B2c has moved!

Hi everyone! DO check the schedule again. B2c has moved. I believe we are now at via Oddi at 9 am on Thursday. DO, however, check the schedule!
That should cut out the problem of coinciding with other courses! All the best!

Football anyone?

Hi guys, we’re getting back into the swing of things here, and that also means thinking about next year’s Faculty of Languages football team for the Torneo Interfacoltà. If anyone is interested – write to me at peter.cullen@uniurb.it ! We came in 4th last year, we hope to improve on that this year – and have some good, clean fun in the process!!!
SEMPRE AVANTI!!!

Online Language Learning

Hi guys, me again. I’d just like to bring to your attention some of the online tools for learning language. I’ve found two reputable sites, rWorld and Livemoka that offer free English chat and skype-chat if you register. Both services are oriented to using internet to facilitate the gap between EFL learners and strong ESL or L1 (native speakers) who can help improve oral communications skills. Given that there are 100’s of language students at the University of Urbino, perhaps some of you would like to register and try it! rWorld does English – Livemoka also does other languages. If you’ve got a fast-enough internet connection, try out the live Skype chats. That would be cool!

Getting ready for the new A.Y. (academic year) AGAIN!

Hi everybody! Is anybody out there still considering WHICH university to attend in October?!? May I suggest taking the course Lingue Aziendale (Language and Culture for Business) at the University of Urbino!!! If you’re reading this blog, then you already know that I’m biased. I enjoy teaching in this programme a great deal, and think it’s a great programme.
The programme offers instruction in two foreign languages, a series of courses on Italian and two foreign cultures, as well as a solid base in economics, particularly related to management, marketing and tourism. Major topics include:
intercultural interaction
international marketing
economy and management of companies
business economics
business communications
linguistics

and many more – depending on which TWO languages YOU decide to study!
Sure, this is shameless promotion, but only because I’m genuinely proud of the work we do here. The work and study environment is one of the best I’ve encountered – anywhere. The Faculty of Languages at the University of Urbino is N°1 among medium-sized universities in Italy, and we WILL work with YOU to keep it that way (ok – at least consistently in the top 3!). Professors are generally available for students, and YOUR participation in the whole experience WILL make it a more productive and personal education!
For all of you who are beginning the programme this year – I really look forward to seeing you in class – and out of class!
For all of you who haven’t decided WHERE to study yet – come and check us out, or write to us (comment on the blog – or write to me at peter.cullen@uniurb.it). YOU can find other professors e-mails at www.uniurb.it/lingue – look on the left-hand column of the page under “docenti”. As well, check us out under “offerta didattica” and see if we’re the right place for you to develop YOUR interests and turn them into a future.
Remember! It is possible to study without a teacher – we don’t exist without YOU!!!
All the best to everyone! SEMPRE AVANTI CLB!!!

Exams and Gear up for the new A.Y. (academic year)

Good morning everyone!

Exam results for the English I and II written exams will be available after Sept. 14th.  From my point of view, they went pretty well.  Anyway, we’ll have the results for you early next week.

You will also notice that I’ve added a page at the top here.  It is called “Job Search” and contains links and information to help you with job searches. Remember – I post things in English, meaning that the content is culturally Anglophone! This may change the way that YOU understand or use the advice and materials given!  Consider that when you look at the attached ppts or video. I just posted this page today, so it is in the early stages of development.  Any suggestions?

We’re down to less than a month away from starting up the academic year again – HOORAYYY!!!! I honestly can’t wait to get back to work. I’ll be honest, 10 week semesters don’t seem like quite enough time to get everything done. SO – where did we leave off?

Once again, we’ll be discussing various facets of the relationships between language, culture and business. It has become a research area of mine, and I’m learning a great deal more about how the three areas relate and how they are PERCEIVED to relate (remember the PERCEPTIVITY LINE from business communications? heh heh).  I was watching a great video – ok, designed to generate interest in a company, but what the hell – that explained the role of emotions in memory and decision making.  The more I learn about the relationships between learning, memory and decision making (particularly in how they affect economic behaviour) the more I realise that people really should pay more attention to how they function COME LE BESTIE!!!! – literally.  This year we’ll try to pay more attention to these factors and how culture is perceived differently from a management point of view or from a market point of view.  In the end, I agree with Landes – to a point – culture does influence the greatest part of our social interaction. It is time we begin to redraw the lines separating our cognitive and academic categories and begin to take new currents in learning and thought seriously. i.e. – Language and Culture for Business is a great place to start a career in Economics (and then you have to study math!)

