NDLR Modern Languages’ Community of Practice

To mark the completion of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) second medium term programme 2004-2007 the ECML is organising a large-scale conference devoted to the theme of this programme: “Languages for social cohesion – language education in a multilingual and multicultural Europe” taking place in Graz from 27 September to 29 September 2007. The conference will take stock of current work in this field based on the results of the 21 projects run within the ECML’s programme as well as on contributions from invited international experts.

Applications for nomination to attend this conference are invited from language experts, who are willing to actively disseminate the results of the second medium term programme via their professional networks. Further information can be found at http://www.leargas.ie/education/ecml/lang_for_social_cohesion.doc.

Ireland is entitled to nominate one participant, whose expenses will be covered by the ECML. If you wish to attend, please complete application for nomination form http://www.leargas.ie/education/ecml/application_form_2007.doc  and return to languages@leargas.ie by 4pm on Friday 8th June 2007.

We are delighted to present our latest NDLR Modern Languages’ CoP web video seminar ‘A Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) – Learning, teaching and assessment‘ by Dr. Tanja Greil, University of Salzberg, Austria (email: tanja.greil@sbg.ac.at).

In this presentation Dr. Greil discusses the CEF content, structure and impact on foreign language teaching and learning.  

Click here to view the presentation.

Note you may need to click on your browser information bar to allow the content to be streamed to your desktop.

A great resource that comes highly recommended is the Language Corner @ DIT, which has been produced by Noel Fitzpatrick (email: noel.fitzpatrick@dit.ie) and the staff at DIT.

The main objective of the Language Corner is to allow lecturers to share their web resources and to make these available to all staff and students at DIT.

The Language Corner @ DIT link is http://languagecorner.dit.ie

ILTA, the Irish Learning Technology Association presents EdTech 2007 - the Eighth Annual Irish Educational Technology User’s Conference in Dublin Insitiute of Technology (Bolton Street Campus) from 23 – 25 May 2007.  This is Ireland’s largest gathering of academia and industry professionals intersted in the application of Information Technology in education.

The NDLR will be presenting a workshop event on Wednesday 23rd as part of the EdTech conference, which will include an opportunity to participate in hands-on sessions for downloading and uploading resources to the NDLR database.

For more information please check out the EdTech2007 website at http://www.ilta.net/

‘About’ page 
Check out the new and improved ‘About’ blog page (click on the link above).

You can now download and distribute a range of podcasts, posters and flyers relating to your NDLR Modern Languages’ Community of Practice, as well as presentations that Paul Gormley has delivered to the Applied French Association (February 2007) and the IT Blanchardstown Business and Humanities Seminar series (March 2007).

Exciting news afoot – NDLR database access to free resources 
The exciting news is that all modern languages HE academics will soon be able to access the NDLR repository database through this blog in order to contribute, search for, download and reuse copyright-free (or limited restriction) resources in their teaching and learning.

Watch this space over the next week or so for details on how to get a username and password to access 150 language resources, and 600 learning objects spanning the curriculum range.

The programme for the IoT Language Policy and Planning Network meeting, which is being held in Dundalk IT on Tueday May 15, can be downloaded by clicking here.

Further information from Dr. Riana Walsh, IT Tallaght (email: riana.walsh@ittdublin.ie tel: 01 4042831), or Kristin Brogan, IT Tralee (email: Kristin.Brogan@staff.ittralee.ie tel: 066 7191902). 

L’Association du Francais Appliqé (Applied French Association) presente l’atelier <<Evaluation : la transition du secondaire au troisiéme cycle>>. L’atelier aura lieu partir de 10:30 lâ Institut de Technologie de Blanchardstown.

Fiona Murray de la State Examinations Commission et Silvia Bertoni du National Council for Curriculum and Assessment présenteront la partie théorique le matin et l’après-midi verra se dérouler des tables rondes de discussions portées sur les pratiques et les exemples à suivre.

Comme toujours, le nombre de participants est limité à 20, nous vous encourageons donc à vous inscrire le plus tôt possible en contactant notre secrétaire lâ adresse suivante:

Nathalie Cazaux, School of Business & Humanities, IT Blanchardstown, Blanchardtsown Road North, Dublin 15. Tel : 01 885 1076 / email : nathalie.cazaux@itb.ie / web: http://www.afa-irlande.ie/