Programme Specifications

N/A

The relevant QAA benchmark statement for Politics and International Relations can be found here: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-politics-and-international-relations

Languages, Cultures and Societies

Languages and Related Studies

September 2023

• September 2023

September 2023

• to develop the learner’s interest in and knowledge of the French-speaking world, past and present, including its language, culture, history and current affairs in order to situate students in a prime position to enter the open market;

• to develop linguistically and intellectually trained graduates capable of working through French, both at cultural and intellectual levels;

• to develop linguistically-trained graduates capable of working in French and of achieving a A2 level by the end of their degree;

• to develop and enhance students’ communication skills and their ability to work independently and to facilitate social interaction between the British and the French world;

• to create a cohort of students with the necessary skills to compete in a highly competitive globalized marrket

• to develop the learner’s interest in and knowledge and understanding of the French-speaking world, past and present, including selected aspects of language, culture, history and institutions, as a complementary element of a degree predominantly (approximately 2/3) in another subject;
• to develop a resource of intellectually-trained individuals capable of acting as bridges of understanding and conduits of knowledge between the French-speaking and British cultures;
• to enhance by the addition of a French element (amounting to approximately one third of the total programme) the learning experience of students following degrees predominantly in another subject;
• to develop and enhance students’ communication skills and their capacity both for independent and co-operative working;
• to release graduates into a wide range of employment contexts as lifelong learners.

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

• 1. The evolution of the international system from Westphalia to the present day

• 2. Key debates in the history of International Relations as a discipline

• 3. The core theories and concepts in the field

• 4. The main structures and processes in world politics, including knowledge of regional dynamics, regimes and institutions

• 5. The key actors in international relations

• 6. The key dynamics, processes and problems facing contemporary Global Politics.

• 7. How these approaches help us to explain and understand events in the world

• A1 Standard French language (spoken and written) and its linguistic variations;

• A2 Variations in the Frenchlanguage spoken in 22 countries as the first language, and Portuguese/Brazilian variations;

• A3 French culture in its wider sense (film, art, literature and linguistics);

• A4 French modern history, literature, visual arts and contemporary society;

• A5 Key methods and concepts of cultural and/or linguistic analysis.

Learning and Teaching

Acquisition of A1 and A2 is through small-group classes and regularly assessed coursework, with emphasis on listening, written and oral skills. Additional support is provided through both assisted and self-access facilities for language learning in the Language Resource Centre. The Year Abroad provides total immersion in the target language and culture. Acquisition of A3 to A5 is through a combination of lectures/seminars at Part One, and subsequently developed through increasingly seminar-based teaching in later years. Throughout, the learner develops the necessary skills to undertake independent reading both to increase what is being learnt in the curriculum and to broaden independent knowledge and understanding of the subjects.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Students' skills will be assessed through a combination of unseen written examinations (A1- A5), assessed coursework (A1-A5) in the form of essays (A3-A5), oral examinations, listening and grammar test (A1-A2), and extended essays / dissertation. (A1-A5).

1. French language (spoken and written);
2. French-language culture in its widest sense (including film, literature and linguistics);
3. French history and contemporary French society;
4. key methods and concepts of cultural and/or linguistic analysis;
5. the position of all of the above in a wider European and world context.

Acquisition of 1 is through small-group classes and regular assessed coursework, with emphasis on group discussions/conversations. Additional support is provided through both assisted and self-access facilities for language learning in the Language Resource Centre. The year abroad provides total immersion in the target language and culture. Acquisition of 2-5 is through a combination of lectures/seminars in year/level 1, and subsequently developed through increasingly seminar-based teaching in later years. Throughout, the learner is encouraged to undertake independent reading both to supplement and to consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Testing of the knowledge base is through a combination of unseen written examinations (1-5), assessed coursework (1-5) in the form of essays (1-5), oral examinations and classes (1), other set assignments or tasks undertaken under examination conditions (1-5), and extended essays (1-5).

