LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Runner-up of the student award 2010: My future employability: the benefits of a languages, linguistics or area studies degree

- 24 May 2010

Rosie Shimmin, a 4th year German and Politics student at Cardiff University, was a runner up in the Subject Centre's undergraduate student award competition 2010.

Runner-up of the student award 2010: My future employability: the benefits of a languages, linguistics or area studies degree

- 24 May 2010

Ciaran Roe, a 4th year Italian and English Literature student at the University of Edinburgh, was a runner up in the Subject Centre's undergraduate student award competition 2010.

Runner-up of the student award 2010: Encouraging school pupils to study languages, linguistics or area studies at university

- 21 May 2010

Sarah Louise Badrock, a 1st year Middle Eastern and Modern European Language student at the University of Manchester, 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.
 

Interpreting in the teaching of undergraduates: at the interface of HE and business

Eva Schumacher-Reid - 18 June 2009

Durham offers a final-year German Interpreting module teaching simultaneous, consecutive, liaison and on-sight interpreting on the basis of European Parliament debates. All performance indicators testify to the module’s success:

• High student numbers
• Highest possible satisfaction rates in student surveys
• A prestigious institutional award for innovation and teaching excellence
• Provision of an excellent foundation for postgraduate studies in Translation/Interpreting
• Acknowledgement of value by numerous employers who have praised students’ transferable skills and readiness for the work market.

The skills-based approach of this course leads to reflective learning, instills infectious enthusiasm in students, and operates effectively at the HE-business interface, satisfying the demands of the academic and the business world.

The diversity of language services

- 8 June 2009

Every year the schools in the two national networks, translation and interpreting (NNT and NNI), receive representatives from various agencies who are looking into recruiting our postgraduate students not just for work in translation but in jobs classed as ‘translation projects’ where linguists are expected to fulfil such functions as project managers, terminologists, translators, localisers, revisers, editors and publishers. The interpreting services of international organisations talk to our students about remote and ‘chat room’ interpreting, where interpreters reproduce a verbal exchange on a computer screen. And if subtitling used to be exclusively the job of the translator with knowledge of specialised software, nowadays subtitling agencies are keen to recruit simultaneous interpreters. The discussion in this presentation will focus on the diversity of language services.

Engaging with employers at the University of Liverpool

Diane Appleton - 1 June 2009

This paper presents initiatives recently introduced at the University of Liverpool to engage employers in a range of activities in the School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies. The paper shows how employers have contributed to the School’s employability agenda outside of a formal career management module. It also demonstrates the importance of a partnership between an academic department and a careers service in order to develop and maintain links with employers.

Commercial awareness and employability

John Canning - 9 March 2007

Although commercial awareness may not always be addressed in a classroom setting, it is a skill that students applying to graduate recruiters will benefit from nurturing. This short article outlines some of the ways in which employers may require potential employees to demonstrate this attribute.

Plans and e-plans: integrating personal development planning into the languages curriculum

- 18 January 2007

This paper will illustrate how the integration of voice tools and subtitling software in conjunction with the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) into the teaching and learning of Italian have enabled staff at Coventry University to explore innovative ways of delivering the syllabus and created more opportunities for students to engage with work-related activities and simulations in line with the government's drive towards an employability agenda for HE. The presentation will also show how the new tools have boosted students engagement and motivation. The major features of the voice tools and subtitling software will be demonstrated and examples will be given of activities carried out with learners of Italian from absolute beginner to advanced level. Examples will also be given on how the voice tools could be used to create spoken entries for an e-portfolio.

The introduction of Chinese onto the curriculum of Spanish engineering students at the Polytechnic University of Valencia

- 12 January 2007

Ten years ago the introduction of Chinese onto the curriculum of engineering students (offered German and French in addition to English) at the Polytechnic University of Valencia was unthinkable, but last September my first Chinese class was full. This paper sets out to analyse the motivation and experiences of the first batch of students, comparative references being made to German beginners at the same institution. Of particular interest is how students (and potential employers) perceive the relevance of Chinese to their future careers.

How can key skills "sell" Linguistics to students and employers?

- 10 May 2006

In this article Richard Hudson argues that an undergraduate course in Linguistics is an exceptionally good source of important life skills, given the right input from both the student and the teacher. He distinguishes three kinds of learning experience: application of a given system of categories (e.g. the IPA), understanding of how language works, and self-reflection; and for each of these general categories he comments on the educational benefits and illustrates a range of more specific sub-categories. He also list some specific life-skills that these educational experiences should develop, e.g. respect for evidence, tolerance, self-understanding. He concludes with a few preliminary remarks on how these benefits can be "sold" to students and employers.

Researching 'Languages Work': Why don't teenagers pick languages?

Teresa Tinsley - 19 January 2005

With the removal of languages from the compulsory curriculum for 14-16 year olds, the post 16 decline in language learning is starting to affect numbers taking GCSE as well. Public debate centres on the importance of pupil choice, and the alleged unpopularity of the subject among teenagers. The 'Languages Work' project has produced materials designed to improve careers guidance in languages, and so increase take up. This paper outlines findings from our development work which sheds light on teenagers' attitudes towards languages and how to address their misconceptions.

Widening horizons: Charting progress the Aston way

Nigel Reeves and Annie Bannerman - 18 January 2005

This paper discusses Aston University's Widening Participation project, providing pathways into the University via Foundation Degrees, with a view to creating a new service and knowledge-based workforce in the Birmingham region. Languages form an important part of the knowledge economy and the Languages For Life project, launched in 2001, is described. Current Aston undergraduates are recruited as ambassadors for local schools and a supporting conference was held. Ways in which the project can be developed further are discussed.

Enhancing student awareness of employability skills through the use of progress files

Dawn Leggott and Jane Stapleford - 18 January 2005

This study, which was inspired by the Dearing Report, aimed to explore the nature of student perception of their skills development. Taking place over five years and involving 35 undergraduate students, the study found that students had a low awareness of the skills that they were intended to develop and many of them were unaware of the skills requirements of employers. As a result of these findings, Personal Development Plans were used to bridge this gap and it is hoped that the experience gained form this study can be transferred to other contexts.

Before navigating: Grief and the new landscape for Languages

Alison Phipps - 18 January 2005

This paper engages critically with the futures we are presently imagining in terms of the language of 'employability', 'service teaching', and 'skills'. It engages the energy of grief as of key structural import and argues that for us to learn to navigate anew, for us to be people who language and who bring the intellectual delight and the trouble of languages to life, in the university, then collective grief and the sense of loss are not marginal affairs. Indeed, the authors argue, this is the ground from which innovation, hope and imagination grow.

New contexts for university languages: the Bologna Process, globalisation and employability

Jim Coleman - 6 January 2005

So far, the Bologna Process is changing university studies in all countries except the UK. However, the author posits that the globalisation and commercialisation of HE may overtake the Bologna agenda and goes on to discuss this paradox. Prior strategies for emphasising employability have perhaps been badly-implemented and so suggestions for future improvement are included.

Widening Participation focus group report

John Canning - 26 November 2004

The Subject Centre convened a focus group on 1st November 2004, to discuss Widening Participation in Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, and how the Subject Centre may help practitioners in their activities. This report is a brief overview of some of the issues and viewpoints that emerged from the group. If you have any comments and/or questions concerning WP, please contact John Canning llas@soton.ac.uk

Enhancing employability: A guide for teaching staff in Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

- 18 June 2004

As we move towards the governments 50% widening participation target, and the financing of Higher Education changes, teaching staff are being given more responsibility for enhancing the employability of their students. The guide is aimed that those involved in preparing their students for the workplace.