Early this month, the Applied Linguistics staff of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences welcomed a visiting Polish scholar, Dr Marta Nowacka, from the University of Rzeszów. Dr Nowacka joined us by invitation on a NIPR European Union Research Grant.
The aim of the grant is to exchange the knowledge of universities and approaches to university teaching. Dr Nowacka had the opportunity to observe a number of lectures and seminars not only in Applied Linguistics but also in Spanish, English as an International Language, Australian Studies, International Relations and Public Speaking.
Dr Nowacka is coordinating international research project into students’ pronunciation and their knowledge about Australian English and the culture of Australia. Dr Nowacka has contributed to another collaborative research project, coordinated by Bond University’s Dr Beata Webb, which examines the experience of students studying at tertiary institutions. Both collaborative projects broadly explore intercultural issues in tertiary education.
‘I’m very grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to study Bond University’s teaching, learning environment and culture’, Dr Nowacka said.
Dr Nowacka commented on excellent teaching methodologies she observed and commented on the high quality of the University’s facilities and the way in which they contribute to students’ learning.
Dr Nowacka’s grant aims at developing Modernity and Future of the Region. The funding body; NIPR-European Union, is focused on bridging cultures and establishing a strong foundation network between higher education institutions such as Bond University and University of Rzeszów.
Dr Nowacka currently lectures in English, Phonology, Practical Phonetics and Linguistics at the University of Rzeszów. She’s always had a passion for language, vocabulary and sound, having studied music and singing in her undergraduate degree. Dr Nowacka has co-authored two practical books for studying pronunciation ‘How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck’ and ‘Sally meets Harry’.
Dr Nowacka made special mention to thank Dean of the Faculty, Professor Raoul Mortley, Dr Beata Webb, for making the visit possible and their hospitality during her visit. She also expressed her gratitude to the lecturers whose classes she observed during her visit at Bond University.