Prof. Martha-Young Scholten; Dr. Alex Ho-Cheong Leung
Language Lunch Bites: Cong Zhang, Sam Jarad
Language Angels: Enas El-Sadek Kilany, Claudia Dalton,
Megan Swan, Lucy Boden, Katie Rufus, Katie Ledgard,
Holly Hawkins, Emily Symington
Making it Reel: Jasmine Wishart, Sheree Barker,
Fiona Denham, Chris Griffiths, John Casey
 Three initiatives: shared aims
 Coherent Curriculum
 Enhance students’ learning experience
 Encourage active engagement and
participation of individuals inside and outside
the university
 Enhance students’ employability
 Access to Higher Education
 Involve the general public in higher education
 Making publicly accessible materials to capture
audience beyond academics
Characteristics
 Built around extended studies modules
 High flexibility
 Innovative combination of group & individual
elements of assessment
 High student involvement at all stages
 Planning, delivery/ execution, dissemination/
sharing
Target
Language
Teaching
Teaching
methods
Total Physical Response
Stress-free
environment
+
The Learnables
Teacher’s
understanding and
sympathy
Learning in context
L2 Salient
features
Optimal L2
learning
experience
for newbies
Learners’
preconceptions
and schemata
Innovative
teaching
methods
Real objects
Tools
Before
Class
PowerPoints
Syllables
Words
In
class
Methods
Fun
Difficulty
Practicality
Language
Primary
Linguistic Data
Teacher
Body
language
Effect
Mandarin;
Cantonese;
Russian; &
Arabic
Student
Total physical
movement
The
learnables
Picture
(Harris
Winitz
naming
1999)
Mnemonics
Basic words
Interests
Fun
• The module looked at written
communication in the work place.
• Analyzing written communication in
the work place allowed us to gain an
insight into how linguistics can be
applied to a real life setting.
• Initially, the idea was to discover
where there was a need for linguists
to help with written communication
in the work place.
• After discussing these aims further,
the aim changed to analyzing
features used in the written
discourse of four organizations.
• Durham University Language
Centre; INTO Newcastle; M&S;
Waitrose
• Once we were able to meet with
businesses, we experienced good
communication with the staff – who
were very interested in our project.
Who we are:
Four stage three English Language undergrads
+ a 2012 Documentary Film Making MA
graduate (John Casey), as editor
Aim:
 Create a video for the SELLL website to
excite outsiders about the study of human
language at Newcastle Uni.
The Process:
 We carried out a preliminary critical
appraisal of how the study of human
language is represented in video on the
internet
 We interviewed undergraduates, research
students and academics; we filmed several
lectures.
 The videos have been edited by John and
compiled into a short video clip
 We’ll be conducting focus groups at home
over the break to see whether the video is
accessible to outsiders before we reduce it
to an even shorter clip
 Our assessment is a 5,000-word essay
which will be about the entire process, from
critical appraisal of existing videos to our
focus group data.
 Yes, but…
 The aim of the video would have to
change each year – it would be
difficult to keep the content
innovative and interesting.
 The module could be completed
over a full year – then there would
be enough time to get more footage.
 The students should get editing
training – so they could edit their
own work.
 The module should be assessed on
the product, on the video: students
should be assessed on their filming,
editing and also written expression.