Learning Language “In Action”: Creating a Work Placement Program in Languages

Abstract

This chapter reports on the “Language in Action” project, a program implemented at Flinders University, which provides placement opportunities for language students in local community settings where the languages they study are spoken. This unique program, based on experiential learning, has recently been refocused in terms of its educational objectives. Our reflection has led to the rationalization of the core principles underpinning the program and to the design of a dedicated “Language in Action” website created to provide information for students, placement providers, and staff administering the program, as well as for any language educator interested in the idea of language placements. In this chapter, we outline the institutional context and rationale for the “Language in Action” program and present the educational principles underpinning it. We subsequently provide information about the program’s implementation, and discuss the benefits students report from their placement experiences. Finally, we present the main features of the program’s dedicated website.