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Language café (student café)

Short description

At Theology, some first-year students study both Greek and Latin and need to acquire skills in reading and translating texts as well as knowledge about the vocabulary, morphology, and syntax of the languages.

Teacher's motivation

The language café was established on the basis of a wish from the students to receive help for their language courses. In the language café, older students are involved as teachers whose aim is to support the social and academic integration of students in the degree programme. Activities in the language café contribute to providing help to students with their language studies from older students, and to increasing the academic understanding and communication of academic competences of older students.

Description of the activity

The language café is scheduled to be open once a week for three hours and is situated in a common room/space which is not booked but is open and may be used by all students. The language café is a voluntary option for students, who may drop by and get help for specific assignments or ask more general questions regarding their language courses. The older students associated with the language café are employed as student assistants and get paid for their work.

Outcome of the activity

The language café has been very positively received by the students, and both new and older students consider the initiative to provide good value.

Worth considering

It may be considered who should be connected to the language café. It is possible to connect older students, PhD students, teachers or other academic staff to the language or student café. Who is best suited for the café will depend on the type of activity to be supported and the level of formality aimed for. For instance, the format may sooner become more formal if teachers attend than if older students attend.

Activities

    Examples of practice


      Basic information

      • Faculty: Arts
      • Degree Programme: Theology
      • Course: Associated with all language courses
      • Study level: First to third year of study
      • Course size: Open for all students
      • Teaching method: Supervision
      • Extent: Activity
      • Primary type of activity: Practice
      • How the case was conduted: Campus teaching 

      This example of practice is developed in connection to "Projekt 1. studieår", where initiatives for retention at the faculty of arts at Aarhus University was mapped.