Archived ebulletin: July 2006

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This bulletin contains information on the following:

1. Disciplines in Dialogue II: interdisciplinary teaching and learning
2. CETLs Questionnaire
3. Ab Initio language teaching questionnaire
4. Postgraduate conference: identity information
5. New Subject Centre CD: Why study languages?
6. A wider perspective and more options: Investigating the longer term employability of Humanities graduates
7. Lingua "Opening the door to language learning" handbook
8. HEA: Education for sustainable development: Call for grant funding bids
9. Graduate entrepreneurs wanted
10. Linking teaching and research: Call for case studies
11. Internationalisation of the curriculum and support for international students
12. Curriculum innovation for diversity
13. Third annual conference on 'the international learner: enhancing the student experience'
14. The internationalism of UK HE: Purposes, policies and predicaments
15. Events, call for papers, news from other institutions or organisations

Subject Centre events

1. Disciplines in Dialogue II: interdisciplinary teaching and learning

13-14 July 2006
University of Birmingham Conference Centre, Birmingham
Organised by the UK Higher Education Academy Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Group, this conference will provide a unique opportunity for discussion about this important, though long neglected, issue in higher education. It is open to practitioners in all disciplines. There are still places available: for details and programme please go to the Subject Centre events page.

2. CETLs Questionnaire

The Subject Centre is working with CETLs that have a language element or share common themes with our constituencies, e.g. in the areas of assessment, e-learning, employability, linking teaching and research, and outreach. If you are working in an institution which has a CETL, we would be very interested to find out:
1) Are you currently working with your CETL, and if so in what way(s)?
or
2) If you are not currently working with your CETL, would you like to do so? If so in what way(s) and is there anything the Subject Centre could do to help facilitate this?
Please send your comments to llas@soton.ac.uk

3. Ab Initio language teaching questionnaire

There's still time to tell us about your experiences of ab initio language teaching. Please fill out the questionnaire on the Subject Centre website.

4. Postgraduate conference: identity information

4 April 2007
University of Manchester
This Subject Centre sponsored Lecture will be the first ever conference to incorporate all the departments in the Faculty of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at The University of Manchester. This exciting inaugural event aims to be all inclusive and embrace all modern foreign languages; it will treat the notion of ‘Identity Formation’ in literature, art, film and media studies. Full details, including a call for papers, are available on the University of Manchester's website. For further details, please go to the Subject Centre events page.

Recent publications

5. New Subject Centre CD: Why study languages?

The Subject Centre has launched a new CD designed to excite, educate and encourage young people to continue with their language learning in KS4 and beyond. The CD is divided into two parts:'The Language Lab' is aimed at pupils in KS3 and KS4 and 'Why study languages' is aimed at pupils in KS4 and post-16. There are quizzes, powerpoint presentations and much much more AND it comes with its own poster! Further information about the CD and ordering procedure can be found on the Subject Centre website.

6. A wider perspective and more options: Investigating the longer term employability of Humanities graduates

This new report by Rebecca Allan of the LLAS Subject Centre is now available. To obtain your free of charge copy, please use the order form at the Subject Centre website.

7. Lingua "Opening the door to language learning" handbook

The Lingua Project Opening the Door to Language Learning (OdLL) aimed to encourage organisations delivering language learning (universities, colleges, schools, publishers, businesses) to develop initiatives whereby their materials and expertise could be made available to a wider and different set of learners. A guide to good practice in promoting language learning is available in the form of a handbook (in English, French and German). To order your free copy, please use the order form at the Subject Centre website.

HE Academy news and events

8. HEA: Education for sustainable development: Call for grant funding bids

The Academy Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project has set aside £40k to fund at least 10 small projects during 2006/7, with a maximum of £4k per project. Since both subject centres and subject communities are at very different points of development with regard to ESD, bids are welcomed from subject centres themselves; or through subject centres from people within their subject communities. In the first instance only one bid per subject centre will be funded. Deadline for bids is noon on July 14th. See the Subject Centre website for further details.

9. Graduate entrepreneurs wanted

LLAS would like to identify about ten languages, linguistics or Area Studies graduates who have built careers as freelancers, started their own businesses, been self-employed or mixed any of these with paid employment in a 'portfolio' career. We would like to interview these graduates as part of a Higher Education Academy study of enterprising careers amongst humanities graduates. Please contact llas@soton.ac.uk if you are able to help.

10. Linking teaching and research: Call for case studies

The Higher Education Academy Supporting New Academic Staff (SNAS) project is seeking case studies from disciplines including Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies. After 25 case studies have been entered from across all the Subject Centres in the project, one will be randomly drawn out of an electronic hat and win the voucher. The same will happen every time 25 more case studies have been submitted up to the time they total 200. We expect you will like to win - but first you have to send a case study! The deadline has been extended to 31st July 2006. Please send your case studies to John Canning. Once edited the case studies will be displayed on the LLAS Web Site and there will be a direct link from The Academy SNAS Project Web site. For further details please go to the Subject Centre website.

11. Internationalisation of the curriculum and support for international students

As part of our programme of activity on the internationalisation of higher education the Higher Education Academy has commissioned a literature review and is putting out a call for case studies of practice in the areas of internationalisation of the curriculum and support for international students. The HEA welcome contributions from colleagues to both these initiatives which are being undertaken to build resources for the sector and to facilitate debate on the enhancement of the student learning experience through internationalisation. For further details please see the Academy website (www.heacademy.ac.uk/International.htm) or contact Jane Berry.

12. Curriculum innovation for diversity

12 September 2006
York St John University College,York
This event organised by Higher Education Academy in association with the University of York will offer academics from across the disciplines a space to share both innovative and practical approaches to the enhancement of student learning through the embedding of equality and diversity in curriculum content and delivery methods. A key part of the programme will be three disciplinary symposia covering the following cognate subject areas: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences and Science & Engineering. For further details and to register go the HE Academy website (www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/List_4421.htm)

13. Third annual conference on 'the international learner: enhancing the student experience'

13 - 14 September 2006
Southampton Solent University
The feedback from previous events in this successful series has informed and shaped the design of this year's conference which has widened its focus to consider issues for institutions in dealing with all international students. The conference will be of interest to academic staff, support staff, as well as those involved in marketing overseas. For further details visit the HE Academy website (www.heacademy.ac.uk/4592.htm).

14. The internationalism of UK HE: Purposes, policies and predicaments

19 September 2006
The Universities of Leicester and Nottingham, on behalf of the Midlands Staff Development Partnership
This conference is aimed at senior colleagues who are involved in policy formulation and will offer a range of perspectives from different counties and different institutions.
For further details visit the University of Nottingham website (www.nottingham.ac.uk/sedu/news.php).

Events, call for papers, news from other institutions or organisations

15. Events, call for papers, news from other institutions or organisations

Please visit the the Subject Centre events page for events, calls for papers, news which are not organised by LLAS Subject Centre.

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.

Marie Weaver
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: M.Weaver@soton.ac.uk

A Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy www.heacademy.ac.uk/