LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

The Year Abroad: Maximising and promoting its real value
Event date: 23 May, 2012
Location: University of Strathclyde - John Anderson Campus (City Centre) - Graham Hills Building - rooms 513/514/515

Residence abroad: reinventing the arguments
Event date: 25 November, 2010
Location: Room B202, The Brunei Gallery, SOAS London

Assessment of the year abroad in modern language degrees
Event date: 25 June, 2010 - 26 June, 2010
Location: University of Bath

Meeting the current challenges: the humanities and employability, entrepreneurship and employer engagement
Event date: 23 October, 2009
Location: Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HQ

Embedding global learning through in-country study
Event date: 14 May, 2009
Location: George Eliot 219 (ICAN) (pdf), Clifton Campus, Nottingham Trent University

The Ning thing: using a social network to support the year abroad
Event date: 8 May, 2009
Location: The Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool, 1 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GL

Pragmatics and intercultural communication (27 Mar 06)
Event date: 27 March, 2006
Location: The British Council, London

Sharing good practice in teaching Area Studies (14 Nov 05)
Event date: 14 November, 2005
Location: CILT, London

Modern Languages and the development of student criticality (28 May 2004)
Event date: 28 May, 2004
Location: CILT, London

Overseas fieldwork and cultural exchanges in HE (28 Jan 2004)
Event date: 28 January, 2004
Location: RGS-IBG Education Centre, 1 Kensington Gore, London

Residence abroad (7 May 2004)
Event date: 7 May, 2004
Location: British Council, London

Area Studies conference (24 March 2004)
Event date: 29 March, 2004 - 30 March, 2004
Location: Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HB

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

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.

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

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

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.

Engaging with employers at the University of Liverpool

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.

Winner of the student award 2009: How have you been inspired by studying languages, linguistics or area studies at university?

The winner of the Subject Centre's undergraduate student essay competition 2009 was Laura Gent, a 4th year Modern Languages student at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Runner up in the student award 2007: What advice would you give to students starting your course?
Elizabeth Murray, a first year French and German student, is a runner up in the Subject Centre's undergraduate student essay competition 2007.

Runner up in the student award 2007: What advice would you give to students starting your course?
Elizabeth Baines, a final year French student, is a runner up in the Subject Centre's undergraduate student essay competition 2007.

Student award 2007: What advice would you give to students starting your course?
The winner of the Subject Centre's undergraduate student essay competition 2007 was Robert McGinty, a final year student studying Russian and English Studies at the University of Nottingham.

Identifying student needs for the year abroad preparation
The author examines student needs in preparing for the year abroad, looking at the relationship between metacognitive learning strategies and linguistic development during the year abroad, and how students' subjectivities relate to their linguistic development. The author summarises her findings by producing a list of steps that would ideally be included in a year abroad preparation course.

The year abroad: A critical moment
The year abroad component has faced challenges in recently, although it represents a life-changing experience for most students. This paper illustrates the importance of the year abroad to the undergraduate language degree, drawing on research evidence arising from an ESRC funded project of the development of criticality in undergraduates. Our suggestion, supported by our empirical evidence, is that the Year Abroad has a powerful role in allowing language students to develop in the domains of the self and the world which in turn helps progression in the domain of reason, and feeds into their ability to engage critically with academic work.

Insurance and residence abroad
Insurance is not a large expense for students, but the consequences of not having it could be devastating. A recent discussion on a mailing list highlighted that many residence abroad organisers are uncertain about insurance matters governing residence abroad. Failure to alert students of the need for insurance may be a breach of an institution's Duty of Care if a problem occurs.

Provision of 3-year degrees in Languages: An overview
Language degrees (degrees in which a modern foreign language is a named component) have often been one year longer than honours degrees in other arts and humanities subjects, as students have usually spent the third year of the course aboard. This article overviews the increasing provision of three year language degrees.

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

Intercultural Learning and Ethnography: Observing Culture at Leeds Metropolitan University

The following paper describes the module Observing Culture which is offered as part of the undergraduate language provision at Leeds Metropolitan University. The aim of the module is to prepare students for the year abroad and to enhance their cultural sensitivity by exploring shared cultural knowledge, values and beliefs. By observing and critically examining their own cultural practices, students are encouraged to become more aware of certain patterns under the surface of life, which should help them to gain a better understanding of their own and others' cultural worlds. The module incorporates an introduction to anthropological and sociolinguistic concepts, ethnographic research, reflective learning and ethnographic writing.

'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.

Public consultation on British Standard to benchmark good practice in safety management systems (overseas activities)
A new British Standard for the provision of adventurous activities, expeditions, visits and fieldwork, undertaken for educational, training or recreational purposes outside the UK. This standard could have important implications for Residence Abroad in languages and area studies programmes.

Year abroad survey
In response to requests from language departments, the LLAS Subject Centre wishes to gather and disseminate information on fee structures for students during their period of residence abroad.

Foreign assistance: working in a French school for a gap year
What is it like to work in a French school during a year abroad? Katie Phipps reports in the Guardian Newspaper, 23rd August 2005.

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.

Mind the gap (year)
Rising competition for graduate jobs has left students wondering exactly what they can do to stand out in the interview room. An article on the BBC news website, 3rd August 2004, asks does the traditional gap year still open career doors?

Disability and residence abroad
This article provides an introduction to ways of ensuring that disabled students are not denied the opportunity to participate in Residence Aboard and are not disadvantaged in the assessment of Residence Abroad. This is an important contribution to institutions' adherence to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Part IV. The fact that Residence Abroad takes place outside the UK does not absolve UK institutions of their duty of care and other legal obligations towards disabled students. Disabled students and potential students in the UK consequently have legal rights that are not affected simply because part of the course takes places outside the geographical boundaries of the UK.

Residence Abroad

Residence or study abroad can be the most rewarding element of a degree programme, bringing enhanced maturity, cultural insights and valuable transferable skills as well as improved language proficiency. This article traces the development of student residence abroad, summarises research findings, describes how best to implement a programme, and points to the many resources available to help staff and students involved in residence abroad.

Assessing risk for residence abroad
Risk assessment is a commonly used technique in preparing for fieldwork in the Earth Sciences. The technique can be adapted for use by students going on Residence Abroad. By identifying potential hazards and the likelihood of them occurring, students can be better prepared for their year abroad and decrease the possibilities of problems occurring or ensure that they are better prepared when difficulties arise.

Foundation Degrees in Languages
This article looks at the recent development of "foundation degrees" in the UK. Official sources (QAA, Parliamentary reports) are cited in order to clarify what is required for foundation degrees and how they might be developed in the context of languages. Particular reference is made to the forthcoming Foundation Degree in Public Service Interpreting at City University London.

German Studies
This overview of German Studies in UKHE reviews the changing nature of the subject, student recruitment patterns, the teaching of German language, culture and Area Studies, and the role of the year abroad.

General introduction to modern languages in today's UK universities
Drawing on a wide range of official data, this survey provides a clear, comprehensive and reliable picture of student numbers in LLAS between 1994 and 2001. It reveals a significant downwards trend in some subject areas, particularly with respect to the uptake of certain single subject degrees, but shows that this is balanced by growth elsewhere and by an increasing variety in available subject combinations. The article explains how the figures are derived, and their limitations (especially for combined subjects). An appendix analyses key factors in student choice and highlights areas in which myth (e.g. exam difficulty) may prevail over an encouraging reality (employability).

Politeness
Politeness theory is currently attracting a great interest amongst scholars and is developing at breakneck speed. Notions of politeness are perhaps best taught using a pincer movement combining intellectual understanding (through linguistics lectures) and practical exercises (in language classes).