CHIN100: Part I Chinese Studies (Beginners to CEFR: A2)

• Terms Taught: Full Year Course.
• US Credits: 10 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 20 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: This course is NOT available to native speakers of Mandarin Chinese or to students who are studying here for less than a Full Year.

Educational Aims

This module aims to enable students to speak, understand, read and write Chinese at a level between GCSE and A level (or at A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and HSK level 2). It helps students to develop confidence using Chinese in numerous contexts. The module also seeks to develop students' techniques and strategies for learning Chinese, including translation techniques.

Through bringing together language, society, and cultural contexts, it enables students to explore topics of interest in Chinese culture and current affairs in China.

Furthermore, this module aims to familiarise students with Chinese IT resources, including Chinese corpora, and to help students develop awareness of how their Chinese skills set relates to employability.

Outline Syllabus

The introductory course in Chinese Studies at Lancaster combines work in Chinese Language with a History, Culture and Identity course (Chinese in Context) that looks at how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary Chinese culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The language component of CHIN100 is an intensive course of study which takes students from beginners' level to AS level standard in 25 weeks of study. It will take students from A1 Breakthrough through to A2 Waystage level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (HSK1 – HSK2 according to Hanban classifications).

Due to the time needed to study the Chinese script and tones, there are 7 language classes per week, based on a textbook, as follows:

• A one-hour lecture teaching Chinese grammar and language functions and explaining the texts of the lessons;

• Two hours of seminars for speaking and listening practice in the form of pattern drills, group work, role play and later on more creative language production;

• Two hours of seminars for reading and writing practice of authentic language materials;

• A one-hour workshop for learning Chinese character writing with the aid of computerized flashcards;
• A one-hour workshop for Lancaster-Chinese project, through which students apply their language skills innovatively in groups, interact with the Chinese community in Lancaster and engage in cultural activities.

Seminars are taught in groups of up to 15 students, while lectures are delivered in a combined group.

Communication skills are developed under the guidance of teachers using audio, video and textual materials, including computer exercises.

The Chinese in Context programme consists of a combination of cultural-content lectures and seminars delivered one hour per week over 20 weeks.

Students are encouraged to participate in the weekly Chinese language café with teachers and more advanced students, to join the Confucius Institute’s language partner programme, to attend the DELC100 Chinese film screenings introduced by members of staff, to watch Chinese films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to participate in the Confucius Institute's Easter study trip to Beijing and Guangzhou, to visit Chinese-speaking countries during the vacations, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

CHIN101: Part I Chinese Studies (Advanced/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught: Full Year Course
• US Credits: 10 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 20 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: This course is NOT available to native speakers of Mandarin Chinese or to students who are studying here for less than a Full Year.

Educational Aims

This module aims to consolidate and develop language skills already acquired at 'A'/ 'A/S' level (in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: students will be a B category independent user, consolidating level B1 (threshold) level and possibly making inroads into B2 (vantage) level. In HSK terms students will be at HSK level 3 aiming for HSK 4, and at HSKK (oral skills) Intermediate. The module seeks to expand students' knowledge of Chinese grammar, develop students’ translation skills between English and Chinese, and increase students' awareness of the way English works so that they can make cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparisons and improve their intercultural communication skills.

The module also aims to enable students to discuss issues in contemporary Chinese culture and society and to form and express in Mandarin their own views on certain topics.

It further seeks to develop students' Chinese IT skills and use of Chinese corpora, and develop students’ awareness of how their Chinese skills set relates to employability.

Outline Syllabus

The Part I course in Chinese Studies at Lancaster combines work in Chinese language with a Chinese in Context course that looks at how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary China and Sinophone culture (film, plays, novels, poetry etc.).

The CHIN101 course gives students the opportunity to undertake a range of language work that will consolidate work in 'A' or 'A/S' levels. In other words, it aims to consolidate the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages framework B (Independent User) level, taking students from B1 Threshold through to B2 Vantage level (HSK3 – HSK4 according to Hanban classifications). The course focuses on equipping students with the level of language necessary to progress to the second year. There are 4 language classes per week, consisting of 1 x 1 hour grammar lecture and 3 x 1 hour seminars. The seminars consist of 2 x 1 hour of listening and speaking, and 1 x 1 hour for reading practice, writing exercises and character learning. Seminars are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Chinese grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed using audio and video materials.

The Chinese in Context programme consists of a combination of lectures and seminars over 20 weeks, 1 hour per week.

Thus, in total, there are 5 hours (4 x language and 1 x 'in context') of tuition per week during Michaelmas and Lent Terms, and 4 hours of language tuition per week during the Summer Term.

Students are encouraged to participate in the weekly Chinese language cafe´ with teachers and more advanced students, to join the Confucius Institute’s language partner programme, to attend the DELC100 Chinese film screenings introduced by members of staff, to watch Chinese films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to participate in the Confucius Institute's Easter study trip to Beijing and Guangzhou, to visit Chinese-speaking countries during the vacations, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• 40% Exam
• 60% Coursework

CHIN200i: Chinese Language: Oral Skills (post-Beginner CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year only
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits 
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with CHIN201i.
  • Good Chinese language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

The CHIN200i (Intensive) element comprises oral and aural skills and is taken with the CHIN201i element; writing and reading skills. CHIN200i/201i consists of 5 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills. The weekly teaching includes a one-hour lecture teaching grammar and language functions, two hour-long seminars for listening and oral practice, and two hour-long seminars for translation and writing skills. The unique challenges involved in learning the Chinese script and the pronunciation of tones require the allocation of 5 hours of tuition per week, in contrast to the 4 hours of tuition per week allocated to European languages.

The general aim of CHIN200i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.

The course aims to enhance students’ linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the course. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in Chinese are used throughout the course. The course also aims to broaden and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern Chinese society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for international placement.

It is expected that students on the CHIN200i/201i courses wishing to attain a good (2.1/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In HSK terms, this is HSK level 3, and HSKK Intermediate.

Educational Aims

Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aims to enable students to develop further the oral and aural skills they have gained from their Part 1 studies, achieving B1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and HSK level 3. In practical terms, this means enhancing students’ mastery of the spoken language in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind encountered when in Chinese-language environments. This includes development of listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to selected lectures, radio, and television programmes.

Further aims of the module centre around developing intercultural knowledge sufficient to cope with demands which students might encounter in Chinese-speaking countries, and enabling students to express views and articulate arguments in Chinese on topical issues.

This module also seeks to develop students’ competence in Chinese computing, with special regard to oral and aural skills, and to help students develop awareness of how their Chinese oral and aural skills set relates to employability.

General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The module aims to enhance students' interpersonal, communication, and teamworking skills, including building up students’ confidence in making short presentations either individually or as part of a group.

The module also seeks to develop students’ independent study skills, including time management, general computing knowledge and skills, and an understanding of how these skills relate to employability.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

CHIN201i: Chinese Language: Written Skills (post-Beginner CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught: Full Year module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module- 4 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • Good Chinese language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
  • Note: This module must be taken in conjunction with CHIN200i.

Course Description

The CHIN201i element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the CHIN200i element; oral and aural skills. These units cannot be taken separately. CHIN200i/201i consists of 5 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills. The weekly teaching includes a one-hour lecture teaching grammar and language functions, two hour-long tutorials for listening and oral practice, and two hour-long tutorials for translation and writing skills. The unique challenges involved in learning the Chinese script and the pronunciation of tones require the allocation of 5 hours of tuition per week, in contrast to the 4 hours of tuition per week allocated to European languages.

The general aim of CHIN201i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.

The course aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the course. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in Chinese are used throughout the course. The course also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern Chinese society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for international placement.

It is expected that students studying on the CHIN200i/201i courses wishing to attain a good (2.1/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In HSK terms, this is HSK level 3, and HSKK Intermediate.

Educational Aims

Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aims to enable students to develop further the writing and reading skills they have gained from their Part 1 studies, achieving B1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and HSK level 3. This means developing students' ability to produce written Chinese that is relatively fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically competent; and enabling students to read, comprehend and summarise Chinese competently, in a variety of forms of texts. It involves expanding students’ command of modern vocabulary and idiom over a range of different topics, and developing their awareness of a range of stylistic norms and varieties. The module also aims to enhance students’ ability to understand and translate texts from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, including through the use of applied technologies.

Further aims of the module centre around developing intercultural knowledge sufficient to cope with demands which students might encounter in Chinese-speaking countries, and enabling students to understand and respond to topical issues in Chinese in written (including digital) form.

This module also seeks to develop students’ competence in Chinese computing, with special regard to writing and reading skills, and the use of Chinese corpora. and to help students develop awareness of how their Chinese writing and reading skills set relates to employability.

General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The module aims to enhance students' interpersonal, communication, and teamworking competencies, especially where these involve reading and writing skills.

The module also seeks to develop students’ independent study skills, including time management, general computing knowledge and skills, and an understanding of how these skills relate to employability.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

Assessment is by means of a variety of pieces of continuous coursework done over the academic year plus the end of year written examination.

Current CHIN 201i coursework consists of a portfolio, two grammar/translation tests, translation into English, and a Blog post on a topic relating to their major subject (500 characters).

Current CHIN 201i written exam consists of a translation into L2, translation into English, composition in L2.

CHIN233: Shaping Contemporary China: Moments and Movements

• Terms Taught: Full Year Course
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits

Course Description

'Shaping Contemporary China: Moments and Movements' provides students with awareness of the 'must-know' historical moments as well as political and aesthetic movements that have shaped Chinese and Sinophone cultures, while systematically enhancing their skills of cultural analysis in diverse media. The course will hone their close-reading skills, yet also provide a broad awareness of Chinese modernity through a thematic approach that casts back to key nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century texts, moments, and movements.

Through the four topics of Revolutions and Reforms, Dreams and Futures, Walls and Spaces, and Identities and Relationships, the module highlights themes such as power, resistance, trauma, aspirations, wellbeing, urbanisation, the urban/rural divide, migration, individualisation, collectivisation, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, and family. Texts, films and art will be studied in historical and cultural contexts, with due regard to relevant global trends such as imperialism, colonialism, postcolonialism, democracy, neoliberalism and nationalism. This module thus takes students on a journey through moments and movements across two centuries of Chinese cultural history, encountering along the way some of the most radical thinkers, writers, filmmakers and creative artists that make the Chinese-language intellectual tradition so distinctive and fascinating. Students experience a stimulating range of cultural forms and are equipped with the skills to reflect critically on them as expressions of multi-faceted, nuanced societies.

The main aim of the module is twofold: to build students' reading knowledge of Chinese while giving them a flavour of the rich cultural output that has defined the Chinese-speaking realm over the past two hundred years.

Educational Aims

Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The course aims:

• To develop students' knowledge and understanding of the written and spoken Chinese language
• To introduce students to key concepts and methods in the interpretation of different kinds of texts in their socio-historical context
• To enable students to engage with a history of ideas and forms focused through a series of significant moments and movements
• To develop students' abilities to independently research, write, and present creative work
• To develop students' abilities to participate actively in class and small group discussion

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The course aims:

• To encourage students to engage with a variety of texts, developing the ability to read selectively and analytically
• To develop students' skills of self-knowledge and self-reflection about their learning modes and abilities
• To develop the ability to manage, synthesise and critically discuss a substantial body of materials
• To extend students' independent study and research skills, employing a variety of academic resources
• To enhance student's ability to write clear and well-structured essays. expressing complex arguments concisely and supporting them with appropriate evidence
• To enable students to present their ideas to others clearly and effectively, and develop their capacity for collective study and exchange
• To develop students' ability to manage their time and resources effectively

Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• read fluently and understand a variety of Chinese-language texts;
• show understanding of the major political, social and cultural events of modern Chinese history, and their significance in relation to contemporary Chinese and Sinophone cultures;
• demonstrate awareness of how social, political and cultural factors have interacted in the course of modern Chinese history, shaping contemporary Chinese society;
• demonstrate the capacity to synthesise, analyse and present, orally and in writing, in relation to China and the Sinophone world.

Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• demonstrate their capacity to evaluate primary and secondary textual sources;
• show a clearer understanding of how to study most effectively, and how these study skills can be used beyond the confines of their courses;
• discriminate between different interpretations of social events and texts, and show some ability to arrive at their own independent views;
• express and substantiate those views in written and spoken argument;
• demonstrate a high degree of autonomy in studying and learning, identifying for themselves the most relevant material, concepts and methods;
• be able to work effectively as an individual and in a team;
• demonstrate the ability to make effective use of the time and resources available to them to accomplish a particular task.

