News & Events

Language diversity in Scottish universities:
Practical strategies to support teaching and learning
Western Infirmary Seminar Rooms, Dumbarton Road, G11 6NT
University of Glasgow
Friday 20th February, 2009

9.30am – 4.10pm

CRCEES and the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS) invites participants for the upcoming one-day workshop to be held at the University of Glasgow on Friday 20th February 2009.

This workshop has been jointly organised by the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies and CRCEES (University of Glasgow). It will consider the importance of language diversity in Scottish universities and will also focus on practical issues involved in setting up and sustaining modules and programmes in lesser taught languages. It will cover themes such as getting started with a new module in a lesser taught language, teaching ab initio and introducing students to content modules. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience a taster session in a lesser taught language.

Workshop fee
There is no charge to attend for employees and postgraduate students of publicly funded UK educational institutions. The fee for employees and postgraduate students of private institutions/organisations and non-UK institutions is £40.

Lunch will be provided. We reserve the right to charge a £50.00 non-attendance fee.

Travel bursary
A travel bursary (LLAS website) is available for this event. Closing date for applications is: 6th February 2009.

Programme
Final programme: 20 February 2009
Time    Session
09.30 - 10.00    Registration and coffee
10.00 - 10.30    Keynote: The diversity of existence and persistence: Languages in Scottish universities*
Professor Alison Phipps, University of Glasgow
10.30 - 11.15    Setting up a course – how to get started in a lesser taught language: the examples of Estonian and Uzbek, Lea Kreinin, University of Glasgow, Mohira Suyarkulova, University of St Andrews
11.15 - 11.30    Coffee
11.30 - 12.15    Teaching ab initio – challenges and strategies. A comparative look at Russian, Catalan, Portuguese and Hungarian, Dr Margaret Tejerizo, Esther Tallada, Dr Luis Gomes, Dr Zsuzsanna Varga (University of Glasgow)
12.15 - 13.00    Introducing students to content in lesser taught languages – the examples of Chinese and Gaelic, Dr Julian Ward, University of Edinburgh, Dr Sheila Kidd, University of Glasgow
13.00 - 14.00    Lunch
14.00 - 14.45    Language taster sessions

• British Sign Language – Rita McDade, Heriot Watt University
• Japanese – Douglas Bell, University of Aberdeen
• Latvian – Dace Praulins, University of Glasgow
• Polish – Aneta Stepien, University of Glasgow

14.45 - 15.00    Tea
15.00 - 15.30    Keynote: Developing and sustaining expertise, Dr Elisabeth Kendall, University of Edinburgh
15.30 - 16.00    Supporting Scotland's linguistic capital inside and outside universities: meeting the challenges and moving forward, Philippe Couineaux, Aberdeen City Council, Professor David Smith, University of Glasgow
16.00 - 16.10    Closing remarks

Abstracts
Keynote: The diversity of existence and persistence: Languages in Scottish universities
Professor Alison Phipps, University of Glasgow
Language offerings in Scottish Universities are diverse and have their own acute sense of their situation. Some have a precarious hold, others are buoyant. In a research and teaching context increasingly determined by league tables and ‘power rankings’ this paper will consider other ways of knowing than those offered by metrics and consider the diversities of their existence and persistence. In particular it will examine some of the less visible aspects and informal forms of languaging which thrive or survive on campus.
***
Introducing Scottish Gaelic literature to ab initio students
Sheila Kidd, University of Glasgow
This paper will provide a brief overview of the teaching of Scottish Gaelic in Scotland's Higher Education institutions, paying particular attention to the ab initio learner's place within the programmes offered. It will then discuss some of the approaches we have adopted when introducing literature to this cohort with particular reference to the courses offered by the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
This paper will provide a brief overview of the teaching of Scottish Gaelic in Scotland's Higher Education institutions, paying particular attention to the ab initio learner's place within the programmes offered. It will then discuss some of the approaches we have adopted when introducing literature to this cohort with particular reference to the courses offered by the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
***
Taster Session in Japanese: Nihongo o hanashimasho...
Douglas Bell, University of Aberdeen
Japanese has the reputation of being a difficult, if not downright impossible, language for Westerners to learn. Be bold enough to tell people that you're studying Japanese and the typical response will be, "Wow, you must be really clever" or "I bet you're good at languages, right?"
As a non-European language, Japanese is quite different to say German, Spanish or French and the written script certainly brings its own challenges. However, in many ways, the bark of Japanese is far worse than its bite, and once people get past the formidable reputation, some aspects are actually quite easy.
Come along to this taster session and learn more about the language one 16th century Jesuit dubbed 'the Devil's Tongue'...
***
Taster Session in Latvian
Dace Praulins, University of Glasgow
Come and learn some basic phrases in Latvian: learn how to greet people and say goodbye, introduce yourself and give some basic information about yourself. With many Latvians now in Scotland, you never know when you might need this!
***
Keynote: Developing and Sustaining Expertise
Elisabeth Kendall, University of Edinburgh
Developing and sustaining expertise is the main goal of the UK government's Language-Based Area Studies Initiative, launched with over £20m of public funding in 2005. While such investment has accelerated the development of expertise in certain languages (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Eastern European languages), it is already clear that funders need to accept much longer-term and broader goals. Too often, subject areas need to be classed vulnerable or of urgent national strategic importance before significant investment is made. This paper shows why and how expertise in so-called 'difficult' or less widely taught languages (such as Arabic, Turkish and Persian) might be developed and sustained, as well as offering a variety of takes on the notion of "expertise".
***

Registration
To register for the workshop please complete the online registration form on the LLAS website.

Venue and Travel
Workshop lectures will be held in the Western Infirmary Lecture Theatre (B9 on Campus map), with lunch and the language taster sessions taking in place in the Wolfson Medical School Building (C8 on Campus map).
 
Travel information detailing how to get to the University of Glasgow are available on the University's website

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First published: 12 January 2012