SOAS Language Centre wins 2008 CILT award
The project team receiving the award from Sir Trevor McDonald
11 September 2008
The SOAS Language Centre has won the CILT 2008 European Award for Languages for its project "Jinrikisha - How We Learnt Japanese".
The project produced a series of six audio recordings discussing the joys and frustrations of SOAS Language Centre Students learning Japanese.
Project developer Michalis Sivvas, formerly Language Centre Learning Advisor and now the CETL LWW Curriculum Specialist Learning Advisor, said ' I am delighted that 'Jinrikisha – How We Learnt Japanese' has won an award. Disseminating learners' voices to learners, teachers and other professionals in the field contributes to a direct exchange of knowledge and expertise, and to the enhancement of a community of learning. These podcasts are vivid and colourful accounts of the everyday struggles and achievements of language learners.'
Director and Principal Paul Webley also commented on the award, "What a great combination: the experiences of our successful full-time Diploma and evening course students, the inspiration they give to the coming year 's learners of Japanese, and the power of podcasts. This is a well-deserved award and a powerful example of the study opportunities that SOAS offers in the languages of the wider world."
The recordings were first made available as podcasts in June-July 2007 and they are now available to download from the SOAS Language Centre Jinrikisha webpage.
The 2008 European Awards for Languages were presented by Sir Trevor McDonald in London on Wednesday 16 July.