Assessment Proportions

100% coursework

CWA1: 750 word commentary on creative work* OR 1500 word comparative essay (Mich): 35%

CWA2: Learning Journal on sub-modules 1 and 2 (Michaelmas): 10%

CWA3: feed-forward session on essay plan (Lent, optional): 0%

CWA4: Learning Journal on sub-modules 3 and 4 (Lent): 10%,

CWA5: 2,500-word essay (Lent/Summer): 45%

*Students are to work on a creative response to material covered in Michaelmas. Examples of pieces may include but are not limited to: audio-visual work, i.e. videos, recordings, animation; collage; drawing or other art work, e.g. graphic fiction/comic; musical piece; creative writing; interviews; performances; quiz. The creative work must be accompanied by a 750 word summary of how their piece responds to the course material.

DELC211: Understanding culture

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Educational Aims

• 'Understanding Culture' gives an insight into twentieth and twenty-first century definitions and analyses of 'culture'. Some key questions we explore on the module include: How has 'culture' been defined and how have these definitions changed during the 19th, 20th and 21st century? How does culture define who we are? What is the relationship between 'culture' and 'power'? How does a 'culture' endorse or suppress markers of identity? How is normativity constructed, questioned or undermined? How can cultural studies and their methodologies help us to understand artistic expressions and cultural practices, and to constructively respond to what matters to others? What role does the body play in our understanding of culture?
• Texts studied on the course may vary, but will typically be organized around the topics of culture and class, gender, sexuality, race, imperialism and decolonization, and cultural resistance.
• Throughout the course students are encouraged to approach cultures as standing in relation to each other, to develop cultural critical self-awareness, and intercultural competence.

Outline Syllabus

Texts studied on the course may vary, but will typically be organized around the topics of culture and class, gender, sexuality, race, imperialism and decolonization, and cultural resistance.

• Weekly Lecture and Seminar outline

  Week 1: Introduction: Approaches to ‘Culture’ and Judy Giles and Tim Middleton, ‘What is Culture?’

  Week 2 Approaches to ‘Understanding’ and Excerpts from Silvia Federici, Witches, WItch-Hunting and Women, and her lecture '‘Women, Witch-Hunting and Primitive Accumulation’', hosted by Culturgest

  Week 3 Culture and Ideology and Corey Robin, ‘Conservatism and Counterrevolution’ from The Reactionary Mind

  Week 4 Culture and the State and David Graeber, ‘Dead Zones of the Imagination’ from The Utopia of Rules, p. 45-82 , Interview with a representative Klett-Cotta, the German publisher of The Utopia of Rules.

  Week 5 Culture and Class /Voicing Class and Edouard Louis, Who Killed My Father

  Week 6 Voicing Blackness and Frantz Fanon, ‘The Fact of Blackness’, from Black Skin, White Masks

  Week 7 Voicing Gender and Excerpts from Hélène Cixous, Sorties; or Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera; or Audre Lorde, 'The uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism’ and ‘A Woman Speaks’ and ‘Power’

  Week 8 Voicing as Self-Enquiry: White Privilege and Richard Dyer, ‘The Matter of Whiteness’, and Peggy McIntosh, ‘The White Privilege Invisible Knapsack

  Week 9 Case Studies: Environmentalism and Ecocriticism and Arundhati Roy, ‘The Greater Common Good’

  Week 10 Case Studies: Cultures of the Extreme Right, Culture and Anti-fascism and Julia Ebner, ‘Redpilling for Beginners: Undercover with Generation Identity’, from Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists, Exhibition Peng! Kollektiv: AntiFa, Myth and Truth

• Language: This module is taught in English and all texts are available in English

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

DELC212: Society on Screen: The Language of Film

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

How do films deal with aspects of society like migration, environment, artificial intelligence and gender? Do they entertain viewers, instruct them, or both? In what ways do cinematic techniques play a part? This module explores connections between European and Latin American films and their socio-historical contexts. It also considers form and technique: the language of film. To these ends, there will be introductory lectures on cinema and society and on film aesthetics and content in the first week of the module. During the remainder of the module, the connections mentioned will be the focus of seminars and presentations within the four typical topic areas: the environment, gender, artificial intelligence and migration.

Educational Aims

Students view and discuss modern European and Latin American films which highlight the core topics. Lectures will situate the films in terms of the social and historical context of the period and countries in which they were made. Artificial intelligence, migration, the environment and gender, for example, are differently manifested in each of the countries studied. The course will explore the relationship between cinema, such issues and their representation. Students will acquire a broad understanding of cinema of the period (1960s-present) together with an ability to analyse, contextualise and compare varying cinematic representations of a number of themes, together with the techniques used in those representations.

Outline Syllabus

The module consists of two introductory weeks on form and society then four two-week strands on typically the following topics: migration, environment, gender and artificial intelligence. Each strand will be introduced with a lecture and followed by seminars on the set films.

The films mentioned here are indicative only. They are subject to change. The films listed here give you an idea of a typical syllabus and the kinds of films that are analysed: I’m Your Man/Ich bin dein Mensch (Maria Schrader, 2022), My Life in Pink/Ma vie en rose (Alain Berliner, 1997), Tony Manero (Pablo Larraín, 2008) and Dislocation (Jianxin Huang, 1989) and Land and Freedom (Ken Loach, 1995).

Assessment Proportions

• Essay(s): 40%
• Exam: 45%
• Clip Analysis: 15%

DELC215: Language and Identity in France, Germany, Spain and the Sinophone World

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module will introduce second-year students to the role that the language used by institutions plays in shaping individual perceptions of identity. It will provide them with a basic theoretical framework that allows them to understand the relationship between language and power as reflected in current language policies at regional, national, and supranational levels. It will enable them to recognise forms of prestige and stigma associated with varieties of the three main languages under study. It will therefore raise critical awareness of the portrayal and representation of linguistic variations in the media and in the sphere of literature.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Familiarise students with the linguistic realities of France, Germany, Spain and the Sinophone World.
• Introduce them to country-specific materials and provide them with a better understanding of regional and social variation.
• Provide students with a theoretical framework that allows them to understand discourses of power that revolve around the concept of nation.
• Increase their awareness of languages as instruments of social prestige and identity formation.
• Enable students to make cross-country comparisons involving three major national identities in Europe.
• Develop their critical perception of linguistic variation within their home country, and of the role of the media, films and literature in portraying national and sub-national identities.

Outline Syllabus

Topics to include:

• Language and Power: An Introduction Language.
• Nation and Standard: An Introduction.
• European language policies.
• German as a pluricentric language.
• Gastarbeiter language and policies.
• An Overview of the linguistic Situation of France: Regional Variations.
• Linguistic Diversity: A threat to French National Identity?
• The languages of Spain (Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician). Language attitudes in Spain.
• Beyond Europe: Language and Power in the Sinophone World.
• QA session.

+ revision sessions in Summer Term

Assessment Proportions

• Essay(s): 40%
• Exam: 45 %
• Written Commentary 15%

DELC216: Professional Contexts for Modern Languages

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Only available to students with a UK passport or appropriate study visa.

Course Description

The module is designed to integrate employability into the languages curriculum so that graduate employment is not divorced from the actual subject content. The module will assist students in developing skills and competences specific to language in context study (such as archival work, advocacy for NGOs, teaching, translation, and work in the literary, broadcast, and media industries). It does this by introducing students to working in language-related professional contexts. It will expose students to real world perspectives through engagement with external organisations.

Educational Aims

This module will enable students to develop their learning and interest in relation to framing their linguistic and cultural understanding in a specific professional context. It will aim to develop students’ understanding of the research process in relation to the specific sector in which their placement takes place and reflect academically on their practical experiences.

The module aims are:

• To offer students a structured experience of working with external organisations on projects which enable them to develop their self-confidence in communicating with individuals, their use of target language, and allow them to develop their self-management and language skills
• To support language-related organisations through work placement, or research activities undertaken by students
• To develop students' understanding of how organisations work with the cross cultural or multi-lingual environment in which they operate
• To enhance students' ability to reflect on and articulate their personal, linguistic and cross-cultural skills
• To develop students' application of aspects of their linguistic and cultural knowledge already acquired through study to a workplace environment

Outline Syllabus

• Work placement activity:

DELC216 seeks to support students to apply their linguistic and cultural understanding in a specific professional context. Students will develop, reflect on and articulate the range of competences and the linguistic and cross cultural skills that enhance employability by working in language-related professional contexts and reflecting on key issues in relation to their placement organisation. Students will typically spend between 25-30 hours over a period of 10 weeks engaging with a placement organisation between January and March. Alternatively students may undertake a 'block' placement over a two to three week period during the Easter vacation (this will allow placements abroad). Students will receive some preparation for the module. This will consist of short interviews and the sourcing and confirmation of placements. For students undertaking schools placements, there will also be some training. Alongside the placements, workshops will provide guidance on placements and on reflective academic work. Students will share their experiences and learning with each other by means of end-of-module presentations.

4 Workshops

Weeks 11 and 12: Preparation for Placement:

• Self-assessment of students' skills, attributes and preferences, including exploration of linguistic and cross-cultural skills
• Exploration of business and professional skills in practice: self-management, communication skills in practice, problem solving and team working
• Contemporary issues relevant to language-related sector

Week 13: Preparation for Assessment:

• Introduction to social research – research questions, theory and methods
• Reflection in learning - writing reflectively and using learning logs.
• Undertaking a research project

Week 17: Progress Review Seminar: will provide guidance to students on the content and structure of their academic work including the research process, and provide formative feedback on their draft work.

Weeks 21and 22: Student Presentations

Assessment Proportions

• Presentation (Assessed): 20%
• Reflective Learning Log: 20%
• Placement Report: 60%

DELC217: Environmental and Medical Humanities

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: none

Course Description

The course aims:

To contribute to students’ understanding of the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines, such as medicine, the environmental sciences, psychology, and neuroscience;

To instruct students in the analysis of literary, filmic, and visual texts using interpretive frameworks developed in other disciplines;

To develop students’ awareness of theoretical debates on the value of cultural texts in other disciplines, such as philosophy, environmental studies, and medicine;

To enable students to appreciate how the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines has evolved over time;

To build students’ knowledge of the cultural contexts that shape narratives on subjects such as the environment, illness, health, and the human condition.

Educational Aims

The course aims:

To contribute to students understanding of the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines, such as medicine, the environmental sciences, psychology, and neuroscience;

To instruct students in the analysis of literary, filmic, and visual texts using interpretive frameworks developed in other disciplines;

To develop students awareness of theoretical debates on the value of cultural texts in other disciplines, such as philosophy, environmental studies, and medicine;

To enable students to appreciate how the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines has evolved over time;

To build students knowledge of the cultural contexts that shape narratives on subjects such as the environment, illness, health, and the human condition.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

Explain the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines, such as medicine, the environmental sciences, psychology, and neuroscience;

Analyse literary, filmic, and visual texts related to the environment illness, health, and the human condition;

Appreciate the consequences of theoretical debates in interdisciplinary fields of study that span the humanities and other disciplines;

Recognize how the relationship between the humanities and other disciplines, such as medicine, the environmental sciences, psychology, and neuroscience has evolved over time;

Situate narratives on subjects such as the environment, illness, health, and the human condition within the cultural and historical contexts in which they are embedded.

Outline Syllabus

How are disciplines that focus on human culture approaching the critical problems facing our species, such as climate and environmental crisis or the challenges of health and wellbeing in ageing societies? What contribution can the humanities make to fields of knowledge often thought to belong to science, like our understanding of pain or wildlife conservation? Working at the intersection between the humanities and the biomedical and environmental sciences, students will examine the decisive role played by philosophy, history, literature, and the arts in creating and critiquing knowledge about the natural world and the human beings that inhabit it.

Assessment Proportions

• Essay 60%
• Oral 40%

The assessment utilizes two quintessential forms of expression and intellectual engagement in the humanities, the essay and the dialogue (oral exam). This choice of assessment is guided by the ambition of the module to give students a deeper understanding of disciplinary norms and boundaries. It also supports the module’s function in preparing students for further study in modern languages and other humanities disciplines by developing their skills in essay writing and argument for higher-level modules. Both the summative and formative assessment focus on one set of ideas and arguments, of which students will be able to develop their understanding progressively. The oral exam will take place once students have received written feedback on their essays. During the oral exam, students will be asked questions about their written essays. The examiners’ questions in the oral exam will focus on students’ arguments and their use of secondary sources. The oral exam will evaluate students’ ability to defend the arguments pursued in their essay and will gauge students’ responses against the module learning outcomes. Students will be prepared for the oral exam with activities in seminars.

