LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

[LAGB) Audit of grammatical knowledge

The (LAGB) Linguistics Association of Great Britain would like to invite those of you who teach first-year undergraduates to take part in a very brief audit of school-leavers' (explicit) grammatical knowledge. The audit uses a short two-part questionnaire which was first used in 1986, then again in 1997, so the results will reveal long-term trends as well as informing your teaching.

National Teaching Fellowship Scheme Projects: Call for bids

The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) call for 2009-10 project bids is now available.

Review of Modern Languages in Higher Education - Invitation to Heads of HE Modern Languages departments

A review has been commissioned by HEFCE to investigate the health of modern foreign languages provision in English higher education (HE).

Report on Multimedia Language Learning in Higher Education in the UK
The report on multimedia language learning in higher education in the UK is now available. A questionnaire designed by staff at the University of Ulster in collaboration with the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, produced interesting findings.

UCAS figures for 2007 released
UCAS released their figures for the current year 2007 entry on 17 October 2007. The news was good for single and major honours language acceptances.

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.

The National Languages Strategy in Higher Education
On 24 February 2005 the DfES published The National Languages Strategy in Higher Education.

Promoting the study of languages in the South East through school-university partnerships: the Aimhigher Kent and Medway Languages Project

The Aimhigher Kent and Medway Languages Project was initiated in 2005 as a response to the growing concern about falling numbers of students choosing languages at GCSE and continuing with post-compulsory language study in an area (the Thames Gateway and the Channel area) where demographic changes and the proximity to the rest of Europe makes international opportunities relevant to its economic regeneration. The aim was to raise awareness of the potential of language learning and the importance of intercultural awareness among KS3 students in Aimhigher schools by increasing motivation and self-confidence through a programme of activities including interactive workshops and online social learning platforms. It also aims to raise aspirations and understanding of progression and careers in MFL among students and their families. The project is currently led by the Open University in the South East under the Aimhigher consortium, in collaboration with the University of Kent and eleven schools in Kent and Medway.

This paper describes a number of initiatives developed by the project, the results achieved so far, and the findings of the research into language perceptions that has been carried out in partner schools. The Languages Project aims to create a model which can be replicated elsewhere.

'English for Excellence': An innovative, comprehensive, web-based and tutor-supported programme of study in Academic English
This paper is a presentation of 'English for Excellence' (EfE): a web-based and tutor-supported programme of study in Academic English. The EfE is a project initiative jointly funded by the University of Luton and the Higher Education European Social Fund (HE ESF) programme, under the theme of Widening Participation. The paper discusses the research base of the teaching materials, their content and presentation, followed by interim evaluation results of its beneficiary effects on learners.

Bridging the Gap: University of Manchester
The University of Manchester's Bridging the Gap project to help students transition between GCSE, As and A2 level is described. Various forums and committees were set up to identify gaps in their respective syllabuses and events days were run at a Language College to help fill these gaps. Feedback on the events was good and it is hoped that this type of event will encourage more students to take languages at university level.

Arousing an interest in school students for the take up of "new" languages at university: the ATLAS project
This presentation will report on the experience of designing and piloting a website which offers an introduction to the culture and language of five less taught languages to 14-19 year olds in nine partner schools in London and the South East. It is part of the work of the ATLAS project (A Taste of Languages in School), jointly funded by the Nuffield Foundation, CfBT and UCL, addressing the decline in numbers of students taking languages at university. The project aims to arouse an interest in language study and to spur consideration of study opportunities at university, especially ab initio courses in languages not studied at school. A survey of students' attitudes towards learning languages explored the reasons for discontinuing the study of languages after the compulsory stage and also investigated students' tastes in websites. It revealed there is much interest in learning 'new' languages.

LATCOF: Lessons from a secondary/sixth-form - HE consultative forum for language teachers
The University of Manchester has hosted a forum for dialogue between tertiary and secondary language teachers to share pedagogic and curricular experiences and realities with the aim of facilitating student progression and bridging the secondary-tertiary 'gaps'. Participants have been surveyed to assess the impact of the dialogue process on them and their practice and to start to identify issues of broader relevance to the sector as a whole. This paper reports the experience of participants and responses to the survey.

Storm clouds with a silver lining: New opportunities for language programmes
Although university language programmes have undergone many difficulties during recent years, there have also been success stories. In this paper, the author balances the negative and the positive, encourages institutions to face the commercial argument head-on and provides a list of perspectives which language course providers can use to promote take-up.

Case study: The CERCLU Project: Certification of Language Competence in Italian University Language Centres
Following the 1999 university reforms in Italy, the need arose for a system of language certification valid in all Italian University Language Centres. Under the auspices of AICLU, the Italian Association of University Language Centres, a four-year project was launched in 2000 in connection with similar initiatives by members of CERCLES, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education. CERCLU will not re-duplicate existing certification systems but will provide an additional means of certifying two intermediate levels of linguistic competence in English and in Italian, at levels B1 and B2, with full European academic recognition.