THE BAND

Ok – it has been brought to my attention that I posted a meeting on Nov. 5th. This was wrong. The meeting for the Band of the Faculty of Languages will meet during the week of Nov. 19th, although I think that the 19th I have to go to Rome for a meeting. (this is new – sorry again!!!) We could meet on Friday 20th at the same time? Let me know what you think! Sorry for the schedule mix-up/change!

Check up!

Good morning everyone! How are you all doing with the first module almost over? Next week we have make-up lessons, and then we’re into module two!
The feedback book is working quite well. Many of you note that you find me difficult to understand. That’s not unusual after only 4 weeks of classes! You seem to be having a good time, and participation is going well. I’m pleased.
I would like to see more B2’s come to class, but I realise that you’ve got an incredible schedule right now. We can hope for the best in the future!
In terms of business and culture. I’m quite pleased with the way you’re all reacting to the historical content of my classes. Even late in the evening you’re not totally falling asleep, and I think I’ve been able to make my principal points. Many of you seem to understand the connections between historical contextualisation of cultures and cultural systems (like business) and the forms and processes that we develop for our business/economic behaviour. Good! We’ll finish up with this subject this week and then get on with the Anglo-American content for the B1s and the ICT’s for the B2s.
Anyway – so far, so good!
DO have a fantastic day!
Pete Cullen

“Language Techniques” – New Link Category

Hi guys,

I’ve added a new category to the links on the right hand side of the page, called “Language Techniques”.  Here I will add links to sites that have a specific business language training function.  This should add a great deal to the resources available to you for studying business English.

Have fun!

Pete

Make up lessons – THE BAND

Hi guys,
don’t forget that I will “make up” (recuperare) my lessons missed on 19 10 2009, when I was in Rome, at Via Oddi according to the regular Monday schedule on the date 09 11 2009. DO come to these, as they are the last part of module 1/1st part of module 2.

In other news, anybody who would like to form a musical group associated with the Faculty of Langauges is invited to come to the Faculty of Languages, Piazza Rinascimento 7, on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 13:00. We will see who is interested and organise “jobs” etc.

All the best! DO have a great day!
Pete Cullen

Culture and Climate Change

Dear all,
On Monday, 19 October, 2009 I had the privilege of coordinating a panel discussion the relationships between culture and climate change as part of a series of events held by David Buckland and members of the Cape Farewell Project (UK – international) and the British Embassy and British Council in Rome in conjunction with the Rome Film Festival. With artists David Buckland and Dan Harvey and architect Peter Clegg, the initiative was able to put leading scientists from ENEA, ISES and the CNR together with activists from the WWF and the Legambiente, policy makers from the Senate commission on climate change, the city government of Rome as well as representatives from the business community. While points of departure on the issue of man’s role in climate change differed greatly – from those who believe that man has little role in the causes, to those believe that man’s role is fundamental – it was very interesting to see the different perspectives on the issue from science, business, policy and art. The truly beautiful thing was that all participants seemed to agree that Italy must develop an Italian message regarding this issue and that the message must be communicated better to young people in particular. Participant scientists themselves underlined the lack of accessible communication from the scientific community to the general public – underlined differently, but compatibly by both Prof. Zorzoli of ISES and Prof. Prodi of the CNR. All parties agreed that the arts have a significant role to play in communicating the questions of climate change/human communities and the environment.
My role as coordinator, for which I whole-heartedly thank the British Embassy and British Council for inviting me, allowed me a rare opportunity to experience the different modes of expression – from the formal to the provocative. As a teacher in language and culture for business, it was particularly interesting for me to hear from representatives from the business community and local public administration – that is, from the people who live through business processes, calendars, programming and planning and the problems of implementation and return. I must say, I was well impressed. At the same time, at the same table, modes of communication from the scientific community were also extremely interesting and productive. In our hybrid course, from an interdisciplinary point of view, I heard many people say many compatible things that could easily fall into cause for argument because of their relative cultures not only of communication, but because of their working cultures. That’s an important point. We generate and perpetuate cultures through lived experience and practice. This is huge engine for cultural change, but it means that we have to internalise new cultural values as we experience them. For example, most of us experience scheduling. We have university, business, agency and government timetables that we must respect. The cultural approach to timetables may become problematic in communication between these sectors, however, because each sector makes axiomatic assumptions about how to use timetables and which decision-making processes to apply to them. A scientist, for example, may be given a certain budget to test and experiment a new material, process or system in any given field – leaving the results up to the process of inquiry. Business, however, doesn’t have that luxury – results must be planned beforehand and decisions are made early on in the development stage whether to pursue an innovation or not. Politics, obviously, has its own motives for scheduling – naturally so. Questions of global importance and complexity, but local and territorial result are incredibly difficult to discuss because we associate ourselves with global trends in culture from different axiomatic perspectives. This is where David Buckland and Dan Harvey made a fantastic point – art, both visual and musical (also literary and others) can transcend some of these boundaries by accessing common human emotions. It’s fascinating. Marketers know that this is the case, but if we call the process marketing we alienate many other forms of knowledge and communication. We must not do this any more. We must respect our divergent cultural heritages, both regional ones and sectoral ones, and learn how to add new forms of intercultural communication. This is fantastic. David Buckland spoke of a new Renaissance. This is exactly what Cape Farewell is doing, and what we all have the opportunity to do – to step outside our sectors and learn from others as well. Do you study language? Read psychology, history and anthropology! Read about developments in science and technology!!! Do you study business? Read sociology, psychology, geography, demography – and of course science and technology!!! The industrial age allowed western societies to create boxes – intellectually as well as physically. We must not only think outside these boxes, we must realise that the walls aren’t really there. I invite comments from anyone who cares to contribute to this conversation on the relationships among climate change and environment, business and economy, politics and society and culture and expression. Our language at present must divide them into categories – does anybody want to create a new language?
All the best to everyone – I look forward to hearing from you!
Pete Cullen

