Programme Specification for the 2023/4 academic year
BA (Hons) Modern Languages (3-year)
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Modern Languages (3-year) | Programme code | UFA3SMLSML17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Full Time Part Time |
Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 6 (Honours) |
2. Description of the Programme
The BA (Hons) Modern Languages (3-year) programme is not available for direct application. In exceptional circumstances only, subject to the agreement of the relevant Director of Education, it is possible to transfer onto this alternative 3-year BA Modern Languages programme.
The BA (Hons) Modern Languages programme offers choice between the study of six major European languages and one Asian language, taught by experienced language specialists including native speakers and academic staff at the cutting edge of research in their particular discipline. Progression through the programme will combine the acquisition of language with the study of the literature, culture, film and linguistics of the language disciplines as well as advanced translation practice. You will develop a high level of proficiency in reading, writing, understanding and speaking your selected language, providing you with valued skills of potential use for future careers. In addition, ‘content’ modules cover topics as broad as history, politics, philosophy, literature and cinema, and are designed to complement the language study within the programme. As a whole, the BA (Hons) Modern Languages offers you a coherent programme of study, balancing compulsory elements with a choice of specialist topics to suit your individual aspirations and requirements.
Advice and guidance on your programme can be sought from your academic tutor and programme director. All staff offer regular office hours that you can drop into without a prior appointment for this purpose.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
A degree in Modern Languages combines the acquisition of language (henceforth language modules, compulsory 30-credit modules) and the study of the literature, culture, film and linguistics of the language disciplines as well as advanced translation practice (henceforth content modules, largely optional 15- and 30-credit modules). The study of compulsory language and optional content modules is complementary.
The programme is designed to enable you to tailor your degree to your own strengths. The structure will help you to manage the increasingly challenging leap between school language study and university language study. The programme will allow you to add and to subtract languages, to shift emphasis between language and ‘content’, and to introduce new subjects during your journey of learning. Your progress and decisions along this journey towards a unique degree programme will be carefully supported and monitored by your academic tutor, with whom you will have regular meetings to monitor your academic progress and degree structure.
If you are studying two language disciplines you may eventually find that one language and culture appeals to you more, particularly if one of the languages is new to you, and wish to focus on that language discipline in more depth. Alternatively you may find that your strength lies in the study of language and wish to learn three. Language learning remains at the core of your study: normally you must pass the language module of the previous level if you wish to study a content module in that same language at the higher level. In order for you to progress through the levels you must complete the compulsory language modules successfully.
The programme aims are to:
- Train you to a high level of proficiency in reading, speaking, writing and listening to your chosen language/s, which will enable you to communicate readily on a personal and professional basis;
- Offer at the higher stages of the programme a range of options in the language, literature, history and cultures of the parts of the world where your chosen language/s is/are spoken. This will enable you, within the boundaries of a coherent degree programme, to develop your own particular interests;
- Provide you with a variety of approaches (both traditional and innovative) to teaching and learning, and a lively and supportive studying environment which stimulates enjoyment and independent study;
- Provide a broad and challenging intellectual education and a foundation of personal and key skills for entering the world of work on graduation, together with a suitable basis for the pursuit of further research in the relevant subject or subjects;
- Use the research expertise of staff to promote a stimulating interaction of teaching and research within the flexible modular programme structure created by Modern Languages;
- Enable you to become a reflective and autonomous independent learner.
4. Programme Structure
5. Programme Modules
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/humanities/studying/undergraduates/modules/
You may take optional modules with the agreement of the relevant Director of Education and/or Head of Discipline, as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
You may take elective modules up to 30 credits outside of the programme at any stage of the programme with the agreement of the relevant Director of Education and/or Head of Discipline, as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module. Please note that if you wish to use your modularity entitlement to select FLC modules you must secure the permission of the Education Support Administrator for Modern Languages.
At stages 1, 2 and 4, you will take between one and three compulsory language modules which amount to between 30 and 90 credits in total. At stage 3, you will spend a year abroad. The Modern Languages programme is designed to be flexible, with several possible pathways through your studies.
