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Staff and students of the English Studies Dept. launch their Public Engagement Scheme!
It was Rita Pierson who said: “Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be” (2013). In the University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College we, as educators, strive towards this mentality proven also by the official launch of the Public Engagement Scheme titled “English Language Lessons for Teenagers” designed in collaboration with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, to be offered to members of financially weak families. Last week, Staff and Students cordially welcomed the newest and youngest members to the ESD family! Our Public Engagement Scheme for high-school students—designed and led by Dr. Paschalia Patsala, Head of the Department, and Ms. Cathy Marazi, Lecturer of the Dept., demonstrates the belief of CITY College community in equal opportunities for educational and social advancement. This initiative demonstrates the International Faculty's commitment to be of service to the society—a philosophy that lies at the heart of our Mission. In our new endeavor, Express Publishing has allowed us to make the Public Engagement Scheme a reality with the generous offer of top-quality, innovative material that will aid teachers and students in the coming lessons for the following three academic years, for which we wholeheartedly thank Express Publishing. Demonstrating via yet another occasion that there is no “I” in team work, the volunteers of the ESD look forward to embarking along with their young students on an inspiring educational journey. The assistance of all parties involved, who have contributed to the realisation of this initiative, is greatly appreciated and has resulted in the additional strength and confidence required to see this initiative take flight; after all, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” (Helen Keller).
17/10/2016
Mr. Hatziapostolou and Dr Patsala in the PALSO Northern Greece Annual Convention
The University of Sheffield International Faculty, CITY College made its inter-departmental appearance at the 29th Annual Meeting of Pan-Hellenic Federation of Language School Owners (PALSO) via the joint presentation delivered by Mr. Hatziapostolou, Senior Lecturer of the Computer Science Dept., and Dr Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Dept. With their presentation, entitled “Engagement Matters: Enhancing Foreign Language Instruction Through Learning Technologies” the speakers successfully demonstrated the merging of pedagogy and technology as well as the paramount importance of keeping students engaged! The event took place at Makedonia Palace Hotel on August 25thand 26th in Thessaloniki. Dr. Patsala and Mr. Hatziapostolou exhibited the necessity of education evolving with the times, hand-in-hand with technology, taking creative advantage of what each domain has to offer and acknowledging today’s tech-savvy students, as the multiplicity of information available nowadays does not permit the excuse of not having material or inspiration! For the purposes of language study and skills enhancement, a number of intriguing suggestions were demonstrated related to: online Games for practicing vocabulary, grammar and syntax; use of teleprompters for reading skills; speech-to-text and text-to-speech technologies; creative writing technologies including digital story books, animated stories, and comic books, to mention a few of them. Moreover, the two presenters also suggested ideas for testing and assessment including online quizzes, classroom clicker systems, online bulletin boards, and the use of forums either through Facebook groups or online discussion platforms such as Piazza. Concluding their presentation in a whimsical fashion, Mr. Hatziapostolou and Dr. Patsala challenged the audience to consider, and think ‘outside the box’, regarding the use of videos with technological applications ranging from subtitling to re-creating scenes…all in all the possibilities are endless. From the stimulating presentation it became clear that content-wise, language study is fairly consistent; as a result, teachers need to channel their creativity towards the methodology they will employ so as to heighten student engagement. If the encore of the particular presentation and the invitation to be repeated to a greater number of PALSO Association members is any indication, it becomes evident that if the audience is not engaged then the dialogic teaching/learning process between teacher and student cannot fully and efficiently function to perfection.
