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XCELING Project

The XCELING project is an Erasmus+ capacity-building project funded by the European Union (2017 to 2020). XCELING aims to foster the development of research-led teaching in Applied Linguistics in an Egyptian Higher Education context. This aim is being achieved through the enhancement of FL teaching methodologies, with a special emphasis on ICT, provision of pre-doctoral training in emerging areas of Applied Linguistics and the development of an open access Applied Linguistics archive. The TCD XCELING team is led by Dr Lorna Carson, and the team members include Brian Conry, Daniela Modrescu and Caroline Smyth.

News

Launch of the 7Ling Multilingual App! Now freely available in the Apple Store and on Google Play, the 7Ling App has been developed by the XCELING research team to provide migrants (especially Arabic speakers) with a simple means of learning host languages in a dynamic and intuitive way, focusing on their most immediate needs. Developed at the A1 proficiency level, 7Ling provides useful practical lessons in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and French on topics such as accommodation, health and employment. 7Ling is a truly multilingual tool which allows users to learn multiple languages in the same app, with short, fun activities, authentic audio files, dialogues, country-specific info and other useful resources. Please see press release here.

XCELING Outcomes

Language Innovation Centres

One of the key goals of the XCELING project is to establish a network of 6 Language Innovation Centres (LICs) in Egyptian universities, in order to provider training for lecturers in Applied Linguistics. Through these newly equipped centres, capacity-building programmes have been delivered, with a special emphasis on ICT. Trinity College Dublin has partnered with Pharos University in Alexandria to implement this aspect of the project, providing pre-doctoral education in Egypt and in Ireland, and contributing to the creation of multimedia open access teaching materials.

XCELING Virtual Archive

The XVA (XCELING Virtual Archive) is a collaborative archive where our XCELING collection of open access teaching activities is stored. It includes recorded classes, public lectures, conferences, workshops, etc. in the field of Applied Linguistics and foreign language teaching. These recordings, from both Egypt and Europe, are also available in the XCELING YouTube Channel. These activities are transmitted via streaming as they are developed, but they are also recorded and made available in the XVA. They are internally classified into different categories, such as language of instruction and linguistic content. These materials can also be accessed by date, or by Language Innovation Centre (LIC) or by the university where they were produced.

TCD training programme at Pharos University in Alexandria, 13th - 18th April 2019

7Ling Multilingual App

The multilingual 7Ling App has been developed by the XCELING research team to provide international migrants, especially those from an Arabic-speaking background, with a simple means of learning host languages in a dynamic and intuitive way, focusing on their most immediate needs. Developed at the A1 proficiency level, the 7Ling app provides useful practical lessons in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and French on topics such as accommodation, health and employment. 7Ling is a truly multilingual tool which allows users to learn multiple languages in the same app, with short, fun activities, authentic audio files, dialogues, country-specific info and other useful resources.

Minia University presents the 7Ling app (in Arabic)

XCELING Meetings

Kick-off meeting, Cairo, 26th - 27th February 2018

Consortium meeting, Poitiers, 5th - 6th July 2018

XCELING Partners TCD and PUA

TCD's partner university within the XCELING consortium is Pharos University in Alexandria. The TCD team visited Pharos University in April 2019 to deliver a series of masterclasses in Applied Linguistics, where they were hosted by Prof. Boushra Salem, the International Affairs Advisor to the President of Pharos University and Prof. Leyla Kamel, the Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation. The delegation was kindly received by Prof. Mahmoud Mohy El Din, the President of Pharos University, during their stay.

In November 2019, Dr Mohamed AF Ragab, Secretary General of Pharos University, visited Dublin and was welcomed by TCD's Vice President for Global Relations, Professory Juliette Hussey and TCD's XCELING team leader Dr Lorna Carson. During his visit, plans were progressed for a formal partnership between the Faculty of Languages and Translation at PUA and the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences at TCD.

Dr Mohamed AF Ragab, Secretary General, Pharos University in Alexandria, and Dr Lorna Carson, Head of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, TCD