Archived ebulletin: August 2005

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This bulletin contains information on the following:

1. Enhancing environmental awareness through literature, languages and area studies
2. Higher Education and the National Languages Strategy: Enhancing the role of modern languages in HEIs
3. Routes into reading
4. Visual communication and the teaching of Modern Languages, English and Intercultural Studies
5. Enhancing the student learning experience in Modern Languages
6. Sharing good practice in teaching Area Studies - Call for abstracts
7. Subject Centre LLAS/CILT Conference 2006 - Call for papers
8. Cascading good practice - Call for bids
9. Call for Area Studies Materials
10. MELISSI Workference
11. Non-Subject Centre Events
12. New resources this month
13. LLAS Digest
14. Open University survey - educational website usability

Subject Centre events

1. Enhancing environmental awareness through literature, languages and area studies

09 September 2005, CILT, London
The English Subject Centre and the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies have recently completed projects as part of the HEFCEs Education for Sustainable Development agenda.  The work of our Subject Centres has demonstrated that environmental issues can be approached through the study of historical and contemporary cultures, societies and literatures. The study of these subjects can help practitioners and their students to reflect on their own practices.  For further information, visit the Subject Centre Events page.

2. Higher Education and the National Languages Strategy: Enhancing the role of modern languages in HEIs

28 September 2005 Senate house, University of London
This seminar aims to explore how Heads of Department/Deans of Faculty can respond most effectively to the recommendations of the report by Hilary Footitt, commissioned by the DfES (www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR625.pdf). The day will include presentations from experts in the field as well as opportunities for discussion.

At present, we have space for one representative per institution to attend this seminar. If you would like to attend on behalf of your institution and are unsure if your Head of School/Dean of Faculty has responded to the invitation, please email Marie Weaver mw11@soton.ac.uk at the Subject Centre.

3. Routes into reading

20 October 2005, Institute of German and Romance Studies, Senate House, London
This one-day conference will present ideas and strategies for creating interest and enthusiasm among students for the study of foreign language literatures. These may include the use of literature in translation and other texts (such as film) that have been derived from or refer to works of literature. To reserve a place please register online at the Subject Centre Events page.

4. Visual communication and the teaching of Modern Languages, English and Intercultural Studies

09 November 2005, Westpark Conference Centre, University of Dundee
Visual texts, particularly film and television, have long been used to teach undergraduates to teach other languages and to mediate other cultures. Yet visual media are used in a variety of different disciplinary contexts which rarely overlap and yet which bring different perspectives to bear. This seminar will explore ways in which these perspectives may illuminate and enhance the teaching of Modern languages, English and Intercultural Studies. To register for this event please contact: Amanda Reeman-Clark amanda.reemanclark@stir.ac.uk. The cost of the seminar is £30 which includes coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. The closing date for applications is 31st October 2005. For further information, visit the Subject Centre Events page.

5. Enhancing the student learning experience in Modern Languages

Personal Development Planning, skill development and learning support in modern languages at HE, 11 November 2005, CILT, London
With the QAA requirement for PDP (Personal Development Planning) to be implemented at HE from Autumn 2005, most universities are either reviewing their current practices - to see whether they fit into those outlined by QAA - or are creating new practices from scratch.

LLAS are organising an event to be held at CILT on 11th November 2005 to exchange ideas on the issues involved for Modern Languages at HE.

The day will be of interest to modern language teaching staff, support staff working in or with modern languages, learning and teaching coordinators and staff working in university careers or learning and teaching centres. For more information and to register go to the Subject Centre Events page.

6. Sharing good practice in teaching Area Studies: Call for Abstracts

14 November 2005, CILT, London
Colleagues are invited to share ways in which they have impacted upon enhancing the overall learning experience of Area Studies students. Papers are welcome from practitioners contributing to any Area Studies course. If you would like to contribute please submit an Abstract (max 200 words) to John Canning j.canning@soton.ac.uk by 14 October 2005. For more information on this event go to the Subject Centre Events page.

Subject Centre LLAS/CILT Conference 2006

7. Subject Centre LLAS/CILT Conference 2006 - Crossing frontiers; languages and the international dimension - Call for papers

6-7 July 2006, University of Cardiff

Deadline for submission - Friday 28 October 2005
This two-day conference is jointly organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and CILT - the National Centre for Languages, in partnership with key subject associations in languages and related studies in Higher Education: UCML, SCHML, AULC and ALL.

Themes

1. Working across sectors
2. The curriculum
3. e-learning
4. Teacher training

For more information on how to submit a proposal, go to the Subject Centre Events page.

Projects

8. Cascading good practice - Call for bids

The Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies is inviting bids to develop training packs for enhancing staff and students in the relevant subject areas. The successful applicant will be required to produce a training pack and run two regional training sessions for HE staff. Participants at the workshop will then be expected to 'cascade' the training within their institutions. Proposals should be sent to Alison Dickens a.m.dickens@soton.ac.uk. All applications should be received by 30th November 2005. For further information please visit the Subject Centre News page.

9. Call for Area Studies Materials

The Subject Centre is currently involved in a project that is exploring the use and re-use of learning materials for languages, linguistics and area studies. The project consists of exploring the concept of the learning object (an electronic, self-contained and pedagogically driven learning resource) and the ways in which it can be delivered to enable repurposing (adaptation) and reuse. We will be taking some of the materials from languages and linguistics that are held in our Materials Bank and evaluating them as candidates for adaptation into learning objects. We are now seeking some suitable materials developed for the content (socio/cultural or political) aspect of languages and area studies programmes that might be appropriate for adaptation and sharing across the sector. Materials must be electronic and should be copyright free. For further information or to send your resources contact Alison Dickens a.m.dickens@soton.ac.uk.

Other Events

10. MELISSI Workference - Applications in the digital classroom: USing MELISSI to enhance the learning of Languages and related subjects

The University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with Melissi Multimedia Ltd, is organising a one-day "workference" on 9th September 2005. See the University of Portsmouth website for details on the submission of abstracts (www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/slas/conferences/melissiworkference/abstracts/) and a booking form (www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/slas/conferences/melissiworkference/bookingform/).

11. Non-Subject Centre Events

Please visit the Subject Centre Events page for details of events not being organised by the Subject Centre.

Subject Centre website update

12. New resources this month

Good Practice Guide: Case study - The role of the moderators in focus group interviews: Practical considerations
Authors: Angela Pickering and Cathy Watts

Good Practice Guide: Facilitating reflective learning: an example of practice in TESOL teacher education
Author: Angela Pickering

Materials Bank: Language and style web-based course
Authors: Mick Short

Publications

13. LLAS Digest

During the coming week you will all receive a copy of the LLAS Digest with its subtitle 'Articles, projects and resources from the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies'.

Open University survey - educational website usability

14. Survey findings

A summary of findings from the Open University survey about educational website usability will be published later this year on the Open University's public Knowledge Network (http://kn.open.ac.uk/public).

We would be grateful if you 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 for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies
Modern Languages
School of Humanities
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton SO17 1BJ

tel: 023 8059 4814
fax: 023 8059 4815
email: ljc2@soton.ac.uk