11/10/2016
Dr Giorgos Dimitriadis from the English Studies Department in two International Conferences in Poland
Dr Giorgos Dimitriadis, Part-time Lecturer of the English Studies Department, participated in two Conferences in Poland and delivered presentations on theory of cinema and visual perception. The first Conference, Mind-Media-Narrative: Exploring the Nexus of Transmedial and Cognitive Narratologies, was held in Warsaw (June 20-22) and was organised by the Warsaw Transmedial Narratology Research Group in collaboration with the University of Warsaw. The theme of the conference was narratology across media, with special interest in the cognitive context of narrative theory. Dr Dimitriadis delivered a presentation titled “Just the Facts, Ma’am: An Economical Model for Theorizing the Perception of Visual Narrative in Digital Cinema”; the presentation proposed the application of a cognitive model for the audience’s perception of cinematic storytelling. Featuring a theme that spans across various media and eras, the conference was a great opportunity for scholars of diverse fields to exchange views and latest research findings in narrative theory. The second Conference, Expanding Universes: Exploring Transmedial & Transfictional Ways of World-building, was held in Krakow (September23-25) and was organised by Facta Ficta Research Center and the Faculty of Polish Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The main focus of this conference was theory of worldmaking across various media and the implications for audiences as well as cultural and media theory. The talk that Dr Dimitriadis delivered was titled “Evaluating the Coherence of a Cinematic Universe as a Prerequisite for Worldmaking in Digital Cinema”. The presentation was based on an innovative approach to the theory of fictional worlds, separating worldmaking as a cognitive process from the world-building practices of the cinema industry.
09/10/2016
Mr. William Nash from the University of Sheffield, English Language Teaching Centre visits our English Studies Department
In accordance with its well-established mentality of Higher Education collaborations, the English Studies Department was pleased to welcome Mr. William Nash, the Academic Director of Teacher Training at the University of Sheffield English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) in the first weeks of the current academic year. Dr. Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Department, Professor Petros Kefalas, the Vice-Principal for Teaching and Learning, together with members of ESD staff met with Mr. Nash during his two-day visit to the International Faculty. Being one of the largest university English language centres in the UK, the University of Sheffield ELTC supports around 3,000 students a year, offering classes, Departmental Language Programmes, online language support, a Dyslexia/SpLd Specialist Tutorial service, and a writing advisory service. With courses aimed at students who wish to attend the university, or who are already attending as well as members of the public, ELTC strives to offer all parties interested the very best of quality knowledge, skills, development and services. In continuation to Dr. Patsala’s visit to the ELTC last year, and as with all collaborations at their initial stage, the identity of the ELTC and the ESD had to be presented first in detail, thus signaling the common springboard for discussions aimed at two-way enrichment. The particular visit posed as a prime opportunity for the English Studies Department to exhibit their contribution to English Language Learning and Teaching both via their Departmental BA and MA programmes but also through their English Language Support Unit developed to help and support all students of other Departments of the International Faculty with regards to academic English and skills. With discussions reaching the conclusion of “being on the same wave-length,” this visit opened up avenues for future joint actions and verified the open-minded, enthusiastic and strong desire of both parties to share successful attempts, ideas, challenges, and solutions implemented, which actually depicts the productive nature of academic collaborations focused on moving forward together for the benefit and enrichment of all members involved.
06/10/2016
Ms. Kosior, the English Studies Dept. ELT Methodology Lecturer, in 'The Teacher' Magazine
Earlier this year, Ms Margarita Kosior was interviewed for “The Teacher”, a well-known magazine publishing articles on English language teaching methodology. Ms Kosior spoke about her decision to become a teacher, inspiring and motivating moments in her teaching life, her passions within and outside ELT, about professional development, but also about storytelling and incorporating social issues into language teaching, the two areas which are closest to her heart. As a skilled storyteller, Ms Kosior talked about the role of creativity and the importance of developing a multisensory environment for (very) young learners, in order to stimulate their senses and curiosity, and consequently improve their attentiveness. As a globally sensitive education advocate, Ms Kosior explained that our role goes beyond teaching vocabulary and grammar: “One of the things that makes my teaching heart sing (…) is when I know that my students are leaving the classroom having learnt something fundamentally important, and I do not mean the passive voice or reported speech. This is a difference between teaching and educating. If one student gets inspired, I have left a trace. (…) I hope and truly believe that the world of tomorrow can be different, can be better, thanks to a discussion in my class today. If one student walks out of my classroom with the decision to fight for a better world, my mission has been accomplished.” This belief in the power of education, educators, but also in the power of young people, our students, to change the world and to make it a better place, no matter how utopian it may sound in these challenging times, sounds reassuring but also leaves us all with a sense of great responsibility as educators. Having her “activist” background in mind, it came as no surprise that when assigned the role of the coordinator of the “ELT Methodology for All” Open Seminar series organised by the English Studies Department, the first presentation was titled “Social Issues in the ELT Classroom”. Passion for teaching is like a flame which starts with a flicker and keeps growing; this is how Ms Kosior describes her journey as an educator. No wonder Ms Kosior is a Faculty member of the English Studies Department team, since we share common goals and ideals. To read the full interview, visit: www.teacher.pl
