Our events
2020. Linguistics for Modern Languages Teachers. University of Birmingham, date tbc.
2020. French linguistics taster (for heritage speakers of African varieties), Westminster University, January. (organised by Kate Lightfoot, ARU) (Kasstan, Sheehan)
2019. Portuguese Linguistics taster. Anglia Ruskin University, 12 July. (Sheehan)
2019. OWRI Language Acts and Worldmaking Debates: The Linguistics in MFL A-Levels project. Language Acts Debates: Collaboration in Languages in HE. King’s College London. 13 June.
2019. Opportunities for linguistics in the MFL curriculum, attended by academics, teachers, publishers, exam boards and a representative from the British Academy. Anglia Ruskin University, 31 May (Consult presentations from the conference here)
2019. Mini-course in French linguistics, Suffolk One VI form College. May. (Sheehan)
2019. Portuguese Linguistics taster for heritage speakers. Anglia Ruskin University, 18 March. (Corr, Sheehan)
2019. Portuguese linguistics taster session for heritage Portuguese speakers, Thetford Academy. November. (Sheehan)
2018. Feedback day with our teachers. Queen Mary, University of London. 8 September.
Talks and training for modern languages professionals
2019. Linguistics in MFL: ideas for GCSE activities. Secondary Leaders of Languages Annual Conference. Herts for Learning, Stevenage. A. Corr, A. Havinga, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano, M. Sheehan. 6 November. 6 December. (Presenters: Corr, Kasstan)
2019. Politeness in English and French. Continuing Professional Development session for teachers of French and English delivered at Longsands Academy, St Neots. November. (Sheehan)
2019. Linguistics and MFL teaching: secondary/university transitions. Moving through languages: Schools and universities working together conference, King’s College London. 18 May. (Presenters: Corr/Kasstan) – Slides
2018. Mini-course in Spanish linguistics. Comberton Village College, Cambridgeshire. April. (Sheehan)
2018. Linguistics and Modern Foreign Language Teaching. Language Skills for the 21st century, Cambridge Festival of Ideas. 27 October. (Presenter: Corr)
Research talks
2020. Decolonising languages through linguistics: a transcriptivist approach. Decolonising Modern Languages symposium, University of Birmingham/Institute of Modern Languages Research. 31 March. (Corr)
2019. The linguistics in MFL project: tackling the language crisis. ‘Our languages’: exploring collaborations in Language Education, Lancaster University. A. Corr, A. Havinga, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano, M. Sheehan. 6 November. (Presenters: Havinga, Schifano).
2019. Using linguistics in the primary MFL classroom’ Invited talk for PGCE students specializing in Modern Foreign Languages at UCL Institute of Education. October. (Sheehan)
2019. Introducing Linguistics in A-levels: challenges and opportunities from the Linguistics in MFL project. Multilingualism and multi-identities in Wales: a Creative Approach to Research and Practice, Cardiff University. 28 September. A. Corr, A. Havinga, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano, M. Sheehan. (Presenter: Havinga).
2019. The Linguistics in MFL project: initial successes and challenges. Workshop on Opportunities for linguistics in the MFL curriculum, Anglia Ruskin University, 31 May. A. Corr, A. Havinga, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano, M. Sheehan.
2018. Linguistics in Modern Foreign Language A-levels: preliminary analysis of pilot study data. Workshop on Theoretical Linguistics in Secondary Education, 51st Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea (SLE 2018), University of Tallinn, Estonia, 29 August-1 September. A. Corr, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano, M. Sheehan & A. Ledgeway. (Presenter: Corr)
Press/media/policy
Meeting with Helena Wright from Department for Education – January 2020 (Sheehan)
The Economist (Letters to the editor): An English-speaking union? [project letter] (29/06/2019)
The Economist: ‘The agony and ecstasy of grammar’ [featuring MFL Project results] (30/03/2019)
TES (Times Educational Supplement): ‘Teaching Linguistics Improves Language Skills’ (19/10/2018)
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages – Project handout (11/10/2018)
Publications
Corr, A., A. Havinga, J. Kasstan, N. Schifano & M. Sheehan. In prep. The reception of linguistics by Modern Foreign Languages A-level students in England: a pilot study.
Corr, A., J. Kasstan & M. Sheehan. 2019. A place for linguistics in Key Stage 5 Modern Foreign Languages. Appears jointly in Languages, Society and Policy and Impact: Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching.
