Ready, steady, go!

Posted on 11 October 2024 by Liang Wang

Happy Friday! What a bustling first week of language courses! We hope you’ve all had a great start to your language learning journey.

For QUB students and staff, don’t forget that if you’re looking for additional or alternative practice opportunities, you can join the Tandem Language Exchange programme to find a language partner.

It’s easy — just sign up, match up, and meet up! Visit TLE page (https://blogs.qub.ac.uk/lc/learning-support/tle/) or scan the QR code in the image for more information and to register. Our next event is scheduled for Friday 18th October, from 1:30 to 2:30 PM at the Auditorium, McClay Library.

Everyone is welcome!

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024

Posted on 26 March 2024 by Mark Harte

Imeachtaí-Events – Bhí clár iontach againn i mbliana, chun Seachtain na Gaeilge a cheiliúradh…a mhaireann 17 lá, Márta 1ú-17ú!

We had a great programme of events this year, to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week)…which actually lasts for 17 days, March 1st-17th!

An Mháirt 5 Márta/Tuesday 5th March – Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024 got up and running with our Tráth na gCeist/Quiz. The teams were made up from QUB students, staff and guests who enjoyed our Eolas Ginearálta/General Knowledge Quiz! Maith sibh a chairde! Well done everyone!

An Chéadaoin 6 Márta/Wednesday 6th March – Lá ag an phictiúrlann/Day at the cinema, hosted in the wonderful surroundings of the QFT, saw close to one hundred pupils from the local Gaelscoil (Irish-Medium School), Scoil an Droichid, visit us to watch Puffin Rock Agus Na Cairde Nua.

Tarrac, kept the audience captivated for the afternoon in the QFT, as QUB students, staff, and members of the public came together to watch the acclaimed Irish Language film on the big screen.

An Déardaoin 7 Márta/Thursday 7th March – In Oidhreacht Ghaelach Bhéal Feirste (Belfast’s Gaelic Heritage), Dr. Fionntán de Brún guided us bilingually around campus, with an informative and enjoyable ‘walk and talk’. Dr. de Brún explored the linguistic origins of our local place names and the crucial role that the Irish language plays in their meanings.

An Mháirt 12 Márta/Tuesday 12th March – Nuala Ní Scolláin, owner of Ióga le Nuala, guided us through a relaxing and energising Yoga session, as gaeilge (in Irish)! Go raibh míle maith agat, a Nuala! (Thanks very much, Nuala!)

An Chéadaoin 13 Márta/Wednesday 13th March – Rith/Siúil Spraoi (Fun Run/Walk) gave Irish language enthusiasts a chance to get their steps in, and also use their Irish with other gaeilgeoirí (Irish speakers).

An Déardaoin 14 Márta/Thursday 14th March – Chuir muid deireadh le Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024 le Comhrá-thon! (We brought Seachtain na Gaeilge to a close with a Comhrá-thon!)

From early morning to late afternoon, the conversation – as well as the tae agus caife (tea & coffee) – was flowing, ending in a céilí (music session) agus cóisir (party)!

Beatha teanga í a labhairt! (The life of a language is in the speaking of it!)

Happy Holi

Posted on 25 March 2024 by Liang Wang

Holi, or the festival of colours, is a religious occasion considered the second biggest Hindu festival after Diwali, generally celebrated by people from the north of India. It marks the beginning of spring after a long winter and signifies the triumph of good over evil. To those who celebrate, may your Holi be full of colour, love and happiness!

While we would like to hear how the celebration is to take place in Queen’s community this year, we want to invite you to read the post from Ying, on her last year’s experience of joining this celebration with her Indian friends at Queen’s.

Holi: A Festival of Colours and Joy

Celebrating Holi at Queen’s

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024

Posted on 26 February 2024 by Liang Wang

Irish Language and Cultural Celebrations @Queen’s
Ceiliúradh Teanga agus Cultúrtha @Ollscoil na Ríona

The Language Centre team are delighted to invite you to join us in celebrating SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGE 2024. All events below are open to all QUB students and staff and are free to attend. If you would like to attend any of these events, please do register so that we can monitor registration numbers.

Tuesday 5^th March: 12.30pm-1.30pm

Our Tráth na gCeist/Quiz gets Seachtain na Gaeilge underway here at Queen’s. Questions will be General Knowledge and will be asked as Gaeilge/in Irish. Teams will be provided with an Irish speaker, if required. Places are limited, so please book early.

Registration

Wednesday 6^th March: 10.00am
Scoil an Droichid will celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge with us, as they visit the QFT to enjoy the Irish Language version of ‘Puffin Rock And The New Friends’.

Wednesday 6^th March: 2.30pm
Acclaimed Irish Language film, Tarrac, comes to the QFT as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024. This film is subtitled in English and is Rated 15. Seating is limited, so please book early.

Registration

Thursday 7^th March: 12.30pm-1.45pm
Dr. Fionntán de Brún, Professor of Modern Irish in Maynooth University and Award-winning Creative Writer, guides us on a bilingual walk & talk around Queen’s and the surrounding area, exploring the history behind our local place names.

Registration

Tuesday 12^th March: 12.30pm-1.30pm
Yoga Instructor, Nuala Ní Scolláin, guides us through a Yoga class…in Irish! Suitable for all levels of Yoga and Irish! Very limited spaces.

Registration

Wednesday 13^th March: 1.00pm-2.00pm
We are teaming up with Queen’s Campus Run during University Wellbeing Week for a Run/Walk…in Irish! Get your steps and your ‘cúpla focal’ in one go! Choose your own distance…and pace!

Registration

Thursday 14^th March: All day (9.00am-4.00pm) ‘Comhrá-thon’ is a day-long conversation…in Irish! We invite you to join us as we keep the conversation flowing throughout the day @Junction Café.

