LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

The SPEAQ Project

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Thematic Network Project (TNP)

Sharing Practice in Enhancing and Assuring Quality (SPEAQ)
LLAS is leading on a new EU-funded project which will be using the LanQua Toolkit developed by our previous EU-funded language and quality network.

LLAS success in bids for EU funded projects
LLAS has been successful in its bids for two EU-funded projects.

Call for contributions: European Journal of Language Policy

Proposals are invited for contributions to the European Journal of Language Policy / Revue européenne de politique linguistique, which is published by Liverpool University Press, in association with the Conseil européen pour les langues / European Language Council, and edited by Michael Kelly (University of Southampton, UK).

European Award for Languages

Time is running out to nominate an outstanding language initiative to receive a European Award for Languages. The deadline for this year’s Awards is 1 February 2008. The most innovative language initiatives will receive one of the prestigious awards, which recognise creativity in improving the quality of language teaching, and the ability to motivate students and maximise available resources. The Award is part of a Europe-wide scheme supported by the European Commission, with CILT, the National Centre for Languages as the UK co-ordinator. Applications are invited from primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities, businesses and all other institutions engaged in innovative and effective foreign language teaching.

The LanQua Toolkit is now available online
The LanQua Toolkit is the main output of the Language Network for Quality Assurance (LanQua), a network of 60 teachers of languages and related studies across Europe which was coordinated by LLAS and funded by the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Erasmus Network programme.

ELAN: Effects on the European economy of shortages of foreign language skills in enterprise

CILT, along with its research partner, InterAct International, have now completed their research into the effects on the European economy of shortages of foreign language skills in enterprise.

Realising the European HE Area
Communiqué of the Conference of Ministers responsible for Higher Education in Berlin on 19 September 2003

Consultation: language learning and linguistic diversity
As a part of its ongoing work to promote a multilingual Europe, the European Commission is undertaking a public consultation about language learning and linguistic diversity in Europe.

Global perspectives in Area Studies: a complacent or creative response?

Higher Education is under pressure to produce graduates with the knowledge and skills for working in a globalised world and with the values and attitudes to behave as global citizens. Are Area Studies students developing these 'global perspectives' through their studies? A scoping study at the Royal Geographical Society (with with the Institute of British Geographers) has investigated the current status of the global dimension. The research project examined how global perspectives are manifest at three different levels within Higher Education: disciplines/subject areas, departments/teaching teams and institutions. In Area Studies, the picture is generally encouraging, with many of the building blocks for developing and strengthening global perspectives already in place. The long-term objective is for a holistic approach where all the components contributing to global perspectives are integrated and embedded into the ethos, structures, activities and daily life of Higher Education institutions.

European studies programmes in the UK
European Studies is a type of interdisciplinary programme, widely established in the UK since the 1970s, which combines modern languages with disciplinary studies in the social sciences or humanities. Programmes fall predominantly into two groups: those based on progressive study of two or more disciplines applied to Europe, typically history, politics and economics, and those in which language is studied in the context of European cultures and societies. The study of the EU is a core part of most programmes. Degrees are usually of four years with one year spent at university or in a placement in continental Europe.

Bologna Process (12 May 06)
Event date: 12 May, 2006
Location: Senate House, Malet Street, University of London

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