In more detail, at each of the stages (apart from the year abroad), it is possible within the University's awards framework to study one language; two languages; one or two languages plus another subject outside Modern Languages; or three languages. The following principles apply:
- The 4-year programme is studied in four stages, one for each year of study; the third year is spent abroad. In exceptional circumstances only, subject to the agreement of the relevant Director of Education, it is possible to transfer onto the alternative 3-year BA Modern Languages programme should you be unable to spend a year abroad. The two programmes are identical at stages 1 and 2 (NQF levels 4 and 5) and at the final stage (NQF level 6), with one or more 30-credit compulsory language modules.
- On the 4-year programme you will spend stage 3 abroad in one of the following ways:
- on a suitable programme of study at an approved partner institution;
- as an Assistant in a school under the scheme arranged by the British Council;
- in approved paid or voluntary employment.
- The year may be spent either in one country where a language of study is spoken or, if suitable arrangements can be made, divided between two countries. Exceptionally, other arrangements may be approved by the Director of Education. On the year abroad you are required either to take a compulsory module which tests your language acquisition, your intercultural competence and develops employability skills and environmental awareness, or, if you study at an approved partner institution you will be assessed on the basis of the marks obtained at the host university and an oral examination held on your return to Exeter.
- On the 3-year programme, transfer to which is permissible in exceptional circumstances only, you are encouraged wherever possible to spend a period of residence in countries where the language of study is spoken during a vacation before progressing to the final stage. The Programme Director for the relevant language discipline can advise you on the most appropriate way of gaining experience of independent learning for your individual circumstances.
- You are registered on the 4-year programme unless you have explicitly applied for, and been admitted to, the 3-year version. If you register for the 4-year programme but are subsequently unable to meet the requirements for study abroad you may apply to transfer to the 3-year BA Modern Languages. Transfer from the 3-year to the 4-year programme is also possible up to the end of stage 2. All such transfers are subject to approval by the Director of Education and are only permissible in exceptional circumstances. Where you have completed the degree programme in three years, the words 'Three-Year Programme' will appear on your degree certificate; otherwise the titles of the 3-year and 4-year versions of a degree programme are identical.
- You may take optional content modules in a language at any stage without necessarily taking the corresponding compulsory language module at the same stage. You will normally be required to have the relevant compulsory language module of the previous level in order to study an optional content module at the next level.
At any stage, you may, subject to availability, choose any one of the following options, with the minor variations at each stage as detailed:
- 120 credits in one language discipline.
- 90 credits in one language discipline and 30 further credits inside Modern Languages.
- 90 credits in one language discipline and 30 further credits outside Modern Languages (e.g. a 30 credit module in History).
- 60 credits in one language discipline and 60 credits in another.
- In the three-language programme (entry to this programme at stage 1 (NQF level 4) is normally subject to two A grades at A Level or equivalent qualification in the two languages studied previously) you will take three compulsory 30-credit language modules; only one of these may be in an ab initio/beginners language (a language taken ab initio includes a language studied to GCSE). In addition, you will normally take one 15-credit content module in two of these languages. It is not normally possible to move from a two-language programme to the three-language programme at stage 2. It is never possible, in any pathway, to add an ab initio language at stage 4 (NQF level 6).
- 45 credits in one language discipline and 45 credits in another language discipline and 30 credits outside Modern Languages (e.g. 30 credits of Politics). (This option is only open to students on the 4-year programme).
- 60 credits in one language discipline and 30 credits in another language (compulsory language module) and 30 credits in a further language (compulsory language module): This distribution would normally be found where a student has chosen to specialise in one language and study two others as ‘minor’ subjects. Please note that in order to add any third language at stage 2, you must normally have obtained a first-class result in your two compulsory language modules at stage 1.
- 60 credits in one language discipline and 30 credits in another language (compulsory language module) and 30 credits outside Modern Languages (eg. 30-credit module in History).
- 75 credits in one language discipline and 45 credits in another.
Stage 1
30-90 credits of compulsory modules, 30-90 credits of optional modules.
