A national language studies portal for Australian universities

Funding has been awarded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) for a new and significant national project to four leading scholars in partnership with the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU).

A national Languages Portal will be created as the key outcome of this project. This will improve access to languages at tertiary level for all students around the country. The Languages Portal will make visible in a single online location all languages taught at all Australian universities, ranging from Indigenous Australian languages to global languages, from semester-long courses to full degree programs, and via a number of delivery methods.

In addition to improving access to information for students, the Languages Portal project will create greater co-operation across universities. A trial consortium will also be established to negotiate and facilitate the process of cross-institutional enrolment, as well as to share advanced language studies courses and courses in lesser-taught languages — through joint on-campus and online teaching.

The project is being undertaken by four scholars and LCNAU members across three universities — Professor Jane Simpson and Professor Catherine Travis (Australian National University), Professor Martina Möllering (Macquarie University) and Professor John Hajek (The University of Melbourne - and President, LCNAU). It will be carried out in partnership with LCNAU in order to develop, maintain and disseminate the Languages Portal.