Introduction to the Annual Report 2019-20 The year started well, with higher than usual enrolments for CULP courses, and the introduction of British Sign Language for the first time. Then COVID-19 resulted in lockdown in March. All staff immediately started working from home. CULP courses had just finished, and ADTIS moved its In-Sessional programme online, while the John Trim Centre had to close. A fast learning curve in the use of Zoom and MS Teams as well as a very great deal of preparation and repurposing of teaching materials meant that teaching continued almost seamlessly, Easter Term and Long Vacation CULP courses ran remotely with record numbers, perhaps reflecting the time people had to learn languages with greater flexibility of access, and an analysis of feedback showed equal or higher rating of most aspects of the courses than for standard face to face teaching. The Pre-Sessional was delivered remotely in August/September across the widest possible global time-zones which was challenging for synchronous sessions, with excellent outcomes and feedback. The advising team also continued to provide remote sessions to support independent language learning through online sites, without the benefit of access to the John Trim Centre’s wealth of shelved resources. The Centre's support for international graduate student admissions saw a considerable increase in demand for assessments, not least due to the widespread COVID-related closure of testing centres for IELTS and other eligible language tests. Additional assessments were also provided for some undergraduates too. The ADTIS team were closely involved in working with and advising the admissions offices on new approaches to take. We were delighted to appoint Pedram Badakhchani as our new Head of ELearning from November 2019. Congratulations to him and his team for their successful bid to the University’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Fund to support a project to develop an augmented reality learning resource for British Sign Language and they will be working closely with the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association in the development during 2020-21. Looking after our building in Downing Place during lockdown in order to ensure essential access as necessary, and preparing for it to reopen safely for Michaelmas Term 2020 has been a huge undertaking for the Centre’s Administrator and Departmental Safety Officer, supported by our Fire Manager and custodian. The Centre had a good year financially, which will enable new strategic investments to go ahead in 2020-21, not least in improving the John Trim Centre’s learning facilities and staff accommodation. These projects may be delayed due to ongoing COVID-10 restrictions, however. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks are due to all Language Centre staff for not only coping well, but actually stepping up and delivering so superbly. Jocelyn Wyburd
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