DELC218: Thinking Queerness: LGBTQIA+ lives, identities and politics in contemporary thought and cultural production

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: none

Course Description

This module aims to:

- Equip students with the critical tools to analyse and apply aspects of queer theory in their writing and critical analyses.

- Encourage students to compare and contrast between different queer theories and concepts, and different LGBTQIA+ contexts.

- Facilitate the comprehension and analysis of key texts of queer cultural production in relation to queer theories and concepts.

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Use their knowledge of queer theory and culture to approach contemporary queer issues.
• Compare and contrast between different queer theories and concepts, and different LGBTQIA+ contexts.
• Analyse key texts of queer cultural production in relation to queer theories and concepts.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores cultural and theoretical approaches to queerness and LGBTQIA+ lives, identities, and politics across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. It includes texts and artworks by philosophers, writers, filmmakers, and artists from the LGBTQIA+ community around the globe, asking how different queer voices and cultures have approached questions such as: What does it mean to be queer or LGBTQIA+ today? How are human experiences of gender, sexuality, and queer identity conceptualised and expressed? How do queer people stand up against oppression and violence, and how have they in the past? And: what might queer tomorrows look like? How do LGBTQIA+ people and communities imagine the future?

The module explores key theoretical approaches in queer theory, and gender and sexuality studies, typically spanning cutting-edge fields such as queer environmentalism, postcolonial queer studies, transgender studies, intersex studies, and the queer medical humanities. Theoretical approaches studied would typically include Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990); Jack Halberstam's and Susan Stryker's respective writing on trans identity and politics; Rahul Rao’s analyses of queer politics in postcolonial contexts; and Hongwei Bao’s Queer China (2020).

The module also explores artworks expressing queer and LGBTQIA+ identity, typically including works such as the French director Robin Campillo's film about HIV/AIDS activism, 120 BPM (2017); Moroccan writer Rachid O's novels about coming out; Argentine director Lucia Puenzo's film about intersexuality XXY (2007); Chilean director Sebastián Lelio’s film about trans identity, A Fantastic Woman (2017); and queer cinema and literature from Chinese and Sinophone contexts.

Assessment Proportions

This module will be assessed by an exam (40%), a coursework essay (30%) and a mixed-media artefact (30%).

Assessment has been designed in this manner to ensure that students respond to and demonstrate knowledge of over 50% of the material covered on the course.

1.) The exam (40%) will ask students to write an essay in response to a question that they choose from a selection of questions (one question for each topic studied on the course).

2.) The essay (30%) will ask students to write an essay of 1800-2200 words in response to a list of suggested questions, or to develop their own question (having confirmed this title with the course convenor first if they have chosen to develop their own). The essay will be comparative in focus and will ask the student to respond to broader and more conceptual questions: the student must choose at least two texts or contexts studied in the module to compare and contrast.

3.) The multimedia artefact (30%) invites the student to respond to one of the critical or cultural contexts studied in the module through creative means. Here, they must develop a multimedia artefact comprising at least two media forms and accompanied by a short written introduction or commentary. For further detail on this assessment, students should follow the guidelines provided on Moodle.

DELC331: Transnational TV Crime Drama: Armchair Detectives, Crime, Cultures and Circulation.

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

During the course of this module, students will be introduced to key debates on how television shows are consumed both nationally and transnationally (including reception theory) [Fiske 2011; Bondebjerg 2016; McElory 2022; Mikos 2019; Haworth 2022], the appeal of crime dramas [Turnbull 2014 and 2018], and cultural translation (in particular the concept of domestication) [Venuti 1998]. These theoretical frameworks will be applied to the study of a minimum of 5 case studies (consisting of two or three episodes of a given series) covering each of the languages taught in DeLC. Each of the case studies will be devoted to the exploration of a particular theme. However, themes will always be relevant to more than one case study and during seminars students will be expected to bring in examples from other series (including British ones). Typically, themes and case studies may include but will not be limited to: the aestheticisation of crime and the sympathetic perpetrator (Narcos; The Hunter; Pablo Escobar); setting, local colour and exoticism (Inspector Montalbano; Tatort; Spiral); gender (Love me if you dare; Gomorrah); race and ethnicity (Lupin; Inspector Falke; Carlo and Malik) the Other (Astrid. Murders in Paris).

Educational Aims

This module provides students with:

• An introduction to the tropes of crime dramas.
• The necessary background information to reflect on the popularity of the genre (both nationally and transnationally).
• A knowledge of the key theoretical frameworks explaining how television shows are consumed.
• An understanding of crime and society in the countries of the languages they are studying.
• An overview of the main debates the potential of crime dramas to foster cross-cultural awareness when the shows travel to different countries.
• An understanding of the meaning of cultural translation and how this applies to the reception of crime dramas when the series cross borders.

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key tropes of crime dramas (seminars and formative and summative assessment).
• Explain the popularity of crime drama with reference to the case studies or other series they may have watched (seminars and assessed pieces).
• Apply the key theoretical frameworks studied to the analysis of the case studies (seminars and assessment).
• Illustrate and discuss some the social issues affecting the countries of the languages they are studying with reference to some of the case studies or other shows they may have watched (seminars and assessment)
• Reflect on the potential of crime dramas to foster cross-cultural awareness when the series are watched abroad by providing examples from the case studies or other series they may have watched, including social medias commentaries and reviews of such series (seminars and assessed pieces).
• Describe the processes of cultural translation that may take place when crime dramas cross their original national borders by providing examples from the case studies or other series they may have watched, including social medias commentaries and reviews of such series (seminars and assessed pieces).

Outline Syllabus

• Understanding the appeal of crime drama
• Understanding transnational television: What facilitates the circulation of shows?
• Realism, setting and local colour. Nordic Noir vs Mediterranean Noir.
• The aestheticisation of crime and the sympathetic perpetrator.
• Gender and identity in crime drama
• Race and ethnicity in crime drama
• Neurodiversity in crime drama: destigmatising or stereotyping?

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework 100%

All the assessed pieces have been designed with both the subject specific and general learning outcomes in mind. Training will be provided during the course of the module (lectures and seminars) and through additional resources uploaded on Moodle. Students will also be encouraged to make use of some of the resources available through the library.

Formative

A 5-minute scene analysis: oral (individual or group work) to be delivered during class time and followed by a Q&A session.

Summative

A 15-minute group podcast on a topic relevant to the course but selected by the students --> 45% of module mark (the mark will be based only on groupwork).

A 2400/2600-word essay --> 55% of module mark.

DELC338: Spirits in the Material World: Cultures and Sciences

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None  

Course Description

This course explores relationships between the spiritual and the material within a broader context of the sciences in the humanities, spanning several languages and cultures from Asia to Europe to the Americas. Five two-week blocks cover Spirit and Matter, Speculative Fiction, The Post-Human, Philosophy, Art and Neuroscience, and Biomedicine and the Hospital. Sources come from multiple genres, such as speculative fiction, graphic novels, film, philosophical essays, and online talks. Focusing on diverse humanities perspectives and renderings of scientific benefits and harms, this module asks intriguing questions relevant to the twenty-first century human condition: Are science fiction writers contemporary shaman? Might genetic engineering lead to animals developing souls? What unseen matters and horrors can science fiction render visible and comprehensible? Where is AI taking humanity and are we already robots? How might the discovery of neuroplasticity entail both emancipatory and darker outcomes? In what ways do medical institutions pathologise, categorise, and control bodies and yet also offer possibilities for transformative queer and trans healthcare?

Educational Aims

The aim of this module is to:

• familiarize students with key concepts and theoretical issues related to relationships between the spiritual and the material within a context of the sciences in the humanities
• introduce students to perspectives and renderings of scientific benefits and harms in the humanities
• introduce students to a variety of forms of relationships between the spiritual and the material in different media, historical periods, languages, translations, and cultural contexts

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Demonstrate a sound general understanding of the relationship between the spiritual and the material within a context of the sciences in the humanities
• Identify and analyse interplay between the humanities and the sciences in cultural products in a variety of media across different languages, cultures and periods
• Critically analyse and interpret the material discussed in the seminars, including the content of the material pertaining to perspectives on sciences in the humanities
• Identify relationships between the spiritual and the material and reflect on the importance of these phenomena to the work in question

Outline Syllabus

indicative seminar block schedule:

• Spirit and matter
• Dust
• Science Futures
• Transformations in Medical Science: Hospitals, Healthcare, Witchcraft
• Andrew Pickering's The Mangle of Practice: In what ways are spirits and materials "mangled" together?

Assessment Proportions

(1) First assessment (25%) due towards the end of the module, which must be a reflection on the whole module. Students must do one of the following:

- A video presentation or podcast. The presentation/podcast should last 12 minutes for an individual, 20 minutes for a pair. Specific guidelines will be on Moodle.

OR

- A creative piece, for example an artwork, a song, a poem etc. again adhering to the specific guidelines on Moodle, accompanied by a 600-word commentary on the piece.

OR

- A learning journal of 1000-1200 words, covering all weeks of the course, using specific guidelines on Moodle.

OR

- An commentary of 1000-1200 words, according to specific instructions on Moodle.

(2) Second assessment (25%): an essay of 2000 words in length, from a list of five possible questions, one on each topic. This accounts for 25% in the final mark. The proposed essay questions will be published four weeks beforehand the submission deadline.

(3) In the written examination (50%) students will pick one question out of several options proposed and write an essay responding to the question. The questions will address the concepts and material discussed in the lectures and seminars.

DELC339: Introduction to Translation as a Cultural Practice

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

What makes a good translation and how do translations do good? This module helps you understand the practice of translation as it has evolved historically from the 18th century to the present across European and American societies. The materials we study include historical textual sources (philosophical essays on the craft of translation from French, German and Hispanic authors of the 19th and 20th centuries), representative fictional texts reflecting on translation processes, and contemporary documents from the EU directorate on translation, PEN and the Translators' Association. We will also make considerable use of contemporary online resources as exemplified by Anglophone advocates of intercultural exchange such as Words Without Borders. Our aim is to look at translation as both a functional process for getting text in one language accurately into another and a culturally-inflected process that varies in its status and purpose from one context to another. We will pay particular attention to the practical role that literary translators play within the contemporary global publishing industry and consider the practicalities of following a career in literary translation in the Anglophone world.

Educational Aims

the course aims to

• Make students aware of the diversity of ways of thinking about translation in different historical and cultural contexts
• Communicate an understanding of the contemporary Anglophone publishing industry and the role translation plays within it
• Support practical language-learning (actual translation carried out by all students on FREN/GERM/SPAN301) with an analytical discussion of this process.
• Encourage students to reflect critically on official and unofficial language policies and different forms of language activism in the EU and consider how these determine intercultural relations
• Encourage students to reflect critically on metaphorical uses of translation in a variety of literary and non-literary contexts and consider how these intersect with wider ideas of cultural exchange, ambassadorship, political activism.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Account for different conceptions of 'good' translation that have emerged in different cultural contexts and historical periods.
• Explain the practical circumstances of translation as a process within the contemporary Anglophone publishing industry and the role it plays in supporting intercultural exchange.
• Understand the practical and metaphorical uses to which translation is put in EU cultural policy documents.
• Formulate opinions on the use of translation as a metaphor for other processes of cultural mediation (adaptation, mediation, ambassadorship).

Outline Syllabus

Outline topics for the module include [a selection of 3-4 topics will be offered in any one year]: translation: the history of a term; EU translation policies; translation inequalities and the hegemony of English; contemporary metaphors of translation as adaptation and communication; literary translators as political activists; careers in translation.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%

• Presentation (Assessed): 15%

• Exam: 45%

Presentations: the students present on questions that interest them within each topic in such a way as to sustain group discussion in the class. This will ensure that the classes correspond to their interests, and that there is a formative element to this assessment exercise: in undertaking the assessment, they will get immediate feedback and be able to integrate the results in their further learning on the module.

This mode of assessment can also be used flexibly to include other ways for students to engage with external sources / events they may find which are relevant to the course and their interests.

The coursework essay (c. 2500 words) will be submitted when teaching is complete on the module. This will give students time to digest their thoughts and put them into structured arguments that draw on the full extent of the course.

In the written examination students will pick one question out of several options proposed and write an essay responding to the question. The questions will address the concepts and material discussed in the lectures and seminars.

DELC340: Autocrats, Caudillos and Big Men: Understanding Dictatorship and its Cultural Representation in the 20th Century

• Terms Taught:   Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits

Course Description

This module invites you to consider different ways in which the concept of dictatorship has been understood and critiqued throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century.

