LN3xx Policy, outreach and public engagement: promoting modern languages and cultures
| Module Code: LN3xx |
|---|
| Module Name: Policy, outreach and public engagement: promoting modern languages and cultures |
| Module Coordinator: Professor Kate Astbury |
| Term 1 |
| Module Credits: 15 |
Module Description
Are you a passionate ambassador for studying languages and cultures? Would you like to make a difference in the course of your degree? This module is for any student who's interested in learning more about outreach, policy and public engagement in languages. You’ll be supported to develop the skills needed to communicate clearly and engagingly the benefits of studying languages and culture, including event management and stakeholder engagement. The skills gained in this module are highly transferable and applicable to a number of practical situations and different career paths. This is a research-led module which allows you to explore in depth modern languages as an academic discipline and reflect critically on how to communicate effectively that both research and the study of culture are integral to it. The module will equip you with a greater understanding of UK policies on language learning and multilingualism and of theories and best practice for engaging with schools and audiences outside higher education. It will be underpinned by cutting-edge research into language learning policies, outreach and engagement from the module tutors, enabling you to contribute in an informed and creative way to current sector discussions on MFL’s ‘brand identity’. You will also develop your expertise in delivering a high-quality outreach or public engagement event as well as online materials based on material covered in your degree.
Module aims
- Introduce you to debates in language learning policy in the UK context
- Introduce you to research on and the concept of high-quality schools outreach and public engagement with a focus on modern languages and cultures
- Build your understanding of the role of outreach and public engagement with languages for individuals, institutions, and society
- Equip you with the skills to design, deliver and evaluate a high-quality outreach or engagement activity, including event management and stakeholder engagement
- Develop your understanding of Modern Languages as an academic discipline
- Engage you with active learning that supports creative expression
- Support you to critically reflect on your own development and creatively communicate this through digital engagement tools
Module programme
Week 1 (Cathy Hampton) the language learning landscape and UK schools
Week 2 (Cathy Hampton) UK languages policy: crisis or opportunity?
Week 3 (James Hodkinson) Languages admissions and outreach landscape in UK HE providers
Week 4 (Cathy Hampton and Orla Whelan Davis) designing outreach activities + successful stakeholder engagement
Week 5 (Kate Astbury) What is public engagement with research?
Week 7 (Kate Astbury) thinking about audiences; group work: Writing abstracts and planning
Week 8 (James Hodkinson) translating culture for non-academic audiences; thinking about the specificity of delivering Modern Languages as a discipline
Week 9 (James Hodkinson) Online engagement and the theories behind how to be effective on social media
Week 10 (Kate Astbury) Evaluation and change making
In Week 10 you will also be delivering a public engagement or outreach activity.
Assessment for the module
a) Deliver a live public engagement activity (50%): Working in small groups you will create an activity to engage either school pupils or the public as part of an event to be curated by either SMLC or Warwick Institute of Engagement. You will receive a combined individual and collective mark.
b) Reflective Digital Engagement Piece (50%). You can choose to focus this assignment on policy, outreach or public engagement with research. You can use any digital format – eg blog, vlog, Instagram reel, tiktok, etc and how you present your ideas needs to be adapted to the format you choose. We'd expect videos/ podcasts etc to be between 10-15 minutes and written pieces 2000 words.
