LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

iTunes and You

Understanding Essay Questions

These learning object activities will help you to understand how questions are structured and give you practice in recognising key components of essay questions. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Umgangssprache in deutschen Liedern

This learning object activity is on the German language. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing, and is entirely in German.

Subordinating Conjunctions in German

In these learning object activities, you will consider how to recognise and translate subordinating conjunctions and will practise locating the verb in a subordinate clause. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Introduction to social networking and Web 2.0

After completing the tasks provided in thsi learning object, lecturers should; understand the basic concepts that make up Web 2.0, improve their knowledge of social networks, be able to evaluate different social networks for educational purposes, be confident in designing a task using social network. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Colloquial expressions with 'ser' and 'estar' (B2)

This learning object is on the Spanish language. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing, and is in entirely in Spanish.

Preparing for exams

In this learning object, you will learn;  to identify the myths and realities about taking exams, to gain practice in using your memory for revision; to investigate what to do before, during and after an exam. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Strategies for moderating successful online courses

After completing the tasks in this learning object, you should; understand what online education is about, increase your confidence in moderating courses online, improve your skills in designing online courses. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Managing your time successfully

In this learning object activity, you will learn to; practise ways of avoiding wasting time, Provide opportunities for improving your time management skills and look at ways of prioritising your time. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

What Is a Literature Review? An Introduction

In this learning object activity, you will have a closer look at a literature review chapter from a published journal article. The following tasks will introduce you to what content goes into a literature review, how you can structure it and what kind of expressions you can use in English, when you write your own literature review chapter (LRC). Examples and some tasks and references are oriented specifically at undergraduate business students for whom English is a foreign language.

Reading practice: Kaiser Karl der Große

These learning object activities are to be used for a Reading Class in German after you have completed approximately 30 hours of tuition. You will revise and practice past participles, and you will learn vocabulary relevant to a particular period in history. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Die Gleichberechtigung der Frauen in Deutschland

This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing, and is entirely in German.

German beginners - revision: meeting, greeting, getting to know each other

The aim of this exercise is to help you revise expressions you can use to greet someone, to introduce yourself and to ask questions about someone you have met for the first time. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Postcards from favourite places - reading and writing exercise (German)

In this learning object exercise you will read a postcard that was published by jetzt.de in June 2007, learn some new expressions that are typical for the region it was sent from, answer some questions and finally write your own postcard. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Recognising 'faux amis' (A-N) in German

This learning object aims to provide an introduction to False Friends. False Friends, Falsche Freunde or Faux amis (they are commonly known by the French phrase) are words that look or sound alike in two languages. However, they are not what they seem. In these activities, you will be made aware of the most frequently occurring German False Friends (A-N), and practise translating them correctly into English. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

Tips for lecturers using discussion boards

This learning object aims to provide an introduction to discussion board software and websites for lecturers. After completing the tasks provided, lecturers should; Have a better understanding of what a discussion board is, Increase their confidence in setting up a discussion board, Improve their skills in designing tasks for discussion boards. This learning object has been subject to peer review and editing.

VLEs: An introduction to online education using VLE (WebCT) communication tools
These resources were created for a Subject Centre 'Workshops to Go' by Marga Navarrete. These materials are from a series of workshops which aimed to introduce experienced f2f (face to face) lecturers to online education. A set of powerpoint presentations are available that are based on the content of two face to face workshops delivered in 2007.

E-learning: Learning object creation checklist
A learning object is a particular type of online electronic learning material that is generally defined as a small, digital and self-contained unit of learning that can be broadly (but not exclusively) described as context independent, reusable and adaptable. A key quality of a learning object is that it contains a high level of interactivity, will have defined learning outcomes and specific tasks or activities for the learner. Although it may make use of other resources it will not depend on other resources or other units of learning and should be reusable in a number of learning situations. This tool is intended to help you to evaluate existing electronic resources for their suitability for repurposing as learning objects. Answering the questions in each of the 3 sections will help you to reflect on key issues for the design of online learning materials and give you guidance as to whether your materials are appropriate for use in learning objects.

REAL Reading and Listening for Adult learners of Dutch, Greek, and Swedish
A suite of reading and listening materials developed as part of an EU Lingua Project and in association with the TELL Consortium. Reading: Integrated suites of reading exercises, each containing a number of independent units based on an authentic text in the target language. Available in Dutch, Greek, and Swedish. Listening: Integrated suites of listening exercises similar to Reading Units and in the same languages, except that each exercise is based on an authentic audio passage in the target language

Dutch: The Virtual Department of Dutch
The Virtual Department of Dutch is an inter-university teaching collaboration programme in Dutch Studies, involving four UK universities. Its web-based, free-standing and interactive self-study packs cover topics in Dutch language, literature, linguistics, history and cultural studies. They cater for different levels of linguistic competence in Dutch, from beginners to advanced. Their use is free.