We will be considering examples from a wide range of contexts to explore the differences between European dictators, the Latin American caudillo, the 'Big Men' of Africa, for example. We will draw on a range of theoretical and critical sources to deepen our understanding, including the work of Hannah Arendt, Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria and Achille Mbembe.

The second major focus of the module will be the relationship between dictatorship and cultural production. How have dictators represented themselves in their writing, speaking and literature? To what extent have they controlled cultural production, and to what end? How, in turn, have they been represented by writers and film makers? What role do writers, artists or intellectuals play in evaluating and critiquing dictatorship?

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Encourage students to engage with the complexity of the notion of 'dictatorship'
• Make students aware of different meanings of 'dictatorship in different national contexts will be the relationship between dictatorship and cultural production. How have dictators represented themselves in their writing, speaking and literature? To what extent have they controlled cultural production, and to what end? How, in turn, have they been represented by writers and film makers? What role do writers, artists or intellectuals play in evaluating and critiquing dictatorship?
• Enable students to understand the contexts out of which dictatorships emerge
• Enable students to make informed comparisons between different authoritarian regimes
• Provide students with the critical tools to consider representations of dictatorship

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Engage with the complexity of the notion of 'dictatorship'
• Understand the various meanings of 'dictatorship in different national contexts
• Understand the contexts out of which dictatorships emerge
• Make comparisons between different authoritarian regimes
• Critically approach representations of dictatorship

Outline Syllabus

The module will be divided into four main sections:

Section 1: What is Dictatorship?

We will draw particularly on our core text by Ezrow and Frantz as we begin to think about what we understand by dictatorship in the 20th century. Then, by engaging with relevant critical and theoretical materials, we will consider the distinctions between totalitarianism, authoritarianism, single party rule, military and personalist dictatorships. We will discuss the political, material and ideological conditions that enable dictators to come to power, consider the structures they have put in place to establish and maintain their rule, and reflect on why so many dictators have clung on to power for so long.

Section 2: In the Words of Dictators

We will read extracts from speeches, political tracts and literary material produced by dictators in order to understand the relationship between discourse and power. How have dictators represented their political projects to the people? What is the importance of rhetoric to the dictator? What kind of language have they used? What is the role of ‘official literature’ in representing the regime to the people?

Section 3: Representing Dictatorship

We turn our focus here to how dictators have been portrayed in literature and film. We will consider the insights that cultural artefacts can give us into the workings of a regime, its extensive systems of patronage, and the question of corruption. We will examine the strategies adopted by writers and film makers in their portrayal of dictators and their regimes, and think critically about the role of the cultural artefacts produced.

Section 4: Cultural Critiques of Dictatorship

In this final section of the module, we will consider how writers, poets and film makers have critiqued dictatorship in their cultural production. What narrative strategies do cultural producers use to express their opposition to a dictator while writing under the control of the regime? What is the power of writing under an authoritarian regime? How does writing from a position of exile change the way in which writers critique dictatorship? Does the writing of the author reproduce the same structures he or she is trying to counter? In presenting a particular world view and by adopting a certain rhetoric, does the writer assume the role of dictator?

Assessment Proportions

Students will focus on a dictatorship of their choice, with guidance from the tutor if required. The student will treat this dictatorship as a case study (25%) for the purposes of the first piece of assessment, to understand how the regime functioned, what type of regime it is, and how it was sustained.

The second piece of assessment will be an essay (35%) based on the comparative literary analysis of two texts studied on the module. Students will be provided with a small selection of essay questions, from which they will select one.

In the written examination (45%) students will pick one question out of several options proposed and write an essay responding to the question. The questions will address the concepts and material discussed in the lectures and seminars.

Students will therefore be provided with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in their coursework in the examination, without significant overlap between the two.

DELC346: Transforming Thinking: From Philosophy to Neuroscience in French and Francophone Thought

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module maps diverse concepts and contexts in French and Francophone philosophy and thought, from the 20th century to today. The notion of transforming thinking will guide us: we will explore both how philosophy has transformed (and is still transforming) in French and Francophone contexts; and simultaneously how philosophy is itself transformative, having the power to transform us and the world around us. We will ask questions such as: What are philosophy and thinking, and in what ways do they transform? How have French and Francophone philosophers approached diverse issues and contexts, from gender and sexuality; to racism; to (post)colonialism; to the body, mind, and brain; to neuroscience, biomedical science, and healthcare? And: how does philosophy interact with other disciplines such as medicine, neuroscience, or technology to bring about transformations in the world?

The module typically includes Georges Bataille's notions of formless philosophy; approaches to decolonizing philosophy in Aim Csaire and Lopold Sdar Senghor; psychoanalytic approaches to the mind, from Jacques Lacan's concept of how babies thinking transforms in the mirror stage, to Julia Kristeva's psychoanalytic notions of disgust and horror, to Frantz Fanon's psychoanalytic theories of racism; and contemporary writing at the intersections of philosophy, science, technology and medicine. These contemporary examples typically include Catherine Malabou's work on neuroscience and the implications of neuroplasticity for robotics and artificial intelligence; Jean-Luc Nancy's philosophies of heart transplants and quantum physics; Paul B. Preciado's exploration of trans identities between philosophy and biomedicine; and Isabelle Stenger's manifestos to transform our relationship with science.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Introduce students to key concepts, thinkers, and contexts in 20th and 21st century French Francophone philosophy.
• Allow students to compare and contrast between different concepts, ideas, and philosophical contexts.
• Encourage students to activate philosophical ideas and concepts in an interdisciplinary manner to approach and analyse real-life events and contexts (such as contemporary politics, LGBTQIA+ rights, movements like Black Lives Matter, responses to COVID-19, etc.), or to use philosophical and theoretical concepts to analyse artworks or critical contexts.
• Equip students with philosophical and theoretical concepts they can use in a comparative and interdisciplinary manner, activating these concepts across disciplinary boundaries and in relation to diverse critical contexts.

Students who pass this module should be able to:

• Analyse and apply philosophical and theoretical concepts effectively and critically.
• Compare and contrast between different philosophical contexts and genres.
• Identify and apply key themes and contexts of French and Francophone philosophy from 20th and 21st century, recognizing how these concepts evolved over the course of the last 100 years and exploring their relevance to contemporary life.

Outline Syllabus

Introduction: Forming, deforming, and transforming thinking: Mutations of French and Francophone philosophy, from formless thought to plastic thought.

Block 1: Re-thinking the thinking body, mind, and brain: Formlessness, surrealism, decolonisation.

Block 2: Thinking with, against, and beyond psychoanalysis: from associations in the mind to connections in the brain.

Block 3:Plastic brains, heart-transplants, and techno-bodies: medicine, science, technology, and philosophy today.

Assessment Proportions

1.) (30% of final mark) A multimedia artefact combining at least two different forms of media, and accompanied by a written introduction or commentary, in which students explore or develop one of the key concepts and contexts studied on the course, articulating its importance and applications to a wider audience. For example, students might choose to relate a concept to broader contemporary cultural and socio-political contexts. They might also choose to develop a new idea or concept in the style of one of the thinkers. For further guidance on this, please see the details of this assessment on Moodle.

Students will be prepared for this particular assessment through discussions and creative tasks in seminars considering the ways in which contemporary French and Francophone thinkers articulate their philosophies in a variety of different ways and through different media. The contemporary philosopher Paul B. Preciado, for instance, combined philosophy, autobiography, poetry, and film in his work. Students will be invited to bring a poster of their ideas to the final seminar in week 10, and we will use these posters as a springboard to workshop students' ideas, develop how students might extend concepts and apply them to different contexts, and explore the different media through which students might articulate their ideas.

2.) (30% of final mark) An essay of 1800-2200 words, focusing on one topic. Essay questions are provided but students can also write own essay question (they must consult the course convenor if they choose to write their own essay question).

3.) (40% of final mark) An exam, in which students will choose a broad essay question or prompt which will ask them to bring together two other topics, texts, or authors studied on the course comparatively. They may not write on the same topic as was covered in either the multimedia artefact or the essay.

DELC349: French Modernisms and Mental Health

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None  

Course Description

This module explores the relations between French modernist literature and the rising power of psychiatry at the turn of the 19th/20th Century. Illustrated lectures will document how madness was domesticated, feminised, and exhibited by French pioneers in the history of psychiatry, while it has also been romanticised and dramatised as challenging psychiatry by major modernists. In seminars, students will reflect on ways in which literature, society, and medicine intersect through the study of illness narratives by Gérard de Nerval, Marcel Proust, André Breton, and Antonin Artaud. Discussions will include aesthetic issues and social debates such as: how these illness narratives allowed for more accurate representations of the relationship between mind and body; how the experimental forms of modernist texts serve their interest in mental states; what role the visual aspect of these narratives played in their composition and reception; and to what extent they can be considered as acts of social resistance. The four narratives studied will also provide key opportunities for students to reflect on the difficulty of distinguishing the pathological from the healthy, and to ponder with contemporary French critics the question of the authority to do so.

Educational Aims

• Provide students with an overview of the controversial history of French psychiatry;
• Develop students’ understanding of the crucial socio-economic and technological changes brought about by modernity at the turn of the 19th/20th Century;
• Introduce students to the works of major French modernists working across a range of art forms and media;
• Enable students to identify and discuss the key features of the 'illness narrative' as a genre;
• Train students to apply a variety of critical tools to analyse modernist writing, and build their capacity to engage with theoretical models;
• Provoke discussion on the relationships between literature, medicine, and society.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural history of madness in relation to French modernity and modernism;
• Read and understand complex literary works in both French and English;
• Examine and critically compare the representational and narrative strategies of modernist texts;
• Analyse the gendering of madness in literary texts, using an appropriate range of theories and academic sources;
• Argue and weigh the political potential and limitations of literary texts that engage with madness and society.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores the relations between French modernist literature and the rising power of psychiatry at the turn of the 19th/20th Century. Illustrated lectures will document how madness was domesticated, feminised, and exhibited by French pioneers in the history of psychiatry, while it has also been romanticised and dramatised as challenging psychiatry by major modernists. In seminars, students will reflect on ways in which literature, society, and medicine intersect through the study of illness narratives by Grard de Nerval, Marcel Proust, Andr Breton, and Antonin Artaud. Discussions will include aesthetic issues and social debates such as: how these illness narratives allowed for more accurate representations of the relationship between mind and body; how the experimental forms of modernist texts serve their interest in mental states; what role the visual aspect of these narratives played in their composition and reception; and to what extent they can be considered as acts of social resistance. The four narratives studied will also provide key opportunities for students to reflect on the difficulty of distinguishing the pathological from the healthy, and to ponder with contemporary French critics the question of the authority to do so.

Assessment Proportions

• CWA1: seminar presentation 15%

  CWA2: essay plan (feed-forward) 0%

  CWA3: 2,500 word comparative essay 45%

  Exam: 40%

  The assessment is structured to ensure a maximum emphasis on formative support for the intellectual and academic development of students.

  Following two weeks of interactive lectures, each seminar will start by one or two students presenting their brief analysis of a short text written by the author to be discussed that day (15%), ensuring that the classes correspond to their interests, and providing classmates with knowledge of other works than the four primary texts on the module. Building on the analytical skills acquired through small group discussions and individual feed-forward sessions on their essay plans (0%), and using appropriate critical theories discussed in class, students will then comparatively analyse two of the primary texts in a 2,500 word essay (45%). The close textual analysis assessed through the oral presentation, as well as the comparative essay, will prepare students for the summer examination assessing both skills (40%).

  In the written examination students will pick one question out of several options proposed and write an essay responding to the question. The questions will address the concepts and material discussed in the lectures and seminars.

