University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2018/19 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages > Czech and French (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1MODL016U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Marianne Ailes (French)
Connor Doak (Russian) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Second School/department | Department of Russian |
Third School/department | Department of French |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The joint programmes across seven major languages offered by the five departments within the School of Modern Languages enable students to develop a high degree of fluency and accuracy in a combination of two modern languages of international importance. Further options are available in Catalan, Czech and Slovak.While the Single Honours degrees available in French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Russian and Spanish allow students to acquire a more detailed specialist knowledge of the cultures associated with a particular language, the joint programmes allow students to acquire comparable levels of fluency in two languages (from the same or from separate language families) combined with a wide coverage of related literary, cultural, historical, societal and linguistic interests. The University recognises that it is the inter-relationship between the mastery of foreign languages and the development of a broad and deep appreciation of these languages' cultural, historical and societal contexts which underpins the value of degrees in Modern Languages. The diversity of provision within these degrees beyond the concentration on language acquisition itself allows for interdisciplinary interests to be developed, particularly when the cultures and histories of more than one language-speaking community are considered, as in these degree programmes. Students can expect to acquire a high level of intercultural awareness through exposure to one or more cultures in each of the modern foreign languages they study, as well as on the basis of their personal backgrounds.Joint degrees can be an excellent preparation for those students who intend to pursue careers for which linguistic skills are central (translation, interpreting, teaching, Foreign Office, etc.), and for whom a broader choice of languages is a distinct advantage. The joint programmes have in common with the Single Honours programmes offered by the departments of the School of Modern Languages the development of the key intellectual, cognitive, practical and personal skills offered by an Arts degree.These joint programmes have in common a third year spent abroad, divided equally between two countries to develop linguistic fluency and cultural awareness in both languages. Students normally divide their time equally between the two languages and associated cultural units in their first year, but in the second and final years may, if they choose, weight their studies (within a given framework) towards the cultural units offered in one or other of the two languages. A small number of generic cultural or linguistic units may also be offered across all combinations. The core language units in both major languages remain mandatory throughout the degree programme. Students may enter the University to study both languages from A-level standard (or equivalent) onwards or, with the exception of French, they may choose to study one of the two major languages at ab initio level or from GCSE standard (or equivalent). As subsidiary subjects, students of Spanish and Portuguese may also study Catalan; students of Russian may also study Czech; and students of Russian and Czech may also study Slovak.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country or countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
For non-linguistic elements of the programme: Essays (of varying lengths) and essay-writing exercises, testing understanding of a single topic in detail (2, 3, 5, 6) Class tests (seen and unseen), testing ability to interpret Czech literary texts (1, 2, 3, 5) Exams, testing breadth of knowledge of different subjects (2, 3, 5, 6) At levels I and H, assessment is mainly summative. Language is informally assessed through regular (weekly/fortnightly) coursework assignments; formally by examination at the end of each year (grammar and comprehension tests, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension, as appropriate to level) (1, 4). Only Level H language examinations contribute to the final degree. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, class discussions, oral presentations and essay writing, as well as by the independent reading and preparation these exercises necessitate. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of literature are developed progressively through the course. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives. Research skills are assessed through written coursework and dissertations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. These oral skill are further developed in the language classes (1, 3, 4, 5). Research and written communication skills are developed through feedback on essays (2, 8). Students are given guidance on independent learning, which is required in all language and non-language units (1, 7, 10, 11). Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources, informed of opportunities for C&IT training, and required to maintain electronic communication during Year Abroad (6, 9) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework, including the year-abroad dissertation. (2, 6, 9) Written skills are assessed through coursework essays; examinations; and class tests which also require the ability to process an understanding of foreign-language sources (written and/or aural) (2, 10). Oral skills are assessed in some final-year seminar presentations, and at all levels in foreign-language oral examinations (3, 4, 5) Students are expected to manage their work effectively, and are penalised for late submission. