News
An Intercultural Communication Event by Our English Studies Department
Within the framework of the ELT Methodology for All seminar series, our English Studies Department (ESD) was pleased to present an open seminar on “Intercultural Communication in the ELT Classroom” on April 18th. The event featured Dr. Giorgos Dimitriadis, Part-time Lecturer at ESD, and our Guest Speaker Dr. Theodore Maniakas, State School ELT Advisor. Students and staff from ESD attended the seminar along with external guests; like all open seminars of the series, the event was open to the public, offering the opportunity to attend in person, as well as online via live streaming. The seminar addressed the issue of Intercultural Communication offering both an introduction to its theoretical foundations and practical tips on how teachers can handle such issues in the ELT classroom. Dr. Dimitriadis opened the seminar with his talk titled “From Confusion to Fusion: The Challenges of the Contemporary Intercultural ELT Classroom.” Approaching the classroom as a microcosm of all aspects of students’ social life, the talk focused on language teaching in general and ELT in particular as elements being at the core of ICC issues, due to the nature of the discipline and the cultural as well as social parameters that it is infused with. It was stressed that language teaching should adapt accordingly in ICC situations, so that it becomes an opportunity rather than a challenge. In this respect, the wider social implications of ICC were linked to its specific dynamics inside the classroom, as well as to the role that the English language has been called to play in a globalized world. In the second part of the seminar, Dr Maniakas took over with his talk titled “Everything Is Culture, Even My Classroom!” in which he steered the discussion towards more practical activities that teachers can find useful when they are called to teach English in an ICC classroom. More specifically, Dr. Maniakas suggested various solutions such as classroom activities or projects that teachers may use with their own students so that they make the best of their available classroom time and resources. The aim of Dr. Maniakas’ talk was to enhance the sensitivity of ELT teachers towards a more humanistic approach to developing critical thinking and life skills, as well as to stress the importance of the expanded role that teachers are called to play as guides, mentors and parents within socio-economic and, therefore, also cultural changes. The events of the ELT Methodology for All series of open seminars are aimed at current and prospective foreign language teachers, postgraduate and undergraduate students, the ELT community in the wider area of Northern Greece, and online viewers able to access the sessions through live streaming or by watching the recording of each seminar. Watch the seminar:
22/04/2016
ELT Methodology Seminar: 'Intercultural Communication in the ELT Classroom'
Tuesday, 19 April 2016 FREE ENTRANCE Seminar Overview (PDF) Online Participation Form Join and share! Watch the seminar live Information: T: +30 2310 224421 E: mkosior@citycollege.sheffield.eu
13/04/2016
ESD Students and Dr Paschalia Patsala on the stage of the 23rd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Convention in an inspiring performance!
A group of Level-2 students in the BA in English Language and Linguistics Programme—Alexandros Agathangelidis, Maria Gourmou, Evanthia Kanonidou, Iro Sapouna, Despina Sarantidou and Persefoni Tyfliori—together with Dr. Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Dept., passionately delivered a presentation at the 23rd TESOL Macedonia-Thrace Northern Greece International Convention, held on 26-27 March at the American College of Thessaloniki. The team presentation was entitled “Aspiring to inspire! From teaching to … educating” and covered a wide range of ELT topics. Founded on the distinction between teaching and educating, the presentation aimed at presenting the attributes of an inspiring EFL teacher, as well as raising participants’ awareness of the barriers that could impede inspirational teaching. Hoping to motivate Foreign Language teachers and their learners, the team shared various innovative ideas and suggested practical techniques that can actively contribute to inspiring teaching practices. The most positive outcome though of this presentation was that students with different educational backgrounds, diverse experiences and future aspirations, joined forces and created a memorable presentation! This presentation would have not been so exciting without the support and ideas of Mr. Thanos Hatziapostolou, Senior Lecturer of the Computer Science Dept., whose contribution proved to be valuable! “This will be an unforgettable experience for us! We combined our studies with professional development and not only did we bond as classmates, but we felt new professional pathways opened up for us as well. We would definitely do it again!”
30/03/2016
Dr Patsala and Ms Lampreli from the English Studies Department participate in the LIF2016 International Conference in Turkey
Dr Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Department, and Ms. Anastasia Lampreli, postgraduate student in the MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL, delivered a Presentation on a Sociolinguistic study with teaching implications in the Language in Focus - LIF2016 Conference entitled “From Theory to Practice: New Directions in ELT and Applied Linguistics”. The Conference’s organization was a joined effort by the University of Ḉukurova, Adana, Turkey and the State University of Applied Sciences, Konin, Poland. The Conference was held in Istanbul, Turkey (10-12 March) and its aim was to provide a forum for linguists, researchers and ELT teachers. Dr. Patsala’s and Ms. Lampreli’s presentation titled “Just Call me ‘Ms.’! A Corpus-based Sociolinguistic Research” investigated the use of sexist language in American and British English, focusing on the use of the honorifics ‘Ms.’ and ‘Mrs.’, through both a diachronic and a synchronic study about the time period these gained linguistic popularity, and it received complimentary comments from renowned participants of the Conference. Dr Patsala and Ms. Lampreli with Regent’s Professor of Applied Linguistics Douglas Biber, Northern Arizona University The present research constituted a case-study on how teaching and learning a Foreign Language can build on developments in various areas of Applied Linguistics, such as Sociolinguistics and Corpus studies, offering innovating directions and exquisite tools in the area of ELT.