French: Listening comprehension - Club Méditerranée - transcription exercise
This is an audio transcription exercise aimed at first year Undergraduate French students. The recording gives information on the holiday firm Club Méditerranée and the kind of clients it attracts. There are buttons on screen which the user can click at any time to hear the whole recording or a short section of it. The user is advised to begin by listening to the whole recording at least once without trying to type anything, and then to listen section by section, typing what they s/he has heard. The user is allowed 3 attempts at each section, after which the work is checked for mistakes and automatically marked. The "Show Answer" button brings up the correct response and allows the user to proceed without scoring any points. During the course of the exercise the full correct transcript is compiled on the right of the screen. This exercise was created using Authorware. Provided the resources are in the same folder, double clicking the file '3clubmed' should launch the programme.

Sharing data and feeds

The LOC tool for teachers: authoring your own online learning materials
Event date: 3 October, 2008
Location: University of Sussex

6 Ps in Podcast: planning, production, pedagogy, participation, positioning, publishing (London)
Event date: 11 September, 2008
Location: King's College London, Open Learning Centre, K-1.07-2, First basement, Strand building

6 Ps in Podcast: planning, production, pedagogy, participation, positioning, publishing (Portsmouth)
Event date: 26 June, 2008
Location: University of Portsmouth, Park Building, School of Languages and Area Studies, rooms 2.07, 3.14, 3.15 and 3.16

Online education using communication tools (Manchester, 1 June 07)
Event date: 1 June, 2007
Location: Room 3.59, Williamson Building, University of Manchester

Online education using communication tools (London, 30 May 07)
Event date: 30 May, 2007
Location: Language Lab 2, Sherfield Building, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London

Tips and tricks for teaching Linguistics with technology (17 Feb 2005)
Event date: 17 February, 2005
Location: CILT,

C&IT Workshop: using PowerPoint (14 May 2004)
Event date: 14 May, 2004
Location: Kingwood City Learning Centre, Fulham, London

Computer Assisted Assessment
Event date: 27 January, 2003
Location: University of Strathclyde

CALL Research Seminar
Event date: 1 February, 2002
Location: Leeds Metropolitan University

Interactive Whiteboards for Language Teaching
Event date: 15 January, 2003
Location: University of Hull

JISC digitisation programme invites proposals: Enriching digital resources

The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) invites institutions to submit funding proposals for projects to be funded through an additional strand of its Digitisation Programme. This particular strand, which has funding of up to £2 million, is aimed at developing the range and quality of digital resources available to the JISC community by digitising analogue collections and enhancing existing digital collections for use in learning, teaching and research.

CETL Survey in partnership with LLAS: Multimedia Language Learning in UK Higher Education
This report offers a baseline for future investigation in recent developments in the use of technology to enhance language learning. It also intends to establish extent of use and best practice within the Higher Education sector of the UK.

'Workshops to Go': Call for Bids 2007/8 - deadline extended

Proposals are invited for this year’s Workshop to Go programme. Workshops dealing with key themes for this year include assessment, supporting new staff and engaging with employers will be particularly welcome. 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.

AHRC-sponsored survey on use of ICT in Arts and Humanities research

The Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) is carrying out a survey aimed at all arts and humanities researchers in Higher Education Institutions in the UK. It aims to capture and analyse information about current use of information and communications technology (ICT) and future needs.

Cascading good practice: 'Workshop to go' project, 2007

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.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) survey
The JISC funded ARIA (Arts and Humanities Research ICT Awareness and Training) project is currently looking for information from researchers from all arts and humanities communities about good examples of how ICT resources and tools are being used in your subject area of research and about what ICT skills and tools you may need to acquire in future to support your research e.g. word processing, databases, linguistic analysis, web search engines, image enhancement tools and so on.

Cascading good practice: 'Workshop to go' project, 2004
The Subject Centre is inviting bids to develop training packs for enhancing staff skills in the use of new technologies for learning and teaching 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 these training sessions will then be expected to 'cascade' the training within their institutions.

Academic and professional skills for language learning
This section of the web guide provides an overview of what Academic and Professional Skills (APS) are and why they should be integrated in degree courses involving languages. It illustrates the rationale behind the introduction of APS, the logic behind making them compulsory, the way in which their integration impacts on curriculum and assessment. It also highlights the issues to address to make the embedding of APS into the languages curriculum effective. It finally provides suggestions on how to integrate APS, using the European Language Portfolio and networked-based learning.

Language and education
This paper outlines an approach towards teaching and learning about language and education which is underpinned by sociocultural theory. It argues for an exploration of the connections between language and learning through analysis of educational discourses, including classroom talk, academic writing, and academic computer mediated communication.

CALL (computer assisted language learning)
An introduction to Computer Assisted Language Learning, including a brief history and mention of more recent trends (CD-ROMS, DVDs, the Web) and professional associations dedicated to CALL.

Baseline information for the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS)

Using the Virtual Campus for language learning: A case study in pedagogical and practical approach to using ICT

This paper considers the ways in which a learning platform can be used for language classes within the higher education context. The platform, the Virtual Campus, incorporates a number of features and facilities including the use of the multimedia platform for final year French materials, and the discussion lists for second-year students of English as a Foreign Language. In an attempt to explore possible ways in which information and communications technology (ICT) could be used in an innovative manner in the final level French classes, a research project was piloted at the University of Lincoln (formerly the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside) in 2000-2001.