Summer School
Cultural Landscapes: Negotiating Cultural Encounters with the English-Speaking World
Erasmus IP Summer School
Glasgow (Scotland), 6–17 August 2012
Introduction
Cultural landscapes: Negotiating cultural encounters with the English-speaking world Erasmus Intensive Programme takes a close and critical look at the cultural differences and barriers encountered in interaction with English-speaking countries and the specificities of English-mediated intercultural communication. Cultural, i.e. socially constructed concepts are analysed not only as they relate to the pervasive British and American cultures, but also locally (e.g. Scotland, Wales, Ireland) and internationally (World Englishes, English as a lingua franca).
The project is targeted at undergraduate (and in exceptional cases graduate) students of English (also cultural studies, international relations, European studies, communication studies and related fields) whose studies and future careers include intercultural mediation with the English-speaking world. For a period of two weeks, the participants will have the possibility of taking part in a number of intensive lectures, seminars, workshops and out-of-classroom activities exploring theoretical as well as practical dimensions of cultural awareness and intercultural dialogue both historically and in the context of the modern world. Before, during and after the IP, ICT-based activities will be used. Also, a special website will be dedicated to the project and its results.
In short, this summer school is aimed at students who are interested in learning more about the cultural aspects of the English-speaking world and going beyond what is typically included in their studies and who would at the same time like to have fun in a relaxed environment.
Programme
The programme comprises 6–8 hours of academic courses per day (attendance is obligatory), with additional activities such as talks on Scotland and visits to local sites as well as national theme-nights. The provisional schedule is available here. In some slots all students take the same course and in others they have a choice between two courses. Course descriptions are available here. There is no fee for the summer school.
Travel and accommodation
Thanks to the funding by the European Commission, travel expenses will be refunded in full (up to a reasonable limit) and all students will be provided with free accommodation. We are also hoping to be able to provide breakfast and a British-style lunch.
Students will all be housed together in a centrally located student residence close to where the courses will be held, with a mixture of single and twin rooms. All rooms are ensuite with internet access, bed linen is provided and there are free laundry facilities, but students will need to bring their own towels. There is also a kitchen with basic cooking equipment and a common area where social activities such as national theme and film nights will take place.
Applications
There are 27 places available, with national quotas. To be eligible to apply, you must be officially enrolled as a student at one of the partner institutions at the time of the summer school, i.e. August 2012. To apply, please fill out the application form and send it to the co-ordinator at your university by 10 March 2012:
University of Duisburg-Essen – Sandarenu Kumarasamy (sandarenu.kumarasamy@uni-due.de)
University of Limerick – Weronika Gasior (weronika.gasior@ul.ie)
University of Lisbon – Lili Cavalheiro (lilicavalheiro@campus.ul.pt)
University of Ljubljana – Monika Kavalir (monika.kavalir@ff.uni-lj.si)
University of Osijek – Alma Vančura (avancura@ffos.hr)
Venue and weekend activities
We are heading to a fascinating place which cannot be described in just a few words, which is why a proper description is available here.
An optional weekend trip taking in the highlights of Scotland will be offered, at a price of approximately £160. You can have a look at the itinerary here. Otherwise, students will be free to explore Glasgow or any other part of Scotland. Some suggestions for the weekend, as well as the time before and after the summer school, are available here.
