1. Prof. Aleksandra Vranes, PhD Prof. Ljiljana Markovic, PhD
LANGUAGE LEARNING INNOVATIONS, CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE FACULTY OF PHILOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
Prof. Aleksandra Vranes, PhD
Prof. Ljiljana Markovic, PhD

2. OUTLINE 1. The Need for an Innovative Approach to Language Learning
2. Innovations in Educating Philologists, Translators and Interpreters
3. Contribution Effected by The Faculty of Philology
4. Curriculum Design
5. Conclusions

3. The need for language learning innovations
The Council of Europe, European Parliament, European Commission, United Nations, UNESCO draw attention to:
the need for lifelong learning of foreign languages
the necessity to increase plurilingualism as a precondition of multicultural understanding
this requires language learning innovations

4. The emergence of modern ICT and language learning innovations
ICT have connected people around the world
improved their communication and cooperation
fostered the exchange of experiences in all fields
especially in areas related to languages and social studies
advantages of ICT should be incorporated within philology studies

5. Language learning innovations at the Faculty of Philology
Faculty of Philology introduced language learning innovations
thus contributed to the development of a national strategy aiming at increasing language culture of Serbian people
curriculum of the study program "Language, Literature, Culture" follows new tendencies
these are primarily in accordance with the concepts of multidisciplinarity and multiculturalism

6. Innovations in educating philologists, translators and interpreters
students must study foreign languages
also learn about the culture, especially the cultural environment of the community
foreign language and cultural studies must merge and interlace
universities should develop modularity and electiveness of philological and cultural courses
thus fostering plurilingualism and multiculturalism

7. formulation of language education policy and strategy
Requirements for innovating education for aforementioned professions in the field of public administration:
formulation of language education policy and strategy
acceptance of a common frame of reference for living languages
financial, personnel, space and technical support to universities
rationalization and standardization of quality requirements for these professions

8. align them with those in foreign universities at all levels of studies
Requirements for innovating education for aforementioned professions in the domain of educational institutions:
specify the level of theoretical knowledge and skills attained by professors during their academic education
define outcomes in terms of content, methods, techniques, materials and strategies
align them with those in foreign universities at all levels of studies

9. Serbia’s strategy for overall improvement of educational process
Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development adopted the Strategy for Educational Reform in Serbia until 2020
Bologna process principles are fully respected by the Serbian institutions through:
mutual recognition of diplomas and exams
harmonization of study programs
clarifying and making teaching methods and materials complementary at all levels of studies

10. Innovations in learning foreign languages at the university level
three main essential requirements that faculties should fulfill are:
conduct the teaching of significantly greater number of languages in a professional manner
training of personnel possessing adequate language competences and knowledge, as well as pedagogical-psychological and methodological knowledge, abilities and skills
application of adequate methodology and methods of foreign language teaching

11. Contributions of the Faculty of Philology to innovated philology studies
developed study programs aiming at contributing to the advancement of language, literature and culture studies in Serbia
aiming at educating future philologists, translators and interpreters who can find a suitable employment at the global labor market
resulting in ideal form of interpreter, a connoisseur of two or more languages, literatures and cultures
striving to continuously organize adequate practice in a variety of educational and economic institutions

12. Particular efforts of the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade
developed curriculum for learning Serbian as a foreign language at the MA level
created Digital Library of the Faculty of Philology - remarkable textual base for scientific research
enriched publishing production by issuing numerous publications in the fields of language, literature and culture studies
particular emphasis on the thematic collections of international scientific conferences

13. Expected outcomes of innovated language learning studies
Faculty of Philology will help define and achieve goals crucial for the development of Serbia
increase of the employment rate arising from the higher quality of education
contribute to the creation of multicultural open society within Serbia
organize and sustain lifelong education in the field of language acquisition skills

14. CuRRiculum Design and course development
curriculum - academic content taught at schools or universities
nowadays the process of curriculum design and development is greatly influenced by :
the free access to information
principles that lead from information societies to knowledge societies
objectives previously defined and postulated by UNESCO