‘Comhrá-thon’ will conclude with our ‘Ciorcal Comhrá’, where we invite everyone for refreshments, music, and chat as Gaeilge/in Irish!

Email mark.harte@qub.ac.uk with your preferred 30-minute slot and the names of those taking part.

Registration

Happy International Mother Language Day

Posted on 21 February 2024 by Liang Wang

This annual observance, which takes place on 21st February every year, is a celebration of cultural and linguistic diversity.

This afternoon, our Language Centre team joined the celebration of multilingualism at the launch of a new Staff Network for Promoting Linguistic Diversity & Minority Languages. This well-attended event is a wonderful celebration of a belief in the power of language to connect people. Preserving, respecting and learning languages is so important for building tolerance and empathy in our divided world.

Language – A Bridge; Not a Barrier!

Don’t forget that registration opens for our Spring term courses on 1st March, via our Language Centre Website.

Welcome back to Winter Term

Posted on 15 January 2024 by Liang Wang

Welcome back to Language Classes and TLE!

The Language Centre 2nd semester classes kick off today Monday 15th and wish all the learners a great start!

Tandem Language Exchange activities restart from this Wednesday 17th January. All Queen’s students and staff members are welcome to attend TLE events throughout the academic year, whether they sign up for the language courses or not.

For those who sign up for both, it can be complementary way to develop your language skills with a potential language partner, with whom you can work with a buddy from another culture for mutual support. For those who are unable to attend a language class, perhaps joining our TLE will be a viable option for you to keep your flame of enthusiasm burn.

Welcome back and enjoy your learning!

International Volunteer Day

Posted on 5 December 2023 by Liang Wang

Happy International Volunteer Day!

On Monday 4th December, one day before the International Volunteer Day (5th December), The Language Centre invited students and staff members to join in the celebration of the day, with a particular information session on the Queen’s Chinese New Year Celebration programme for 2024.

Students and staff members, international and domestic, are all welcome to join us and be more engaged in the preparation for the development and delivery of events and activities that can bring together to enrich our proposed programme. The CNY Celebration Programme, as part of the overall Celebrating Cultural Diversity at Queen’s scheme, currently contains a number of events in collaboration with the iRISE (BAME and International Staff Network), The Graduate School, The Student Experience Team, and the Chinese Student Society at Queen’s.

We are pleased to make it inclusive as such and extend our welcomes to new partners and contributors. In particular, we are pleased that Chinese Student Society has made tremendous effort to bring the branded CNY Gala back to the stage (Saturday 3rd February), and that the Student Experience Team and the Graduate School are joining forces in facilitating the student-led CNY Fair (Thursday 8th February). Please mark the dates in your calendar and keep an eye on our further updates in the future.

We particularly welcome students and staff members to volunteer at our events, in a variety of forms including being an assistant, a performer, a host, a speaker, etc. Two student volunteers, Xinxin WANG and Tianpeng YAO, were also invited to share their experience of volunteering both at Queen’s, including serving last year’s CNY celebrations, and else where. They encouraged all new comers to embrace such a brilliant opportunity to not only enrich their life experience but also enhance their soft skills such as team work and coordinating ability, apart from their academic study and literacy.

How to join us?

For those who are interested in being part of our programme preparation team, please sign up via scanning the QR code or clicking the button below. We aim to discuss with you regarding your proposed ideas and plans of contribution to the Programme.

Volunteering

We really look forward to the many spectacular events to bring to Queen’s another festive atmosphere after the Christmas-New Year break.

Continue reading →

Tandem Language Exchange Live

Posted on 19 October 2023 by Liang Wang

Calling all students and staff members who are keen to boost language exchanges!

Following the initial Tandem Language Exchange (TLE) meeting last Friday (13/10), the second TLE meeting is set for this Friday (20/10) from 1 pm to 3 pm, at the Auditorium, McClay Library.

All welcome and bring your friends/colleagues along! If you have not registered for the TLE programme yet, please remember to sign up for it before coming to attend, which will facilitate your access onsite.

Happy International Friendship Day

Posted on 28 July 2023 by Liang Wang

“The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.”
– UN

At Queen’s, we have seen friendship developing in many ways, one of which is through joining our Tandem Language Exchange (TLE) programme. As Luisa, a German student in exchange of her language for Mandarin Chinese with Lingzhu, said, “What started off as a language partnership soon turned into a real friendship and apart from learning German and Chinese we also go running together and spend time as friends.”

While it is quiet on campus during the summer break, those who are keen to develop their language skills through TLE can still maintain their language partnership onsite or online. The new round of TLE events will begin after the new academic year starts, so enjoy your summer time (and with old friends) and be prepared to look for new language partners starting from October 2023.

**To register for TLE, sign up via go.qub.ac.uk/tandemlanguage**

LC-iRise Social and Wellbeing Event

Posted on 16 June 2023 by Liang Wang

The LC-iRise Social and Wellbeing Event, jointly organised by the Language Centre and Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic & International Staff Network, aims to provide staff members and students a space to meet, network, share knowledge, and enrich the intercultural experience.

This event also celebrates the mid-summer season with a taste of the cultures that Queen’s students and staff members brought together. Light lunch will be provided.

Date: Thursday 22nd June 2023
Time: 12:00 – 14:00
Venue: Junction area, Main Site Tower / Peter Froggatt Centre, QUB

Registration (until 20/06)

Event review

On Thursday 22 June, Queen’s staff and students came together for a social and wellbeing event, jointly organised by the Language Centre and Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network.
The event included traditional Chinese music on the guzheng, a Taiji martial arts demonstration, as well as various stalls showcasing calligraphy (Persian and Chinese), Indonesian culture, Chinese games, and the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.
QUB News > In Pictures