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Programme Details 2013-2014
MODERN LANGUAGES Entry Pre-September 2012
BA Single Honours & BA/BSc Combined Honours (4 years)
Department of Media, Culture and Language
PROGRAMME CONVENER(S): Dr Elvira Anton Carrillo, 020 8392 5027, e.anton@roehampton.ac.uk
For further information please contact the Administrator, Fiona Lewis, 020 8392 3814, f.lewis@roehampton.ac.uk.
LOCATION: The modules in this programme are mainly taught at the Roehampton Lane (Digby Stuart, Froebel & Southlands Colleges) campus unless otherwise stated.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE: The ability to use a foreign language is, by any definition, a useful acquisition and one which is held in high regard by employers. ‘Graduates in languages have the highest employability rates of all humanities graduates.’
The distinctive feature of the Modern Languages programme is that it will allow students to elect to study a major Foreign Language (currently French, Spanish or English as a Foreign Language) alongside study of a Second Foreign Language, which will draw on the broad provision of Languages for All. The entry point in the major language will be post-A level with more stringent entry requirements than hitherto, while there will be a higher degree of flexibility with regard to entry points in the minor language.
This programme will run over four years and includes a fully accredited compulsory Year Abroad in the third year of the programme in a relevant country/language community.
The following named awards are available for students following specific pathways (see below):
Combined Honours Modern Languages (French)
Combined Honours Modern Languages (Spanish)
Combined Honours Modern Languages (EFL)
Single Honours Modern Languages (Translation)
Single Honours Modern Languages
AIMS: The overall aims of the programme are:
- to provide a stimulating learning environment in which students may develop their linguistic skills in the target languages studied and extend their knowledge of the culture and society of the countries where the languages are spoken;
- to respond to the need at national and international level for modern foreign language specialists with the linguistic competence and expertise necessary for operating successfully in multilingual contexts and organisations;
- to develop students’ awareness of the role and function of language in a wider social, professional and cultural context;
- to provide students with the appropriate linguistic tools and metalanguage to describe and analyse the main features of the languages they have studied;
- to provide students with the opportunity to acquire and further develop an appropriate range of transferable skills and, more particularly, to reflect on the ways in which the language skills they are acquiring through study relate directly to the workplace and different types of professional activity;
- to prepare students for further study and research in the field of language and related studies.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: On successful completion of the degree students will have achieved a wide range of general Learning Outcomes. Although many of these overlap, for ease of reference these have been grouped under the following discrete headings:
Subject Knowledge and Understanding
Upon successful completion of this programme, students will:
- know how to use the target languages for the purposes of understanding, expression and communication;
- have acquired explicit knowledge of the linguistic structures of the target languages studied to enable them to observe the appropriate range of norms in the context of specific language usages (written and oral);
- have acquired a substantial knowledge of various specific aspects of the culture and society of countries in which the target languages are spoken;
- have acquired a broad knowledge and, using appropriate methodologies, a critical understanding of the cultures and societies where the target language is spoken, gained through the study of particular texts, cultural products and narrative processes;
- be able to describe, analyse and evaluate the similarities and differences between ‘target language’ cultures and their own.
Upon successful completion of this programme, students will:
- have acquired a high degree of proficiency and fluency in the target languages studied such as to enable them to understand and express themselves in a range of social and professional contexts, drawing on and deploying a broad range of language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in an appropriate range of registers;
- have acquired explicit knowledge of the linguistic structures of the target languages studied, as well as awareness of more general linguistic features (such as register, syntax, nuances of meaning and pragmatics), to enable them to observe the appropriate range of norms in the context of specific language usages (written and oral);
- have acquired confidence as independent users of the target language in interpersonal and social contexts (e.g. particularly, but not exclusively, listening and speaking) and in academic and professional contexts (e.g. using target language sources for the preparation of written documents, presentations etc);
- have acquired expertise as independent language learners and increased their command and awareness of the resources of their first (mother tongue) language.
Students who successfully complete one of these programmes will:
- have developed an awareness and a critical understanding of cultures and societies other than their own, knowledge that will have been significantly enhanced by a period of residence in a country or countries where the target language is spoken;
- have an appreciation, awareness and understanding of the diversity of cultures, communities and societies where the target language is used;
- be able and willing to engage with other cultures;
- have significantly increased their ability to appreciate and critically evaluate their culture of origin;
- be able to contextualise cultural practices (including those of their culture of origin) within a wider cultural framework.