DELC356: Climate, Technology and the German Anthropocene

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Language: this module is taught in English, but since primary texts are in German, a good level of German is required  

Course Description

German-speaking countries have, over centuries, gained a reputation for innovation in technology and engineering Vorsprung durch Technik, progress through technology, as the Audi marketing slogan boldly claims. But is it still viable, in an age of anthropogenic climate change, to see technology as a tool of progress? We might, in the context of our current predicament, also have much to learn from another strand of thinking in German-language culture, that which expresses a deep anxiety about technology and associates it with dark power, mystery and a loss of control. This unit examines the relationship between climate, technology and ideas of progress (or catastrophe) in German-language culture (visual art, film, poetry, prose, pop culture and everyday life), as well as situating this tension in a historical context. Alongside contemporary ecocritical theory, students may encounter poems from the anthology Lyrik im Anthropozn, the Swiss video game Mundaun, the TV show Dark, literary works by writers such as Ilija Trojanow and/or Gerhart Hauptmann, as well as cultural objects of their own and each others choosing.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Make students aware of contemporary critical debates around technology, cultural and environmental crisis and their relation to the German context.
• Introduce students to the body of theory around the concept of the Anthropocene and its applications for the analysis of German-speaking culture.
• Introduce students to the methodological apparatus of cultural analysis and its applications within the discipline of modern languages/German Studies

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Understand key texts in the field of environmental humanities and Anthropocene theory.
• Relate these texts to cultural phenomena from the German-speaking countries.
• Contribute critically to debates about the relationship between technology and environment in the German-speaking context

Outline Syllabus

Weekly schedule (indicative)

• Object Lessons in the Anthropocene
• The Anthropocene: Promises and Pitfalls
• Sense of Place, Sence of Planet: Methodological Nationalism and the Environmental Humanities
• Tracing Entanglements: A Theoretical Toolkit
• Dyke
• Nuclear reactor
• Currywurst
• The Car
• Assessment workshop 1: Choosing an object for the Anthropocene Museum
• Assessment workshop 2: Shaping the essay and preparing for the oral exam

Assessment Proportions

Students will be assessed by means of:

- A portfolio comprising (a) the details, including images where applicable, of an object to be submitted as an exhibit in a (notional) Museum of the (German) Anthropocene (b) a short ‘visitor guide’ to the exhibit, explaining its history, context and resonance, aimed at a general audience (175-225 words). (20%)

- An essay of 1750-2250 words analysing their chosen object more fully in relation to the module themes and in the context of the exhibition as a whole, with reference to the critical and theoretical texts explored in the course of module. (40%)

- A ten-minute oral exam during which the student will be asked questions about their chosen object and its resonances on the basis of their written essay. (40%)

The assessment methods prioritise (a) student independence and self-directed learning, through the requirement that students select and describe their independently-chosen ‘exhibit’ for the notional museum we will construct in the course of the module; (b) collaboration and co-operation, in the sense that students are required (as part of the summative essay assessment) to relate their object to those selected by their classmates; and (c) the ability to write and communicate for a diversity of audiences, since the themes of the module resonate both within and beyond an academic context: students are encouraged to select an object which might serve as a means of communicating the core themes of the module to a wider public, and write about the object in different terms and for different audiences as well as discussing their object in a verbal discussion. .

The object-driven approach is in keeping with the methodology of cultural analysis and is also appropriate to theme of technology and the field of environmental humanities, which emphasises the agency of material objects. It should be noted that cultural objects, in the field of cultural studies, can be concrete (i.e. visual art, texts, films) or abstract (i.e. cultural practices, performances, traditions, spaces/sites). According to this conceptualisation, a Bratwurst, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Wagner’s Ring Cycle and climate protest actions are all cultural objects.

Students will be prepared for the viva with activities in seminars.

DELC362: Sex, Politics and the State in Modern Spain

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: none

Course Description

-to introduce students to cultural output (literature and film) that explores women’s experiences in (post-)War Spain and train them to evaluate how these texts dialogue with contemporary debates

-to hone students’ knowledge and understanding of Spain’s political history and to familiarise them with trends and shifts in gender discourses and sexual politics

-to enhance students’ theoretical awareness, particularly in relation to scholarship on gender, victimhood, and trauma, and develop and further Spanish language skills through engagement with primary texts

Educational Aims

Students who pass this module should have and demonstrate:

-a sophisticated understanding of historical context and feminist, gender, revolutionary, and reactionary politics in modern Spain

-an in-depth critical understanding of key theoretical frameworks and how they dialogue with set texts, broadening critical and methodological awareness

-the ways in which set texts characterise and subvert literary and cinematographic trends, recognising the interface of history, politics, and culture

Outline Syllabus

The inception of Spain’s Second Republic (1931-39) revolutionised gender and sexual politics. Women’s social and political capital was inflected by state, radical, and reactionary discourses, as conceptions of womanhood and ‘femininity’ mediated ideological cleavages. In the aftermath of the Nationalists’ victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), hundreds of thousands of women were incarcerated by the Francoist regime (1939-1975), targeted for their support for the political left, trade unions, anti-fascist activism and, also, for resisting hegemonic gender norms, through infidelity, lesbianism, clandestine abortions, or prostitution. In Sex, Politics and the State, students will interrogate the sexual and gender politics of rebellion, revolt, and oppression in modern Spain, drawing on thematic areas that continue to resonate in present-day debates, including feminist politics, commercial sex, sexual(ised) abuses, political violence, and reproductive justice. By focalising contemporary Spanish literature and film (1996-2012), students will interrogate how Spain’s tumultuous political landscape (1936-1975) manifests in popular culture, cultivating a firm grasp of the historical context and key theoretical frameworks, specifically in relation to sexuality, gender, trauma, victimhood, memory, and violence.

Assessment Proportions

-CWA Essay (60%), 2250-2500 words: Students will devise a comparative critical analysis that engages with at least two of the set texts, drawing on theoretical frameworks and relevant scholarship as appropriate. Feedback from the report will inform and develop their essay, allowing for supervised progression throughout the course.

-Exam (40%), 2 hours: Students will respond to one question from a range of comparative and text-specific options. Comparative questions will invite students to make connections across different texts and themes studied throughout the course, while text-specific options will assess a nuanced understanding of the material and its cultural and socio-political context. Students must answer on different texts than those discussed in their essay.

DELC364: Latin America and Spain on Film: Violences and Masculinities

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

Violence is a consistent feature of the cinemas of Spain and Latin America. The vast majority of violent acts in Latin American and Spanish films are carried out by men, raising specific concerns about the representation of links between men and violence on film. This module looks at key motifs as well as broader themes such as the absent patriarch and depictions of the male body. Students will examine representations of different kinds of violence, including structural, psychological and political violence. You will be expected to discuss the connections made between these and the masculinities with which they are associated. To this end, theoretical support will be given throughout towards current ideas about masculinities and violence in both sociology and cultural studies.

Educational Aims

The aim of this module is to provide students with a grasp of both the historical contexts for violence and masculinities as they are depicted in Spanish and Latin American film as well as an understanding of theoretical approaches which can help to enrich analyses of such violence and evolving masculinities. The course seeks to pluralise violence so that it is understood by students as physical, non-physical, criminal, psychological, structural and invisible. Masculinities will always be considered in the plural. Another aim is to ensure students have the terminology to discuss such contexts and approaches in relation to specific films in a coherent and intellectually appropriate framework.

Students will first be required to view films in historical contexts which highlight key themes in the selected films. Students will be encouraged to observe and analyse structural violence, criminal violence, gender violence and political violence in these films and to understand their relationship with such categories as hegemonic, protest and patriarchal masculinities. Such violence(s) and masculinities will not only be contextualised historically but also approached through theories on aesthetics, film reception, gender and ideology. In this way students will be able to approach questions concerning the 'invisible' nature of domestic violence, violence as a means (or not) of providing 'cheap shocks' and different aesthetic approaches towards the depiction of state violence.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to...

• contextualise Spanish and Latin American films by placing them in their appropriate historical settings and by understanding the relationship between those historical settings and the films concerned.
• apply their historical contextualisation with an understanding of theories of violence and masculinities.
• analyse these films with due reference to the cinematic contexts for each country (eg. censorship, strength of film industry, availability and sources of capital etc.), using appropriate film terminology and critically engaging with existing interpretations of the corpus of films.
• present material on film, learning to juggle effectively stills, secondary sources, dialogue and their own analyses.
• examine cultural products or texts in socio-historical contexts.

Outline Syllabus

There will then be 8 weeks of study of four separate strands, each strand consisting of two weeks study of two films. The strands are: Structural Violence, Crash Cinemas, Gender Violence, Boys and Men. The second hour of the second week of each strand will consist of presentations by students either individually, in pairs or in groups of three.

In a typical year, the films concerned will include Memories of Underdevelopment (Cuba, 1968); La frontera (Chile, 1991); Amores perros (Mexico, 2000); Abre los ojos (Spain, 1997); Camila (Argentina, 1984); Te doy mis ojos (Spain, 2003); City of God (2002) and El espinazo del diablo (Spain, 2001).

The films are in Spanish or Portuguese with English subtitles. The vast majority of secondary texts are in English and the teaching is also in English.

Assessment Proportions

Essay(s): 40% Presentation (Assessed): 15% Exam: 45%

Presentations will be delivered by individuals, pairs, or groups of 3. In pairs and groups, each student will receive the same mark in order to encourage teamwork in the preparation process. Students will be required to deposit their powerpoint presentation on Moodle.

Feedback for both essay and presentation will follow current departmental practice. Presentations will be recorded (audio only) and students will be sent feedback by email. The feedback will contain two to three paragraphs of prose. The essay will focus on one submodule which must not be the submodule they have studied for their presentation. Written feedback will inform revision for the exam.

In the written examination (45%) students will pick one question out of several proposed options and write an essay responding to that question. The questions will address the concepts and material discussed in the lectures and seminars. Students must choose a question on a topic they have not studied in either their presentation or their CWA essay for DELC364.

FREN100: Part I French Studies (Beginners to CEFR: A2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None; evidence of language-learning ability; entry at A1 level within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

Course Description

If you have never learnt French, this module is for you. It provides an intensive introduction to the language and will equip you grammatically and linguistically for further study. The module covers reading, writing, the foundations of grammar, plus speaking and listening skills for four hours per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on French culture and its European context. Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Language in context is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

The module is devised to enable you to:

• Speak, understand read and write the relevant language at a A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
• Develop your understanding of the principles of grammar (in both English and the relevant language)
• Develop techniques and strategies in learning a language
• Develop your confidence in using the language in various settings
• Acquire initial awareness of current affairs in the country where the language is spoken

Outline Syllabus

This module combines work in French Language with a History, Culture and Identity module that looks at how key moments in French history have shaped contemporary French culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The language component of FREN100 is an intensive module which takes students from beginners' level to high A2/B1 level standard in 25 weeks of study. There are four language seminars per week, of which at least one is normally conducted by a French native speaker. Tutorials are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of French grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed under the guidance of French native speakers using audio and video materials. In addition, one independent language hour is dedicated to computer-based exercises.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. Language coursework assessments during the year include a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Culture is assessed by coursework and examination. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall result.

Students are encouraged to watch French films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit French-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN101: Part I French Studies (Advanced/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Good French language; entry at B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

If you already have a good knowledge of the language, this module is designed to help you achieve higher levels of oral fluency and written accuracy while extending your knowledge of 20^th century literature, thought and history. You will attend three hours of language seminars per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on French culture and its European context. Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Culture is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

• Consolidate and develop language skills already acquired at Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B1
• Enable you to speak and write accurately in French at an advanced level and to acquire advanced skills in reading and listening comprehension.
• Reinforce and expand the knowledge of French grammar, and increase your awareness of the way English works so that you can make comparisons.
• Enable and encourage you to learn about and appreciate the relevant contemporary culture and to form (and express in target language ) your own views on certain topics and issues.
• Assist you to improve your ability to learn a language and to absorb information systematically and to contribute to your personal, social and cognitive development.

Outline Syllabus

The Part I module in French Studies at Lancaster combines work in French Language with a History, Culture and Identity module that looks at how key moments in French history have shaped contemporary French culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The FREN101 module will give you the opportunity to undertake a range of language work that will consolidate your work in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) B level, taking you from B1 through to high B1/B2. The module will focus on equipping you with an understanding of language necessary for more advanced study. There are three language seminars per week, of which at least one is normally conducted by a French native speaker. Tutorials are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of French grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed under the guidance of French native speakers using audio and video materials.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. There are six language coursework assessments during the year, comprising a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall result. Culture is assessed by coursework and examination.

