Language Labs in UCD

tribble

Being in first arts i find that i have a bit of spare time on my hands so i was wondering if there we any language labs on campus that i could use to brush up on my french/german/mandarin?

_113

Seraphina

im not sure what the story is if you're not a registered student for that particular dept, you'd be better off going into the french/german whatever dept office and asking if you're even allowed in.
i know the irish dept has a seomra caidrimh where you can just go in and chat as gaeilge with free tea n biccies, the other depts might have similar rooms for their languages

tribble

Seraphina wrote:

im not sure what the story is if you're not a registered student for that particular dept, you'd be better off going into the french/german whatever dept office and asking if you're even allowed in.
i know the irish dept has a seomra caidrimh where you can just go in and chat as gaeilge with free tea n biccies, the other depts might have similar rooms for their languages

Me not think there is a Chinese dept.

But muchos gracias for the french/german tip.

_113

tribble

/tangent - that's it i've had quite enough of these new smilies.

THIS is not a sad face, it's an "I'm gonna kill ya and burn your family" face.

rainbow kirby

The Applied Language Centre runs courses in French, Spanish, German, Japanese (which I'm doing...:)) and Chinese. I think most of the courses have already started.
some info here-clicky!

Intel

If you're taking a language with the ALC (applied language centre) then you have access to their facilities - ie the ALC centre in the Arts building and also upstairs in the daedalus building.

I've used the ALC 'centre' in the arts block a few times. They have a room where you can listen to THEIR tapes (they emphasize 'their'). The last time I asked them they said they have a room where you can watch french,german,spanish satellite tv (sorrry no mandarin). But tbh the whole set up is a bit formal . You have to sign your name down then they take you to a (locked) room etc. In NUIG you can walk in and out of the language centre freely, but here you cant just pop in for a 10-15 mins if you have a bit of free time. Has anyone here used this room? What are your thoughts on the place?

The upstairs in the daedulus building as far as i know is for students learning english so im pretty sure it doesnt cater for any other languages...

tribble

rainbow kirby wrote:

The Applied Language Centre runs courses in French, Spanish, German, Japanese (which I'm doing...:)) and Chinese. I think most of the courses have already started.
some info here-clicky!

Thanks Kirby,

I've just fired off an email to them requesting a place in Chinese 1.

Classes started in the first week of October but here's hoping...

_113

rainbow kirby

You won't have missed much. I know in Japanese what we've done so far could be made up fairly quickly.

Intel

I've just fired off an email to them requesting a place in Chinese 1.

Im doing Chinese 1 at the moment, and i have to say the whole thing is brilliant. The teacher is also really good.

Hope you get in before next week as we have done quite a bit of ground work )pronunciation etc) but you shouldnt have too much trouble catching up

Intel

Just to add to that, I think you should go to the ALC yourself and follow it through as you proabably have to fill out a form.

One lady was particularly helpful - Fiona Healy so maybe ask for her at the desk if shes there

tribble

Thanks Intel - I got a reply from Avril Harrington (FLM Administration)

"During the first year of university, students generally have a very full
and demanding timetable.
Unless a language is a core part of a course, our current policy is to
advise first year students to wait until they have completed first year
before considering a language option."

A swift if a little disappointing reply

I may do as she suggested (later in the email) and apply next year.

I have a decent grasp of chinese culture having wandered around most of the country alone a couple of years ago.

_113

tribble

BTW - I've got even more free time now having just been layed off by the licquidation of Compustore this moring :rolleyes:

This just isn't a good week

Intel

Thanks Intel - I got a reply from Avril Harrington (FLM Administration)

I was going to suggest going to her as i had her name on a list of ALC workers but thank god Fiona Healy was there the day i went in as she sorted everything out for me ( i missed one class)

Unless a language is a core part of a course, our current policy is to advise first year students to wait until they have completed first year
before considering a language option

What a hypocrite!!! She came marching into the end of one of our engineering lectures demanding that we stay and fill out a form for a language if we didnt get over a C1 in an honours LC european language.
I know droves of ppl who are now in 1st year and being forced to take a language. These are people who chose engineering because they thought it was a far away from studying a language you could get!

may do as she suggested (later in the email) and apply next year.

I wouldnt advise that. I simply think that she was just too lazy to email you back and arrange for a time to see her etc....
I still think you should go in ask ask for Fiona Healy and if shes not there come back another time of shes not there.
The least you can do is try, and pretend you have a basic level because you were in China if she has problems that you missed 4 classes.
In my class there are only about 8 of us. One guy just strolled in 2 classes ago and decided to stay so its quite relaxed really.

have a decent grasp of chinese culture having wandered around most of the country alone a couple of years ago.