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
a select one, two, or three compulsory language modules depending on your UCAS offer, totalling 30-90 credits.
b select a further 30-90 optional credits; Please note that certain modules may only be available to students on Single Honours programmes, or to students who have taken a particular language module. This information will be given in the pre-requisites or co-requisites section of the relevant module descriptor.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Languages Stage 1 Compulsory Language Modules [See note a above] | |||
| MLF1001 | French Language | 30 | Yes |
| MLF1052 | French Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
| MLG1001 | German Language | 30 | Yes |
| MLG1052 | German Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
| MLI1001 | Italian Language | 30 | Yes |
| MLI1052 | Italian Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
| MLM1052 | Beginners Chinese | 30 | Yes |
| MLP1052 | Portuguese Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
| MLR1001 | Contemporary Russian Written and Oral | 30 | Yes |
| MLR1030 | Russian Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
| MLS1001 | Spanish Language | 30 | Yes |
| MLS1056 | Spanish Language for Beginners | 30 | Yes |
Optional Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX S1 Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLM1010 | China of the Senses: Approaching Chinese Culture and Environments | 15 | No |
| MLM1013 | A Brief History of Modern China (1861-Present) | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 French Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLF1017 | The Making of Modern France | 15 | No |
| MLF1103 | The French Language, Present and Past | 15 | No |
| MLF1105 | An Introduction to French Thought | 15 | No |
| MLF1121 | French Visual History | 15 | No |
| MLF1018 | The Devil is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 German Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLG1014 | A Nation Remembers: Issues in German Cultural Memory | 15 | No |
| MLG1017 | Turning Points in German History 1200 - 2000 | 15 | No |
| MLG1021 | Outside In: An Introduction to Outcasts and Outsiders in German-language Literature and Film | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 Italian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLI1016 | Italy Inside Out: Popular Visual Narratives about Italy | 15 | No |
| MLI1121 | A Thousand Faces: Cultures and History in 19th-Century Italy | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 Portuguese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLP1002 | Introduction to the Lusophone World | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 Russian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLR1023 | Russia: Empire and Identity | 15 | No |
| MLR1006 | An Emotional Experience: Russian Literature and the Expression of Feeling | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| MLS1067 | Ideology in the Hispanic World | 15 | No |
| SML1067 | Ideology in the Hispanic World | 15 | No |
| MLS1068 | An Introduction to the Literature and Film of Spain | 15 | No |
| MLS1064 | An Introduction to the Hispanic World: Texts in Context | 15 | No |
| MLS1066 | The Making of Modern Latin America: History Through Literature and Culture | 15 | No |
| MLS1164 | A Journey of Discovery: Hispanic Global Culture | 15 | No |
| MLX S1 Neutral Option Modules 2023-4 [See note b above] | |||
| SML1207 | Introduction to Film | 15 | No |
| SML1208 | Language, Culture, and International Relations | 15 | No |
| SML1002 | Constructing Nature: Stories we Live By | 15 | No |
| SML1018 | The Devil Is in the Detail: An Introduction to the Short Story in French | 15 | No |
Stage 2
30-90 credits of compulsory modules, 30-90 credits of optional modules.
