Applied Language Studies
The centre for applied language studies is a hub of activity. Situated on the Perth Road opposite the Tower it has more than 750 students who take classes in languages. Thirty members of staff contribute to teaching, research and administration with a broad range of experience in languages, IT, sciences, literature, political science and marketing - you name it, we’ve got it!
The centre’s mission is to provide a stimulating, enjoyable environment for the active participation of students in learning a language and to encourage a responsible enquiring attitude towards the acquisition of a language other than their mother tongue so that they can put this expertise to practical use.
Practical Languages
Students have long been able to take one paper in a language as part of their final honours exams. This year there are 200 students on the practical languages programme which counts as part of their degree. Practical language 1 courses were, in 1995-96, offered for the first time to students in their first year of study which allows them to study a language from first year to senior honours. Those in the intensive language stream (who can study a language without any prior experience) can benefit from an extra hour of tuition. In 1996, a new French course aimed at those who had completed one year at university post higher level was introduced.
Open Languages
The university-wide open languages programme continues to be very popular with both students and staff. This year 460 students, 68 of whom are staff, registered to take on French, Spanish, German and Italian. Since the introduction of certification and accreditation (in 1996), many students and staff have opted to work towards a University certificate in these languages. Students can also choose to count the certificate as half a credit for their degree programme if they are in first or second year.
Exchanges
Students are encouraged to take part in the Erasmus exchange programme, and to apply for Stevenson Scholarships to support their ventures abroad. Practical French /German /Spanish 3 (3rd MA) students can choose to sit all their honours exams at the end of fourth year and (with the consent of their main departments) spend the third term in Grenoble, Paris, Cologne, Valladolid or Gijón. This counts towards their honours degree course. Several students have graduated with two degrees, one from Dundee and one from Grenoble, which in light of the hot competition from their European counterparts can only be of benefit. Six students of French will participate this year in the exchange with Orléans at Easter. It is expected that ten French students from the Ecole de Commerce et de Gestion in Orléans will come to Dundee for the first week of the summer term as they did last year.
Special courses
CALS also runs specialist courses for a number of departments and faculties. It participates in the Summer Access program where students can opt to study French as one of their chosen subjects. Specialist modules in French also run for medical students during the summer term. CALS lecturers contribute to the teaching of contemporary European studies at Honours level and at postgraduate level, tutors teach on the postgraduate certificate in teaching modern languages to adults in IFELL, and ‘French for Business’ elective on the MBA. CALS runs post-graduate diplomas for practising secondary language teachers to give them additional professional qualifications in German or Spanish.
English courses
Many students come to study in Dundee without direct experience of being taught in English. CALS is currently providing in-session English language support classes to 80 + students in this category. English language modules are also available within existing degree courses, as are Writing Up Research courses.
In 1997 the first intake of Korean students entering Art & Design with English arrived. September 1997 saw the arrival of a second group with a third in January this year. In addition to the well-established and September Pre-sessional intensive English language course, new 12 week, 22 week and 30 week preparatory courses will begin in 1998, 1999 and 2000 respectively. In August 1998 a new pre-MBA course will also become available.
Skills
The programme in communication and study skills funded by the faculty of arts & social sciences is running again this year. Genesis, for first and second year students and Exodus, the leavers’ course for third and fourth year students continue to be well subscribed. Study skills, an essential ingredient of the summer access course are also taught by CALS staff.
Teaching materials
Tutors use authentic and up to date materials such as newspapers, films, videos, radio broadcasts and satellite television wherever possible. Students are often filmed as part of their continuous assessment, and are then able to scrutinise their own performance on camera. Teaching is conducted in small groups with much emphasis placed on communication and participation. The resources room in the centre has a wide selection of books, audio and video cassettes, magazines and foreign newspapers, and a large selection of English materials for non-native speakers of English. Students also have their own study room in CALS, equipped with multi-media computers.
Materials
The centre has been developing computer-assisted language learning materials for the past five years and has been involved in a number of large inter-university projects with grants from SHEFC alongside St Andrews and Abertay. As well as developing CAL material, distance learning material is currently being developed under a continuing professional development initiative. A grant of £16,000 was obtained from the University for the development of a distance learning project in German by Dr Alison Borthwick and Bridget Cook.
Telematics
CALS is also in the forefront of developing expertise in video conferencing. Open and distance learning courses in Spanish to remote secondary schools in Scotland and in German and Spanish to secondary teachers taking the post-graduate diploma are being prepared by Bridget Cook and Linda Hartley using telematics and video-conferencing. We are the proud owners of the first (we think!) ISDN line in the university - which will enable us to carry out small-scale, informal video conferencing sessions from within the university.
Research
CALS tutors have many and varied research interests which range from discourse analysis, to student motivation to the construction of gender in women’s movements.
New staff
As part of the initiative to develop and expand the range of courses offered to support the English programme one new full-time member of staff (David Catterick) and several new part-timers have been welcomed on board since January 1988.
Outside work
A post-graduate diploma in French, German, or Spanish is aimed at secondary teachers of a modern foreign language who wish to obtain an additional teaching qualification in another language. The Spanish consulate in Scotland sponsors the diploma in Spanish. A team of experienced local secondary teachers of the language act as an advisory group and contacts are arranged with teachers working in local secondary schools.
Private tuition
A course leading to the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English is open to local non-English speakers. The centre also provides private tuition for adults in small groups or one-to-one for general, business or specific purposes. Translation and interpreting expertise in a wide range of languages is also available to organisations outside the university through the centre.
Support team
Mary Friedrich is the centre’s secretary, Margaret MacLauchan the resources officer and registration officer for the English programme and Liz Campbell is the support secretary for open languages. CALS has its own computer network which is maintained by the centre’s project officer Bridget Cook.
Books
Two French books have recently been submitted for publication - Bosse, bosse, bosse (Brigitte Edelston, Sandy Tippett, Robin Adamson, Alison Andrews, Alison Borthwick) and Hodder and Stoughton Teach Yourself French Grammar - a new approach (Robin Adamson, Brigitte Edelston). Robin Adamson is also involved in the third edition of Le francais en faculte and with Alison Borthwick & Bridget Cook in Nuffield French for Scientists.
History
In October 1988, after the decision was taken by the University to close the department of modern languages, Dr Robin Adamson set up the language unit, forerunner to the centre for applied language studies. She has been the driving force behind the development and expansion of in-house language provision to the University from that date onwards. In 1996 CALS became a central service in the University.
Further information:
Read more about the centre on our web pages at :
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/languagestudies/welcome.htm
Return to Index
