Working collaboratively with non-language departments Peter Howarth March 2011 Author Peter Howarth is deputy director of Learning Technology and Resources at the University of Leeds and is currently Chair of the Association of University Language Centres (UK and Ireland), a professional body representing about 80 centres in higher education. Published by Published by UCML with funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) t: +44 (0)23 8059 4814 f: +44 (0)23 8059 4815 e: ucml@soton.ac.uk www.ucml.ac.uk Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNon Commercial-No Derivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). 7 www.ucml.ac.uk 1 Contents Introduction 2 Language centres’ collaborative work with non-languages departments 3 Case Study 1: Gateways project 8 Case Study 2: Foreign Language Skills in a medical context 11 www.ucml.ac.uk 2 Introduction One way in which university language centres are distinguished from academic departments in the UK foreign languages landscape is in their involvement with nonhumanities schools and faculties and their students. This is most commonly seen in their IWLPs (institution-wide language programmes), in which a wide range of languages are offered, either as credit-bearing elective modules or as extra-curricular evening classes, for students from any subject specialism. Less well-known, because less advertised or promoted, are the collaborative learning and teaching arrangements many language centres have established with specific schools and faculties (most STEM subjects as well as business) to provide tailormade foreign language training for their students, mostly under- but also some postgraduate. These programmes may be at any level from beginners to advanced, and, in addition to the main Western European languages, may also be offered in the major languages of East Asia, as well as less widely-spoken languages such as Punjabi, which is popular with medical students. The following documents provide, firstly, an indication of the broad range of collaboration typically found in HEIs, followed by two more detailed case studies of languages for the aviation industry and medicine, respectively. www.ucml.ac.uk 3 Language centres’ collaborative work with non-languages departments School, specific subject area Language(s) What kind of students Level (academic and/or linguistic) Form of training, duration Tailormade/ integrated Benefits/comments Kent French UG 2nd and finalyear Factored into some degrees. Within our internationalisation strategy, virtually all students can look now to doing a year abroad as part of their degree programme. French, German, Spanish UG B1 - C1 Four years of Medical French, German and Spanish up to C1 (2 hours per week). In their 5th year, students undertake a clinical placement in a European teaching hospital. Tailor-made. Medical School sees our European Option programme as a way of attracting good students to their Medical programme. Their students also learn about European medicine. Some go on to work for international aid organisations. French UG B1 – C1 French for one or two years in the form of 20 credit optional courses up to C1 (3 hours per week). Specialised but they admit other students from across the University. French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese UG and PGT Entry levels Ab-initio. Post GCSE, post A level 69 hours Business Manchester Medical School Manchester Business School Bristol Study in Continental Europe 3 hours a week; An academic year (23 weeks) www.ucml.ac.uk 4 School, specific subject area Language(s) Bristol French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese What kind of students Level (academic and/or linguistic) Form of training, duration Tailormade/ integrated 42 hours 3 hours a week; An academic year (23 weeks) Language for Medical Science Bristol French UG A range of learning materials for online, interactive private study Tailor-made 18 hours of teaching over 2 weeks plus guided/ independent self-study sessions leading to a role play and presentation which are assessed and a portfolio which includes a reflective log. Tailor-made Department of Aerospace and Avionic Engineering & Airbus UK Leeds School of Medicine French, Italian, German, Spanish, Punjabi French (Int), Italian (Beg), German (mixed), Spanish (Beg, Int), Punjabi (Beg) www.ucml.ac.uk Benefits/comments Allows students of Medical Science to take 10 credit points worth of language study in the second year as a Special Study Component (SSC). Students take a unit either in preparation for an Erasmus exchange in the third year or for general interest. Connecting students with employers and professional bodies while they are still at university. Informs the next generation of aerospace engineers about the importance of developing language and intercultural skills for their future careers and to equip them with the relevant linguistic skills set for the aerospace industry. Benefits: allows students to take advantage of other options especially abroad; broaden their horizons; spread the word about their enjoyment of language study and its benefits; intercultural communication; cultural awareness; preparation for going abroad; employability 5 School, specific subject area Language(s) What kind of students Leeds variety UG Leeds French PG Earth & Environment, Maths &Physical Sciences German Sheffield French, German, Italian, Spanish Dual UG Masters degrees Level (academic and/or linguistic) Form of training, duration Tailormade/ integrated Benefits/comments Requirement for the degree Integrated Beginner 10-week courses Tailor-made Funded by Roberts money Mostly post A level but some post AS and GCSE All except Chemistry (3 years including year abroad) 4 years including year abroad. Engineers 1x 3 hour language module. Others extra tandem and project modules Generic language classes plus tailor made tandem modules and project modules. All do tailor made placement preparation module in Spring semester before leaving in Autumn for year abroad All the benefits of learning a modern foreign language plus intercultural awareness Engineering (Aviation) Animal and Plant Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Maths, Physics www.ucml.ac.uk 6 School, specific subject area Language(s) Bath Chemistry (year 1), Computer Science (language is in degree title), Natural Sciences (all years), Psychology (all years), School for Health (year 1), Politics (all years) French (1 – 6), Bath French (3 What kind of students Level (academic and/or linguistic) Form of training, duration Tailormade/ integrated Benefits/comments Students are taught together and alongside the 3-credit students for two out of three hours contact time. German (1 – 6) Italian (1 – 3) Japanese (1 – 4) Mandarin (1– 3) Spanish (1 – 6) UG 2nd year PG double MA UK/FR Ab initio semester-long units), German School of Management and Spanish (2 semester-long units) London Metropolitan French + mixed intermediate 3 hours x 11 weeks during semester 1 in UK ; strong integration of peer learning (with French students contributing to the course) Tailor-made element of preparation to live /study abroad Business www.ucml.ac.uk International and UK non French speaking students are able to better prepare for their period of study abroad although they will be taught in English, they are better able to capitalise on the gains of the experience. Improved student experience. Better collaborative dimension as this helps integration of French and UK/ International student cohorts. 7 Nottingham 1. The compulsory language element of with language engineering programmes (for example Civil , Electrical and Electronical, Mechanical, Manufacturing). The numbers used to be large, they have now dwindled considerably, but we still have a few for French, German and Spanish. 2. The compulsory language element of Physics With European Studies (also for French, German and Spanish). 3. The compulsory language element of the International Communications degree course, which started approximately 4 years ago. Students do a language for 3 years and this can be in any language offered by the Language Centre provided 3 stages are available to progress from the entry point. 4. Biosciences students take a language in preparation for their year Abroad as part of a European Studies certificate (usually they only take one semester of the language). 5. Over the past couple of years we have provided the non compulsory language element for a new International Maths degree course. 6. A language also used to be a compulsory part of some MBA courses. Now languages for the MBA are optional and non assessed. 7. Languages are taken as an option (and assessed) for the International Business degree course for the Business School. 8. 2 years ago we started providing optional language modules in Arabic, French and Spanish to Medical School students. 9. Over the past 5/6 years we have also provided languages for PG students from all university departments. This goes towards their training skills allocation and there is a selection process: students who need a language for their research have priority over students who are just doing the language for personal interest. www.ucml.ac.uk 8 Case study 1 Title of case study: Gateways Project University (department/faculty if relevant): University of Bristol, Language Centre Abstract: The University of Bristol’s Language Centre was one of four UK universities selected by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), to deliver an innovative language-learning programme, entitled ‘Gateways into the Professions’, that connects students with employers and professional bodies while they are still at university. Conducted entirely in French, the course includes a history of avionics, specialist terminology, interviews with industry professionals, business French, vocabulary and grammar exercises, plus information and links to careers in aerospace and avionics. Background and context: Speaking about Airbus’s involvement in the project, Duncan Greenman, head of people development for Airbus engineering in the UK and a visiting senior research fellow in aerospace at the University, commented: ‘Airbus and its predecessor companies have had a long association with the University of Bristol dating back over 80 years; these collaborations have added much value to both organisations. As a recruiter of new graduates, we are particularly pleased to be involved with the Language Centre and the Gateways Project. For graduates to have an existing foreign-language capability on joining is of great benefit to employers, especially when that capability covers both conversational and technical subjects. The project focus on business, aerospace and avionics will make Airbus involvement even more appropriate and mutually valuable.’ Bristol and the other universities involved in the project (Kingston, Loughborough, and Salford) each have a team of professionals (a language tutor, a vocational tutor and at least one employer) who work together to design the curriculum and materials. As well as the input from individual employers, professional bodies such as the Engineering Council UK (ECUK) and Construction Skills are closely involved in the project to offer advice and to disseminate the work of the initiative. www.ucml.ac.uk 9 Description of activity or initiative: The Language Centre is working with Airbus UK and colleagues in the Department of Aerospace and Avionic Engineering at the University to develop a range of learning materials (online, interactive, self-study and one-to-one tuition) in French for undergraduate students in the department. The aim is to inform the next generation of aerospace engineers about the importance of developing language and intercultural skills for their future careers and to equip them with the relevant linguistic skills set to get ahead in the aerospace industry. Conducted entirely in French, the course includes a history of avionics, specialist terminology, interviews with industry professionals, business French, vocabulary and grammar exercises, plus information and links to careers in aerospace and avionics. The course is taught by Hélène Duranton, recent winner of the Arts Faculty’s annual e-learning prize. Outcomes: Dr Steve Burrow, lecturer in aircraft systems in the Faculty of Engineering, commented: ‘We know from experience that a significant proportion of our students will go on to hold senior positions in international companies and hence we need to give them the opportunity to learn diverse language and business culture skills. Initiatives like the Gateways project are important because by contextualising language tuition it not only appears more relevant to students, which improves uptake, but it also allows the language tuition to be tailored to the needs of industry, improving graduate employability.’ Describing her experience of the course, Mariam Niknejad, a second-year aerospaceengineering student, said: ‘The Language Gateway is an engaging way of learning and putting into context French for aerospace engineering. It caters for reading, listening and writing in an enjoyable manner. I found it easier to learn technical vocabulary using the Gateway as it is interactive. I particularly like the section that provides you with links to further information on the topics the exercises dealt with.’ Advice to others: Explaining why Bristol was selected for the project, Teresa Birks, higher education adviser at CILT, the National Centre for Languages, said, ‘Collaboration and innovation are key to the Language Gateways into the Professions project. Equally important are the passion and commitment of both the language and vocational teachers. The University of Bristol has brought all of this and more in developing and piloting a pioneering course that will serve as a best practice model to be disseminated at national level.’ www.ucml.ac.uk 10 Further details: University of Bristol Language Centre University of Bristol Department of Aerospace and Avionic Engineering Airbus UK Engineering Council UK (ECUK) Construction Skills CILT, the National Centre for Languages A recent CILT study showed that language skills can significantly improve export success for European companies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which have a languages strategy and invest in staff with language skills are shown to be able to achieve 44% more export sales than those which don't. (Source: ‘ELAN: The Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Languages Skills in Enterprise’, CILT, March 2007). www.ucml.ac.uk 11 Case study 2 Title of case study: Foreign Language Skills (Student Selected Component for School of Medicine students) University (department/faculty if relevant): University of Leeds, Language Centre, Foreign Language Teaching Unit (FLTU) Abstract At Leeds, 2nd and 3rd year medical students are given the opportunity to study topics outside mainstream medicine and to develop a range of transferable skills (Student Selected Components, SSCs). Developing their skills in a foreign language over a 2week period is one such option. Background and context: For several years now the FLTU has offered a 2-week intensive Pre-Christmas Student SSC in a foreign language. Students can choose from intermediate French if they already have a GCSE, German (students have a variety of levels), beginners Italian, beginners Spanish and beginners Punjabi. Description of activity or initiative: Course content The course consists of 18 hours of language classes and five self-study sessions. It provides students with an insight into language learning and the culture of the country/ies where the language is spoken as well as language in a medical context. It is hoped that students will be able to build on what they learn and develop techniques for independent language learning. Week One focuses on general language while Week Two focuses on medicine-specific vocabulary. Students work towards performing a role play and a mini presentation in the language on the last day of the course. These are recorded on video and assessed. The role play is a patient-doctor scenario, which involves the doctor asking the patient what the mecial problem is, the patient describing the symptoms and the doctor giving a diagnosis and recommending action/treatment. The presentation is based on explaining a medical case. www.ucml.ac.uk 12 Skills Acquisition of foreign language skills in a medical context Independent language-learning techniques Communication skills in the target language Enterprise skills including transferable skills Further development of critical reflection Assessment The marking criteria are set by the School of Medicine for all the SSCs and use four categories: process, skills acquisition, information-gathering and interpretation, and report. The students are assessed on evidence of the acquisition process, the level of proficiency gained and their portfolio, which includes a reflective log of up to 200 words. The course must also include an opportunity for students to develop their enterprise skills – organisation, communication skills and adaptability are identified as the skills most readily developed on this SSC. Students must show awareness of enterprise skills and demonstrate development of the specific skills identified by this SSC and a clear understanding of the relevance of these skills to their future medical career. Workload The timing of the SSC is not ideal in that the first week coincides with the last week of Semester One teaching (Week 11), so this involves some rescheduling of classes. In terms of energy levels it is also not the best time for the tutors or the students but the tutors always enjoy teaching the Medics because they are quick learners and the students are amazed at how much they acquire in that short time. Tutors produce their own materials for the course. They also ensure that the students’ independent study time is guided, by highlighting relevant material which is available online or in the Language Centre’s Self-Access Area. The marking has to be done by mid-January. Tutors have to mark the role play and presentation and the portfolio. The average number of students in a group is 10. Outcomes For FLTU, this activity has helped to develop a close working relationship with an important, forward-thinking school It has provided an insight into development of the curriculum in Medicine which often impacts on other schools Within a very short, though intensive, programme of study students achieve confidence in using the foreign language in real-life situations Students have some preparation for volunteering, studying and/or working abroad (e.g. with MSF) Feedback suggests that many students value competence in a foreign language as a way of enhancing their employability and their options when they graduate www.ucml.ac.uk 13 Advice to others One of the tutors working on the SSCs has an allocation of 20 hours to prepare individual language timetables, request room and equipment bookings, liaise with the School, update the mini student handbook and so on. This is recommended. We have one opportunity to give a presentation to promte the option to prospective students when they are choosing their SS (all the tutors prioritise attendance at this) and another to brief the students before the SSC starts. These are useful in clarifying what the SSC covers and what is expected of students. Further details: University of Leeds, Language Centre Leeds Institute of Medical Education www.ucml.ac.uk