LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Making Video for Language Learning and Teaching
Event date: 16 November, 2013
Location: Centre for English Language Teaching, Vanbrugh College, University of York

Making Video for Language Learning and Teaching
Event date: 17 November, 2012
Location: Centre for English Language Teaching, Vanbrugh College, University of York

Making Video for Language Learning and Teaching
Event date: 15 November, 2014
Location: Centre for English Language Teaching, Vanbrugh College, University of York

Conducting research in English language teaching (11 May 07)
Event date: 11 May, 2007
Location: York St John University

International students (9 June 06, Sheffield)
Event date: 9 June, 2006
Location: Sheffield Hallam University

International students (28 Apr 06, Southampton)
Event date: 28 April, 2006
Location: New College, University of Southampton

Marking students’ written work: principles and practice
This practical guide to marking MFL and EFL students’ written work covers continuous writing and translation. Marking is considered as one stage in an integrated, collaborative process of teaching and learning, requiring awareness of the tutor’s dual role as coach and assessor, and consultation and calibration among tutors. Issues discussed include: How much to mark; making appropriate comments; using symbols for the nature and seriousness of errors; consistency and fairness; giving positive feedback through ticks; converting quantitative scores into marks. The guide concludes with three illustrated case studies: a marked copy of a piece of first-year writing in French; suggested criteria for assessment of Year Abroad projects; a marked copy of a final-year English to French translation. Reference is made to surveys of research findings on marking.

The Languages of the Wider World CETL
The Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), Languages of the Wider World (LWW) is hosted jointly by the School for African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) and University College London (UCL). Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), it was set up in 2005 and is one of only two CETLs in the UK devoted to language learning and teaching and learning.

Inside-out: Student criticism of "foreign experts" in universities in the P.R.C.
The article through its use of critical incidents provides stimulating case study material for TEFL/TESOL teacher education programmes. The paper brings together three key issues: the underlying concept of 'communicative competence and Communicative Language Teaching, the status of English as a lingua franca and the debates related to linguistic imperialism, and lastly the nature of teacher education and what are relevant and appropriate skills within this field for practitioners.

Designing textbooks for modern languages: the ELT experience
This article looks at the steps involved in writing coursebooks from the point of view of authors and publishers. It also looks at the advantages of team-authoring in the context of recent national textbook projects in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union states. Whilst the main focus is upon the design of ELT materials, the approach described can usefully be applied to the design of language teaching materials in general.

Pronunciation in EFL
Phonetics provides a scientific basis for pronunciation teaching in EFL (English as a Foreign Language). It is essential to the preparation of reference and teaching materials and highly desirable as an aspect of EFL teacher training.

EAP: University Challenge: a short orientation and listening course for international students
The aims of these materials is to raise awareness of university life in the UK, to raise awareness of key study tasks and to provide listening and note-taking practice. The course consists of four short modules, each featuring a key study task: writing essays, understanding lectures, participating in seminars and tutorials, and reading/research skills.

English grammar exercises
This resource consists of graded 'Hot Potato' exercises to develop knowledge/awareness of the structure and function of English Language. The materials provide a useful resource for students (e.g. modern foreign languages) who wish to improve, refresh or develop their knowledge of English Language or for professional development for teachers.

Language Testing: Dialang: Diagnostic Tests for Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish

DIALANG offers validated tests of different language skills, together with a range of feedback and expert advice on how to improve your skills. It also offers scientifically validated self-assessment activities and allows users to determine their language level, strengths and weaknesses as well as to increase their awareness of current skills and of what it means to know a language. It has been developed by more than 20 major European institutions, with the backing of the European Commission and is based on the Council of Europe's "Common European Framework of reference", which has become established throughout Europe as the most widely recognized frame of reference in the field of language learning.

The case for a common framework of reference for the validation of assessments of written English on English language degree programmes in Europe
The Bologna process carries out an agreement by European governments to create by 2010, a European Higher Education Area with two main degree cycles, undergraduate and graduate, and a common system of credits and quality assurance. In this climate of review, revision and collaboration, this paper describes a survey of existing practice with regard to expectations of attainment on degree programmes in Europe. It will also outline a proposal for a collaborative project to develop a framework for the self-validation of skill assessment on a language programme. The concept of validity informed the design of a questionnaire to collect qualitative and quantitative data on the final assessment of students' written English on English language degree programmes across Europe. Analysis of responses from 30 universities in 12 European countries revealed wide variation between different countries, within the same country and, in some cases, within the same degree programme. As a result of this survey, European partners have been identified to collaborate on the development of a framework for the self-validation of assessments of written English, which can inform the assessment of other skill areas and other languages.

Applying the CEF to Slovak university courses
The author starts her presentation with the historical background and current trends towards the application of the Common European Framework (CEF) in Slovak schools. Giving an example of an English course for Social Sciences, she then describes the specific phases of the application of the CEF.

Mono- and multilingual reading circles

This paper aims to: describe the research and findings; explore issues around this type of task in HE; describe a small-scale research project to encourage students to read and discuss extensively outside class time.