Saturday, October 28, 2017

Languages in Adelaide, 27 - 29 November 2017

1. LCNAU Colloquium: Intersections: Collaboration and the Future for Language and Cultures

The colloquium runs for two and a half days and is free for current members of LCNAU (the Languages and Cultures Network of Australian Universities). The program consists of more than 50 papers, 5 keynotes and 5 panels, as well as the annual general meeting of LCNAU and the annual meeting of Heads of Schools of Languages.

For more information: https://www.lcnau2017.org

2. The Adelaide Language Festival.

Following the colloquium, on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday 29 November (2pm-7pm), the University of Adelaide is hosting this free public event. The Adelaide Language Festival aims to celebrate cultural and intellectual diversity, and to help university students, high school pupils and adults in the community learn more about the various cognitive and health benefits of being multilingual.

For details: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/adelaide-language-festival-tickets-38068614250 or 
contact Professor Ghil‘ad Zuckermann: ghilad.zuckermann@adelaide.edu.au, 08 8313 5247 or 0423 901 808

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

ANU Language Teaching Forum - Special Seminar

From Idea to Reality: Language, Culture, and the Development of a Language Program
  • Thursday, 5 October 2017, 4.15 – 5.15 pm 
  • A.D. Hope Conference Room (Building #14) ANU
  • Presenter Dr Eugenia Demuro, Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies at Deakin University, where she convenes the Spanish Program
  • Free and all welcome
Spanish at Deakin University was offered for the first time in 2014, across multiple campuses as well as online. In Trimester 1, 2014, Spanish consisted of one fixed-term staff and one unit; three years later the full diploma/major sequence is on offer, and the program employs three full time-ongoing members of staff, one fixed term contract, and over half a dozen tutors. As for enrolments, over the last four years, the program has taught between 350 to 400 students each trimester - now across first, second and third year. This presentation provides an overview of the practical and theoretical considerations underpinning the establishment of the program. It outlines the development of the program from idea to reality, mapping some of the key considerations in curriculum design, pedagogy, the use of teaching and learning resources and online technologies, in the teaching of language and culture. The paper discusses some of the challenges, successes, failures, and lessons learned.

The ANU Language Teaching Forum aims to foster the exchange of research and new approaches in language education. Language teachers and researchers across ANU colleges and language educators from outside the university such as secondary school teachers and teachers from community schools are all welcome. For more information and/or to join the mailing list, contact:
  • Ms France Meyer (Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies, CASS) france.meyer@anu.edu.au 
  • Dr Duck-Young Lee (School of Culture, History & Language, CAP) duck.lee@anu.edu.au
  • Dr Manuel Delicado (School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, CASS) manuel.delicado@anu.edu.au

Multilingual Poetry

Podcasts featuring poetry in other languages from this year's Poetry on the Move festival in September in Canberra are now available.

To hear a special performance by the Mothertongue multi-lingual poetry collective performing their original work ‘Homespun’ click on Episode 9 at the right hand side of the page HERE.

‘Homespun’ is written and performed in five languages (six, including English) by four poets who came together through Mother Tongue Multilingual Poetry events and workshops in Canberra. Originally created for the Noted experimental writers festival, ‘Homespun’ explores ideas and feelings about displacement, longing, love and home. The poets are:  Vesna Cvjeticanin (Serbian), Karina Bontes-Forward (Spanish), Anita Patel (Bahasa Malay) and Asefeh Zeinalabedini (Azerbaijani and Persian)
For a podcast of a performance and interview with Japanese poet Hiromi Ito recorded during her visit to Australia as part of the Poetry on the Move Festival click on Episode 10 at the right had side HERE