Students are encouraged to watch French films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit French-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN200: French Language: Oral Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits.
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module- 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken with FREN201:  French Language:  Written Skills
  • Extensive French language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200/201 module, comprising three hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

FREN200 and FREN201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in French-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in French-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The FREN200 element comprises of oral and aural skills and is taken with the FREN201 element, the writing and reading skills. The units cannot be taken separately. FREN200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

FREN200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where French is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in French are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the FREN200/201 modules will attain a high B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the FREN200/201 modules will attain a B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN200i: French Language: Oral skills (post-Beginners/CEFR: B1))

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits.
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with FREN201i
  • Good French language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

FREN200i and FREN201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in French-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in French-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The FREN200i (Intensive) element comprises the oral and aural skills and is taken with the FREN201i element; writing and reading skills. FREN200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of FREN200i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the FREN200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN201: French Language: Written Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with FREN200 French Language: Oral Skills
  • Extensive French language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200/201 module, comprising three hours per week,is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. The module aims to enhance your linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the target language are used throughout the module. The module also aims to broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions

Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

FREN200 and FREN201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in French-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in French-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The FREN201 element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the FREN200 element oral and aural skills. The units cannot be taken separately. FREN200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

FREN200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where French is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in French are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the FREN200/201 modules will attain a B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN201i: French Language: Written Skills (post-Beginners/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits.
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits.
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with FREN200i
  • Good French language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

FREN200 & FREN201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in French-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in French-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The FREN201i element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the FREN200i element; oral and aural skills. These units cannot be taken separately. FREN200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of FREN201i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers.A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the FREN200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN233: Shaping Contemporary France: Moments and Movements

• Terms Taught: Full Year module
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

‘Shaping Contemporary France: Moments and Movements' provides students with awareness of the ‘must-know’ historical moments as well as political and aesthetic movements that have shaped French and Francophone cultures, while systematically enhancing their skills of cultural analysis in diverse media. The course will hone their close-reading skills, yet also provide a broad awareness of French modernity through a thematic approach that casts back to key nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century texts, songs, and films that have come to define French contemporary society.

Through the topics of ‘Resistance, trauma, and memory’; ‘Colonies and conflicts, identity and alterity’; ‘The postmodern condition’; and ‘Digital art and society,’ the module takes students on a journey through key moments and movements across two centuries of French cultural history, encountering along the way some of the most radical thinkers, writers, filmmakers and creative artists that make the intellectual tradition of France so distinctive. From plays to popular songs, students will experience a stimulating range of cultural forms and be equipped with the skills to reflect critically on them as expressions of France's multi-faceted, nuanced societies.

The main aim of the module is twofold: to build students' reading knowledge of French while giving them a flavour of the rich cultural output that has defined the Francophone realm over the past two hundred years.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Develop students' knowledge and understanding of the written and spoken French language
• Introduce students to key concepts and methods in the interpretation of different kinds of text in their socio-historical context
• Enable students to engage with a history of ideas and forms focused through a series of significant moments and movements
• Develop students’ abilities to independently research, write, and present creative work
• Develop students’ abilities to participate actively in class and small group discussion

Assessment Proportions

100% coursework

CWA1: 750 word commentary on creative work* OR 1500 word comparative essay (Mich): 35%

CWA2: Learning Journal on sub-modules 1 and 2 (Michaelmas): 10%

CWA3: feed-forward session on essay plan (Lent, optional): 0%

CWA4: Learning Journal on sub-modules 3 and 4 (Lent): 10%,

CWA5: 2,500-word essay (Lent/Summer): 45%

*Students are to work on a creative response to material covered in Michaelmas. Examples of pieces may include but are not limited to: audio-visual work, i.e. videos, recordings, animation; collage; drawing or other art work, e.g. graphic fiction/comic; musical piece; creative writing; interviews; performances; quiz. The creative work must be accompanied by a 750 word summary of how their piece responds to the course material.

FREN300: French Language: Oral Skills (CEFR: C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only- 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with FREN301
  • Extensive French language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 300 (oral and aural skills) and 301 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot normally be taken independently. NB: native speakers should take the written component (FREN301) only. The modules consist of three hours tuition per week, taught in the target language, often by a native speaker. Both the oral and written components cover topics of cultural and contemporary interest, with a particular focus on translation from and into the target language. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Enable and encourage students to learn about current affairs in French-speaking countries and to form and express (in French) their own views on certain topics and issues

• Increase their awareness of society and culture of contemporary French-speaking countries

• Encourage students to explore, and become familiar with, different areas of the culture of French-speaking countries

• Extend students’ knowledge and competence in the French language

• Enable students to speak French at a level as close as possible to near-native standard and to acquire equivalent skills in oral and written language by increasing vocabulary, grammatical accuracy in spoken French and improve pronunciation and intonation

• Encourage the progressive integration of authentic, idiomatic structures into the spoken language

• Equip students with the strategies for presenting critical ideas and defending them effectively to different audiences.

Outline Syllabus

Normally, FREN300 and FREN301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (FREN300) and the written language (FREN301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim of FREN300 is to maintain the momentum and progress achieved during the second year and the year abroad and to bring intellectual rigour and critical awareness to the content of the spoken language.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the French speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

FREN301: French Language: Written Skills (CEFR: C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with FREN300
  • Extensive French language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework (f Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

The module has two main aims. Firstly to enhance students' linguistic proficiency with particular reference to: (a) the understanding of spoken and written French in a variety of registers and dealing with a range of contemporary issues; (b) the speaking of French (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings; (c) the writing of French (notes, reports, summaries, essays, projects etc.) including from and into French; and (d) the systematic study of French lexis, grammar and syntax. Secondly, it aims to increase students' awareness, knowledge and understanding of contemporary French-speaking countries.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Enable and encourage students to learn about current affairs in France and to form and express (in French) their own views on certain topics and issues
• Increase their awareness of society and culture of contemporary France

• Encourage students to explore, and become familiar with, different areas of French culture
• Extend students knowledge and competence in the French language
• Enable students to speak French at a level as close as possible to near-native standard and to acquire equivalent skills in oral and written language by increasing vocabulary, grammatical accuracy in spoken French and improve pronunciation and intonation
• Encourage the progressive integration of authentic, idiomatic structures into the spoken language
• Prioritise accuracy in written language highlight the value of authenticity both when constructing students own style in writing in French as well as when rendering French into English
• Further improve writing skills by aiming at greater fluency, grammatical accuracy, use of idiomatic French and appropriate style
• Further improve reading skills by dealing with complex authentic texts, by identifying register, styles and idiomatic language
• Further improve translation skills from L2 to L1
• Further improve translation skills from L1 to L2
• Further improve summary writing skills
• Develop critical commentary writing skill
• Integrate ideas and issues relating to contemporary French society and thus reinforce language as a vehicle for greater cross-cultural awareness
• Enhance cultural background knowledge by mainly working with topical newspapers and magazine articles
• Develop an analytical and critical attitude when dealing with ideas and issues in the foreign language

Outline Syllabus

Normally, FREN300 and FREN301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (FREN300) and the written language (FREN301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim is to build on the enthusiasm and expertise garnered during the second year and the year abroad whilst channelling this enthusiasm and expertise quite consciously towards improving your French language skills even further.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the French-speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM100: Part I German Studies (Beginners to CEFR: A2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: none; evidence of language-learning ability; entry at A1 level within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

If you have never learnt German, this module is for you. It provides an intensive introduction to the language and will equip you grammatically and linguistically for further study. The module covers reading, writing, the foundations of grammar, plus speaking and listening skills for four hours per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on the country's culture and its European context. Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Culture is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

This intensive module is devised to enable you to:

• Speak, understand read and write the relevant language at A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
• Develop your understanding of the principles of grammar (in both English and the relevant language)
• Develop techniques and strategies in learning a language
• Develop your confidence in using the language in various settings
• Acquire initial awareness of current affairs in the country where the language is spoken

Outline Syllabus

This module combines work in German Language with a History, Culture and Identity module that looks at how key moments in German history have shaped contemporary German culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The language component of GERM 100 is an intensive module of study which takes students from beginners' level to high A2/B1 level standard in 25 weeks of study. There are four language seminars per week, of which at least one is normally conducted by a German native speaker. Tutorials are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of German grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed under the guidance of German native speakers using audio and video materials. In addition, one independent language hour is dedicated to computer-based exercises.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. Language coursework assessments during the year include a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Culture is assessed by coursework and examination. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall result.

Students are encouraged to watch German films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit German-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM101: Part I German Studies (Advanced/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Good French/German/Spanish language; entry at B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

If you already have a good knowledge of the language, this modules is designed to help you achieve higher levels of oral fluency and written accuracy while extending your knowledge of twentieth century literature, thought and history. You will attend three hours of language seminars per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on Germany’s culture and its European context. Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Culture is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Consolidate and develop language skills already acquired at CEFR level B1
• Enable you to speak and write accurately in German at an advanced level and to acquire advanced skills in reading and listening comprehension
• Reinforce and expand the knowledge of German grammar, and increase your awareness of the way English works so that you can make comparisons
• Enable and encourage you to learn about and appreciate the relevant contemporary culture and to form (and express in target language) your own views on certain topics and issues
• Assist you to improve your ability to learn a language and to absorb information systematically and to contribute to your personal, social and cognitive development

Outline Syllabus

Normally, GERM300 and GERM301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (GERM300) and the written language (GERM301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim is to build on the enthusiasm and expertise garnered during the second year and the year abroad whilst channelling this enthusiasm and expertise quite consciously towards improving your German language skills even further.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the German-speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM200: German Language: Oral Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught: Full Year module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM201
  • Extensive German language; entry is at high B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the GERM200/201 module, comprising three hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

GERM200 and GERM201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in German-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in German-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The GERM200 element comprises of oral and aural skills and is taken with the GERM201 element, the writing and reading skills. The units cannot be taken separately. GERM200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

GERM200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where German is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in German are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the GERM200/201 modules will attain a B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM200i: German Language: Oral Skills (post-Beginners/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM201i.
  • Good German language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the GERM200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

GERM200i and GERM201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in German-speaking countries.
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning.
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in German-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The GERM200i (Intensive) element comprises the oral and aural skills and is taken with the GERM201i element; writing and reading skills. GERM200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of GERM200i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module. The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the GERM200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM201: German Language: Written Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM200
  • Extensive German language; entry is at high B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200/201 module, comprising three hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

GERM200 and GERM201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in German-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in German-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The GERM200 element comprises of oral and aural skills and is taken with the GERM201 element, the writing and reading skills. The units cannot be taken separately. GERM200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

GERM200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where German is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in German are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the GERM200/201 modules will attain a B2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM201i: German Language: Written Skills (Post-Beginners/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM200i
  • Good German language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the 200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

GERM200i and GERM201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in German-speaking countries.
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning.
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in German-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The GERM201i element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the GERM200i element; oral and aural skills. These units cannot be taken separately. GERM200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of GERM201i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers.A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the GERM200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM233: Shaping Contemporary German-Speaking Europe: Moments and Movements

• Terms Taught: Full Year module
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

'Shaping Contemporary German-Speaking Europe: Moments and Movements' provides students with awareness of the ‘must-know’ historical moments as well as political and aesthetic movements that have shaped German-language culture, while systematically enhancing their skills of cultural analysis in diverse media. The course will hone their close-reading skills, yet also provide a broad awareness of German modernity through a non-chronological, thematic approach that casts back to key nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century texts, moments, and movements.

Through the four themes of Myth, Magic, Money and Minor Identities, the module will introduce students to key works by, for example, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Thomas Mann, Irmtraud Morgener, r and Sharon Dodua Otoo. This module thus takes students on a journey through moments and movements across two centuries of German-language cultural history, encountering along the way some of the most radical thinkers, writers, filmmakers and creative artists that make the German-language intellectual tradition so distinctive. Students will experience a stimulating range of cultural forms and be equipped with the skills to reflect critically on them as expressions of multi-faceted, nuanced societies.

The main aim of the module is twofold: to build students' reading knowledge of German while giving them a flavour of the rich cultural output that has defined the German-speaking realm over the past two hundred years.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Develop students' knowledge and understanding of the written and spoken German language
• Introduce students to key concepts and methods in the interpretation of different kinds of text in their socio-historical context
• Enable students to engage with a history of ideas and forms focused through a series of significant moments and movements
• Develop students’ abilities to independently research, write, and present creative work
• Develop students’ abilities to participate actively in class and small group discussion

Assessment Proportions

100% coursework

CWA1: 750 word commentary on creative work* OR 1500 word comparative essay (Mich): 35%

CWA2: Learning Journal on sub-modules 1 and 2 (Michaelmas): 10%

CWA3: feed-forward session on essay plan (Lent, optional): 0%

CWA4: Learning Journal on sub-modules 3 and 4 (Lent): 10%,

CWA5: 2,500-word essay (Lent/Summer): 45%

*Students are to work on a creative response to material covered in Michaelmas. Examples of pieces may include but are not limited to: audio-visual work, i.e. videos, recordings, animation; collage; drawing or other art work, e.g. graphic fiction/comic; musical piece; creative writing; interviews; performances; quiz. The creative work must be accompanied by a 750 word summary of how their piece responds to the course material.