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
c select one, two, or three compulsory language modules, totalling 30-90 credits.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules [See note c above] | |||
| MLF2001 | French Language, Written and Oral | 30 | Yes |
| MLF2152 | Intermediate French | 30 | Yes |
| MLG2001 | German Language, Written and Oral | 30 | Yes |
| MLG2052 | Intermediate German | 30 | Yes |
| MLI2001 | Italian Language, Written and Oral | 30 | Yes |
| MLI2051 | Italian Language | 30 | Yes |
| MLM2052 | Intermediate Chinese (One) | 30 | Yes |
| MLP2052 | Intermediate Portuguese | 30 | Yes |
| MLR2001 | Contemporary Russian Written and Oral I | 30 | Yes |
| MLR2030 | Intermediate Russian | 30 | Yes |
| MLS2001 | Spanish Language, Written and Oral | 30 | Yes |
| MLS2156 | Spanish Language (ex-beginners) | 30 | Yes |
Optional Modules
d select a further 30-90 optional credits; you may select a maximum of 30 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. 'It is your responsibility to ensure that credit for SML modules can be counted towards the language of your study, where this is necessary for your credit count'
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX S2 Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| MLM2002 | Politics of Contemporary China | 15 | No |
| MLM2003 | Chinoiserie and Europeenerie: Artistic and cultural exchanges between China and Europe | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 French Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| MLF2076 | Subversive Texts: Baudelaire and Rachilde | 15 | No |
| MLF2005 | Classical myth in French and francophone cinema | 15 | No |
| MLF2069 | East is East? Cross-Cultural Encounters in Medieval French Literature | 15 | No |
| SML2209 | Music in Medieval Europe | 15 | No |
| MLF2070 | Violence and Virtue: Early Modern French Theatre | 15 | No |
| MLF2074 | Translating Exile: Contemporary Francophone Women Writers | 15 | No |
| MLF2029 | Varieties of French | 15 | No |
| MLF2056 | Provoking Thoughts - French Literature and Philosophy from the Renaissance to the 20th Century | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 German Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| MLG2003 | Youth and Age: Generations in German Fiction and Film | 15 | No |
| MLG2019 | Gender, Race and Migration in 20th and 21st-century German Literature | 15 | No |
| MLG2018 | Berlin - Culture, History and Politics | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 Italian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| AHV2208 | Ideal Cities? Urban Cultures of Renaissance Italy | 15 | No |
| MLI2019 | Italian(s) in the World | 15 | No |
| MLI2018 | Love (and Marriage?) in Contemporary Italian Film Comedy | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 Portuguese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 | No |
| SML2002 | Cultural Connections in Southern Africa: Literature and Film | 15 | No |
| MLP2002 | Portuguese as a Global Language | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 Russian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| MLR2021 | Understanding Russia | 15 | No |
| MLR2024 | Exploring Revolution: The Making of Soviet Society and Culture in the 1920s | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| MLS2070 | Catalonia Is Not Spain? Modern Catalan Culture in Context | 15 | No |
| MLS2158 | "What is Love? And Do I Need It?" An Introduction to Spanish Renaissance Love Poetry | 15 | No |
| MLS2072 | Place and Identity in Contemporary Venezuelan Culture | 15 | No |
| SML2004 | Contemporary Latin American Cinema | 15 | No |
| MLS2061 | The Latin American Short Story | 15 | No |
| MLS2045 | Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatre and Poetry | 15 | No |
| MLS2073 | Literary Non-Fiction in Argentina: When Writing Meets the Real | 15 | No |
| MLX S2 Neutral Option Modules 2023-4 [See note d above] | |||
| HUM2005 | Tales of Freedom, Necessity and Providence | 15 | No |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 | No |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 | No |
| SML2003 | Research Skills in Languages and Cultures | 15 | No |
Stage 3
30-90 credits of compulsory modules, 30-90 credits of optional modules.
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
f select one, two, or three compulsory language modules, totalling 30-90 credits.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX SF BA comp language [See note f above] | |||
| MLF3111 | Advanced French Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLG3111 | Advanced German Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLI3111 | Advanced Italian Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLM3111 | Advanced Chinese Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLP3111 | Advanced Portuguese Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLR3111 | Advanced Russian Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
| MLS3111 | Advanced Spanish Language Skills | 30 | Yes |
Optional Modules
g select a further 30-90 optional credits; you may select a maximum of 30 credits of the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. These are additional to SML3015 or SML3030. You must always ensure that credit for SML modules can be counted towards the language of your study, where this is necessary for your credit count. Students following the three-language pathway should not normally take more than one SML- or HUM- coded module per year, and if aiming for all three languages to be listed as 'majors' in the degree title must ensure that this module can be counted towards one of the three languages.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX Final Stage Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLM3009 | China through the Lens: Cultural Translation and Self-Presentation | 15 | No |