Students who successfully complete one of these programmes will:
- be able to use language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences;
- be able to engage with and interpret layers of meaning within texts and other cultural products;
- be able to exploit for a variety of purposes and, as appropriate, to contextualise a broad range of materials written or spoken in the target languages;
- develop a capacity for critical reflection and judgement in the light of evidence and argument;
- be able to extract and synthesise key information from written and spoken sources (including the target languages studied);
- be able to organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument (including in the target languages studied);
- be able to engage in analytical and evaluative thinking.
Students who successfully complete the programme will:
- be able to communicate fluently and appropriately with native or other competent speakers of the relevant target language, maintaining a high degree of grammatical accuracy, and be able to use and present material in both the target language and in English (in written and oral forms) in a clear and effective manner;
- have acquired the self-direction, self-discipline and time management skills to enable them to work autonomously;
- have developed accurate and effective note-taking and summarising skills;
- have developed library and bibliographic skills;
- have developed techniques for using both target language and English source materials;
- be able to write and think under pressure and meet deadlines.
Students who successfully complete these programmes will:
- be able to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team;
- be able to communicate information, ideas and arguments cogently and coherently both orally and in writing with due regard to the target audience and in a range of inter-personal settings;
- be able to work in flexible and independent ways, showing self-discipline, self-direction, self-management and some degree of reflexivity;
- be able to identify, describe and analyse problems and to devise appropriate strategies for their solutions;
- be able to synthesise ideas, information and data from a variety of sources and represent them;
- be able to use IT effectively both as a means of communication and as an aid to learning.
PROGRAMME REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTS
1. The 4-year Modern Languages degree includes a fully accredited Year Abroad which normally takes place on completion of level HE2 (N-coded) modules.
2. The first three years of the programme (including the Year Abroad) must normally be completed satisfactorily before progression to level HE3 (X-coded) modules.
3. Given the importance of students being adequately prepared for the Year Abroad, it is a programme requirement that they must normally complete at least 40 HE2 credits in their major language before proceeding to the Year Abroad.
4. The term Year Abroad will normally mean a period of work or study lasting from September to June in a country where the student's major language is spoken. [Where students choose English as a Foreign Language as their major language, they may elect to spend the year in a country where the other chosen language is spoken.] There are 2 possible ways of satisfying the Year Abroad requirement:
a) Students may choose to register for an approved course of study in a partner University. They are expected to attend all classes and undertake all assessments relating to the courses chosen. End of year marks will be transferred to Roehampton and the student’s performance evaluated in the light of the results, the student’s PDP file and reports from the Year Abroad Tutorial visit. Students satisfactorily completing the Year Abroad will be awarded 120 credits at HE2 (Category P).
b) Students wishing to undertake a work placement or teaching assistantship register for the relevant Category P modules at Roehampton. Subject to the receipt of a satisfactory written report from the student’s employer, Head or supervising tutor, the student will be awarded 120 credits at HE2 (Category P).
Students must comply with the foreign university's programme regulations and complete all assignments. They normally receive one supervisory visit in the course of the year from one of the tutors at Roehampton.
Category P modules are assessed on the basis of Pass/Fail and do not carry grades or marks. The marks will be sent by the host institution directly to Roehampton and will normally be processed at an extraordinary Programme Examinations Board held in late October.
5. Exemption from the Year Abroad requirement may normally be sought on the basis of prior learning and/or experience.
6. At the discretion of the Programme Convener (following consultation with the programme board) students may be allowed to undertake a split Year Abroad, consisting of a semester of residence (study/work placement) in two different countries. The particular linguistic profile of the student concerned will be the determining factor when considering whether to authorise a split Year Abroad.
YEAR ABROAD (CATEGORY P)
Year Abroad (Category P) for single-honours students
Students will need to register for 120 credits including the compulsory 40 credits for the PDP (Personal Development Portfolio) from the following:
Compulsory modules
either #MLY040P360Y - Personal Development Portfolio
or both * #MLF020P361A or S - Personal Development Portfolio (Autumn/Spring Term)
and ** #MLS020P361A or S - Personal Development Portfolio (Autumn/Spring Term)
* Please note that these modules are for those students who spend their year abroad in both a French and a Spanish-speaking country.