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been designed to lay the foundations, in terms both of subject-specific knowledge and skills and of more general skills and abilities, to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. The core unit in language provides intensive initial instruction for ab initio students. An additional unit combines an introduction to aspects of contemporary Czech society with comprehension-based activities using Czech texts. Non-linguistic units introduce some of the main themes and key concepts of Czech history and literature, focusing particularly on the 19th and 20th centuries. The expectation is that students' work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate an increased range and detail of knowledge in relevant areas of the discipline. Continuing development of linguistic skills places increased emphasis on independent learning, and linguistic analysis of Czech texts and/or documents is introduced into non-linguistic units followed by all students. The main focus of non-linguistic units is the 'classical' period of 19th-century Czech culture. Several units may be selected from a list of options; all are treated in greater depth and specificity than before. Students will be expected in consequence to develop their analytical skills, their ability to formulate ideas and to present them cogently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Year 4. Linguistic skills acquired over the previous three years are refined though an increased use of 'creative' (essay-writing; oral presentation) and 'mediation' (translation) skills. Students also continue to expand their knowledge of the subject-area through the study of a varied range of optional units closely linked to staff research interests. Non-linguistic units now typically combine substantial breadth with analytical depth, and more sophisticated conceptual and methodological approaches are encouraged. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate challengingly complex information, to synthesise their findings in an appropriate way, and to engage in searching analysis of target-language texts. There is an increased emphasis on independent learning. These aspects come particularly to the fore in the optional supervised dissertation, in which student with guidance chooses and works on a subject based on an interest of their own in Czech and/or Slovak Studies. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country to countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through group work in seminars, tutorials, oral presentations, essay writing and practical language work. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of data are developed. Specific units focus on other intellectual skills: problem solving and research techniques. (FREN40015, Dissertation) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment (translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises). |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations to initiate discussion, including defending their interpretations in debate with other students and staff. (1, 4, 5, 6) Oral skills are further developed in the language classes. (8, 11) Research and written communication skills are developed through the writing of essays and tutors' feedback on these. (3, 7, 9, 13) Independent learning is required in all language and non-language units. (1, 13, 14) IT skills are developed when researching and producing course work. (5, 12, 15) Students are given guidance on how to manage their time and work independently. (1, 17) Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources, and are informed of opportunities for C&IT training. (15) |
Methods of Assessment | |
Non-language units are assessed through, written examination, written coursework and oral presentations requiring detailed and informed handling of the primary literature and extensive background reading in support of the argumentation advanced. In language, oral presentations are assessed according to criteria testing the effectiveness and accuracy of delivery and the command of information. Some units require oral class presentations of a satisfactory standard in order to gain CPs. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations and through dissertations. Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the course has been expressly designed to lay the foundations, both in terms of subject-specific knowledge and skills and in terms of more general skills and abilities, which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Core units in language are geared to help students progress in the consolidation and development of their A-level (or equivalent) language skills. Mandatory non-language units cover some of the main themes and concepts of French culture, familiarising students with the literature and political/social backcloth of France and thereby introducing them to the key areas of study offered in the programme. This will enable students to make informed choices between the optional units available in future years and provide a sound basis for study in Level I. The expectation is that their work will require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that, in both mandatory and optional units, they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge and also their capacity to evaluate their work. The topics explored and source materials consulted will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and to expound it effectively with the increased requirement for seminar presentation. Language work will be of a higher level of complexity and students will develop their capacity to work accurately and creatively with French. They will be encouraged in group-work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be acquiring a heightened capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of coursework assignments). |
Level H/6 - Honours |
In Year 4, students are expected to expand the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units that allow them to pursue more closely their particular areas of interest. These units are more directly linked to staff research specialisms. Students are thereby able to benefit from a wide range of expertise at the cutting-edge of research that not only enhances their intellectual development but also serves actively to foster in them a research culture. Students will be expected to develop their ability to gather and assimilate information, synthesise it in an appropriately informed way, and engage in sophisticated evaluation of primary texts. These skills will have been enhanced through the heightened command of the French language acquired during the mandatory period of residence in a French-speaking country. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
Czech:
Bristol is one of only four institutions in the UK that offer the possibility of studying Czech language and culture to Joint Honours level.
The Department has long had close links with Masaryk University in Brno, with whom it now has a Socrates agreement. It also has close links with the Czech Embassy and Czech Centre in London, facilitating the regular involvement of staff and students in a variety of Czech cultural activities.