15. Free access to information - impact on the curriculum design and development
universities should develop courses with a syllabus aiming at:
developing the consciousness of the need for freedom of access to information;
promoting social responsibility;
struggling for attaining intellectual freedom in a society;
facilitating an understanding of ethical and legal issues in the process of information distribution;
providing a discussion on free access to information and postulates of personal and social freedom;

16. Objectives defined and postulated by UNESCO
fostering digital opportunities and social inclusion
strengthening capacities for scientific research, cultural creation and information sharing
enhancing learning opportunities through access to diversified contents and delivery systems

17. The University of Belgrade
research-oriented university focusing on scientific excellence with 31 faculties and 11 research institutes
institution with a long tradition of higher education and research in the fields of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, Medical Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities
offers 90 undergraduate, 6 integrated, 128 master and 67 doctoral study programs, as well as 24 academic and 5 professional specialization study programs
university that has more than students with more than academic and research staff providing superior academic competencies

18. The Faculty of Philology
an integral part of the University of Belgrade
an educational institution marking two hundred years of tradition in higher education
boasts a wide range of educational, cultural and scientific interests and activities
offers the study of 34 languages, cultures and literatures
an institution that follows modern trends in curriculum design and development and fosters language learning innovations

19. presents a unique place where a curriculum can be created fully in line with modern trends in higher education and merge several areas of social sciences and humanities
introduced language learning innovations via the means of digital technologies
one of the leading institutions in Serbia in terms of developing intercultural and multicultural projects
thus encouraged the development of multiculturalism in Serbia

20. The curriculum design and development of the Language, Literature, Culture program (LLC )
various fields of social sciences and humanities can no longer be studied separately
only by merging and interlacing them the comprehensive education can be achieved
Faculty of Philology has designed and developed the curriculum for the study program Language, Literature, Culture at BA, MA and PhD level
LLC curriculum enables more than 1000 students to choose from more than 30 different languages, literatures and cultures every academic year

21. Foundations of the LLC study program
fully in accordance with the Strategy for Educational Reform in Serbia until 2020
primarily created and developed in order to follow up with the European Higher Education Area and the Europe 2020 strategy
curriculum modelled after the curriculums of the most prominent European universities
developed out of the need for a multidisciplinary approach to studying social sciences and humanities

22. Disciplines encompassed by the LLC study program
disciplines belonging to the field of social sciences and humanities:
above all to the field of philology
also enclosing the following research fields: the study of literature, theory and history of literature, comparative literature, language teaching methodology, methodology of teaching literature, applied linguistics, translation, cultural studies, communication studies, library and archival science studies

23. Advantages of LLC study program
students attend various theoretical courses and a certain number of courses closely related to their main research area
possibility of choosing courses suggests openness, flexibility and adaptability to the interests of each student
Aim: making capable future graduates to respond to the new requirements of the Serbian and European labour market

24. The application of digital technologies within the LLC study program
ICT - means of initiating language learning innovations within the LLC program
LLC courses resemble to the Massive Open Online Courses
Faculty of Philology uses for this purpose the Moodle platform as:
an open source Course Management System
a tool for dissemination of information to students attending courses belonging to Language, Literature, Culture study program at all levels of studies

25. Major advantages of using Moodle platform within the LLC study program
learning process is more efficient and faster
constant availability of course information
accessibility to a wide range of media, resources and links facilitating teaching and learning process of foreign languages, literatures and cultures
possibility of posting tasks online at any time and place, as well as easy editing
facilitated interaction with professors and between course participants
overall confidentiality of grades

26. Conclusions
Faculty of Philology of Belgrade University contributed to the amelioration of the status of language, literature and culture studies in Serbia
Institution fully dedicated to:
designing and further developing the curriculum for study programs entirely in accordance with the modern trends in the higher education
initiating language learning innovations by applying modern digital technologies