Programme Specification for the 2023/4 academic year
BA (Hons) Communications and Modern Languages
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | BA (Hons) Communications and Modern Languages | Programme code | UFA4EGLSML15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | 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) Communications and 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.
Communications modules allow you to develop deep knowledge and understanding of a variety of historical, theoretical, and methodological approaches to the study of communication technologies and the production, dissemination, and reception of media texts. From early print media, through the broadcast era, to the current era of networked digital media, these modules will allow you to interrogate the ways that communication technologies mediate social realities in specific historical and cultural contexts. Employability skills are embedded within the modules, and you will hone practical and professional skills that will prepare you for work across a range of jobs in the creative industries. Modules are taught by published experts in Communications and students benefit from access to world-leading resources, such as the Digital Humanities Lab, the Foreign Language Centre, and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.
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 or if you spend your Year Abroad in a certain country, 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
The BA (Hons) Communications and Modern Languages is a 4-year full-time programme of study at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 6 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). The programme may also be taken part-time in up to seven years. This programme is divided into four stages with the third stage spent abroad. Each stage is normally equivalent to an academic year.
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 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 are expected to balance your credits in each stage of the programme, taking 60 credits from Communications, and 60 credits from Modern Languages. On the Modern Languages side of your programme, you will normally take optional content modules appropriate to your degree stage and corresponding to your compulsory language module.
The College of Humanities, however, takes the view that in Combined Honours programmes you would be incapable of reaching a satisfactory standard in the chosen language if you took fewer than 60 credits per year in it. Accordingly you may not exercise the modularity option in Modern Languages (modularity is where you are permitted to take elective modules from other disciplines that are not included in the programme specification). However, it would be possible for you in certain cases, to exercise the right from the Communications side of your programme alone.
At stages 1, 2 and 4, you will take one compulsory language module amounting to 30 credits in total. At stage 3, you will spend a year 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.
Please note that 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 a 3-year version of your programme. Transfer from a 3-year to a 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. 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.
Stage 1
60 credits of compulsory Communications modules, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language, 30 credits of optional Modern Languages modules
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
a select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMM1001 | Perspectives on Communications | 30 | No |
| CMM1002 | Communications Challenges | 30 | No |
| 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
b select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language; on the Modern Languages side of your programme, you may select a maximum of 15 credits of either the SML- or HUM-coded modules listed below for the year. 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. Please note for students of Modern Languages Portuguese (Single Honours or Combined Honours) MLP1002 is compulsory. For FLC students or other non-Modern Language students, it remains optional.
| 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 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language and 30 credits of core for Communications.
60 credits of optional modules (30 credits of Communications options, and 30 credits of Modern Languages options).
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits for the stage overall, you must:
c CMM2008 is a pre-requisite for taking either CMM3002 Communications Dissertation or CMM3003 Communications Practical Research Project in final year. In addition you also choose 30 credits of Communications options.
d Select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMM2008 | Communications Research Methods [See note c above] | 30 | No |
| Modern Languages Stage 2 Compulsory Language Modules [See note d 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
e Select 30 credits of Communications modules (You may only choose one communications in the Workplace module)
f Select 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMMS S2 BA CH opt 2023-4 [See note e above] | |||
| ANT2090 | Sound and Society | 15 | No |
| CMM2001 | Communications in the Workplace | 15 | No |
| CMM2002 | Communications in the Workplace | 30 | No |
| CMM2008 | Communications Research Methods | 30 | No |
| EAF2510 | Adaptation: Text, Image, Culture | 30 | No |
| EAS2090 | Humanities after the Human: Further Adventures in Critical Theory | 30 | No |
| HUM2004 | Making a Career in Publishing | 15 | No |
| PHL2125 | Ethics of Emerging Technologies | 15 | No |
| POL2100 | Political Conflicts in Europe | 15 | No |
| SML2244 | Multilingualism in Society | 15 | No |
| SML2246 | Intercultural Communication | 15 | No |
| SOC2030 | Sociology of Art and Culture | 15 | No |
| SOC2034 | Gender and Society 1 | 15 | No |
| SOC2096 | Cyborg Studies | 15 | No |
| SOC2115 | Deception | 15 | No |
| THE2043 | Religious Literacy, Communication and Media | 30 | No |
| CMM2013 | Introduction to Games Studies | 30 | No |
| CMM2010 | Professional Writing | 30 | No |
| CMM2011 | History of Communications | 30 | No |
| CMM2012 | Communications and the Climate Crisis | 30 | No |
| CMM2009 | Communications in the 21st Century | 30 | No |
| MLX S2 Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note f 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 f 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 f 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 f 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 f 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 f 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 f 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 f 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
120 credits of compulsory modules.
g You must take one of these modules.
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLX S3 Compulsory Year Abroad Modules 2023-4 [See note g above] | |||
| SML3010 | Work and Study Abroad | 120 | No |
| SML3020 | Study Abroad at a Partner University (with Assessment in the Foreign Language) | 120 | No |
| SML3025 | Internship Abroad Combined with Study at a Partner University Abroad | 120 | No |
Stage 4
30 credits of compulsory dissertation, 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language , 60 credits of optional modules, including 30 credits of Communications modules and 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language.
Compulsory Modules
Subject to choosing 120 credits in the stage overall, you must:
h Select one Dissertation module only from those listed
i Select 30 credits of compulsory modules in your chosen language.
