Innovative Language Teaching And Learning At University Facilitating Transition From And To Higher Education

Modern languages have always been about transition – as practitioners, we challenge our students constantly to move between their own cultural and linguistic reference points and those of others. Our dynamic, interactive teaching methodologies have had to adapt to the pandemic context, necessitating the interrogation of past practice and transition to new approaches. This volume presents case studies showcasing practical initiatives to promote creative, dialogic learning in the fluid contexts that modern foreign language students are currently experiencing as they transition to higher education post-Covid and to residence abroad post-Brexit, between online and face-to-face learning spaces and between machine- and person-centred learning.

The present volume collects papers from InnoConf19, which took place at the University of Southampton on the 28th of June 2019. The theme of the conference was ‘Treasuring languages: innovative and creative approaches in HE’. The contributions collected in this peer-reviewed volume aim to reflect on best practice in higher education. They showcase innovative approaches to support the multiple skills needed in our society whilst fighting a decline in students wanting to learn languages. The short papers selected for this volume display examples of innovative curriculum design; enhancement of critical thinking, creative skills, and intercultural awareness; the use of digital tools and technology-enhanced learning, employability, innovative assessment, and collaborative and independent learning. We believe this volume will be of use to language teachers and practitioners in higher education and beyond.

The present volume collects papers from InnoConf18, which took place at the University of Liverpool in June 2018. The theme of the conference was ‘New trends in language teaching and learning at university’. The contributions collected here aim to reflect on best practice in the sector while at the same time capturing state-of-the-art language teaching and learning methodologies. The short papers in this peer-reviewed selection display examples of active learning and student empowerment across all levels of learning and demonstrate the benefits of maximising engagement through a creative and inspiring learning environment. We believe this volume will be of use to language teachers and practitioners in higher education and beyond.

The Innovative Language Pedagogy Report presents new and emerging approaches to language teaching, learning, and assessment in school, further education, and higher education settings. Researchers and practitioners provide 22 research-informed, short articles on their chosen pedagogy, with examples and resources. The report is jargon-free, written in a readable format, and covers, among others, gamification, open badges, comparative judgement, translanguaging, translation, learning without a teacher, and dialogue facilitation. It also includes technologies such as chatbots, augmented reality, automatic speech recognition, digital corpora, and LMOOCs, as well as pedagogical innovations around virtual exchange, digital storytelling, technology-facilitated oral homework, and TeachMeets.

In the dynamic context of English language education, learners bring many differences in identity, motivation, engagement, ability, and more. Addressing Issues of Learner Diversity in English Language Education recognizes that traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches to language education are insufficient in meeting the needs of a varied and global learner population. It grapples with effectively teaching English to individuals with diverse linguistic backgrounds, learning styles, and cultural contexts. The challenges range from learner autonomy and motivation issues to navigating mixed-level classes and integrating technology into language teaching. Drawing on current research trends and cutting-edge methodologies, this book captures the diverse voices of contributors from various ESL/EFL settings, offering context-specific solutions to the myriad challenges faced in language education. The book illuminates the nuanced phenomena within English language education; it showcases innovative theoretical frameworks and up-to-date research findings. By addressing learners as singular individuals and collectives, the publication guides educators in enhancing individual competencies and maximizing the potential of each learner.

The second volume in this series of papers dedicated to innovative language teaching and learning at university focuses on enhancing employability. Throughout the book, which includes a selection of 14 peer-reviewed and edited short papers, authors share good practices drawing on research; reflect on their experience to promote student engagement, inclusivity, and collaboration; and foster a successful learning environment while developing employability skills. Whatever the language – or the subject we teach – there are a number of skills, behaviours, attributes and attitudes which staff and students should be aware of in order to enhance teaching and learning so as to maximise student potential and their employability prospects.

This volume collects selected papers from the 2017 Innovative Language Teaching and Learning at University conference, which took place on the 16th of June at The Open University. The theme of the conference was Integrating informal learning into formal language education. The aim of the conference was to engage in productive collaboration between language professionals to further equip students to succeed in our ever-growing landscape of formal and informal learning. This is the third volume in a series of books compiling papers from the InnoConf conferences. It follows from the first two volumes in 2015 and 2016 respectively: Enhancing participation and collaboration (Goria, Speicher, & Stollhans, 2016) and Enhancing employability (Álvarez-Mayo, Gallagher-Brett, & Michel, 2017).

The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies at the University of Nottingham hosted the fifth annual conference in the “Innovative Language Teaching at University” series. Under the heading “Enhancing participation and collaboration” the conference, organised by Cecilia Goria, Oranna Speicher and Sascha Stollhans, took place on 19 June 2015, and was attended by over 120 linguists, language teachers and language acquisition researchers from all over the world. This edited volume contains 15 selected short papers based on presentations from the conference as well as Dr Jan Hardman’s keynote address and a foreword by Prof. Zoltán Dörnyei.