French:
Honours Degree programmes involving French and another subject require mandatorily that one year (Year Three) be spent abroad either entirely or for one half of the year in a French-speaking country. Many students opt to take an assistantship in a French school under a scheme organised by the French government. The French Department has SOCRATES exchange agreements exchanges with universities in, Paris, Cergy-Pontoise, Bordeaux, Aix, La Réunion and Martinique. A number of placements on stages are also taken up; some placements are recurrently available to Bristol students while others are arranged anew each year.The French Department, thanks to its size with 15 full-time teaching staff, is able to offer a rich array of internal pathways for students to follow. All the pathways place an emphasis on the development of language skills and the enhancement of the students' knowledge and expertise in a variety of genres and periods of culture selected from the wide range available. The Department received a 5 in the most recent RAE and it has always encouraged a strong synergy between research and teaching. This has resulted in the creation and development of a vibrant learning environment for students within the Department, as staff continuously upgrade existing teaching materials and introduce fresh optional units. A further source of strength in the learning experience of students comes from the interaction between French and other departments. Single honours students will normally follow Additional units taught outside the French Department. In addition, units have consistently been available as options within other departments as well as French. Thus, Romance Linguistics (FREN 30059) may be taken by students from the Departments of French, Italian Studies or Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies. Furthermore, almost all the units figuring in the programme may be followed by students of French within the School of Modern Languages. The School offers a wide variety of joint programmes involving the study of any two of the following languages: Czech, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. There are also joint programmes combining French with Latin, Drama, History of Art, Music, Philosophy, Politics, History and Law. Such students serve to enrich the intellectual environment within which teaching and learning take place within the French Department.
Mandatory Units French Language and Czech Language are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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List A | |||||
French Language | FREN10029 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Czech Language 1 | RUSS10015 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B | |||||
French Cultures in Context Not available in this year | FREN10030 | 20 | Mandatory | ||
Czech Language and Society | RUSS10026 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List E | |||||
Reading Literary and Visual Cultures in French | FREN10010 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Introduction to Czech History and Culture | RUSS10038 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Units French Language & Czech Language 2 are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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List A - Take 40 CP | |||||
French Language 2 | FREN20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose 20 CP from this list or List D | |||||
French Drama | FREN20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to Francophone African Literature | FREN20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The French Language: Structures and Varieties | FREN20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Cinema and Revolution | MODL20020 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - You must choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
French Drama | FREN20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to Francophone African Literature | FREN20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Francophone Belgian Culture: From Symbolism to bande dessinée | FREN20064 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Comic and Grotesque in Pre-Modern Culture | FREN20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Cinema and Revolution | MODL20020 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
List D - Choose 20 CP from this list or List B | |||||
French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century | FREN20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Introduction to French Cinema | FREN20056 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Comic and Grotesque in Pre-Modern Culture | FREN20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
France in Ferment 1870-1940 | FREN20063 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Gender in Post-Socialist Central and Eastern Europe | MODL20011 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - You must choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Paris 1857-1897 | FREN20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century | FREN20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
France 1940-44: Occupation and Resistance | FREN20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Take 20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B-E above | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Year Abroad units are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Year Abroad TB-1 | MODL20014 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
Year Abroad TB-2 | MODL20015 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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You may take up to two MODL-coded units from lists B-D. You must take at least 40 CP in each language studied within the degree programme. MODL30005 may count towards the 40 CP requirement in one language where a dissertation is based in the study of that language | |||||
List A - Take BOTH units | |||||
French Language 3 | FREN30001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Czech Language 3 | RUSS30029 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Les Miserables: Readings and Receptions | FREN30030 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Censor's Scissors, 1750-1830 | FREN30112 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Communism in Europe | MODL30001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Italian City: Medieval and Early Modern Cultures | MODL30020 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20 CP from this list or List F | |||||
French for Business and Enterprise | FREN30047 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Around Cubism | FREN30096 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Intellectuals and the Media in France | FREN30108 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Me, Myself, and I: The Essais of Michel de Montaigne | FREN30114 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Propaganda, Politics, and the Islamic Other: Literary Responses to the Crusades | FREN30117 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Translating in a Professional Context | MODL30010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (follow-on) | MODL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (follow-on) | MODL30012 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Follow-on Portuguese | MODL30037 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Multi- and Plurilingualism: Language Policies across Europe and Beyond | MODL30038 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
The Alchemy of Influence: Imitation, Translation, and Creativity | FREN30131 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Francophone Women Directors: Documentary Filmmaking | FREN30111 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
A Kidnapped West?: Czech Literature since 1918 | RUSS30077 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Liaison Interpreting | MODL30006 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
Pan-Africanism: ideas and archives | MODL30026 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Cultural heritage of Historic Towns and Cities in Europe and Beyond | MODL30027 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E | |||||
MODL30005 is mandatory for Single Honours Students | |||||
Independent Study 1 | MODL30005 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Gender, Sexuality and Cinema | MODL30018 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Pan-Africanism: ideas and archives | MODL30026 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Theoretical Approaches to Language Teaching | MODL30036 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F - Choose 20 CP from this list or from list C | |||||
Take 20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP from lists B or D above | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Czech and French (BA) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
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Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000