NDLR Modern Languages’ Community of Practice

A Symposium of the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies, Friday 12th June, 2009

Dear colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to the forthcoming Language On-line Portfolio Project (LOLIPOP) International Symposium which will take place in Dublin City University on Friday, the 12th of June 2009. Please consult the symposium website for further details:

www.lolipop-portfolio.eu/symposium/index.html

(Please note that if you click on the hyperlinked symposium title on the website you find our poster advertising the symposium.)

We would appreciate it if you could disseminate this announcement to your colleagues and look forward to seeing you at the event.

Regards,

Veronica Crosbie
Juliette Péchenart
Jenny Bruen

Dr Fionnuala Kennedy
Lecturer in German and Intercultural Communication Waterford Institute of Technology Cork Road Waterford

Last week myself and some of my colleagues attended the EdTech Conference at the National College of Ireland in Dublin, http://www.ilta.net, and attended some very interesting talks.

One of these talks was particularly interesting to those in the language teaching and learning field and it was presented to us by Kristan Brogan and Riana Walsh from the Institute of Technology Tallaght, Dublin. Kristan and Riana are two of the main people involved in a project called The VOCAL Project and they presented a paper entitled “On-line language learning and cultural preparation for residence abroad” and this talk centred around The VOCAL Project (Vocationally Oriented Culture and Language – www.vocalproject.ie).

To find out more about this innovative project which includes the development of a website for learners preparing for mobility placement in vocational settings and it covers ten different languages.

For more information on this go to: www.vocalproject.eu.

Gráinne

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below details of the National Library’s summer programme of
lectures and tours on Irish – Italian Connections.
Kind regards,

Joanna Finegan
Learning & Outreach,
National Library of Ireland

Irish – Italian Connections at the National Library

The National Library of Ireland will host a series of events which will
examine the Irish – Italian connections in relation to two main exhibitions
currently running, ‘Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats’ and
‘Strangers to Citizens: the Irish in Europe 1600-1800′.

The program includes three lectures:

The Tower and the Spiral: Yeats and Sicily by Dr. Daragh O’Connell
(University College Cork) on Monday 11 May at 7.00 pm

Imagining Ireland in Renaissance Italy by Dr. Eric Haywood (University
College Dublin) on Wednesday 13 May at 7.00 pm

‘In Italy perhaps writing poems…’ Yeats, Italy and Italian culture by
Prof. Enrico Reggiani (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan,
Italy) on Monday 18 May at 7.00 pm.

Guided tours in Italian and English of the Yeats exhibition will examine the
connections between Yeats and Italy. The tours will last approximately 45
minutes, they are free but booking is required.

For further information please contact Gabriella Addivinola, Education and
Outreach, National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, T: (01)
6030346 or 6030277, E: gaddivinola@nli.ie or see the National Library’s
Current Events: http://www.nli.ie/en/list/current-events.asp

Startin with Smoking-room, The instituto cervantes invites you to an excellent series of films this month. For the complete program have a look at:

http://dublin.cervantes.es/es/cultura_espanol/actividades_cultura_espanol.shtm

Smoking Room:

Proyección de cine

The Spanish branch of an American company is obliged to bring into force the no-smoking policy in its offices. From then on, whoever wishes to smoke during working hours, must do so outside. Ramírez, one of the employees of this small office, made up mainly of men, decides to collect signatures against a measure that he considers both unjust and out of order. What Ramírez wants is to use an unoccupied room in the office as a Smoking-Room. At first it appears that all are in agreement and are going to support him. However, when he comes face to face with each of the employees, Ramírez meets with a series of excuses to avoid forming part of the list. The fact is that most of the excuses for not signing the Smoking- Room list actually conceal others.

La sucursal española de una empresa americana es obligada a poner en vigencia la prohibición de fumar dentro de sus oficinas. A partir de ahora, quienes quieran fumar en horario laboral, deberán hacerlo en la calle. Ramírez, uno de los empleados de esta pequeña oficina compuesta principalmente por hombres, decide empezar a juntar firmas contra lo que considera injusto y fuera de lugar. Lo que pretende Ramírez es que se utilice una sala desocupada en la oficina como sala de fumar, Smoking Room, que dicen los americanos. En apariencia, todos están de acuerdo y le van a apoyar. Sin embargo, en el cara a cara con cada uno de los empleados, Ramírez se encuentra con una serie de excusas para evitar formar parte de esta lista. Lo cierto es que la mayoría de excusas para no firmar en la lista de la Smoking Room esconden otras.
Dentro de
Un ABCdario del cine Ñ. (de la F a la M). Ciclo de cine
Ficha técnica
Título: Smoking-room
Director: Roger Gual, Julio Wallovits
Año producción: 2002
Formato: DVD
Duración: largometraje – 89 min
País producción España
Versión originalEspañola
SubtituladoInglés

Fechas

06/05/2009 (18:30 h)

Lugar
Instituto Cervantes – Café Literario
Lincoln House, Lincoln Place
2 Dublin
(IRLANDA)

Another interesting piece of news this week. As universities cut their human resources, it seems we get more students! Will be able to fish our disciples with two fish and a loaf of bread?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/demand-for-college-places-surges-to-record-levels-as-jobs-market-tightens-1729650.html

According to the Irish Independent, teachers “obsessed with praising” children are in danger of creating a generation of egotistical pupils. That’s the message of a leading child psychologist who argues that school staff and parents feel they cannot criticise their children for fear of upsetting them.

Dr Carol Craig, director of the Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing in Glasgow, claims that the need to be positive all the time leaves pupils with an “all about me” mentality.

So there you go!
I guess for your students’ sake, don’t bear it in mind when you are grading and marking exams!

http://www.independent.ie/education/praise-agenda-isnt-doing-young-pupils-any-favours-1729572.html