BEC Simulations Facoltà di Economia Università di Urbino

CENTRO LINGUISTICO FACOLTA’ DI ECONOMIA

- AVVISO STUDENTI -

Certificazione linguistica europea
University of Cambridge Business English Certificates -BEC-

Si avvisano gli studenti interessati che, presso il
Centro Linguistico della Facoltà di Economia,
il giorno 27 ottobre 2009 alle ore 9,
si svolgerà una simulazione gratuita dell’esame BEC*

prenotare prendendo contatto con la dott.ssa Nicoletta Vittoria, c/o :   cle@uniurb.it

* Le prove simulate non includeranno lo “Speaking Section” (sezione orale dell’esame BEC)

Dance Classes

Hi guys!
This just in – talk to Giulia and Federica for dance classes in Urbino at the “Palestra Body Up” on Via Pacioli 8 (in front of the hospital) starting on October 27th at 20:30. For contact info call 338 93 26 141 or 348 000 4788 OR 0541 758791. GO AND HAVE FUN!!! ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES MIKEY A DULL BOY!!! DANCE SALSA CUBANA, RUEDA, BACIATA, MERENGUE and MORE!!! Special offer for students!!! Check out the site www.ballaconnoi.info It sounds like a good time, and a good way to “sfogarsi” (wind down – pronounced “waind daun” after a long day of studying!!!
Good luck to Giulia and Federica and their toe-tapping fun time!!!

“Ricevimento on Messenger”

Hi guys – I’m experimenting with using MSN Messenger for ricevimento. I’ve activated it, and will keep it on while I’m at Via Oddi. MSN = MORE SERVICE NOW – at least for me. heh heh. Let’s see if this works – otherwise I can cancel it. My messenger ID is peterlcullen – I think. Us old people – we have a hard time with this new technology.
Let’s see if this works!
Pete Cullen

Online Info Groups

Hi guys,
Some of you, particularly in the first few groups for presentation of the online info groups, have asked me how to manage the information in the videos. Some Frequently Asked Questions were:
1) how do I sign up for the group? There is a sign-up paper in a folder (dispensa) dai bidelli at Via Oddi. Here you may sign up for groups and choose a site to follow from the other page in the folder. Please mark which site your group will follow on the group sign-up paper.

2) What do we do if the videos are very short? You can manage this any way you want. Some video material is only 3-4 minutes, others are 1 hour or so. You only have a few minutes to present the material, so you have to decide what you want to talk about. If you want, watch 2 or 3 videos and present them. The important thing is to present the issues and problems that the videos discuss – not only to regurgitate the information. That will take practice! Don’t worry – be happy!

3) Can we show the videos in class? YES – if they are short. We don’t have much time for this, so only short videos can be shown. Make sure that your group works together to explain to us what is important in the videos.

4) The website provided lots of videos, what do we choose? The choice is yours. Work with your group to make this decision. You may have to watch a number of videos before you decide on one or two to present.

REMEMBER: this is a language class – the point is to discuss things in English. Use the strengths present in your group to make the discussion interesting! This should involve SOME thought and SOME planning, but should not take you too much time (30 minutes a week – once you get used to the mechanism?). HAVE FUN with it! YOU’LL LEARN MORE!!!

For those of you who have not yet formed a group and chosen a site – DO GET THIS DONE BY SIGNING UP ON THE PAPER “DAI BIDELLI”!!! It is important that this gets done, so we know where you will fit in the calendar! ALL the best to you! I look forward to your presentations – Groups 1, 2, and 3 begin next week!!!!

See you later! Pete

So far, so good

Hi guys,

I’d just like to say that after a couple of lessons you seem to be doing well! I like the way the feedback book is working. Many of you say that you don’t understand me very well – DON’T WORRY!  It will take a bit of time! That is why it is important to come to class!  YAY! Anyway – I’m having a good time with you all. You seem to be awake in class and trying hard – responsive and interested.  That’s good. Remember,  it’s like going to the gym.  You gotta keep at it and be interested to get the most out of it!

See you soon!

Pete Cullen