GERM300: German Language Oral Skills (CEFR: C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM301
  • Extensive German language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 300 (oral and aural skills) and 301 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot normally be taken independently. [NB: native speakers should take the written component (GERM301) only.] This module consists of three hours tuition per week, taught in the target language, often by a native speaker. Both the oral and written components cover topics of cultural and contemporary interest, with a particular focus on translation from and into the target language. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Enable and encourage students to learn about current affairs in German-speaking countries and to form and express (in German) their own views on certain topics and issues

• Increase their awareness of society and culture of contemporary German-speaking countries

• Encourage students to explore, and become familiar with, different areas of the culture of German-speaking countries

• Extend students’ knowledge and competence in the German language

• Enable students to speak German at a level as close as possible to near-native standard and to acquire equivalent skills in oral and written language by increasing vocabulary, grammatical accuracy in spoken German and improve pronunciation and intonation

• Encourage the progressive integration of authentic, idiomatic structures into the spoken language

• Equip students with the strategies for presenting critical ideas and defending them effectively to different audiences.

Outline Syllabus

Normally, GERM300 and GERM301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (GERM300) and the written language (GERM301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim of GERM300 is to maintain the momentum and progress achieved during the second year and the year abroad and to bring intellectual rigour and critical awareness to the content of the spoken language.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the German speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

GERM301: German Language Written Skills (CEFR C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with GERM300
  • Extensive German language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

The module has two main aims. Firstly to enhance students' linguistic proficiency with particular reference to: (a) the understanding of spoken and written German in a variety of registers and dealing with a range of contemporary issues; (b) the speaking of German (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings; (c) the writing of German (notes, reports, summaries, essays, projects etc.) including from and into German; and (d) the systematic study of German lexis, grammar and syntax. Secondly, it aims to increase students' awareness, knowledge and understanding of contemporary German-speaking countries.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Prioritise accuracy in written language
• Highlight the value of authenticity both when constructing students own style in writing in German as well as when rendering German into English
• Further improve writing skills by aiming at greater fluency, grammatical accuracy, use of idiomatic German and appropriate style
• Further improve reading skills by dealing with complex authentic texts, by identifying register, styles and idiomatic language
• Further improve translation skills from L2 to L1
• Further improve translation skills from L1 to L2
• Develop critical commentary writing skill
• Integrate ideas and issues relating to contemporary German society and thus reinforce language as a vehicle for greater cross-cultural awareness
• Enhance cultural background knowledge by mainly working with topical newspapers and magazine articles
• Develop an analytical and critical attitude when dealing with ideas and issues in the foreign language

Outline Syllabus

Normally, GERM 300 and GERM 301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (GERM300) and the written (GERM301) language modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of three hours tuition per week. GERM300/301 will focus on maintaining the momentum and progress already achieved and to bring intellectual rigour and critical awareness to the content of the spoken language, and improving students German language skills even further.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the German speaking world, but they should also have acquired near native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

ITAL100: Part I Italian Studies (Beginners to CEFR: A2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Evidence of language-learning ability; entry at A1 level within the Common European Framework of Reference(CEFR).

Course Description

If you have never learnt Italian, this module is for you. It provides an intensive introduction to the language and will equip you grammatically and linguistically for further study. The module covers reading, writing, the foundations of grammar, plus speaking and listening skills for four hours per week. Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class.

Educational Aims

This intensive module is devised to enable you to:

• Speak, understand read and write the relevant language at a A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
• Develop your understanding of the principles of grammar (in both English and the relevant language)
• Develop techniques and strategies in learning a language
• Develop your confidence in using the language in various settings
• Acquire initial awareness of current affairs in the country where the language is spoken

Outline Syllabus

ITAL 100 is an intensive module of study which takes students from beginners' level to Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) A2 level standard in 25 weeks of study. There are four language seminars per week including one class devoted entirely to the acquisition and development oral skills.

Tutorials are based on a textbook and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and an understanding and competence in the use of a range of Italian grammatical structures. Topics relating to Italian culture are integrated within the language seminars. One independent language hour is dedicated to computer-based exercises.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. Language coursework assessments during the year include a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall result. Students are encouraged to watch Italian films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit Italian-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of reading, listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

ITAL200i: Italian Language: Oral skills (post Beginners /CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 US semester credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 US semester credits.
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits.
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits.
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with ITAL201i
  • Good French/German/Italian/Spanish language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the ITAL200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

ITAL200i and ITAL201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Italian-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Italian-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The ITAL200i (Intensive) element comprises the oral and aural skills and is taken with the ITAL201i element; writing and reading skills. ITAL200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of ITAL200i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the ITAL200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

ITAL201i: Italian Language: Written skills (post Beginners /CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with ITAL200i
  • Good Italian language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the ITAL200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

ITAL200i and ITAL201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Italian-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Italian-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The ITAL201i element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the ITAL200i element; oral and aural skills. These units cannot be taken separately. ITAL200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of ITAL201i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the ITAL200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

ITAL300i: Italian language: Oral and Aural skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module- 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with ITAL301i
  • Extensive Italian language; entry is at B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 300i (oral and aural skills) and 301i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot normally be taken independently. This module consists of three hours tuition per week, taught in the target language, mostly by a native speaker. Both the oral and written components cover topics of cultural and contemporary interest, with a particular focus on translation from and into the target language. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Develop students' abilities to speak accurately in Italian at an advanced level, which includes conveying factual information, expressing ideas and opinions, describing and narrating events, and to develop a wider-ranging vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions and different registers
• Develop students' abilities to listen to extracts of radio or television programmes, and to understand both their general gist and many specific details
• Develop students' abilities to speak Italian accurately and fluently, with good pronunciation, and be able to sustain oral presentations
• Enable and encourage students to learn about and appreciate the contemporary culture of Italy and to form (and express in Italian)their own views on certain topics and issues

Outline Syllabus

Normally, ITAL 300i and ITAL 301i cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (ITAL300i) and the written (ITAL301i) language modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of three hours tuition per week.

This module involves the study of current affairs, social and cultural issues through discussion, debate, role play, and drawing on written, visual and audio materials. Students are encouraged to draw on a range of reference sources, including dictionaries, online resources and grammar books to support their learning.

The precise syllabus is changed every year to reflect current affairs in Italy. Materials are taken from a range of sources such as newspapers, magazines and videos.By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the Italian speaking world, but they should also have acquired near native abilities both in written and spoken language (B2/C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

ITAL301i: Italian Language: Written and Reading Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with ITAL300i
  • Extensive Italian language; entry is at B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 300i (oral and aural skills) and 301i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot normally be taken independently. This module consists of three hours tuition per week, taught in the target language, mostly by a native speaker. Both the oral and written components cover topics of cultural and contemporary interest, with a particular focus on translation from and into the target language. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

Consolidate and develop language skills already acquired in year 2 (Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR B1), to consolidate level B1 (threshold) level and make inroads into B2 level.

Enable students to write accurately in Italian at an advanced level and to acquire advanced skills in reading comprehension.

• Reinforce and expand the knowledge of Italian grammar, and increase awareness of the way English works so that students can make comparisons.
• Enable and encourage students to learn about and appreciate contemporary Italian culture and to form (and express in Italian ) their own views on certain topics and issues.
• Improve their ability to learn a language, to absorb information systematically and to contribute to their personal, social and cognitive development.
• Read both news and feature articles taken from the press and extracts from novels and to understand the information or argument(s) presented.
• Understand contemporary literary prose and texts that consist mainly of topic-related language.
• Translate into English and into Italian with good accuracy.

Outline Syllabus

Normally, ITAL 300i and ITAL 301i cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (ITAL300i) and the written (ITAL301i) language modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of three hours tuition per week.

Students will develop their translation skills into and out of Italian, through a variety of activities, including comparison of their own translations with published ones, discussion of translation techniques, and self-correction. They will also work on improving their writing skills and undertake independent reading in order to support grammar revision and expansion. All parts of the module are based on a variety of authentic texts.By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the Italian speaking world, but they should also have acquired near native abilities both in written and spoken language (B2/C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

PPR.337: Society & Politics in Latin America

• Terms Taught: Lent/Summer Terms only.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Politics.

Course Description

• an overview of politics of populism
• the role of the Latin American left in shaping the public discourse
• democracy and dictatorship
• the emancipatory role of religion
• the culture of everyday violence
• politics of dependency and development
• political economy of migration and the role played by external actors in shaping its cultural
• economic, social and political identity

Outline Syllabus

Indicative outline syllabus:

• Week One - History & Politics
• Week Two - Religion and Society
• Week Three - Migration & Mass Movement
• Week Four - Culture and Violence
• Week Five - Regional Integration
• Week Six - The Big Players (ABC & M of LA)
• Week Seven - Islands in the Stream (Politics of the Greater Caribbean)
• Week Eight - Foreign Policy
• Week Nine - China in LA
• Week Ten - Evolving L. America (D, P&D)
• Week Eleven - Revision & Recap

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.392c: The Ethics and Politics of Communication

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS Credits
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Philosophy.

Course Description

This module critically explores a range of key topics in the ethics and politics of communication. In the first half of the course, we begin by an introduction to some basic concepts in linguistics and philosophy of language – especially to do with the practical side of communication. We then focus on (a) how certain kinds of communication can bring about ethical change (e.g. making something permissible); (b) upon whether lying and other kinds of deception are permissible, and if so, when. In the second half we turn to some broadly political issues: whether political lying is justified in a way that everyday lying is not. We consider three domains where freedom of communication is both important and contentious: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom on social media, including the challenges posed by "content moderation".

Educational Aims

These Seminar options are mounted specifically to provide work at an advanced level for third year single and combined major students. Special Subject classes run as seminars: the tutor convenes the group and suggests reading but does not lecture. Students are required to attend special subject seminars regularly. Each seminar group member takes their turn in making a presentation to the seminar, and it is the presentation that forms the basis for the seminar discussion. It also forms the basis for the submitted written coursework. In recent years, special subjects have included Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Hannah Arendt; Leibniz; feminist ethics; Aesthetics; Nietzsche.

The aims are to take participants' knowledge of philosophy and skills in philosophising to advanced levels. In particular, to give participants

• advanced knowledge and understanding of a particular philosophical topic
• experience of close philosophical study, led by a tutor who has an active research interest in the topic being considered
• experience of how to benefit from working in a small study group

Assessment Proportions

• Dissertation: 100%

SPAN100: Part I Spanish Studies (Beginners to CEFR: A2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits  
• Pre-requisites: None; Evidence of language-learning ability; entry at A1 level within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

If you have never learnt Spanish this module is for you. It provides an intensive introduction to the language and will equip you grammatically and linguistically for further study. The module covers reading, writing, the foundations of grammar, plus speaking and listening skills for four hours per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on Hispanic culture and their American and European contexts.

Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Culture is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

This Module is devised to enable you to:

• Speak, understand read and write the relevant language at A2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
• Develop your understanding of the principles of grammar (in both English and the relevant language)
• Develop techniques and strategies in learning a language
• Develop your confidence in using the language in various settings
• Acquire initial awareness of current affairs in the country where the language is spoken

Outline Syllabus

This module combines work in Spanish Language with a History, Culture and Identity module that looks at how key moments in Spanish history have shaped contemporary Spanish culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The language component of SPAN 100 is an intensive module of study which takes students from beginners' level to high A2/B1 level standard in 25 weeks of study. There are four language seminars per week, of which at least one is normally conducted by a Spanish native speaker. Tutorials are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Spanish grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed under the guidance of Spanish native speakers using audio and video materials. In addition, one independent language hour is dedicated to computer-based exercises.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. Language coursework assessments during the year include a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Culture is assessed by coursework and examination. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall Part I result.

Students are encouraged to watch Spanish films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit Spanish-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN101: Part I Spanish Studies (Advanced/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module -  10 US semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 4 US semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 20 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 8 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: Good Spanish language; entry at B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference(CEFR).

Course Description

If you already have a good knowledge of the language, this module is designed to help you achieve higher levels of oral fluency and written accuracy while extending your knowledge of twentieth century literature, thought and history. You will attend three hours of language classes per week. In addition, weekly or fortnightly lectures and seminars will focus on Hispanic Cultures and their American and European contexts.

Assessment of language is by written and oral examination in the Summer term in conjunction with coursework and regular assessments in class. Culture is also assessed by examination and coursework.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Consolidate and develop language skills already acquired at 'A'/ 'A/S' level (in Council of Europe framework terms, you will be a B category independent user, and consolidate level B1 (threshold) level and make inroads into B2 (vantage) level
• Enable you to speak and write accurately in Spanish at an advanced level and to acquire advanced skills in reading and listening comprehension
• Reinforce and expand the knowledge of Spanish grammar, and increase your awareness of the way English works so that you can make comparisons
• Enable and encourage you to learn about and appreciate the relevant contemporary culture and to form (and express in target language ) your own views on certain topics and issues
• Assist you to improve your ability to learn a language and to absorb information systematically and to contribute to your personal, social and cognitive development

Outline Syllabus

This module in Spanish Studies at Lancaster combines work in Spanish Language with a History, Culture and Identity module that looks at how key moments in Spanish history have shaped contemporary Spanish culture (film, plays, novels etc.).