23/03/2016
Ms Kosior from our English Studies Department participates in International Conference in Slovenia
Ms. Margarita Kosior represented the English Studies Department of the University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College at the 23rd International IATEFL Slovenia Conference "Where Inspiration Is Born" organized in Terme Topolsica, Slovenia (3-6 March 2016). During the presentation entitled "Re-Negotiating the Basics: Learner Autonomy", Ms. Kosior first elaborated on the origins of the term "learner autonomy" and explained the rationale behind moving away from teacher-centered classroom to more student-centered learning environments in which students are granted more autonomy and assume responsibility for their own learning. During her session, Ms. Kosior presented a range of techniques used by the instructors both at the English Studies Department and the English Language Support Unit, ranging from involving in self-reflection within an academic context, but also at a personal level, to the use of technology (YouTube, TED Talks and the TED-Ed platform, Clickers). All these techniques result in increased engagement and motivation of the students. The presentation was well-received and created a lot of interaction after the session. Special thanks are due to Dr Zoi Tatsioka and Mr. Thomas Mantzaris for their contribution during the preparation of the presentation and to one of the participants, Michael Harrison, for the sketch visualization of the session.
18/03/2016
Christmas Event by the English Studies Department
The English Studies Department, listening to the students' voice in the Student Staff Committee, organized a Christmas Event on Thursday, December 10th, in the ESD premises at Koromila building. Students were actively engaged in the organization of the event, and contributed to its success with homemade sweets, ornaments, live music, and their biggest smiles! They all together decorated the ESD Christmas tree as well as the floor, adding a more 'personal' touch to the premises. On that day, students and staff had the opportunity to mingle, enjoying a festive atmosphere. This bonding experience reinforced everyone's sense of belonging to the ESD family.
17/12/2015
The English Studies Department hosts presentation on Corpus Linguistics by Dr Gabriel Ozon
Dr Gabriel Ozon, from the School of English University of Sheffield, delivered a very informative Presentation on Corpus Linguistics hosted by the English Studies Department during his visit at the International Faculty for the Graduation Ceremony 2015. His presentation, which took place on 20 November 2015, was entitled “Building a corpus of an unwritten language: Methods and challenges” and focused on the application of quantitative (corpus linguistics) techniques in order to extract patterns and conditions of use from authentic data. Dr Ozon’s teaching and research have engendered a keen interest in linguistic variation, and along with Melanie Green (Sussex) and Miriam Ayafor (Yaounde I), he is conducting a Research Project, supported by a British Academy/Leverhulme Grant, aiming to build a corpus of Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE). The event was attended by a great number of postgraduate and undergraduate students and staff of the English Studies Department, and was followed by a vibrant discussion with the audience.
08/12/2015
Presentation by our English Studies Department at the II International Congress RELEX in Spain
Mr. Michalis Dirchalidis, postgraduate student in the MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL, and Dr Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Department, delivered a Presentation on Forensic Linguistics (i.e. the interface between linguistics and law enforcement in an International Conference entitled “Terminology, a necessity in today's society”. The Conference was organised by the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (5th-7th October) and brought together professional terminologists, lexicographers, translators, researchers, and software developers. Mr. Dirchalidis and Dr Patsala’s presentation, under the title “Lexical and Grammatical Terms in Legal Texts: Implications Arising from a Corpus-based Study”, was based on an innovative quantitative and qualitative analysis of the meaning conveyed in extensive legal Decisions and Orders retrieved from the International Court of Justice. The originality of their study lies in that findings revealed significant gaps and neglected areas in the treatment of the specialised language employed or implicated in legal cases and proceedings. The linguistic knowledge and techniques applied by the two presenters were strongly welcomed by the audience, and highlighted the critical relationship between Language and Law, as well as the need for closer collaboration between linguists and lawyers within the Justice System. With respect to the outcome of the Conference, findings of research conducted in the English Studies Department were disseminated promoting discussion on issues related to Applied Linguistics between various sub-disciplines (Computational Linguistics, Lexicography, Terminology and Discourse Analysis). Also, possibilities for future joint research in collaboration with researchers from other higher-education institutions were explored, encouraging the integration of the International Faculty ESD students into scientific networks of other Universities and Research Centres in Europe.
14/10/2015
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16/07/2015
Academic Staff from the School of English of the University of Sheffield visit our English Studies Department
The Applied Linguistics Colloquium, organised by the English Studies Department (ESD) of the International Faculty on 12-14 June 2015 in Thessaloniki, hosted Academic Staff from the School of English (SoE) of the University of Sheffield. Our guests (Prof. Susan Fitzmaurice, Prof. Andrew Linn, Dr Gabriel Ozon, Dr Jane Mulderrig and Dr Oksana Afitska) became well acquainted with the ESD structure and programmes, as well as their fellow colleagues in Thessaloniki. During the Colloquium all local and guest participants had the opportunity to exchange practices, opinions and expertise, as well as to explore joint research potentials for developing a closer and more productive collaboration between the two departments. In the context of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, guest academics were introduced to the structure of the BA and MA programmes at ESD and were presented with examples of good practices that have been successfully implemented during the first year of ESD operation. Among various issues, participants have extensively discussed the way the undergraduate programme has operated, the courses offered, the profile of student body, methods of assessment and monitoring of student progress, various good teaching practices and their learning outcomes, etc. In addition, the structure, function and content of the ESD Master’s programme were thoroughly discussed, with insight offered from both sides. On similar grounds, School of English academics shared their experience and know-how from their own programmes regarding course content, allocation of staff resources, time management, handling large numbers of students, etc. Recognizing the MA as the spearhead of any department, both SoE and ESD academics expressed their satisfaction with this exchange of ideas and knowledge. Recognizing Research as one of the cornerstones of the Applied Linguistics Colloquium, a number of key collaboration scenarios addressed. During the visit, Mr. Nikos Zaharis offered a detailed presentation of the South-East European Research Center (SEERC), projects that have been undertaken, sources of funding, and, most importantly, the mode of cooperation that SoE and ESD could design and develop. Moreover, both the SoE guests and the ESD staff presented their personal research interests, targeting common areas for potential collaboration in developing innovative research ideas. Both Departments expressed a strong willingness to explore a number of available avenues that are within the diverse research profiles of their individual members. Overall, the commitment shown from both sides to establishing ongoing research bonds between colleagues in Thessaloniki and Sheffield is expected to strengthen and consolidate cooperation by building several research-related communication bridges in the near future. As a general overview, all participants were greatly satisfied with the marked progress and the outcome of the two-day colloquium, both on a departmental as well on an individual level. The English Studies Department was more than pleased to open its doors to guest academics from the School of English, with the aspiration that the knowledge shared by the two departments has set solid foundations for a regular exchanging of expertise in both teaching and research within the coming years.
17/06/2015
Our English Studies Department launches ‘ELT Methodology for All’ Open Seminar Series
A new series of seminars organized by our English Studies Department was inaugurated on June 4th with an event on “Social Issues in the ELT Classroom.” The audience composed of both ESD students and staff, but also external guests, as well as online viewers, had the opportunity to listen to two presenters approaching the topic from different angles. Dr Luke Prodromou, our guest speaker, delivered a very interactive and entertaining session entitles “Social and Global Issues and the Language teacher. From Dickens to Debt; The Current Crisis and its Consequences from a Critical Pedagogy Perspective” in which he discussed the negative impact of the debt crisis and the power of the free market on education, child labour, human trafficking and gender equality. Inspired by Charles Dickens, Dr Prodromou talked about the power of education in the fight against inequalities and he called on teachers and educators to take action against social injustice through their teaching. Ms. Margarita Kosior, Lecturer in the English Studies Department, took over with her talk under the title “Teaching for Social Justice: From Social Context to Teaching Content.” In face of serious global issues and social injustice, such as poverty, war, modern-day slavery, and many others, English Language Teaching has acquired a new dimension. Ms. Kosior’s presentation looked into how the new social context can be used in ELT and turned into engaging and thought-provoking teaching content, using materials ranging from reading passages to digital resources, and engaging students in tasks from reflective writing and oral presentations to silent discussion and poster preparation. During their sessions, both presenters suggested some practical ways in which ELT can raise awareness of social issues. With the added responsibility of not merely preparing students for certification exams, but equipping them with tools to become responsible world citizens, teachers are turning into educators with a mission of making the world a better place. Utopian and cliché? Possibly, but definitely a possibility to live into. After this successful beginning, the Methodology for All Seminar Series has concluded for the academic year and will resume in October, 2015. The events are aimed at current and prospective foreign language teachers, postgraduate and undergraduate students, the ELT community in the wider area of Northern Greece, and online viewers able to access the sessions through live streaming or by watching the recording of each seminar. Watch the seminar online:
11/06/2015
ELT Methodology Seminar: 'Social Issues in the ELT Classroom'
4 June 2015 FREE ENTRANCE Seminar Overview (PDF) Online Participation Form Watch the seminar live Information: T: +30 2310 224421 E: mkosior@citycollege.sheffield.eu
26/05/2015
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