Languages. Application forms for places at the conference were sent out recently with the latest Subject Centre newsletter Liaison, issue 5, February 2004. If you have not received one and would like to please email llas@soton.ac.uk

Other items

6. Area Studies online project: Call for images

One element of the Web Area Studies Online Project Image Trove [www.well.ac.uk/imagetrove] is the development of a database of images from France, Germany and Spain for use by academics and students for presentations and written work.

Images are categorised under the following headings:

• Built Environment
• Cities
• Education & Student Life
• Everyday Life
• Food and Drink
• History
• Language
• Nature and Countryside
• People and Statues
• Sport, Leisure, Culture
• Symbols
• Transport

Currently there are some sample images in the database. We now wish to flesh out the content as much as possible over the next 2 months. If you have any images that fit the categories, and are willing to allow them to be used across UK HE, please send them to William Haworth at School of Languages, JMU, 98 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5UZ 0151 231 3835 william@well.ac.uk

They may be in the form of photos on paper, slides or already in digital format. Whatever the format we will optimise them for web delivery and include them in the database. Each picture needs a brief description that will be included in the database. It may be of interest to encourage students on exchanges in France, Germany and Spain to take and contribute pictures of interest. Under the "People" category we would like to include a good number of student-related shots.

7. Powerpoint presentation 'Why study Languages'

Some secondary schools have now been given a version of this presentation. There is, therefore, a risk that HE staff wishing to use the Why Study Languages? Presentation may in fact be presenting material that the school is already familiar with. We hope to have new promotional materials of a different nature at the end of this academic year and in the meantime we suggest that anyone making such a visit to a secondary school would be advised to ascertain whether the school has already seen this presentation prior to their visit.

8. The British Universities/MATSDA Postgraduate Conference 2004: Perspectives on Materials Development

08 May 2004, Leeds Metropolitan University
Postgraduate students and researchers from British and EU Universities are invited to submit abstracts for 55-minute oral presentations related to Research in Materials Development for Language Teaching. This is as an opportunity to put forward and exchange ideas on the interface between learning/teaching and materials development. Contributions from both first time and experienced presenters are welcomed and presentations on research in progress can also be considered. Publishers will also be invited. The conference will be held at Macaulay Hall, Leeds Metropolitan University, Beckett Park, Headingley on Saturday 8 May 2004 from 10 am - 4pm. Entrance is free.

For enquiries, reservations and applications, please contact Helen Crossley at:
School of Languages, Leslie Silver International Faculty, Leeds Metropolitan University, Beckett Park, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3QS
Tel: 0113 283 7440 Fax: 0113 274 5966 Email: H.Crossley@leedsmet.ac.uk

9. Responding to the needs of the Chinese Learner in HE Conference

17/18 July 2004, University of Portsmouth
Many universities in the UK are experiencing an increase in the number of Chinese learners. This conference will focus on research into the needs of the Chinese learner along with examples of good practice, and concerns about the best ways to provide appropriate educational experiences. More information about the conference themes and speakers is available at: www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/slas/chineselearnersconference

10. Exploring the use of ICTs in teaching and learning: Request for project help

The Subject Centre has recently received a request for help in finding people interested in taking part in a project exploring the use of ICTs in teaching and learning. These people would be using ICTs in their teaching of campus-based undergraduates studying for a degree in German. Anyone interested in participating in this project is asked to contact the Subject Centre by email: llas@soton.ac.uk and their emails will be forwarded to the project coordinator.

Publications available

11. The European Language Teacher: publication by M. Grenfell, M. Kelly & D. Jones

The Subject Centre has copies of this publication by Michael Grenfell, Michael Kelly and Diana Jones, publisher Peter Lang, available at £32 each. Please email on: llas@soton.ac.uk if you would like to order a copy.

12. TechLearn: technologies for Learning and Teaching

The Subject Centre has a number of copies of this publication which it can offer free of charge to colleagues in FE and HE seeking advice and support on the use of new and emerging technologies relevant to teaching and learning. Please email on: llas@soton.ac.uk

13. Survey of Non-Specialist Language Provision in Further and Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom - Translang Project

This report, compiled by Ruth Pilkington, Project Manager at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, is also available upon request (email: llas@soton.ac.uk) from the Subject Centre. The report forms part of the work of the Translang Project funded by FDTL 1997-2000.

We would be grateful if your would forward this bulletin to colleagues and relevant mailing lists. Please do not hesitate to contact the Subject Centre if you have any queries regarding this bulletin.

Jane Copeland
Subject Centre Secretary
Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
School of Modern Languages
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton SO17 1BJ

tel. 023 8059 4814
email ljc2@soton.ac.uk