Subject Centre LLAS: Linguistics Specialist Group Meeting
Monday 17th October 2005
CILT, London
10.30 – 12.30
Minutes
1	Apologies for absence
Kate Beeching, Billy Clark, Patricia Ashby, Paul Meara (to be replaced by Geoff Hall)

Present: Alison Dickens, Dick Hudson, Florence Myles, David Newton, Ben Rampton, Paul Rowlett (Chair)
2	Minutes of previous meeting (Monday 9th May 2005) and matters arising
•	Add who attended and post on website. Action AD
•	Minutes accepted as accurate
Membership of group – It was agreed that it is most important to have committed members rather than a full mapping of the field. Currently  there are 10 people which is sufficient, but as they rarely all attend there is potential for enlarging the membership. It was agreed that the group should include a teacher training representative (a CLIE representative, perhaps). Another suggestion was Mike Grenfell (Southampton). It was also felt to be useful to include a non-specialist linguistics teaching representative. Suggestions were Guy Cook or Jim Coleman (Open University) or, David Hornsby (Kent). It was agree to invite the latter – PR will make the initial approach. Before leaving his post as Chair of the group Keith Brown suggested Lynne Murphy (Sussex) and Doug Arnold (Essex). It was agreed to invite them to join the group. Action: PR to invite new members (Lynne Murphy, David Hornsby, Doug Arnold). AD to supply emails. FM and DH to advise on teacher training rep. Note: PR has had acceptances from Lynne Murphy, David Hornsby and Jean Peccei (teacher training). 
There is to be no limit on length of membership but that fewer meetings might be preferable. The group thought that it could try using email more effectively for a virtual meeting. 
Action: AD to check on existing Jiscmail list. It needs reviving and updating. Note: the list is still live and AD is having the list updated. 
SC Web Pages  - It was agreed that the group membership page should be updated. It could invite suggestions from users. Action: AD to update.
RAE panels and Pedagogic Research – Mike Kelly and Richard Towell agreed to send a letter to the RAE Chair (Nigel Vincent). AD was unsure if this was sent and if so what the response was. 
 Action: AD to clarify with Mike Kelly. Note: the letter was not sent (the panels had already been appointed). Richard Towell wrote an article on the issue that appeared in the LLAS Digest June 2005
The group felt that an event on pedagogic and applied research could be organised to discuss issues of applied research. Perhaps this could be a broader SC event to cover all three areas. Ros Mitchell is on the panel for Linguistics. There is no such representative on the Modern languages panel. It was suggested that the Chairs of the relevant research panels be contacted e.g. Nigel Vincent/John Local and asked for a statement on the status of pedagogic research. The SG should formulate questions that cannot be answered with what has already been published. The SC event will be aimed at researchers to help them get an idea of what to put forward to the panels.
Action: AD to ask SC to take this forward.
Good Practice Guide – See item 8 AD to circulate list of Linguistics articles. Publicising the GPG was discussed and it was suggested that articles could be published via Wikibooks “open content textbooks that anyone can edit” http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page . This may not be possible as would contributers be happy to relinquish IPR and have worked changed (currently articles are updated by contributers every 3 years). It was suggested to use the Linguist List to promote the GPG internationally. The SC is looking for suggestions of colleagues to write articles. Group members requested data on Linguistics articles hits. 
Action: AD to circulate a list of articles needed and articles present. Call for articles to be circulated among associations and departments for nominations and volunteers.
Events – see item 5