| MLM3008 | Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature | 15 | No |
| MLM3011 | China and the Third World: Foreign Relations and Nation Building in China in the Cold War Era | 15 | No |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 | No |
| HUM3015 | The Place of Meaning: Gardens in Britain and China | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage French Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLF3034 | Sociolinguistics of French | 15 | No |
| MLF3078 | Philosophers, Prophets, and Mystics in French Culture | 15 | No |
| MLF3050 | Music, Poetry, and Society at the Late Medieval French Court | 15 | No |
| MLF3079 | Sex, Subversion and Censorship: Libertine Literature in Seventeenth-Century France | 15 | No |
| MLF3080 | Les Miserables from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day | 15 | No |
| MLF3046 | Dialectology in France | 15 | No |
| MLF3075 | First-Person Outsiders in Modern French Literature | 15 | No |
| MLF3081 | Sexual Politics: Gender Dynamics in Early Modern France | 15 | No |
| EAF3520 | Beyond Sex and the City: Becoming a Woman in Contemporary Western Cinema | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage German Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLG3036 | Dictatorships on Display: History Exhibitions in Germany and Austria | 15 | No |
| MLG3037 | Coping with Catastrophe: German Culture, Literature and Politics in the Interwar Years | 15 | No |
| MLG3040 | Sex, Sciences and the Arts | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Italian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLI3199 | Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend | 15 | No |
| AHV3002 | Understanding Space in Renaissance Italy | 15 | No |
| MLI3033 | Multicultural Italy | 15 | No |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 | No |
| EAF3520 | Beyond Sex and the City: Becoming a Woman in Contemporary Western Cinema | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Portuguese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLP3009 | Afro-Brazil: Transatlantic Identities in Culture | 15 | No |
| SML3014 | Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Russian Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLR3027 | The Making of Underground Russia, 1825-1917 | 15 | No |
| MLR3026 | The Deceptive City: The Creation of St Petersburg in Russian Literature | 15 | No |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Spanish Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| MLS3037 | Women and Feminism in 20th Century Spain | 15 | No |
| MLS3057 | Cross Currents: Memory, Myth and Modernity in Latin America | 15 | No |
| MLS3112 | Spanish Modernists: Narratives of Identity, Gender and Nation | 15 | No |
| MLS3071 | The Chilean Road to Socialism (1970-1973): What Happened and Why? Elements for a Debate | 15 | No |
| MLS3067 | "Monster of Nature and Phoenix of Wits." An Introduction to the Work of Lope de Vega | 15 | No |
| SML3031 | Advanced Translation Skills | 15 | No |
| MLS3066 | Almodovar's Spain: Cinema and Society | 15 | No |
| SML3014 | Socialist Thought and Practice in Latin America and Africa | 15 | No |
| HUM3002 | Aliens Abroad: Science Fiction in Global Literature | 15 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Neutral Option Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| SML3013 | Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind | 15 | No |
| SML3015 | Dissertation | 15 | No |
| SML3043 | Migration and Multilingualism | 15 | No |
| SML3041 | Green Matters in Modern Languages and Cultures | 15 | No |
| SML3042 | Transcultural Devon: Creating, Analysing and Subtitling Interviews in the Context of Migration | 15 | No |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 | No |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation | 30 | No |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
1. Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and fluency in the production and comprehension of your chosen language/s, both orally and in writing. | ILOs 1-3: The compulsory language modules at stage 1 (NQF level 4) include an introduction to language-learning strategies, so that you are enabled from the outset of your programme to become autonomous language learners. Subsequent stages require you to make systematic use of the self-access material available in the library, in the Language Centre, and via ELE. You are advised by your language tutors on opportunities for reflection on your language-learning experience within your programme. The language modules at each stage use authentic materials in your chosen language/s, both written (texts in a variety of styles and registers) and spoken (oral classes with native speakers, together with use of TV and the electronic media). These forms of target-language material are used in a variety of ways, including reading or listening comprehension, translation, and production of related material in your chosen language/s through exercises such as summarising, essay-writing and oral presentations. Instruction is reinforced by regular formative assessment of students' work, including comment on appropriateness of style, register, presentation, etc., as well as correction of grammatical and other errors. Formal grammar is taught, both in class and by guided