Expanding Horizons
Connecting with Professional Organisationsand External Partners
Challenges
•Dominance of English
•Decline in student numbers
•Funding climate
•Promoting the case for languages withstudents, funders and policy-makers
•Making our work relevant to our stakeholders
The importance of externalengagement
•Other voices and new perspectives
•Aligning our offer to meet and exceed theexpectations of stakeholders
•Giving meaning to rhetoric about global,international and intercultural aspirations
•Benefits of reciprocal relations
Three stages to set goals
1.Rank priorities for your language department
2.Allocate goals to your priorities
3.Focus on practical ideas to achieve your goals
Rank your priorities
•Resources and support
•Raise the profile of languages
•Innovation in teaching and research
•Boost numbers applying to study languages
•Grow IWLP
•Improve careers advice for students
•Personal and professional opportunities forlanguages colleagues
•Other?
Match goals to your priorities
Examples:
•Inject inspiration and innovation
•Develop knowledge exchange
•Improve careers information and advice
•Foster links with businesses
•Work placements for staff
Inspiration for practical ideas
Focus on ideas for practical ways of achievingyour goals
•Look at mini-case studies and other goodpractice
•Consider ideas that meet your priorities andgoals
•Be realistic about the time and resourcesavailable
Devising your offer
Principle of collaboration for mutual benefit
•How can external partners support languagesat your institution?
•What benefits can you offer to externalstakeholders?
Benefits to HE of external partners’support
•Careers and recruitment
•Knowledge exchange for personal andprofessional interest
•Strategic intervention
•Financial and practical support
•PR and publicity
Benefits to external partners of HEsupport
•Knowledge transfer and exchange
•Recruitment and workforce
•Financial and in-kind
•Organisational and personal / professionalobjectives
Making connections
•Harness existing contacts
•Seek international links in other faculties
•Involve alumni
•Host networking events
•Join other organisations
•Involve all colleagues in developing a professionalethos
•Be clear about commitment needed
•Follow up and thank partners
Mapping potential partners
Consider the appropriate mix of:
1.Organisations for Language Professionals
2.Employers’ Organisations and Businesses
3.Local Partners and Stakeholders
4.National Organisations and Bodies
5.International, Multinational and GlobalOrganisations
6.Communication partners
AND ALUMNI IN ALL SIX CATEGORIES
Organisations for languageprofessionals
Teaching and Teachers’ Organisations
•ALL
•CILT
•ISMLA
•NALA
•SSAT
•TDA
Organisations for languageprofessionals
Professional Linguists’ Organisations
•ATC
•CIoL
•ITI
•SIETAR
and Other Networks and Consortia, such asRoutes into Languages and Links into Languages
Employers’ organisations andbusinesses
Shared concerns
The 2010 Confederation of British Industry (CBI)Education and Skills Survey cites employerdissatisfaction with UK graduates’ foreignlanguage skills as the greatest sourceof dissatisfaction (56%) in graduate skills,and international cultural awareness as the thirdgreatest source of concern (40%).
Need to understand the benefits oflanguage learning
•For direct, instrumental reasons
•For transferable skills
•For personal and cognitive attributes
Targeting employer partners
•Which sectors?
•What size?
Key business organisations
•BITC
•CBI
•Chambers of Commerce
•CIHE
•FSB
•IEBE
•IoD
•UKTI
Local partners and stakeholders
•Community and voluntary organisations
•Conference and exhibition centres and sportsvenues
•Councils
•Schools and colleges
•Tourist offices
•Twinning organisations
National 0rganisations and bodies
•AHRC
•Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
•Devolved governments in Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales
•Westminster departments
–BIS
–DfE
–FCO
–MOD
International, multinational andglobal organisations
•CFCC in the UK
•European Commission in the UK
•IAMLADP
•NATO
•OECD
•United Nations
Communication partners
Media experts
•Communications and PR Consultants
•Journalists and Broadcasters
Champions
•Celebrities, sports personalities, business leadersand politicians