MFL teacher CPD online series

During the series our academics in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds will share their knowledge and research of teaching MFL in Higher Education and provide teachers with insights into teaching languages at the University of Leeds as well as new tools and strategies which they can implement in the classroom.

These sessions are free of charge.

Digital Competence and Digital Tools in the Language Class 

Wednesday 19 October 2022 at 16.00-17.00 (Online)

Delivered by Dr Isabel Molina-Vidal, Lecturer in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds.

Digital competence is included in the Common European Framework of Reference for the languages along with other communicative skills and competences, and affects both the learners and the teachers. On the other hand, the use of digital tools for teaching and learning is one of the aspects covered by this concept of digital competence.  

The main aim of this workshop is to familiarise ourselves with the concept of digital competence, and to reflect upon the use of a variety of digital tools in the language class according to some pedagogical criteria.  

Bookings are now closed.

Afro-Spanish musicians in the language classroom

Wednesday 23 November 2022 at 16.00-17.00 (Online)

Delivered by Dr Stuart Green, Senior Lecturer in Spanish in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds.

The session will start with a presentation about a number of contemporary Afro-Spanish musicians working in a variety of genres, such as soul, jazz and flamenco, with a particular focus on how their music exists in dialogue with artists and sounds from beyond Spain. This will be followed by a workshop focusing on the lyrics of Concha Buika, and how these can be employed in the classroom to introduce certain topics of interest (such as multiculturalism) and to teach various aspects of Spanish vocabulary and grammar.

Bookings are now closed.

Linguistic diversity in the language classroom: some practical ideas. 

Wednesday 24 May 2023 at 16.00-17.00 (Online) 

Delivered by Sascha Stollhans, Lecturer in Digital Language Pedagogies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds.

Language is not a uniform construct, but rather inherently complex, dynamic and diverse. Regional differences, accents, registers, sociolects (linguistic varieties depending on social identity and social groups), form and medium of communication, … – all these aspects of linguistic reality pose challenges for us as language teachers: ‘which’ language do I actually (want to / have to) teach? How can I make my classes more diverse and showcase more of the rich linguistic world? 

In this workshop we will discuss how we can deal productively with linguistic diversity in language classes. Using concrete examples, we will work out how linguistic diversity can enrich our lessons. We will also look at the potential role of technology and digital methods. Participants are encouraged to share examples from their own practice and their own experience. 

Please book onto the session here.