The Centre for Teaching Excellence in Language Learning Launch Event
The Centre for Teaching Excellence in Language Learning had its official launch event on the 5th October 2018 with the inaugural focus of ‘Communicative Language Teaching and Beyond: Learner-Centred Teaching and Learning to Learn’. This event celebrated the many ways in which language learning and teaching at The University of Liverpool is at the forefront of pedagogy, and also served to highlight the synergies and fundamental principles that underlie all language teaching at Liverpool. The day brought together teaching colleagues, scholars and applied linguists from across the University as well as colleagues from other universities and language schools in Britain.
Welcome addresses from the Head of Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, Claire Taylor, Emma Bentley of the English Language Centre and Ceridwen Coulby of the Centre for Innovation in Education reminded us of the university-wide teaching and learning principles enshrined in Curriculum 2021, which Languages at Liverpool is already embodying, as well as the key role which language teaching has to play in Strategy 2026.
Turning the spotlight on some well-established principles and concepts such as communicative language teaching, learner-centredness, learner autonomy and linguistic competence, the speakers from a range of departments sought to examine these ideas anew. Lisa Brennan of the English Language Centre began with ‘Do learners want to be centred? : Learner Centred Education in Communicative Language Teaching’, examining the shared principles in language learning of both the communicative approach and learner-centredness. Ulrike Bavendiek of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures followed with ‘Beyond the Classroom: Autonomy for Language Learning’ in which she examined the possibilities and limitations of the approach in today’s connected world.
Clive Newton of the English Department presented some of his own research in ‘Smartphones, YouTube and Learner-Centred Techniques in ELT’, looking at methods for increasing learner engagement through the use of technology. Diarmuid Fogarty of the English Language Centre, in a nod to our renowned keynote speaker, presented on ‘Dogme’, an approach advocating a return to basics in language teaching and learning. Christian Jones of the English Department also presented some of his own research with ‘What do learners say? : Successful spoken English and linguistic competence: lessons from a learner corpus’ examining what teachers can learn from our learners.
After a groupwork session which aimed to facilitate cross-departmental discussion of common areas of interest in language teaching and learning, we adjourned to a larger venue. The wonderful Leggate Theatre in the Victoria Gallery and Museum was a suitably impressive context for the final keynote speaker, Scott Thornbury, a renowned figure in the world of ELT who has published many award-winning books. He gave a talk entitled ‘Fossilisation: Is it terminal, doctor?’, an anecdotal look at his own experience of learning and re-learning a language, from the point of view of a language teacher, which served to remind us all of the importance of both teachers and learners in making language learning successful.
