Language Tasks and Strategies

Self-motivated learning is an essential element in the successful completion of a period of residence abroad, as LARA has argued. This sub-project arose out of an awareness that, although students often recognise at the end of their period abroad that they could probably have achieved more, they generally have little idea as to how they might have engaged in more purposeful learning activities.

We have therefore created a pack of strategy-based language materials in the following format:

• language tasks and activities to be used by students while abroad, presented in a booklet entitled International Newsfile;
• practical suggestions and materials for use by staff in preparing students, together with support reading, presented in a booklet entitled Language Tasks and Strategies for Students Abroad.

We are grateful for the support and co-operation of our own students in developing these materials. We must also express our appreciation to students of Nottingham Trent University, who participated in trials, and to Martin O'Shaughnessy for his help in locating students for the trial. Ana Castiñeira and Carmen Herrero of Manchester Metropolitan University also gave assistance in the course of the project.

Thanks are also due to the students and colleagues at the Universitat Jaume 1 in Castellón who gave useful feedback and an international perspective on the project materials, which they see as having potential for foreign students in Britain.

Anne Ife
Alicia Peña Calvo
Anglia Polytechnic University