Other Linguistics News

EASE materials go online!

(Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick)


Remove 31 May 2013

We are delighted to announce that the highly successful EASE (Essential Academic Skills in English) resource materials are now available online. There are two in the series:

  • - Listening to Lectures (training in understanding lectures and taking notes);
  • - Seminar Discussions (training in participating in small group discussions).

You can see samples at our GlobalPAD website, where you can also purchase single and multiple licences.  http://www.globalpad.net/

If your interests are broader, please visit the Open House section of our GlobalPAD website. There you will find open access resources in four specialist skills areas:

  • academic English;
  • intercultural communication;
  • research (academic and professional);
  • teaching in Applied Linguistics and ELT.

Apples open-access journal: 2012 volume online


[Remove 30 April 2013]

Apples: Journal of Applied Language Studies is a peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal in the field of applied language studies. The full volume of 2012 is now online (http://apples.jyu.fi).

The first issue includes four articles that deal with language education and language teaching in different contexts. Jörgen Tholin problematizes equality of language education within the so called SvEn education, where goal setting is lacking and activities unregulated and varied. The other articles discuss the importance of role models in international higher education, a European survey on teaching English pronunciation, and the role of grammar knowledge in the Common European Framework of Reference. In addition, the issue includes a book review of a volume on multilingualism, edited by Cecilia Varcasia.

The second issue includes eight articles that are based on papers given at the international conference New Dynamics of Language Learning: Spaces and Places -Intentions and Opportunities. The articles discuss language learning from several angles: learner identities and beliefs, language learning in different settings, and various ways of learning and teaching languages. The issue includes several articles on university students' language learning and teaching and their beliefs about language learning. Additionally, methods of planning teaching and motivating students are covered. The articles also discuss reviving lapsed language skills and learning languages in informal contexts. As research data, the studies reported in the articles have used narratives, questionnaires, teaching experiment and ethnography.

Apples publishes articles that share an applied, interdisciplinary orientation to issues of language in society. Its key areas of interest include language learning, language teaching, language assessment and language education policy. The working language of the journal is English but papers and other contributions can also be published in other languages.

Apples is published by the Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. It is an open access web-based journal, with all its articles accessible online.

For more information and for access to articles, please visit http://apples.jyu.fi


Save the foreign language departments of the University of Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece


[Remove 30 April 2013]

Dear colleagues,

we need your support, please sign our petition at

https://www.change.org/petitions/professor-konstantinos-arvanitopoulos-greek-minister-of-education-save-the-departments-of-english-french-german-italian-and-spanish

Based on financial logistics rather than on criteria of academic excellence, the  ATHENA scheme of the Greek government regarding University Education calls for the merging of the Departments of English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish Languages and Literatures, into a single "Department of Foreign Languages and Literature" [sic] at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.  

The above Departments have a long-standing tradition in teaching and research within the framework of autonomous programmes of academic studies. Teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as research in these Departments, covers distinct disciplines of literary and theoretical/applied linguistic studies, always in fruitful dialogue with the sociocultural context in which these disciplines develop. The ATHENA scheme will turn our Departments into a huge and misleadingly-named new "Department of Foreign Languages and Literature," with five language-based "directions". Inevitably, this will lead to language degrees with limited value, lack of educational standards and professional training.

Therefore, we the professorial staff of the aforementioned Departments are opposed to the proposed merger and request from the Minister of Education to respect and preserve each Department's autonomy, tradition and its valuable contributions to society and the European mission.

Bessie Mitsikopoulou

Vol 17, No 1, Language Learning & Technology now available


[Remove 30 April 2013]

We are happy to announce that Volume 17, Number 1 of Language Learning & Technology is now available at http://llt.msu.edu. The contents are listed below.

Please visit the LLT Web site and be sure to sign up to receive your free subscription if you have not already done so. Also, we welcome your contributions for future issues. Check our guidelines for submission at: http://llt.msu.edu/contrib.html.

Dorothy Chun and Mark Warschauer, Editors Language Learning & Technology


New call for research proposals from the British Council


[Remove 26 April 2013]

Following the success of the past 4 years, the British Council is pleased to announce its 2013 call for research proposals under the ELT Research Partnership scheme. Through this scheme we aim to facilitate the production of innovative research to benefit the learning and teaching of English throughout the world by co-funding a number of partnership awards. Resulting articles will be published as part of the British Council Research Papers series online in addition to hardcopy, digital and e-book compilations.

For more information about the scheme and how to apply, please visit the EnglishAgenda website: http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/elt-research-partnerships

The deadline for proposals is 26 April.  

Any queries should be addressed to eltra@britishcouncil.org