30/09/2016
Dr Michael Hughes’ End-of-year Visit to the English Studies Department
The end of every academic year constitutes the moment of truth in a Higher Education environment. The feelings of anxiety build as the External Examiner’s mirror is held up to reflect the progress and accomplishments, or lack thereof, of any one Department. Dr. Michael Hughes, Specialist Associate Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Kent, UK and External Examiner of the English Studies Department, visited the International Faculty, CITY College on July 8th and 9th. His visit, though short, was thorough and included various meetings with staff and students, moderation of material at both MA and BA level, Examination Boards and reflective meetings on the past academic year. Dr. Hughes met with the Head of the English Studies Department, Dr. Paschalia Patsala, who provided him with a complete and detailed account of the past academic year—ranging from course material and syllabi to actions and events, while a multi-faceted discussion took place on the progress and accomplishments of the ESD with the constructive contribution of the Director of Learning and Teaching, Prof. Petros Kefalas. This year Dr. Hughes had the opportunity to meet with student representatives from all Levels and Programmes, who provided first-hand accounts confirming their satisfaction and appreciation of the programmes, the Department, as well as how much they enjoy the individual attention by the ESD’s enthusiastic and committed staff. Dr Michael Hughes with MA and BA student representatives and Dr Paschalia Patsala During this meeting, two Prize Awards were held by Dr Hughes: Ms. Iro Sapouna (Level-2 student) received a book on Language and Gender as the ‘Best Presentation’ prize for her performance in a peer-evaluated oral presentation for the purposes of the Sociolinguistics Unit. Also, Ms. Eva Kanonidou (Level-2 student) received the Student Honorary Award in recognition of her active participation in almost all aspects of the International Faculty and ESD student life and learning experience. Both students were warmly congratulated and were wished an inspiring and successful academic life! Dr Michael Hughes with Ms. Iro Sapouna (BA Level 2) Dr Michael Hughes with Ms. Eva Kanonidou (BA Level 2) The overall verdict for the ESD is that it continuously strives for excellence, characterized as “a dream educational environment setup,” a notion humbling in itself as well as encouraging and uplifting. All the aforementioned constitute givens for ESD students and staff members alike, who consistently seek to maintain or follow the set standards. The positive confirmation of the ESD’s hard-work and quality leave us with feelings of satisfaction and validation amidst the end-of-the-year summer glee… Dr Michael Hughes with ESD Academic Staff Members
26/08/2016
Visit by Prof. Simons and Dr Vismans from the Sheffield School of Languages and Cultures to the English Studies Department
In the spirit of academia and the new collaboration of the English Studies Department (ESD) with the Sheffield School of Languages and Cultures (SLC) for the newly-launched MA programme on Translation and Interpreting, the International Faculty of the University of Sheffield wholeheartedly welcomed Professor Penny Simons, Head of the SLC, and Dr Roel Vismans, Deputy Head and Director of Learning and Teaching, during their visit (June 20-22). The three-day visit consisted of productive meetings with the Head of the English Department, Dr Paschalia Patsala, the IF Director for Teaching and Learning, Professor Petros Kefalas, as well as International Faculty and English Studies Department staff members. Professor Kefalas and Dr. Patsala presented the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Practices which have been incorporated and built into the ESD, providing an overall account of the Department, highlighting challenges that have been successfully faced. Emphasis was placed on teaching methods employed, the MA and BA student support mechanisms, assessment and feedback as well as on the Sheffield Graduate Profile; ESD staff members contributed by commenting on various practices they make use of in their Modules. A meeting with Prof. Panayiotis Ketikidis, the IF Director of Research and Innovation, Mr. Nikos Zaharis, SEERC Director, Dr Zoi Tatsioka, the ESD Research Coordinator and Dr Patsala was held focusing on Research Issues and Ethics. Mr. Nikos Zaharis delivered a detailed presentation of the South-East European Research Center, projects that have been undertaken, sources of funding, and, most importantly, the mode of cooperation that the SLC and ESD could design and develop. Overall, both sides are very interested in establishing ongoing research bonds between colleagues in Thessaloniki and Sheffield, which is anticipated to consolidate cooperation by building several research-related communication bridges in the near future. The visit as well as all meetings ended on positive, encouraging and hopeful notes. As an event it confirmed the necessity of networking and collaboration, team work and progress. It provided both parties with the opportunity to discuss, exchange ideas, provide constructive criticism and feedback as well as establish and promote new programmes and ventures. Most importantly, it confirmed the constant strive for innovation, excellence and maintenance of Higher Education standards.
