Language Advisory Service
| Key facts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Availability: | Monday-Friday, throughout the 24 teaching weeks of the academic year | |
| Sessions | ||
| Avenue Campus: Languages Resources Centre, Upper Level 2, Room 2155 | Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday |
16.00 – 18.00 16.00 – 19.00 17.00 – 19.00 15.00 – 19.00 |
| Hartley Library: Room C1 | Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday |
10.00 – 12.00 10.00 – 12.00 10.00 – 13.30 12.30 – 14.30 |
| Book online: | ||
| Contact details: | Dr Juliet Solheim advising@soton.ac.uk |
|
| Fee: | Free to all University of Southampton students and staff | |
Your advising session
Language advising is an opportunity for you to discuss your language learning (or proposed language learning) needs and interests constructively in an informal setting. Please note that it is neither 1:1 teaching nor language-specific advice (nor proof-reading!). The advisors will not therefore correct or prescribe pieces of work or impose their ideas on you. Instead, they will help you to analyse, plan and manage your own progress in the language according to your individual learning style, needs, goals and interests.
All Languages
Each session lasts 15 minutes and learners tend to see an advisor individually. However, you may also book a double slot with another learner if you feel that this would be useful to you both.
Language advisors will be available to see you for your pre-booked sessions in the Languages Resources Centre (Avenue 2155) at the times shown throughout all 24 teaching weeks of the academic year.
Avenue Campus: General Language Advising
In order to get the most out of your advising sessions, please prepare yourself; i.e. take the time to reflect on your progress/proposed language of study; e.g. consider what is going well which is just as relevant as what is going not so well. Think of questions you would like to ask your advisor to help you make further progress, e.g. how to approach an aspect of your language learning differently, or information about useful resources.
Avenue Campus: Stages 3 and 4 Students
You are required to attend one language advising session per semester, per language studied at Stages 3 and/or 4. Alternatively, it is possible to ask your language tutor if it is possible to arrange an advising session with him or her.
The primary purpose of these sessions is to help you develop your critical learning skills. You will do this by explaining and analysing how you have revised a piece of written work in the foreign language that your language tutor has marked and annotated. Your language tutor will give you some suggestions to help you prepare for this.
You should discuss the revision process with your advisor in English. Your advisor will ask you questions to prompt your reflections but the session will take the form of a constructive conversation rather than a student presentation followed by Q&A. These sessions should help you to increase your critical awareness of your personal language learning processes which should in turn help you to take greater control over your own learning progress.
In order for you to derive maximum benefit from these sessions within the schedule of your Stages 3 and 4 language courses, you must have attended the requisite number of advisory sessions by the following deadlines:
- Semester 1: Week 12 (13th December 2007)
- Semester 2: Week 6 (13th March 2008)
NB Please note that this is a heavily subscribed service, so ensure that you book your place/s well in advance to reserve a day and time that is most convenient to you.
Booking your English Language advising session
Email Advising
There is also an English Language Advisory Service which, from October 2007, offers online advising sessions throughout University teaching weeks. These are primarily to advise international students about their academic English but native English-speaker students may also use this service for language advice or academic study skills support (e.g. essay writing help).
In order for us to advise you more effectively, please note that you must first send a request by email to: advising@soton.ac.uk
An advisor will reply to your request, asking you to send on a piece of work that you are currently writing (max. 1000 words), accompanied by a description of it and any questions you may have. You will then receive feedback on your writing and answers to your questions to help you develop your academic English further
You may only book a face-to-face session in Hartley Library if you have already had at least one email advising session and acted upon the feedback that the advisor has given you. Please do not book an advising session in the Hartley Library if you have not already done this. Thank you.
Face-to-Face Advising
For students who have completed at least one email advising session and have worked on the recommendations offered by their advisor, it is possible to book a face-to-face session in Room C1, Hartley Library, for further support. These sessions take place at the times shown above.
- Email English Language Advising: advising@soton.ac.uk
- Make appointment for English Language Advising: Hartley
- Make appointment for Language Advising: Avenue
Cancellations and changes
You can cancel and reschedule your face-to-face language advising sessions online. Follow the instructions in your confirmation email.
If you have any problems or questions, please email us at: advising@soton.ac.uk and we will reply as soon as possible.
We hope that you find your face-to-face and email advising sessions at the University of Southampton useful and welcome your comments about this service.