study of a textbook, at a level appropriate to each stage of the programmes and to your level of achievement at the outset of your programme. The familiarity with the target language acquired in the compulsory language modules is reinforced by the study in optional modules of a wide range of literary and other texts in your chosen language/s. In addition, in optional modules, some teaching may be delivered in the target language, and you undertake a variety of exercises using the target language, especially at the higher levels. ILOs 4-5: The stage 1 (NQF level 4) content modules give you a foundation knowledge on which to base your choice of options at higher levels, enabling you to explore and develop your interest in particular areas of your chosen language/s. Knowledge of the relevant aspects of the culture of the countries where your chosen language/s is spoken is acquired through lectures and seminars, guided reading of primary and secondary texts (including those in non-printed media, e.g. film), and directed independent study. You learn to use the critical methodologies appropriate to the options chosen (literary criticism, linguistic or philological study, political or social history, film studies, etc) through writing essays and preparing seminar presentations, following initial guidance from lecturers, and through feedback on work submitted. | ILOs 1 and 2 are assessed explicitly by coursework marked throughout the year at stage 1, and by end-of-year written and oral exams at the second and final stages. In some optional modules, assessment may include an oral exposé in your chosen language/s. 3 is also explicitly assessed in optional modules in linguistics. ILOs 4 and 5 are assessed by a combination of essays written during the module and January/end-of year written examinations. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
6. Demonstrate understanding of the linguistic principles required to assimilate and analyse the structure of a foreign language. | ILO 6 is developed through the compulsory language modules throughout the programme, in your language work and in feedback from lecturers (in the form of both written comments and explanation in subsequent classes). ILOs 7-10 are developed through lectures and seminars in optional modules, with progression from a relatively high level of input from lecturers at stage 1, to greater student autonomy at later stages. Modules at stages 3 and 4 (NQF level 6) (and to a limited extent also at stage 2 (NQF level 5)) are related to the research specialism of the staff teaching the module, giving you an insight into relevant research issues. ILO 10 is implicit in all study of the language and cultures of another country, and all modules challenge you to reflect critically on your receptiveness to foreign cultures. The Year Abroad offers an opportunity to develop these skills fully. | 6 is assessed by the strategies described for the compulsory language modules under A above. 7-10 are assessed by essays and January/end-of-year examinations, also as described under A above. |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
11. Identify and analyse problems and appropriate strategies for resolving them. | ILOs 11 and 15 are essential elements in all academic study, and are developed by teaching strategies which require progressively more initiative from you as you progress through the programme, at each stage building on the skills which you have acquired at earlier stages. Typically, stage 1 (NQF level 4) modules are largely lecture-based while those at the final stage are based predominantly on seminar-style teaching. ILO 16 is similarly developed throughout the programme. ILO 12, oral communication and interpersonal skills are developed in seminars, in both giving and responding to presentations. Skills of written communication are developed in essays and other exercises such as book reviews and dissertations. ILOs 13-14 and 18 are organisational skills which are developed through the experience of preparing essays and presentations. Modern Languages has a standard essay feedback sheet which provides for evaluation and comment on these skills, along with other aspects of the essay. ILO 19 is developed through the requirement, in the compulsory language modules at stages 1 and 2 (NQF levels 4 and 5), for you to use specially created websites; these are also used for a significant number of optional modules. IT skills are also developed through word-processing essays and dissertations. Guidance on responsible use of the internet is given in the Undergraduate Student Handbook and is reinforced in feedback given on essays. | ILOs 11 and 15 are skills which underpin successful performance in virtually all academic assessments, whether written or oral, seen or unseen. ILO 12 is assessed by formative oral presentation and written exams, by assessed essays and dissertations. ILOs 13 and 18 are assessed in essays and other written assignments. ILO 14 is assessed by the requirement to meet deadlines and observe word lengths in submitting work for assessment, with penalties if these are not met. ILO 16 is assessed though the increasingly independent coursework undertaken by you as you progress through the programme. ILO 17 Group presentations are assessed in some optional modules; in those where team-working skills are not explicitly assessed, these skills nonetheless contribute to the successful outcome of oral and written presentations. ILO 19 is reflected in the marks awarded for presentation in essays and dissertations. |
7. Programme Regulations
