Collaboration between content and language teachers in English Medium Instruction
My interest in collaboration grew out of an MA TEAP (Teaching English for Academic Purposes) assignment at the University of Nottingham. I had been based in Barcelona for many years, and I was interested in studying whether English was perceived to be a linguistic and cultural threat to lecturers using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) in a context that is already bilingual, with a minority regional language (Catalan) and a majority state language (Spanish). It turned out that English was viewed very positively: it was perceived as giving opportunities. My attention turned to the role of language in the EMI classroom because of the following questions that I asked the lecturers (via an online survey):
- Do you teach language in your lessons?
- Should you teach language in your lessons?
- In your assessments of student work, what weighting (or importance) do you give to language use? (Score 0 to 10; 0 = only content counts in the assessment, 10 = only language counts in the assessment)
An Investigation into the Role of Emotional Literacy in Online Language Learning
by Philip Brown
In 2022, I conducted a small-scale exploratory case study at the Centre for Academic Language and Development (CALD) as part of an MA Dissertation into the role of emotional literacy in online language learning. Dissertations are fairly long reads; therefore, the purpose of this blog is to describe the study and its outcomes in a more condensed form and a less formal style which should provide a more accessible and engaging read. I hope to find others with similar interests with whom to interact and collaborate on future studies.
The Way of the Lesson: An Interview on Collaborative Lesson Planning
with Stuart Marshall and James MacPherson
Before each class, Stuart and James meet for about 30 minutes to discuss and refine their lesson plans. This collaborative process allows them to decide on an optimal approach, and which activities are engaging or ineffective. The goal is to strip lessons to their core—removing unnecessary elements and focusing on what matters to the students they know so well. Their informal, conversational (and brutally candid) approach blends practical planning with humour (and banter), making the process both efficient and enjoyable. (more…)
Inside the Teacher’s Mind: Podcast 2 With Bethan Hawley
Trialling Live Marking in the Foundations of Statistics unit
We as a team – Martin Wright, Tim Fewster and Ksenia Shalonova – did live marking for the Foundations of Statistics data analysis reports (1,000-1,500 words). We present two blog articles: the first gives a brief description of the background information and summarises both the advantages and disadvantages of using live marking, whereas in the second, Tim Fewster shares his personal experience about using live marking for the first time. We hope that Tim’s blog article will inspire you to use live marking … in particular, will inspire those of you who are reluctant to use it in your sessions and for your subjects – as we as a team (the three of us) enjoyed the whole process.
Should you give societies a chance?
by IFP student Camila Bena Mejia
For many of us, Bristol was totally unknown before moving here. I didn’t know anything about British culture apart from the famous ‘bland’ food and great music like the Beatles. I was on the other side of the world away from my home, and my ‘to do’ list included learning how to cook, making friends, and going to class. To learn how to cook I bought a cookbook – an easy solution; to go to class I simply learned to wake up on time (I still struggle with it some days). But to make friends there isn’t a guide. (more…)
Freedom in the Classroom
by Nick Boden
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| Mafalda sees an even smaller child and goes over to speak to them. | Mafalda: Hello! You’re really small! What’s your name? |
FREEDOM … the child replies. |
Mafalda doesn’t reply. After a beat, the child says …
Reached a conclusion yet stupid? The whole world reaches their own stupid conclusion when they meet me. |
| Mafalda ‘Freedom On the Beach’ Mafalda Digital, Quino (1970). Available at: https://x.com/MafaldaDigital/status/1769836759280468016?mx=2 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2025]. | |||
The Bristol Curriculum Framework (2025) highlights the importance of creating an intellectually stimulating environment that is multidisciplinary, creates a sense of belonging, contributes to personal development and inculcates a sense of global and civic engagement. These are ambitious goals for practitioners in a world saturated with information. Given this context, it is essential to consider how students engage with content as this can be beneficial to meet these challenges. (more…)
Inside the Teacher’s Mind: Podcast 1 With Tom Willis Jones
Respecting and Responding to the International Student Experience (RISE)
by Kevin Haines
One of the ways in which CALD makes itself visible across the institution is by sharing its expertise on Teaching international students. For several years we have done this by delivering workshops on Learning and Teaching in the International Classroom for BILT as part of the CREATE scheme. During the past academic year, we have also worked with colleagues across the university to develop guidance for academics on their teaching of groups consisting of both international and home students. The findings of the RISE project have been written up as a Guide and represented as a Poster. My blog post for BILT brings together these components and describes how I have been able to incorporate the RISE material into the workshop. Click here to read on. (more…)