The SPAN101 module will give you the opportunity to undertake a range of language work that will consolidate your work in Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR B (Independent User) level, taking you from B1 Threshold through to high B1/B2 Vantage level. The module will focus on equipping you with an understanding of language necessary for more advanced study. There are three language classes per week, of which at least one is normally conducted by a Spanish native speaker. Tutorials are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Spanish grammatical structures. Listening and speaking skills are developed under the guidance of Spanish native speakers using audio and video materials.

Assessment is divided between coursework and examination. There are six language coursework assessments during the year, comprising a wide variety of speaking, listening and written exercises. Marks received for these are combined with the June examination marks in spoken and written language to produce the overall Part I result. Culture is assessed by coursework and examination.

Students are encouraged to watch Spanish films on DVD/television or at the cinema, to visit Spanish-speaking countries during the vacation, and to take every opportunity of listening to and speaking the language.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN200: Spanish Language: Oral Skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN201
  • Extensive Spanish language; entry is at high B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the SPAN200/201 module, comprising three hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

SPAN200 and SPAN201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Spanish-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Spanish-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The SPAN200 element comprises of oral and aural skills and is taken with the SPAN201 element, the writing and reading skills. The units cannot be taken separately. SPAN200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

SPAN200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarise themselves with the culture and the society of countries where Spanish is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in Spanish are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying the SPAN200/201 modules will attain a B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN200i: Spanish Language: Oral Skills (post Beginners/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN201i
  • Good Spanish language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference(CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the SPAN200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

SPAN200i and SPAN201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Spanish-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning.
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Spanish-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The SPAN200i (Intensive) element comprises the oral and aural skills and is taken with the SPAN201i element; writing and reading skills. SPAN200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of SPAN200i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the SPAN200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN201: Spanish Language: Written skills (CEFR: B2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN200
  • Extensive Spanish language; entry is at high B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200 (oral and aural skills) and 201 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the SPAN200/201 module, comprising three hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

SPAN200 and SPAN201 aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Spanish-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking and writing the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Spanish-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The SPAN200 element comprises of oral and aural skills and is taken with the SPAN201 element, the writing and reading skills. The units cannot be taken separately. SPAN200/201 consists of three hours per week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

SPAN200/201 will consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired and equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where Spanish is spoken. The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on speaking and listening (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings. It will also focus on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in Spanish are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions. It is expected that students studying on the SPAN200/201 modules will attain a B2 level (Independent User/Vantage) in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN201i: Spanish Language: Written Skills (post Beginners/CEFR: B1)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year course - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN200i
  • Good Spanish language; entry is at high A2/B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 200i (oral and aural skills) and 201i (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot be taken independently. The general aim of the SPAN200i/201i module, comprising four hours per week, is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills already acquired. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Educational Aims

SPAN200i and SPAN201i aim to:

• Enhance students' comprehension of the spoken language, as it is used both in relatively formal speech, and in everyday "real-life" situations of the kind that one will encounter in Spanish-speaking countries
• Develop both general and accurate listening comprehension skills, especially via exposure to radio or television programmes, to introduce computer-based aids and resources for language learning.
• Develop good, accurate pronunciation and intonation as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar and vocabulary when speaking the language
• Encourage expression of views, articulate arguments and foster confident conversational and written work
• Equip students with vocabulary, phrases and appropriate structures
• Familiarise students with current topics
• Enhance students' ability to understand and translate texts accurately from a variety of (mainly contemporary) sources, and to explore characteristic features of different styles and registers
• Increase awareness of the structure and variation of the language studied
• Develop sensitivity to a range of stylistic norms and varieties
• Help students read, comprehend and summarise the language accurately, in a variety of texts
• Improve the knowledge of grammar
• Produce written target language that is fluent, expressive, well-formed and grammatically accurate for this level
• Enhance students' understanding and awareness of some of the current issues in Spanish-speaking countries

Outline Syllabus

The SPAN201i element comprises of the writing and reading skills and is taken with the SPAN200i element; oral and aural skills. These units cannot be taken separately. SPAN200i/201i consists of 4 hours/week covering oral and listening skills as well as grammar, translation and writing skills.

The general aim of SPAN201i is to consolidate and build on the linguistic skills acquired in the first year and to equip students with the level of competence and confidence they will require in order to familiarize themselves with the culture and the society of countries where their studied language is spoken.The module aims to enhance students' linguistic proficiency; with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers. A systematic study of the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the language forms a specific component of the module. Contemporary written and audio-visual materials in the L2 language are used throughout the module.

The module also aims to broaden and deepen students' knowledge and understanding of different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions and to prepare students for residence abroad.

It is expected that students studying on the SPAN200i/201i modules wishing to attain a good (2.i/first) level will have elements of B1 (Independent User/Threshold level) of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN233: Shaping Contemporary Spain and Latin America: Moments and Movements

• Terms Taught: Full Year module.
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

'Shaping Contemporary Spain and Latin America: Moments and Movements' provides students with awareness of the ‘must-know’ historical moments as well as political and aesthetic movements that have shaped Spanish and Latin American culture, while systematically enhancing their skills of cultural analysis in diverse media. The course will hone their close-reading skills, yet also provide a broad awareness of Hispanic modernity through a thematic approach that goes back to key Golden Age, nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first-century texts, moments, and movements.

The modules on the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro), Historical Memory, Revolutions and Dictatorships will be based on Spanish and Spanish American texts, both visual and literary, from the period of empire through to the present day, highlighting themes such as power, resistance, trauma, gender, ethnicity and nation. Writers, artists and filmmakers will be studied in their historical and cultural contexts, with due regard to any relevant global trends such as imperialism, colonialism, postcolonialism, democracy, neoliberalism and nationalism. This module thus takes students on a journey through six centuries of Spanish and Latin American cultural history, encountering along the way some of the most radical thinkers, writers, filmmakers and creative artists that make the intellectual tradition of Spain and Latin America so distinctive. Students will experience a stimulating range of cultural forms and be equipped with the skills to reflect critically on them as expressions of Spain and Spanish America's multi-faceted, nuanced societies.

The main aim of the module is twofold: to build students' reading knowledge of Spanish while giving them a flavour of the rich cultural output that has defined the Spanish-speaking realm over the past seven hundred years.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Develop students' knowledge and understanding of the written and spoken Spanish Language
• Introduce students to key concepts and methods in the interpretation of different kinds of texts in their socio-historical context
• Enable students to engage with a history of ideas and forms focused through a series of significant moments and movements
• Provide students with an outline of the major political, social and cultural events of Spanish history since the time of the Spanish Empire
• Develop students' capacity to reflect on the connections between and the interpretation of those political, social and cultural events
• Encourage students to reflect on the relationship between historical and contemporary societies
• Develop students’ abilities to independently research, write, and present creative work
• Develop students’ abilities to participate actively in class and small group discussion.

Assessment Proportions

100% coursework

CWA1: 750 word commentary on creative work* OR 1500 word comparative essay (Mich): 35%

CWA2: Learning Journal on sub-modules 1 and 2 (Michaelmas): 10%

CWA3: feed-forward session on essay plan (Lent, optional): 0%

CWA4: Learning Journal on sub-modules 3 and 4 (Lent): 10%,

CWA5: 2,500-word essay (Lent/Summer): 45%

*Students are to work on a creative response to material covered in Michaelmas. Examples of pieces may include but are not limited to: audio-visual work, i.e. videos, recordings, animation; collage; drawing or other art work, e.g. graphic fiction/comic; musical piece; creative writing; interviews; performances; quiz. The creative work must be accompanied by a 750 word summary of how their piece responds to the course material.

SPAN300: Spanish Language: Oral Skills (CEFR: C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module - 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN301
  • Extensive Spanish language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

Modules 300 (oral and aural skills) and 301 (written and reading skills) are two integrated components of the module that cannot normally be taken independently. This module consists of three hours tuition per week, taught in the target language, often by a native speaker. Both the oral and written components cover topics of cultural and contemporary interest, with a particular focus on translation from and into the target language. Assessment is by coursework, regular assessments in class and an end of year written and oral examination.

Note: Native speakers should take the written component (301) only.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Enable and encourage students to learn about current affairs in Spanish-speaking countries and to form and express (in Spanish) their own views on certain topics and issues
• Increase their awareness of society and culture of contemporary Spanish-speaking countries
• Encourage students to explore, and become familiar with, different areas of the culture of Spanish-speaking countries
• Extend students’ knowledge and competence in the Spanish language
• Enable students to speak Spanish at a level as close as possible to near-native standard and to acquire equivalent skills in oral and written language by increasing vocabulary, grammatical accuracy in spoken Spanish and improve pronunciation and intonation
• Encourage the progressive integration of authentic, idiomatic structures into the spoken language
• Equip students with the strategies for presenting critical ideas and defending them

Outline Syllabus

Normally, SPAN300 and SPAN301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (SPAN300) and the written language (SPAN301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim of SPAN300 is to maintain the momentum and progress achieved during the second year and the year abroad and to bring intellectual rigour and critical awareness to the content of the spoken language.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the Spanish speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%

SPAN301: Spanish Language: Written Skills (CEFR: C1/C2)

• Terms Taught:
  • Full Year module
  • Michaelmas Term only
  NOTE: If you are studying with us for a Full Academic Year and you select a module that has full year and part year variants, you will not be allowed to take only part of the module.
• US Credits:
  • Full Year module- 4 semester credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 2 semester credits
• ECTS Credits:
  • Full Year module - 7.5 ECTS credits
  • Michaelmas Term only - 3.75 ECTS credits
• Pre-requisites:
  • This module must be taken in conjunction with SPAN300
  • Extensive Spanish language; entry is at C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Course Description

The module has two main aims. Firstly to enhance students' linguistic proficiency with particular reference to: (a) the understanding of spoken and written Spanish in a variety of registers and dealing with a range of contemporary issues; (b) the speaking of Spanish (prepared and spontaneous) in a range of formal and semi-formal settings; (c) the writing of Spanish (notes, reports, summaries, essays, projects etc.) including from and into Spanish; and (d) the systematic study of Spanish lexis, grammar and syntax. Secondly, it aims to increase students' awareness, knowledge and understanding of contemporary Spanish-speaking countries.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Enable and encourage students to learn about current affairs in Spain and to form and express (in Spanish) their own views on certain topics and issues
• Increase their awareness of society and culture of contemporary Spain
• Encourage students to explore, and become familiar with, different areas of Spanish culture
• Extend students knowledge and competence in the Spanish language
• Enable students to speak Spanish at a level as close as possible to near-native standard and to acquire equivalent skills in oral and written language by increasing vocabulary, grammatical accuracy in spoken Spanish and improve pronunciation and intonation
• Encourage the progressive integration of authentic, idiomatic structures into the spoken language
• Prioritise accuracy in written language highlight the value of authenticity both when constructing students own style in writing in Spanish as well as when rendering Spanish into English
• Further improve writing skills by aiming at greater fluency, grammatical accuracy, use of idiomatic Spanish and appropriate style
• Further improve reading skills by dealing with complex authentic texts, by identifying register, styles and idiomatic language
• Further improve translation skills from L2 to L1
• Further improve translation skills from L1 to L2
• Develop critical commentary writing skill
• Integrate ideas and issues relating to contemporary Spanish society and thus reinforce language as a vehicle for greater cross-cultural awareness
• Enhance cultural background knowledge by mainly working with topical newspapers and magazine articles
• Develop an analytical and critical attitude when dealing with ideas and issues in the foreign language

Outline Syllabus

Normally, SPAN300 and SPAN301 cannot be taken independently. Both the oral (SPAN300) and the written language (SPAN301) modules focus on particular topics of cultural and contemporary interest. Together they consist of 3 hours tuition per week. The general aim is to build on the enthusiasm and expertise garnered during the second year and the year abroad whilst channelling this enthusiasm and expertise quite consciously towards improving your Spanish language skills even further.

By the end of the module, students should not only have developed an informed interest in the society and culture of the Spanish-speaking world, but they should also have acquired near-native abilities both in written and spoken language (C1/C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 60%
• Exam: 40%