Programme-specific Award Rules
You will enter initially to study the BA (Hons) Modern Languages, but your final degree title will reflect the languages you have studied. Languages studied in equal or near-equal proportion at the second and final stages are placed in alphabetical order and separated by the conjunction 'and', eg ‘French and German’, or ‘French, German and Italian’. Equal or near equal proportion means, for a two-language degree, ratios such as 150:120 or 165:105 credits, or for a three-language degree, a ratio such as 60:90:120. A language studied for 60 or 90 credits would normally be included in the degree title after the conjunction ‘with’. However, the languages in the three-language degree represent an exception to this practice; all 270 credits must be spread across the three languages (i.e. no modularity is allowed), and a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 120 credits are allowed for each of the three languages. This is because the emphasis in this particular degree is on language acquisition (i.e. all three language disciplines are taken as compulsory language modules at the final stage (NQF level 6)) and the degree title reflects this qualitative difference. When two languages are studied alongside a 30-credit non-Modern Languages subject at the second and final stages (NQF levels 5 and 6) (120 – Language A; 90 – Language B; 60 – subject outside Modern Languages), the title will be ‘French with German’, but the non-Modern Languages subject will appear on the transcript. A language may not stand in the title alone (i.e. BA German) or with the conjunction ‘and’ (i.e. BA French and German), unless the final credits include 30 credits of the compulsory language module from the final stage (NQF level 6). In addition, in order to graduate in a single language discipline, you must have at least 180 credits in that language discipline from the second and final stages (NQF levels 5 and 6). In order to graduate in two language disciplines with ‘and’ in your degree title, you must have studied at least 105 credits in each language discipline, counting credits from both the second and final stages (NQF levels 5 and 6). A language can normally only be mentioned in a degree title if it is studied for at least 60 credits, within either of the second and final years or spread across both (e.g. 30 credits in each year). Such minor languages are placed at the end of a degree title after the word 'with' (the three-language degree constitutes a special exception to this rule – see note above).
An example using French would be:
- "... with French" – minimum of 60 credits, comprising 30 credits of French language at stage 2 (NQF level 5) and a further 30 credits either of French language, or relevant French option modules at stage 2 (NQF level 5 or higher).
- "... with French Studies" – minimum of 60 credits of relevant option modules from the second and final stages (NQF level 5 or higher), which do not include language modules.
- "with proficiency in French" – 60 credits of French language modules studied over two stages, between stages 1 and 4 (NQF levels 4 to 6), or a language studied for 60 credits outside the seven Modern Languages’ languages, may be included in the title with the addition of 'with, for example, proficiency in French' or 'with proficiency in Portuguese'.
- "with proficiency in advanced French" – 60 credits of French language modules studied at advanced level/post A-level over stages 1 and 2 (NQF levels 4 and 5), or a language studied at advanced level/post A-level for 60 credits outside the seven Modern Languages’ languages, may be included in the title with the addition of 'with, for example, proficiency in advanced French' or 'with proficiency in advanced Portuguese'.
- The only non-language subject which may appear in a degree title conferred by Modern Languages is TESOL, which will be awarded after “with”, e.g. “French with TESOL”, when 60 credits of TESOL modules (ELC2800 and ELC3800) have been studied.
Classification
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
As a student of Modern Languages you will have an academic tutor for your entire programme of study who will be available at advertised ‘office hours’. There are induction sessions to orientate you at the start of your programme. An academic tutoring system will operate with regular communication throughout the programme. Academic support will be also be provided by module leaders. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum houses one of Britain’s largest public collections of books, prints, artefacts and ephemera relating to the history and prehistory of cinema. At the heart of the Centre is the Bill Douglas and Peter Jewell Collection, comprised of approximately 50,000 items.
Programme handbooksand other useful information can be accessed via the student intranet: www.intranet.exeter.ac.uk/humanities/studying/taughthandbook/.
Other useful information and student resources can be accessed via the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE): vle.exeter.ac.uk/login/index.php , which has specific information on library skills, essay writing and research skills.
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.
The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
0
18. Final Award
BA (Hons) Modern Languages (3-year)
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | ECTS credits |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
[Honours] Languages and related studies
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 23/08/2019 |
Date of last revision | 23/07/2021 |
|---|
