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

Recognition and support for languages and language learning in Canberra

On 15 September 2017, MLAs from all parties in the ACT Legislative Assembly spoke about the importance of languages, language learning, language maintenance and, in the case of indigenous languages, language revitalisation. The following was agreed to:

That this Assembly:

1. notes:

• in 1999, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization proclaimed annual observance of International Mother Language Day on 21 February;
• that about 170 languages are spoken in Canberra;
• the significance of preserving Indigenous languages as a link to Indigenous culture and histories and as an expression of identity;
• the place of language instruction in government and non-government schools and in other organisations such as the 40 community language schools in the ACT;
• the social, cultural and economic benefits of multi-lingualism to the ACT and Australia; and
• that the Government’s ACT Languages Policy encourages the learning of a language other than English, and 

2. calls on the ACT government to observe International Mother Language Day in the ACT to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by the people around the world, especially those in Canberra, through:

• establishing collections and displays, sometimes called an “Ekushey Corner”, at ACT Libraries to promote and protect mother languages;
• promoting the active participation, revitalisation and maintenance of local Indigenous languages;
• exploring options to support the construction ofa monument in Canberra dedicated to the mother languages of Australians;
• continuing the ACT Heritage Library’s collection of oral history as a means of preserving the multi-lingual inheritance of the ACT; and
• supporting second language instruction in schools.

For full transcript of supporting speeches and discussion see: http://actbilingual.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/9/1/4491774/mother_tongue_motion_act_la_13_september_2017.pdf

Workshop on second language pronunciation teaching and learning

• Friday 6 October 2017, 9am-4.30pm 
• Baldessin Building, ANU, Canberra

This workshop aims to bring together the community of teachers and scholars, in Canberra and beyond, interested in L2 pronunciation teaching and learning, in particular those of languages other than English. The workshop will consist of talks in the morning dealing with current research in the field, a round table, and hands-on sessions in the afternoon. It will provide a combination of theory and practice, opportunities for networking, and may open avenues for future collaborations.

All language teachers and scholars interested in the role and implementation of L2 pronunciation are welcome to attend.

For more information, draft program and presentation abstracts: http://slll.anu.edu.au/news-events/events/second-language-pronunciation-teaching-and-learning-workshop

Please RSVP for catering purposes by 22 September to solene.inceoglu@anu.edu.au.

Canberra Region Languages Forum Update September 2017

Some information about language-related activities and news, especially in the Canberra region. 

• Canberra Academy of Languages: Information evening, Thursday 14 September 
• Poetry on the move, UC. 14 - 21 September. Includes multilingual poets and translations
• Volunteers needed to lead conversation groups at ANU College, apply by 8 September 2017.
• Opportunities for language learning in the ACT area 

          - Language Exchange Canberra PJ O'Reilly's, Alinga St, Civic

          - Polyglot Club University House ANU

          - The Alliance Française de Canberra

           - For other opportunities to study and practice a range of languages

• New Mandarin programs 

         - 10 week course in Basic Mandarin October – December 2017
          - School holiday Chinese and art program  3 - 6 October  2017

• The Expressionists – fun podcasts about English idioms http://expressionists.audio/
• 'This is a Voice' exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney 
• ACT Bilingual Education Alliance Potluck lunch and networking event, Saturday 28 Oct 2017, 11am – 1pm 
• Articles and links that may be of Interest:

          - Humans who read grammars, a blog by young linguists
         - The Language Teacher Helpmate: Resources
         - A free online English course to help students preparing for IELTS. 

For more details, download the Update HERE

Technology for Teaching Translation: Case Studies in Chinese/English

• Monday 28 August 2017, 4.15 – 5.15 pm
• Room W3.03, Level 3, Baldessin Precinct Building #110, ANU
• Speakers: Dr Shengyu Fan and Grazia Scotellaro, CAP, ANU

This presentation will report on a recent project undertaken by Dr. Shengyu Fan and Grazia Scotellaro to introduce the use of apps and online resources in teaching Translation and Interpreting in Chinese for CAP. The project initially set out to test and evaluate a range of technologies including Google Translate, Padlet, Scrible and Socrative and only the most appropriate were then used in CHIN3041/6041 course: Case Studies in Translation: Chinese/English. One of the main aims of this project is to break out from the traditional way of teaching and assessing student learning in this field. We live in a technology rich society. Mobile technology is part of our daily lives, but in stark contrast, we still teach in a way that does not fully engage with this life and work scenario. Our aim is to teach students to be critical users of technologies, especially in the field of translation and interpreting. Translation Studies students who are exposed to a variety of practical uses of modern technology are better equipped to work in the 21st century

This forum is jointly coordinated by the College of Arts & Social Sciences (the School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics and the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies) and the College of Asia & the Pacific (the School of Culture, History & Language).

For more information and to join the mailing list:

• Ms France Meyer (CAIS, CASS) E france.meyer@anu.edu.au 
• Dr Duck-Young Lee (CHL, CAP) E duck.lee@anu.edu.au 
• Dr Consuelo Martinez Reyes (SLLL, CASS) E consuelo.martinez-reyes@anu.edu.au

Special Seminar ANU Language Teaching Forum, Monday 7 August

Dr Mirella Agorni, who is on a teaching exchange from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, will be presenting at a special ANU Language Teaching Forum: Training Language Experts in Translation in a Transferability Perspective.

• Monday 7 August, 4.15-5.15pm
• Room W3.03, Level 3, Baldessin Precinct Building #110, ANU. 

The paper will focus on translation teaching in university foreign-language curricula and will discuss an approach based on the concept of ‘transferability’: this approach tries to go beyond the dichotomy between translation as a means for foreign-language teaching and testing, and translation as an activity with a considerable professional dimension. Finally, the project of an accompanying classroom textbook will be presented.

For more information see POSTER