LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Runner-up of the student award 2010: Studying languages, linguistics or area studies at university: a guide for new students

- 24 May 2010

India-Chloe Woof, a 3rd year French and Linguistics student at the University of Sheffield, was a runner up in the Subject Centre's undergraduate student award competition 2010.

Winner of the student award: Encouraging school pupils to study languages, linguistics or area studies at university

- 12 May 2010

The winner of the Subject Centre's undergraduate student essay competition 2010 is Daniel Finch-Race, a 3rd year Modern European Languages student at the University of Edinburgh. Daniel’s winning entry is a promotional article aimed at encouraging school pupils to study languages, linguistics or area studies at university.

Integrating key work skills into an undergraduate language module: marketing and media in France

Laetitia Vedrenne and Sally Wagstaffe - 16 November 2009

‘Marketing and the Media in France’ is a final-year undergraduate module which integrates the development of key or transferable skills with the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge (of marketing and the advertising media in France) and the development of all four language skills. This case study provides an outline of the module, its aims and assessment methods, introduces some of the resources used to support the module and reviews student responses regarding the challenges and benefits of integrating key skills into a final-year module as they prepare to make the transition into the world of work.

Employability and Enquiry-Based Learning in Languages

Julie Lawton and Catherine Franc - 18 June 2009

The UK seems to be experiencing a dilemma regarding languages and employment, with a reduction in the number of students taking languages at specialist level and yet an increase in demand for competent linguists in all fields of work worldwide. This paper will address some of the issues facing both recruiters to language programmes in HE and language graduates embarking on the job market. Since, currently, British language graduates are something of a minority, we will consider the “added value” qualities they can offer to employers, and what employers are seeking in job candidates that linguists might uniquely fulfil.
In French Studies at the University of Manchester, we have been engaged in several innovative projects exploring the use of Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) within our grammar and oral programmes and also in a project designed to maximize students’ linguistic experience of their residence abroad (not discussed in this paper). We believe that EBL methods enable students to achieve both an expert “product” and a transferable “process” as the outcome of their studies, thus providing them with valuable employment skills: successful group-working strategies, confidence in giving presentations, practice in time-management, administrative and organizational skills, the ability to research independently through a variety of resources, and a flexible, open-minded attitude to new situations and tasks.
 

Why teach French sociolinguistics?

David Nott - 18 June 2009

What is the place of linguistics and sociolinguistics in the undergraduate French programme? For 20 years, I taught a second-year undergraduate module (10 weeks, 2 hours/ week) on ‘The making of the modern French language’, chosen by about 20 students each year. The course was modified to take account of research, seminar discussions, students’ work, and feedback questionnaires. This description of the course is intended as an encouragement to colleagues teaching French to undergraduates to consider offering a course on similar (or different!) lines, or to consider including in an existing course some of the topics and/or approaches outlined here.

French as a foreign language and the Common European Framework of Reference for languages

- 20 February 2007

This paper considers the position which British GCSE and 'A' level are given in the Common European Framework (CEFR). The vocabulary sizes of learners taking these exams are considered in relation to the vocabulary information and wordlist sizes included in the CEFR documentation. The vocabulary knowledge of learners appears small, very small, in comparison to the levels anticipated by the Framework, and very small compared to learners of other languages at the same levels. Learners in Britain appear to lack the vocabulary knowledge necessary to carry out the skills indicated for the levels they are expected to attain.

Developing online self-access materials for subject specific language courses at an advanced level (SAM Project)

- 12 January 2007

The Language Centre at the University of Bristol is committed to providing students with up-to-date and innovative learning opportunities. Over the course of the academic year 2004-2005 the applied foreign language team developed a range of online language learning materials in French, German, Italian and Japanese for Engineers, Scientists and Social Scientists studying language at advanced and intermediate levels.

New hats for old: Intercultural competence and the integration of language and linguistics teaching

- 19 January 2005

This paper discusses the development, delivery and outcomes of a module in Intercultural Communication aimed at first year undergraduate students of English Language and Linguistics, French, and Spanish at Kingston University. The incorporation of key skills and the integration of the varied linguistic and cultural experiences of the students was central to the module.

Bridging the Gap: University of Manchester

Julie Lawton and Annie Morton and Thomas Despositos and Susana Lorenzo and Elena Polisca - 18 January 2005

The University of Manchester's Bridging the Gap project to help students transition between GCSE, As and A2 level is described. Various forums and committees were set up to identify gaps in their respective syllabuses and events days were run at a Language College to help fill these gaps. Feedback on the events was good and it is hoped that this type of event will encourage more students to take languages at university level.

An interim assessment of the introduction of accredited portfolios in introductory French courses

- 12 January 2005

This paper reports on the introduction of accredited portfolios into an ab initio French language course at the University of Stirling. These were introduced to help students progress from a teacher-led learning environment into one in which a more autonomous approach was required. Student feedback was mainly positive, whilst a slight improvement in grades was also reported. However, some areas of difficulty would benefit from further development.

Yes, but is PEL the same as ELP?

- 12 January 2005

In September 2003, Leeds Metropolitan University started delivering a new French specialist route on its BA(Hons) Primary Education and was paired with the IUFM of Montpellier in France. As lecturers from both institutions started collaborating together, we decided to look into the use of the Common European Framework and in particular the European Language Portfolio (ELP) as tools offering an element of commonality between France and the UK. How is the use of these interpreted differently in both countries? How much do these interpretations reflect a different approach to language learning and the means to achieve that learning?

Using parallel corpora in translation

Raphael Salkie - 25 February 2003

Parallel corpora are large collections of texts in two languages. They can be used for teaching and research in translation, bilingual lexicography, and linguistics.

Hidden merits of the translation class

Penelope Sewell - 17 February 2003

This paper discusses a unit of a BA course at Birkbeck College, London in 'translation from and into French’. It considers what transferable skills and knowledge can be developed through such a course, as well as the many issues that translators have to deal with.

Empty-headed linguists? French undergraduates and learning transfer

Françoise Close and Mike Fay - 14 February 2003

This study describes an attempt to encourage some advanced learners of French as a foreign language (A-level plus two years) at Anglia Polytechnic University (APU) to develop some strategies and skills applicable both to language learning and to other knowledge domains. We examine what happened during a three-week learning and teaching sequence; we re-examine the principles and assumptions on which the teaching was based; and we draw conclusions pertinent to attempts to achieve similar ends, at APU and perhaps elsewhere. Our title is a wry reference to the stereotype, common within British Higher Education, of foreign language proficiency as a mere skill requiring only low-level cognitive activity.

French studies in UK higher education

Tony Chafer - 27 September 2002

A survey of French area studies teaching in the UK, covering curriculum content, design and delivery.