Study Abroad/Work Placements
MLY040P341A - Modern Languages Study Abroad Placement
MLY040P342S - Modern Languages Study Abroad Placement
MLY040P351A - Modern Languages Work Placement
MLY040P352S - Modern Languages Work Placement
Year Abroad (Category P) for combined-honours students
Students will need to register for 120 credits including the compulsory 40 credits for the PDP (Personal Development Portfolio) from the following:
Compulsory module
#MLY040P360Y - Personal Development Portfolio
Study Abroad/Work Placements
MLY040P341A - Modern Languages Study Abroad Placement
MLY040P342S - Modern Languages Study Abroad Placement
MLY040P351A - Modern Languages Work Placement
MLY040P352S - Modern Languages Work Placement
LEVEL HE3
Single Honours Modern Languages
Students must take the compulsory advanced language module from at least one of the language pathways they follow.
Single Honours Modern Languages (Translation)
Students must take one of the compulsory modules:
either #MLF020X425Y - Professional Translation (French)
or #MLS020X435A - Professional Translation (Spanish)
Combined Honours Modern Languages (EFL)
Compulsory module (20 credits)
#MLE020X411Y - Advanced English Language 3
Combined Honours Modern Languages (French)
Compulsory module (20 credits)
#MLF020X421Y - Advanced French Language 3
Combined Honours Modern Languages (Spanish)
Compulsory module (20 credits)
#MLS020X431Y - Advanced Spanish Language 3
Optional modules
In addition, students must complete their credit total (120 credits) choosing from the following:
MLF020X422S - Francophone Cultural Identities French
¬MLF020X424 - Francophone Cinema: An Introduction to Post-colonial Cinema
MLF020X425Y - Professional Translation (French)
¬MLF020X451 - Public Sector Interpreting (French)
MLS020X433A - Gender, Sexuality and Ethnicity in Hispanic Art and Media
¬MLS020X434 - Hispanic Cinemas
MLS020X435A - Professional Translation (Spanish)
MLS020X452A or S - Public Sector Interpreting (Spanish)
MLT020X450A or S - Consecutive Interpreting
MLT020X460S - Media Translation
MLT020X470Y - Work-based Learning
MLT020X480Y - Research Project
MLT020X490Y - Translation Portfolio
ELA020X211S - Semantics
ELA020X242A - Language Issues in Multilingual Settings
FLM020X340S - National Cinemas - France
¬HSA020X308 - Muslims, Jews and Christians in Medieval Iberia
HSA020X317S - Cuba: Society, Culture and Struggle since 1898
FLM020X340S - National Cinemas - France
TES020X308S - Second Language Acquisition
TES020X315S - The Language Learner
TES020X310S - The Language Learning Curriculum 2 [prerequisite: TES020C102 or TES020N205]
¬TES020X313 - Intercultural Communication
Module annotations:
# - compulsory module for students in that specific pathway (must be passed)
¬ - module not available in 2013-2014.
Notes:
a) Each module code consists of a three-letter module prefix denoting the programme it belongs to (eg BSS010C110A = Biosciences), the following three digits refer to its credit value (eg BSS010C110A = 10 credits), the single letter in the middle (eg BSS010C110A) denotes the module level (eg C = HE1, N = HE2, X = HE3), the last three digits denote its unique number (eg BSS010C110A), and the final letter denotes its suffix (eg BSS010C110A). The suffixes indicate the following: A - Autumn term, S - Spring term, H – Summer term/Summer intensive mode and Y - All year.
b) Individual module details can be viewed by clicking on each module code or using the "View all modules" link below for a complete list of module assessments and descriptions. Where an assessment has more than one component all elements must be passed, unless individual module assessment details state otherwise.
Related Programmes:
ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
FRENCH
MODERN LANGUAGES/MODERN LANGUAGES - TRANSLATION
SPANISH
View all modules
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Disclaimer: The information presented in these pages is as far as possible accurate at the date of publication. However, the Senate of Roehampton University reserves the right at any time to amend any of the information herein, or to withdraw any programme or module at its discretion and without liability. Roehampton cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions.