1. Two online events next week. Here’s the first, from OUP (Oxford University Press) at 13:00 UK time on Thursday 23^rd February: Harmonize: Breaking down barriers to project-based learning. Three (ever-so-slightly-unintentionally aggressive?) questions from the blurb: “Do you like the idea of project-based learning (PBL)? How often do you do it? And what stops you from including more of it in your classroom teaching?”

It’s primarily the launch of the new OUP series, Harmonize (sic), but I’d also expect it to be of value to people who’re not in a position to buy the book. More info and registration here https://events.oup.com/oxford-university-press/Harmonize-Breaking-down-barriers-to-project-based-learning

What would these distinguished gentlemen say about that ‘z’, I wonder? https://public.oed.com/history/chief-editors/

Perhaps it just reflects the relative size of the American English and British English markets?

2. The second is the following day, Friday, 24^th February at 10:30 UK time, A tool does not replace the craft, from the Academic Writing Centre at UCL (University College London) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2023/feb/tool-does-not-replace-craft

“This talk will trace the impact of online translation on international education and modern language teaching, particularly the evolution of this technology. Today, the use of online translation is raising fundamental questions about the teaching and assessment of writing in higher education. This talk will further explore ideas of ownership, authorship and academic integrity. It will also look at parallels and contrasts between EAP and generative AI, most notably Chat GPT.”

3. The British Council are holding a major one-day event, The Future of English: the why and the how on Friday, 3^rd March, starting at 09:00 UK time, “bring(ing) together researchers from four international UK-led projects which were awarded Future of English Research Grants to exchange ideas, share findings and, for the first time, showcase the projects to a wider audience. In this event, the focus will be on exploring why and how the future of the world’s most spoken language should be investigated”.

Both online and in-person attendance is possible. More details, including full programme, and registration here https://www.britishcouncil.org/english-assessment/research/future-english-research-forum

I wouldn’t expect this event to be overly linguisticky – and the ‘visual minutes’ are almost being taken by Frank O’Hara, the ‘New York School’ poet …

4. A story about British principles and pragmatism from the 1930s that I’m not sure would have the same outcome today, Deporting Ho Chi Minh https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/deporting-ho-chi-minh. Compare and contrast Julian Assange’s case? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange.

5. And, finally, some (weekend?) listening about “the challenges of translating foreign language books into the English language” from Elena Ferrante’s translator in the BBC’s In the Studio series: Ann Goldstein: The art of the translator https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3cszvc4

Lots of other good stuff from the series here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04vfd0x