Jumping the Barriers

1
Jumping the Barriers

• Celia Bishop - London College of Communication
• Terry Finnigan - London College of Fashion
• University of the Arts London

2
I wasnt born speaking and writing language like
this MA Photography Student

• Layers of language in HE
• Academic language
• Language of HE
• Language of the institution
• Subject language
• Teacher-talk

3
Academic language

• It is widely acknowledged that ..
• Indeed/thus/furthermore .
• The use of the passive
• The (non) use of the first person

4
Language of HE

• WP students
• learning outcomes
• Demonstrate an awareness of semiological
  principles (analysis)
• formative and summative assessment
• deadline, referral, deferral,
• your marks will be capped at 40
• the marks are not weighted
• dissertation
• abstract
• preface
• plagiarism

5
Language of the institution

• Apart from assignments in the studio, you will
  have VCT and PPD briefs.
• After this you will have an induction into LLR.
• Its a journal, look it up on OPAC

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Subject language

• Research approaches (Media and Cultural Studies,
  dissertation guidance)
• Semiotics and content analysis
• Documents
• Mute objects
• Archival research
• Does photography have an ontological relationship
  to indexicality?

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Indexicality re Wikipedia

• There are various extensions of the basic idea of
  indexicality, some of which arise outside of
  linguistics and philosophy of language. One
  notorious example is David Lewis's indexicality
  of actuality, according to which actual is itself
  an indexical term, and the ontological
  distinction between merely possible worlds and
  the actual world is just that the actual world is
  this world (see Modal realism, Modal logic).

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Subject language Sound Arts and Design

• muddy
• clean
• set back
• up front
• dry
• washy
• theres a lot of air in it

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Some examples Sound Arts and Design

• muddy description of equalisation of
  frequency too much in the low- to
  mid-scale
• clean free of technical error and
  distortion
• set back difficult to hear because lost in
  the general mix
• up front clear
• dry having no delay or reverb
• washy having a lot of reverb/ lack of
  definition
• theres a lot refers to the type of acoustic
  space
• air in it

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In the first year we aim to change grunts into
conversation Course Director BA GD, Cumbria

• BA Graphic Design 2 at University of Cumbria and
  at LCC observation and interviewing students
  and staff methodology based on work of Blair,
  Blythman and Orr (2007)
• Graphic Design is a very verbal subject, however
  neither tutors nor students appeared to be very
  language aware
• Impossibility of verbalising some visual ideas

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Graphic Design Tutors Feedback to students in
formative crits.

• It has the right sort of feel there isnt a
  better word for
• it
• Its a very open brief you need to open up
  lots of lines of
• enquiry
• run with them to the end of the brief
• They are not resolved . they need a bit more
  design input
• The simplicity needs to be designed around a bit
  but the
• tone of voice is right.
• I like this design. Its got legs!
• I think you have taken this too far!

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Students comments

• I didnt quite get the brief, but listening to
  the others, I understand it better
• In the first year I thought What are they
  talking about?
• Q. Were you confident enough to ask if you didnt
  understand?
• The braver people would go and ask them (the
  tutors) and wed ask the braver people
• Q. Are you conscious of picking up words and
  phrases to talk about your work?
• Not really, its just worked its way in

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Tutors comments - BA GD Cumbria

• Learning to talk the talk and use the right
  kind of design language is also part of their
  education to enable them to become design
  practitioners.
• Amongst the UK students there is a fairly wide
  variance in the general standards of usage and
  abusage of language. The overseas students seem
  to be far more precise in their use of English,
  though they occasionally lack specific vocabulary
  to express their rationale or ideas.

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Tutors comments - cont.

• Understanding and applying design
  jargon/terminology is an important part of being
  a designer. Using it confidently and
  appropriately allows them to take part in
  contemporary practice and will help them discuss
  their work with prospective employers.
• It always surprises me that since I have taught
  here there is a trend that happens year on year -
  they enthusiastically discuss their work in the
  first year and then their confidence seems to
  dwindle in the second year. In most cases it
  returns in the third year.

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Asking a student to show you something

• Would you mind showing me your sketchbook/library
  card/passport?
• Could you show me your sketchbook?
• Have you got your sketchbook anywhere?
• I think I need to see your sketchbook.
• Would it be possible to see your sketchbook?
• This would be a good time to see your sketchbook.
• I shall need to see your sketchbook.
• Just let me have a look at your sketchbook, would
  you?
• It would be good to see your sketchbook.
• I havent seen your sketchbook for a while, have
  I?
• ____________________________________
• A You werent here last week, were you?
• B Yes

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Strategies to make language more accessible

• Be language aware
• Regularly reflect on the languages your students
  will have to use with your colleagues
• Do not assume that all students will understand
  your language
• Check students have understood, but not by asking
  Do you understand?
• Glossaries have to be course-/team-specific and
  should be works in progress
• Give students concrete examples of what you want
• Make concepts visual but specifically teach the
  students the words in context
• Give students back-up handouts

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Strategies cont.
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Contact details

• Celia Bishop c.bishop_at_lcc.arts.ac.uk
• Terry Finnigan t.finnigan_at_fashion.arts.ac
  .uk