Supporting Teaching and Learning in Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies: Introduction to LLAS

1. Supporting Teaching and Learning in Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies: Introduction to LLAS John Canning Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies UACES: Academic career development, UCL, 23 April 2010

2. The Higher Education Academy “Our vision is for students in UK higher education to enjoy the highest quality learning experience in the world” Funded by the four UK funding councils: HEFCE, HEFCW, SFC, DELNI www.heacademy.ac.uk

3. Higher Education Academy • Working with individual academics to enhance their teaching and provide • professional recognition, • advice and support • networking and development opportunities • Central office in York • 24 subject centres providing discipline-based support (based in universities)

4. HE Academy activities include • Recognition of Postgraduate Certificate courses leading to associate (AHEA) and fellow status (FHEA). These can also be acquired through experience in some cases. • Publications on Teaching and Learning issues • Funding for T&L projects • Supporting and helping HEI’s to implement govt priorities e.g. Education for Sustainable Development

5. HE Academy provides support for • Individual academics • Research into teaching and learning in higher education • Disciplines through subject centre network • Universities and colleges (senior management, institutional strategies etc.) • Supporting and influencing policy

6. Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies • LLAS is one of 24 HE Academy Subject Centres • Hosted at University of Southampton with UK-wide remit • Provide support for those teaching languages, linguistics and area studies

7. Other Subject Centres of interest to European Studies include… • History, Classics and Archaeology • Sociology, Anthropology and Politics • Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences • Economics Network • Philosophical and Religious Studies • Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance • UK Centre for Legal Education

8. How we support you in languages, linguistics and area studies • Conferences and workshops • Promoting independence and autonomy, Leeds 27 May • Raising the standard for languages, 1-2 July 2010 • Languages for the 21st century: Training, impact and influence, Sheffield 1-2 July • Projects • Islamic Studies Network (with five other subject centres) • Humbox (a repository for creating and sharing teaching resources) www.humbox.ac.uk • Language Network for Quality Assurance (LANQUA)

9. Publications • Liaison magazine twice year • Occasional publications e.g. Supporting international students in UK Higher Education: a course for staff; Five years on: The language landscape in 2007 • Funding • Pedagogic research projects • Materials development

10. Support for government initiatives • Employability and entrepreneurship • Education for Sustainable Development • National Student Survey • Promotional materials • Why study languages? • Discover American Studies • Language unlimited!

11. Staff development • Methods for pedagogic research • Learning Object Creator (LOC tool) • Research projects • Transition from school to higher education • Employability and enterprise

12. Informing policy • Contributed to HEFCE’s review of languages (Worton Review) • Key player in implementing recommendations • Languages in schools • Routes into Languages (promoting languages in schools) • Links into Languages (staff development for school teachers)

13. How to keep up • Website www.llas.ac.uk • Join our mailing list www.llas.ac.uk/mailinglist to get Liaison magazine and our monthly e-bulletin • Twitter www.twitter.com/hea_llas

14. Summary • Driven by demand of practitioners in the field • Sharing good practice, not prescriptive • Activities and development opportunities for all those teaching our subjects in UK HE.

15. Contact Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ llas@soton.ac.uk 023 8059 4814 www.llas.ac.uk