08/08/2016
Dr Paschalia Patsala in the 30th Panhellenic Conference of Neurosurgery
Dr Paschalia Patsala attended the 30th Panhellenic Conference of Neurosurgery, organised by the Hellenic Neurosurgical Society in Volos on June 16th and 17th. This year’s Conference focused on the human brain, its areas and the corresponding functions, as well as on its pathophysiology, emphasising mainly on cranial-base diseases. In a conference exploring brain issues, the physiological processes or mechanisms associated with the human language capacity—an area interwoven with Neurolinguistics that Dr Patsala is working on—have been also discussed. Reference was made to the abnormal or undesired conditions associated with or resulting from neurosurgical diseases or injuries, and how these have affected the patients’ production and understanding of speech. According to Dr Patsala, the greatest benefit was that “the 30th Conference aimed at enhancing young neurosurgeons’ knowledge and skills, and as a result, it contained a great number of educational-type presentations and workshops.” The interactive character of the Conference was reelected in the lively discussions about the symptoms exhibited by patients and the diagnoses made during the oral presentations, together with decisions taken in terms of treatment and rehabilitation of patients. Within the framework of this Conference, Dr Patsala also had the opportunity to discuss about the future collaboration between the English Studies Department of the University of Sheffield International Faculty, and the Neurosurgery Department of a University General Hospital in Northern Greece, as well as explore the potential for joint research and guest lecturing between the two Institutions. Dr Paschalia Patsala with Dr Ioannis Patsalas (Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
15/07/2016
Dr Tatsioka at the 21st Sociolinguistics Symposium in Spain
Dr Zoi Tatsioka, Lecturer of the English Studies Department, participated in the 21st Sociolinguistics Symposium (15-18 June), which was organized by the University of Murcia in Spain. The Sociolinguistics Symposium, a biennial conference established in 1976, is considered to be the most prestigious and leading conference on Language in Society, attracting more than 600 scholars from around the world. Dr Tatsioka delivered a presentation entitled “English Loanword Use and Linguistic Prestige on Greek Television”, which examined instances of language contact from a sociolinguistic perspective as depicted on Greek television. During her presentation, Dr Tatsioka provided the theoretical background of her study emphasizing the symbolic value of English and its prestige in the Greek linguistic community and offered indicative examples from the data collected taking into consideration the speakers’ perceived intentions as well as the needs of their audience. Her study has a range of linguistic and social implications as it demonstrates the influence of the English language and its popularity on the linguistic repertoire of Greek speakers and the plausible intelligibility issues that may emerge from this practice.