Id like to hear about your experience, as the main reqason im learning mandarin is cos i want to go work there after my degree.
What part were you in?Why were you there? Teaching english?

Mr.Nice Guy

Intel wrote:

Id like to hear about your experience, as the main reqason im learning mandarin is cos i want to go work there after my degree.

Why would you want to go work there?You do know about their human rights record don't you?

Waestrel

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

Why would you want to go work there?You do know about their human rights record don't you?

Work = buy human kidneys

Intel

Why would you want to go work there?You do know about their human rights record don't you?

Well China is a sleeping giant at the moment , developing at an enormous rate. As im studying Civil eng, im sure there will be some construction project i could join. For example the biggest dam is being built there at the moment.

In fact being in a communist country works to the advantage of a foreigner. For example when you are looking to rent accomodation it has to be 'foreigner approved' accomodation by the chinese government.
Furthermore no one would dare lay a finger on a foreigner.
If you go to Cuba you'll see that there are soldiers on nearly every street corner in havana.

On top of that China is a fascinating country with a fascinating culture and really good food. So why wouldnt you want to go there???!

tribble

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

Why would you want to go work there?You do know about their human rights record don't you?

China was THE safest country I've even been in.

I was in Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing, Yichang, Wuhan, Guangzhou (sp?), and Hong Kong (the coolest city on earth).
I walked around alone at night through the backstreets and lanes of countless rough areas. Not a bother, even got my wallet handed back to me when I lost in Chongqing train station by some random stranger.

That said, I wouldn't like to be a citizen as they really do have watchers on many street corners looking out for 'subversive' behaviour and my ideas and ideals would not be tolerated in the general populace.
But, Chinese do think differently - they always consider the group above the individual - civil liberties are not as big an issue in the grand scheme of things.
In fact, in many areas they are free'er than us - no all pervasive CCTV like in the west, no arrest quotas for traffic cops, very low petty crime etc.

I wasn't teaching. It was just a holiday (despite being the toughest month I've ever endured).

Working there would be cool, and something I would deffo consider doing for a year or so.

tribble

Intel

Cool thanks for that.

btw have you decided whether you want to pursue the mandarin chinese course with the ALC?

tribble

I dunno - I've now (as of yesterday) gotta find a new job pronto (Compustore closed).

I don't know what hours I'll be free until I find somewhere else.

Cheers for the info though.
I'll have a think about it tomorrow while enjoying my first free bank holiday in 8 years.

tribble

Mr.Nice Guy

China is undoubtedly a beautiful place and I'm sure after the 2008 olympic games it will attract even more attention but I do have reservations about the state itself.
Still,if it's your ambition to live there you should go for it and I wish you luck.

Clive

Howdy folks,

I know I'm coming onto this thread a bit late, but just to clear up a few points:

The "Language Lab" in the Arts block is open to all UCD and ALC (Applied Language Centre) students. You can go in and listen to tapes in various languages, watch videos, etc. Generally it's only people who are doing a language module or ALC students who go there, but unless the rules have changed, it's open to all.

There's a catalogue where you can pick out titles etc. The staff are generally pretty cool and will often be able to tell you what your homework from a particular teacher is.

Somebody said that it seems a bit formal - yes, you have to sign in and out, yes you have to use their tapes, yes the television/video room is locked but these are all to prevent abuses.

Nobody needs Johnny McNolectures bopping his head to Obscure Band X when they're trying to study, and the TV room is around the corner, so if it was left open it would be a room where TVs are stolen from.

The ALC (upstairs in the daedalus building) is where all the admin work is done from. They're often understaffed and under severe pressure - they run English classes all year, are the centre for the European association of language schools, and have to organise all the foreign language modules so being nice goes a long way. Sometimes classes are full of people who HAVE to take the course, so it's not always possible to let everyone in.

Intel, I believe you said that:

She came marching into the end of one of our engineering lectures demanding that we stay and fill out a form for a language if we didnt get over a C1 in an honours LC european language.
I know droves of ppl who are now in 1st year and being forced to take a language. These are people who chose engineering because they thought it was a far away from studying a language you could get!

Whoever these people were, they really should have read the course outline for Engineering more clearly. Every engineer has to pass a language module or their degree will not be recognised. These courses are organised in first year, so they fit into the timetable, and it doesn't matter what you did for the leaving cert, there are beginner courses that assume no prior knowledge of the language.

Every year there are fourth years who failed or didn't turn up in first year who suddenly realise that they have to pass a language module in addition to the usual 9-7 of final year and take a freaker.

That's unless of course the rules have changed recently!