• 1. Identify, describe and evaluate different approaches

• 2. Identify and research issues

• 3. Apply concepts, theories and ideas to concrete cases

• 4. Identify, investigate and formulate solutions to intellectual problems

• 5. Critically reason, analyse and interpret data and ideas

• 6. Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind

• 7. Reflect on experience of learning and adjust intellectual strategies accordingly

• 8. The ability to apply acquired knowledge to solving hypothetical or actual problems

• 9. The ability to distinguish relevance and irrelevance

• 10. Recognition that problems often have more than one solution

• 1. Seek, extract and effectively annotate information from a range of sources

• 2. Prioritise and organise information and deploy it as evidence in argument

• 3. Plan, undertake and complete written work (to strict deadlines) suitable for different audiences or tasks

• 4. Identify and retrieve relevant and up to date information

• 5. Collate information and arguments at short notice to answer specific questions

• 6. Express informed opinions through written work and discussion.

• 7. Listen and respond appropriately to the opinions of others

• 8. Formulate questions and explore links between divergent topics

• 9. Learn from experience

10.2.1 Intellectual Skills

• B1 reason critically;

• B2 apply filmic and/or linguistic and/or literary and/or other cultural concepts;

• B3 demonstrate innovation and originality in thinking;

• B4 identify and solve problems;

• B5 analyse and interpret.

Learning and Teaching:

Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme outlined in section 10. Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing and analysis and interpretation of material. Most of the courses are taught through the medium of French at Part Two which means that all content modules have a significant impact on the language skills acquired by the learner. Feedback is an essential element of the learning process and implies two elements: written feedback and oral feedback given to students during tutorial hours.

Assessment Strategies and Methods:

The variety of assessment methods employed places emphasis (as shown in their assessment criteria) on the learner’s ability to demonstrate both knowledge and understanding (A1-A5) through the production of coherent written and oral responses either to problems or tasks set, as well as intellectual skills (B1-B5). Single Honours students will produce significant pieces of writing both in content modules and language modules (specifically for the Study Skills module at Part One and Research project at Part Two) which provide a vehicle for the development of each student’s independent, innovative and original intellectual skills.

10.2.2 Professional Practical Skills

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

• C1 Write in French on a variety of themes and current cultural issues, using information from multiple sources;

• C2 Present the results orally in French at near-native level of proficiency

• C3 Apply key methods and concepts of cultural and linguistic analysis;

• C4 Understand and overcome cultural and historical differences between societies, applying the skills acquired;

• C5 to translate social-political differences between the French and the British world.

Learning and Teaching

All students receive guidance at Part I and Part II on how to identify, locate and use bibliographical material in libraries, archives and on-line sources. Bibliographies are provided for each course at the outset, as are guidelines for the production of coursework essays and extended essays. However, at Part II students are given clear guidelines on how to achieve the independent research skills necessary as part of the departmental marking criteria. Classes and tutorials are given on cultural, historical and linguistic concepts, and on translation techniques. Students are required to read texts in French for all courses. The year abroad promotes the active learning of language to a high level as well as the development of cultural understanding set up as part of the departmental Year Abroad learning skills.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

Skills C1-C5 are primarily assessed through coursework (independently produced essays, dissertations and language assignments - oral, listening, writing skills), which forms an integral part of the assessment for all courses in the French language and culture. Additionally, skills C4 and C5 are assessed in unseen written examinations in these areas. Language is assessed throughout the year in oral classes, as well as in an oral examination at the end of the academic year, listening tests and writing both during the academic year and by unseen written examination.

1. reason critically
2. apply filmic and/or linguistic and/or literary and/or other cultural concepts;
3. identify and solve problems;
4. analyse and interpret;
5. demonstrate and exercise independence of mind and thought.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme outlined above (and in section 10). Each course, whatever the format of the teaching, involves discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts both orally and in writing, analysis and interpretation of material, and feedback for learners on work produced.

Assessment

The variety of assessment methods employed places great emphasis (as shown in their assessment criteria) on the learner’s ability to demonstrate skills 1-5 through the production of coherent written and oral responses either to problems or tasks set. Most learners produce at least one extended essay during their studies (specifically for the year abroad) which provides a vehicle for the demonstration of these skills.

1. retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources;
2. plan, undertake and report a bibliographically-based piece of research;
3. speak, write and read French at high or near-native level of proficiency;
4. apply key methods and concepts of cultural and linguistic analysis.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

All learners receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use material available in libraries and elsewhere. Bibliographies are provided for each course at the outset, as are guidelines for the production of coursework essays and extended essays. Classes and tutorials are given on cultural, historical and linguistic concepts, and on translation techniques. Students are required to read texts in French for all courses. The year abroad promotes the active learning of language to a high level as well as the development of intercultural awareness.

Assessment

Skills 1-5 are primarily assessed through coursework (independently producedessays and translation assignments), which forms an integral part of the assessment for all courses in French culture and linguistics. Additionally, skill 4 is assessed in unseen written examinations in these areas. Language is assessed throughout in oral classes (in which a topic presentation and active participation contribute to the assessment), by coursework and by unseen written examination.

• Work independently

• Work in a team

• Respect the views and beliefs of others

• Listen

• Communicate orally

• Communicate in writing

• Communicate electronically

• Word-process

• Use the Web

• Manage time and work to deadlines

• Research issues

• Solve problems

• Adapt to change

• Develop career awareness

By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

• D1 to structure and to communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing;

• D2 manage time and work to deadlines;

• D3 debate constructively in groups;

• D4 develop rhetorical and persuasive techniques in the French language;

• D5 assess the relevance and significance of the ideas of others;

• D6 find, process, summarise and interpret information;

• D7 work independently and use information technology;

• D8 develop a critical judgement of established ideas and concepts;

• D9 to discuss relevant concepts penetratingly and with originality.

Learning and Teaching

All language and content modules in place are assessed both through the medium of written and oral exams and through the medium of essays and tests. Specific and personal feedback is given to students both in writing and orally on each piece of work. All deadlines must be met in order to develop their capacity to work under pressure to fulfil the course requirements. A series of deadlines prior to the submission of essays, for instance, is set up at the beginning of the year for all students to submit their introduction and bibliographical corpus during tutorial hours, to enable time management and the meeting of deadlines.

Skills (D3-D9) are developed both in seminars and tutorials allowing student to discuss their ideas. All skills are developed weekly, and the assessment methods guarantee through a thorough monitoring system (tutorials and small group seminars) that students are well prepared to meet deadlines and to achieve their full potential. IT skills, such as the use of automatized language exercises, are largely developed on a weekly basis and monitored by staff using BB monitoring system of each individual, which allows staff to check whether the exercises have been completed and if so, how many times as well as the individual scores of each student.

Assessment Strategies and Methods

All transferable skills in language are assessed taking into consideration the employability requirements in modern languages, such as the assessments carried out by international institutions (NTAO; ONU; EU; Interpol): oral presentations, interviews in the target language(s), listening examinations of real phone taped conversations; or speed when translating documents. (D1, D3, D4, D5, D9) Skill D3 is assessed weekly in oral classes.

Content modules skills (D1, D4, D6, D7, D8 and D9) are assessed by both semester coursework and supervised dissertations. Skill 2 is formally assessed through the monitoring of compulsory tutorials.

1. structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing;
2. manage time and work to deadlines;
3. participate constructively in groups;
4. work independently;
5. find information and use information technology;
6. be self-reliant;
7. assess the relevance and importance of the ideas of others.

All courses except FR10210 require regular written work, usually in the form of essays, and regular feedback on this is given to the learner to develop not only their understanding but also their powers of expression (1). Skill 2 is learnt (rather than taught) through the management of time to meet the various and sometimes conflicting deadlines (all notified at the outset of each course) for submission of coursework. Skills 3 and 7 are developed in classes, seminars and tutorials, which rely on discussion and interaction, as well as presentations given by individuals or groups of learners. Skills 4 and 6 are particularly developed during the year abroad, for which learners are prepared in advance. IT skills are largely developed through individual learning.

Effective communication of ideas is an important criterion in assessing all areas of a learner’s work, and the regular feedback as well as the final mark reflect this. Skills 4, 6 and 7 are assessed by both the coursework and extended essays produced, which although supervised, are nevertheless the results of independent thought and work/research by the learner. Skill 5 is assessed through the assembly of necessary information for essays, etc., and their production on PCs. Skill 3 is assessed in oral classes. Skills 2 is not formally assessed.