3	LLAS role in supporting English Language
‘A’ level Linguistics
DH gave an update on the Linguistics ‘A’ level SIG meeting. Chaired by Billy Clark this working group is supported by the SC. It has had 3 meetings, given 2 conference presentations (BAAL and LAGB) and formulated 4 draft modules (available on DH’s website http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/ec/ecsessions.htm ). These have changed since those described in the minutes of the previous meeting of this group. The proposal was well received at LAGB and BAAL. The main issue is how to differentiate this qualification from that of English Language ‘A’ level. The group is in dialogue with QCA – presently MFL is not convinced that this qualification will be taken up. It could be seen as a distraction from main goal – increasing MFL take-up. However it is a very long-term proposal which needs piloting. It is envisaged as a 3 year development. There has recently been a QCA reorganisation, now Sue Horner is in charge of both English and MFL.
Working with the English Subject Centre
DH reported that he met Ben Knights at a QCA meeting to discuss what directions English examining should take (English 21 enquiry http://www.qca.org.uk/11775.html ). In English Language there was the suggestion of a move towards a single English ‘A’ level with modules of English Language and Literature. This would help with teacher training (address the issue of how to teach literature for Linguistics graduates). PR has also been in communication with Ben Knights and positive moves towards collaboration have been made. 2 anomalies were identified – English Language is often within Linguistics departments and Linguistics is with LLAS. Thus collaboration is essential. AD has been approached by English to collaborate on a new study into transition from A level to UG English Language. She suggested that Linguistics should be included in this at UG level and will be meeting with a member of the English SC very soon.
Note: meeting between AD and English SC rep arranged for 22nd November
4	Strategic Directions for Linguistics
It was suggested that the SC could update the Why Study Linguistics? Powerpoint (in similar manner to the new Why Study Languages CD.
Action: AD
5	Forthcoming events 2005/6
Teacher training and Linguistics Focus group 4th November 2005 (provisional) DH reported that CLIE are discussing this and he has reactivated group to take this forward. They are making contact with teacher educators. The picture from the TDA is encouraging – the problem of Linguistics graduates only being admitted to some PGCEs is not as we thought (all students able to train regardless of degree – with some exceptions, UWE). This, then would not now be a suitable issue to pursue. The group felt that an event on this would not be useful but that the SG should include a rep. for teacher training and that a member of the English SC could be invited to the next SG meeting.
Note: Jean Peccei (Roehampton) will represent teacher training on the SG
Translation 20th January 2006 – Swansea (Andrew Rothwell organising). This event is now well underway with the following speakers participating:
•	Kirsten Malmkjaer (Middlesex)
•	Mark Shuttleworth (Imperial)
•	Martin Sorrell (Exeter)
•	Marie-Noëlle Guillot (UEA)
•	Svetlana Carsten (Leeds)
Action: AD to liaise with Andy Rothwell for the programme. Note: the programme had now been drafted and will be posted on the SC website
Future of Phonetics2 Feb 2006 (provisional) – Patrica Ashby has agreed to organise this event. There is no date as yet and as Patricia was unable to attend this meeting there was no update.
Action: AD to make contact with PA to discuss this 

Pronunciation teaching in ESOL 
This was raised as a potential topic for a meeting at the Future of Phonetics event. BR commented that there is currently considerable debate in the ESOL community regarding pronunciation norms. He agreed to contact Jenny Jenkins (Kings) to see if this is a topic to pursue.
Action: BR to contact Jenny Jenkins. Note: BR has had a reply from Jenny Jenkins who would not have time to organise anything this year and suggest that the issue is more related to English as a lingua franca than to teaching of English pronunciation.
 The Future of Grammar – this was not seen as an idea that needed to be pursued.
Cross-sector collaboration – SC theme for 2005/6
This will be developed in the study that LLAS will conduct in collaboration with the English SC
Action: AD to arrange meeting with English SC

Subject Centre Conference 6th – 7th July 2006, Cardiff. Crossing frontiers, languages and the international dimension
The closing date for the Call for Papers is 31st October.

7	Other events
LAGB Education Committee session
PR was approached by Kersti Borjars (Manchester) with an idea for a session at the LAGB’s next conference to try to encourage interest in issues relating to the teaching of Linguistics. PR will clarify with Kersti whether the SC is being offered a session (and if so how long)? Kersti has suggested a session on teaching Linguistics with technology. AD will look through previous events for ideas.
Action: PR to contact Kersti. AD to produce list of previous themes/presenters [Done]

8	Good Practice Guide
Covered in item 2
9	AOB and dates of forthcoming meetings
Teaching on the Language-Literature border:

On the 27th May, I attended an event on this topic at the University of
Sheffield organised by the English Subject Centre. It was a useful event
with around a dozen academics discussing their experiences in teaching
stylistics and other topics which connect language with literature. You
can find out more about it here:
http://www.english.ltsn.ac.uk/explore/events/archive/topics/langlit1.php

Other participants were keen on working with the Linguistics Subject
Centre and wondered whether we might organise a joint event. Ben
Knights, from Royal Holloway, who chaired the event, said he would be in
touch with us about this around now. If we're interested in having a
joint event, and if we have suggestions about what kind of joint event
we might hold, maybe we could contact him first?

The Special Interest Group on Language at School:

We recently gave presentations summarising our proposal at the LAGB and
BAAL. We also have an open meeting coming up at the Institute of
Education on the 26th of October. There is a poster for this at:
ftp://ftp.phon.ucl.ac.uk/pub/Word-Grammar/ec/allioe.pdf

After that, we will meet again to discuss the next steps, which will
include consultation with teachers. One aim is to refine the proposal
with a view to running a pilot AS level at one or two colleges. We have
also had some interest from OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA examining
board) including some encouragement to look at GCSE as well.

Next meeting Monday13th February 
Action: AD to confirm venue