24/06/2016
International Faculty Members presenting in a Conference on Education in Slovenia
Between June 12th and 14th, Prof. Petros Kefalas, Dr Paschalia Patsala and Dr Suzie Savvidou participated in the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END2016), which took place in Ljubljana. During the Conference, speakers from the most diverse countries and educational cultures presented their work towards promoting teaching, learning, pedagogic innovations as well as their applications in Education, with a 27% overall conference paper acceptance rate. Dr Suzie Savvidou discussed in detail a “Framework of Practice for Educating Novice Students to become Professional Counsellors” enjoying her audience’s full attention to this innovative work that Petros Kefalas and Lena Gassi had also contributed to. Dr Savvidou explained the challenges that the design and delivery of a training programme for counsellors involves, as it necessitates considerable enhancement of trainees’ attributes that are key factors for effective counselling. Analysing the academic, practical and ethical issues that arise, she presented a framework developed within a postgraduate programme that not only ensures high-quality academic standards in teaching, learning and assessment, but it also offers students the opportunity to exercise the acquired skills within a real working environment safely, ethically and effectively for both themselves and their clients. During the same event, Dr Patsala and Prof. Kefalas delivered a talk entitled "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly…Practices in Higher Education" which reflected the experience of developing a newly-set-up learning environment within our University, namely the English Studies Department. Drawing on the relevant Western film in a very lively presentation, Dr Patsala and Prof. Kefalas provided the rationale and examples of various practices applied in relation to teaching, learning and assessment, student support, feedback provision, student engagement, and staff development. Practices applied within Higher Education programmes were classified into ‘good’ (worth applying and disseminating), ‘bad’ (to be avoided as ineffective), and ‘ugly’ (positive in principle, yet of questionable value or in need of refinement), and the methods employed to meet the learning objectives of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes were presented in close connection to the Sheffield Graduate Profile promoted in our University. This International Conference on Education and New Developments has also offered a lot of opportunities for networking with scholars who deal with similar educational projects and issues, as well as for exploring new collaborations on joint research and teaching experiences with other educational institutions. Dr Paschalia Patsala with Dr Elina Megalou, Deputy Director of the “Strategy and Digital Educational Content Directorate” of the Computer Technology Institute & Press - Diophantus
21/06/2016
MA in Translation and Interpreting
The English Studies Department of the International Faculty, CITY College announces a new Master's programme recently added to its portfolio: the MA in Translation and Interpreting. This postgraduate programme aspires to meet the increase in demand for advanced translation and interpreting in the industry. Translation Studies as a discipline has witnessed unparalleled changes over the last ten years, with new technologies and research developments rapidly transforming the profession. The MA in Translation and Interpreting combines the theoretical issues involved in literary, technical, screen, legal, digital, scientific and commercial translation; or in publishing, localisation and management, with the practical aspects of the translation and the mechanics of the interpreting process. The programme will prepare graduates to pursue a range of career paths as translators, conference or community interpreters, subtitlists, localisers, literary translators, spokespeople, technical/linguistic consultants, editors, applications development consultants, and language project managers. Dr Paschalia Patsala, Head of the English Studies Department, said “Students who attend the programmes of the English Studies Dept. enjoy a challenging journey to a rich academic experience. Our primary goal is to guide and support you, making this a stimulating and constructive experience that will open up for you a wide range of career opportunities in numerous language-related professions. Our passionate commitment to academic excellence, our team of highly-qualified faculty members, our research-informed teaching, the rich opportunities for hands-on practice, and our collaboration with the industry will fulfill all your expectations!” Graduates receive their degree from one of top 100 universities in the world: the University of Sheffield. Admission period is now open! Information / Applications: For more information interested candidates may contact the English Studies Department or our Admissions Office at admissions@citycollege.sheffield.eu, +20 2310 275575.
14/06/2016
Ms Margarita Kosior on the stage of the 14th ELTA Serbia Conference
On 20-21 May 2016, Ms Margarita Kosior, an English Studies Department Lecturer, attended the 14th ELTA Serbia Conference, which took place in Belgrade, with the central theme "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world (Malala Yousafzai, 2013)". During the event, Ms. Kosior delivered a talk entitled "Teaching for Social Justice: From Social Context to Teaching Content" representing the local teachers' association, TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece. During her session she presented, among others, ideas implemented at and promoted by the English Studies Department. Ms Kosior argued that the English teaching profession has acquired new aims ranging beyond the merely linguistic development of the students. With the guidance of inspiring educators, English language learners become well-informed and responsible global citizens. Moreover, Ms Kosior recommended a number of ways in which this can be accomplished: the use of TED talks, YouTube videos and documentaries, engaging students in silent discussion, or working on projects involving various kinds of oral presentations, to mention just a few. In the spirit of the conference, Ms Kosior convinced the audience that raising awareness of global issues and fostering social responsibility should be among the aims of every educator. The audience consisted of educators from Serbia, but also representatives of various teachers' associations and nationalities, which opens doors to potential collaboration in the future.
30/05/2016
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