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMM3002 | Communications: Dissertation [See note h above] | 30 | No |
| CMM3003 | Communications: Practical Research Project [See note h above] | 30 | No |
| SML3030 | Extended Dissertation [See note h above] | 30 | No |
| Modern Languages Final Stage Compulsory Language Modules [See note i above] | |||
| MLM3111 | Advanced Chinese Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLF3111 | Advanced French Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLG3111 | Advanced German Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLI3111 | Advanced Italian Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLP3111 | Advanced Portuguese Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLR3111 | Advanced Russian Language Skills | 30 | No |
| MLS3111 | Advanced Spanish Language Skills | 30 | No |
Optional Modules
j Select 30 - 60 credits of optional Communications modules (depending on dissertation chosen).
k select 0 - 30 credits of optional modules consisting of content related to your chosen language (depending on dissertation chosen).
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMMS SF BA CH opt 2023-4 [See note j above] | |||
| DRA3050 | Creative Industries Management | 30 | No |
| EAF3515 | Something to See: War and Visual Media | 30 | No |
| HIH3617 | News, Media and Communication | 30 | No |
| POL3000 | Deadly Words: The Language of Political Violence | 15 | No |
| POL3051 | The Media in Europe | 30 | No |
| SML3009 | Intercultural Communication in a Global World | 15 | No |
| CMM3004 | Social Media and Society | 30 | No |
| MLX Final Stage Chinese Option Modules 2023-4 [See note k 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 k 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 k 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 k 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 k 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 k 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 k 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 k 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 broad knowledge and understanding of the historical development of a range of communication technologies. | ILOs 1-6 are acquired through lectures, seminars, workshops, study groups, tutorials and other learning activities throughout the programme. The degree of specialisation of subject knowledge increases during the programme, culminating in the dissertation. Modules at stage 3 are most closely related to the research specialism of the staff teaching the module. The precise method of teaching varies according to each module. On team-taught modules you will normally engage in both lectures and seminar groups. In smaller options you will normally spend most of your contact time in seminar groups and workshops. Your learning is further developed through engagement with assessments, following guidance from tutors and lecturers and through feedback on work submitted. Core language modules at Stage 1 include an introduction to language-learning strategies, with subsequent stages requiring you to make systematic use of the self-access material available in the library, in the Language Centre, and via web-based resources. Language modules at each stage use authentic materials in the 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 the chosen language/s through exercises such as summarising, essay-writing and oral presentations. Instruction is reinforced by regular formative assessment. Formal grammar is usually taught, both in seminars and through guided study of a textbook, at a level appropriate to each stage of the programmes and to level of achievement at the outset of the programme. | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, annotated bibliographies, web-based assessments, audio-visual and written essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation or large-scale practical project. Essays, exams, and presentations are especially significant within the programme because they assess each of the skills in ILOs 1-11. |
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: | |
12. Apply critical skills in the analysis of communication technologies and media texts. | These skills are developed throughout the programme in all modules, with the emphasis becoming more complex as you move from stage to stage. They are developed through lectures and seminars, written work, and oral work (both in presentation and seminar discussion), and reinforced through the range of modules across all four stages. They will culminate in the substantial and independent research skills demonstrated within the dissertation and special subject modules. | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, log-books, web-based assessments, essays, oral and written exams, other written reports/projects, and (if chosen) a dissertation. |
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: | |
22. Apply advanced literacy and communication skills in appropriate contexts including the ability to present sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments. | Personal and key skills are delivered through all modules, and developed in lectures, workshops, study groups, tutorials, work experience and other learning activities throughout the programme. | The assessment of these skills is through a combination of presentations and participation in seminars, annotated bibliographies, web-based assessments, essays, exams, other written reports/projects, and a dissertation or large-scale practical project. ILOs 22-27 are also strongly developed over the course of the portfolio of assessed essays and other audio-visual and/or written work produced through the programme. These assessments work on the principle of offering formative feedback to support the development of your work within as well as between modules. Feedback on one assignment is intended to inform the next piece of work you undertake on the module; the next piece of work on the programme, or the future learning of graduates. ILO 28 is associated especially with the range of group presentations taking place in modules during the programme. Group presentation assessment brings into focus an important range of skills for students, including sharing workloads, responsibility for tasks, team working, collaborative and communicative skills. Individual contributions to group work are also assessed individually, most often in the form of a reflective presentation report. ILOs 29-30 are also accomplished during the course of ‘real-time’ formal assessments such as presentations and end of module exams, which occur through the programme. |
7. Programme Regulations
Programme-specific Progression Rules
To progress to the final stage of the BA (Hons) Communications and Modern Languages you must pass one of the non-condonable Study or Work Abroad modules, SML3010, SML3020, or SML3025. If you fail one of these modules you will be transferred to the 4-year BA (Hons) Communications and Global Cultural Studies programme. The 4-year BA (Hons) Communications and Global Cultural Studies programme is only available as an exit route from the BA (Hons) Communications and Modern Languages following failure at stage 3. If you are transferred to the BA Communications and Global Cultural Studies, your degree classification will be calculated from the credit-weighted average marks for stages 2 and 4 combined in the ratio 1:2 respectively.
Programme-specific Award Rules
You will enter initially to study the BA (Hons) Communications and 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 (this total includes the credits gained on your year abroad, which for degree title purposes count as 30 credits in the language discipline of the relevant country). 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 including year abroad credits; 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). In both cases this credit total includes the 120 credits gained on your year abroad, which according to departmental conventions will count for 30 credits in the language discipline of the relevant country. 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.
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) Communications and Modern Languages
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
6 (Honours)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 480 |
ECTS credits | 240 |
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22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 07/01/2020 |
Date of last revision | 09/02/2023 |
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