I’ll be teaching 1 hour a week in the Laurea Magistrale 2 – in which we will look very closely at current thought on language, identity and culture, economic behaviour and the way culture influences this.  The primary question addressed (answered? you be the judge!) is “why language and culture for business?”  i.e. – what is the utility? What can it do? What can’t it do?  We will deal with these topics in conjunction with the course offering by Elisabeth Ferguson – who will look specifically at the role of English language cultures in the global arena and how they have developed.

This will require a bit of an overhaul of my general teaching.  I will cut back on the power point (it HAD to happen) and have YOU THE STUDENT do many presentations! YAY! Specifically, students will divide up into groups of 7-10 and each group will be asked to follow a video or blog channel online. Each week the groups will collectively report the news from their video channels and blogs. I will provide a list of media channels that we may choose from.  This activity will be accounted for in marking – somehow.  I will post the list of video channels and blogs as soon as I have developed them!  We will, however, be following media from three major categories – you guessed it – language, culture and business. It will be interesting to compare the trends in these areas!

Here’s the link to the youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JXyhJYsFbQ&feature=related

Enough for now – for those of you continuing to do exams in this period – good luck!

For the rest of you – see you soon!

Pete Cullen

Hi guys!!! Summer and “gulp” EXAMS

Hi guys!

I’ll be seeing some of you for the upcoming round of written exams. I hope those of you who are taking them have studied! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me, or Mr. Downey, Debbie Petersen or Prof. Rossi.

I’m sorry I haven’t written much in the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of directing a summer course for US students. It was a lot of fun, but took an incredible amount of energy.  I’ve just got back into town and am getting on my feet again.

That said – DON’T FORGET THAT IT’S SUMMER JAMBOREE TIME down in Senigallia!!! Rock and Roll, Rockabilly and good old fashion foot-stompin music! I’m hoping to go take a look Friday evening, and the whole thing finishes this weekend. Check out the website at www.summerjamboree.com!!!

Rock and ROLLLLLLL!!!!

Pete Cullen

Picnic with American students

Hi everybody! Still in Urbino? Nothing to do on Friday? If you’re interested, I have a group of American students doing a summer course in Urbino (you may see them around the college dorms) and I was thinking of meeting up Friday 10 at around 5:30 pm and doing some collective grocery shopping and going up to or behind the fortress to have a picnic. I figure if everyone who comes puts in 3-5 euro we could have quite a good time. It will be informal, and not obbligatory. It’s just a way for Italian students to meet Americans and vice-versa. If you have nothing better to do. All you have to do is show up in piazza in front of the fountain at 5:30 pm on Friday afternoon. We’ll then go to the Conad, get some easy food (bread, cheese, salami, drinks) and off we go! So – if you have nothing to do, and you feel like an international evening – come along and have some fun!
Hope to see you there!
Pete Cullen

Calling all musicians – THE BAND!!!!

Dear all,
in conversation with your esteemed colleague Angelino, we’ve decided to form a band or series of bands to play in concert at the end of each semester. We don’t yet have a real plan or programme, but we thought we would put the word out to everyone and see who would like to form a musical group – or two or three. All musical genres are welcome, we’ll see who can play which instruments and which genres and which types of groups to form. The idea would be to have Faculty of Language musical groups and put on a series (2? 3?) concerts during the year.
Write to me at peter.cullen@unirb.it or post a comment on this blog to sign up!
Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World!

Pete Cullen

Calling all musicians – THE BAND!!!!

Dear all,
in conversation with your esteemed colleague Angelino, we’ve decided to form a band or series of bands to play in concert at the end of each semester. We don’t yet have a real plan or programme, but we thought we would put the word out to everyone and see who would like to form a musical group – or two or three. All musical genres are welcome, we’ll see who can play which instruments and which genres and which types of groups to form. The idea would be to have Faculty of Language musical groups and put on a series (2? 3?) concerts during the year.
Write to me at peter.cullen@unirb.it or post a comment on this blog to sign up!
Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World!

Pete Cullen

Facelift poll

Ok guys – here’s the poll to see how you like the facelift! I can change the picture at the top – any suggestions?