University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2021/22 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages > Modern Languages (Three Language Programme) (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1MODL024U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Ian Foster
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Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
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 three language programme draws on the seven major languages offered by the five departments within the School of Modern Languages to enable students to develop a high degree of fluency and accuracy in a combination of three modern languages of international importance.
The programme also allows students to combine that fluency with a range of related literary, cultural, historical, societal and linguistic interests. The programme makes use of units offered in Czech, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish to allow students to acquire detailed specialist knowledge of aspects of the cultures associated with particular languages.
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. At the same time, there is a growing sector of language-related careers (in Translation Project Management, multilingual support and shared service centres) in which advanced knowledge of several languages is a significant asset in itself.
The diversity of provision within these degrees beyond language acquisition itself allows space for interdisciplinary interests to be developed and for advanced study in translation and interpreting theory and practice and linguistics. 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.
The three language programme will be an excellent preparation for students intending to pursue careers for which linguistic skills are central (translation, interpreting, teaching, Foreign Office, etc.), and for which a broader choice of languages is a distinct advantage. In common with the Joint and Single Honours programmes offered by the departments of the School of Modern Languages, the three language programme develops the key intellectual, cognitive, practical and personal skills offered by an Arts degree.
The third year of the programme is spent abroad, with opportunities to develop linguistic fluency and cultural awareness in all three languages.
In the first year, students will spend more time on a language that they are taking ab initio. The ab initio language units all provide both access to the threshold linguistic skills needed for further study and a basic grounding in the culture and history of the country or countries concerned. Students will divide their remaining time equally between the other two languages and associated cultural units. In the second and final years they are also required to divide their time equally between their languages (with mandatory units in each language) and associated cultural units, but may, if they choose, weight their studies towards the cultural units offered in one or more of the other languages. A small number of generic cultural or linguistic units may also be offered across all combinations. The core language units in the three languages remain mandatory throughout the degree programme.
Students enter the University to study two languages from A-level standard (or equivalent) onwards and one language at ab initio level or from GCSE standard (or equivalent).
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. |
Methods of Assessment | |
• Essays (of varying lengths) and essay-writing exercises, testing understanding of a single topic in detail (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) • Group and individual presentations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) • Examinations, testing breadth of knowledge of different subjects (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) • At levels I and H, assessment is mainly summative. • In language classes, formative assessment takes place through regular coursework assignments, and summative assessment is mainly by examination at the end of each year (grammar and comprehension tests, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension, as appropriate to level). (1, 2, 3, 4, 7) |
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 require. Units are structured to promote the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of secondary literature Language skills are refined through a variety of practical exercises, including the language work students complete during their year abroad. Students are given guidance on the use of electronic resources and required to maintain electronic communication during the Year Abroad Independent Study is also available in the final year. |
Methods of Assessment | |
• Language development skills are tested through formative and summative modes of assessment - translations, language essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension exercises (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) • Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments (1,2, 3, 4, 5, 7) • Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct written and oral questions (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) • Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations, including the Year Abroad essays and Independent Study (1,2, 3, 4, 5) |
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. Oral skills are further developed in the language classes. Research and written communication skills are developed through the writing of essays and tutors' feedback on these. Students are given guidance on independent learning, which is required in all language and non-language units. IT skills are developed when researching and producing course work. Students are given guidance on how to manage their time and work independently. 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. |
Methods of Assessment | |
• Research and IT skills are assessed through coursework, including the year-abroad dissertation (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8) • 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) (1, 2, 3, 6, 7) • Oral skills are assessed in some final-year seminar presentations, and at all levels in foreign-language oral examinations (1, 4, 5, 8) • Students are expected to manage their work effectively, and are penalised for late submission. (1, 2, 6, 7) |
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 programme has been expressly designed to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme aims and objectives. Core units in languages are geared to lead the student in the development of their language skills. The year introduces and includes preliminary work on some of the main themes and key concepts of the relevant literature, culture, history and linguistics to provide a familiarity with these disciplines. It enables students to understand the cultural heritage, historical development and modern contours of the languages concerned. The expectation is that their work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage, and the Year 1 units are designed with this in mind. In particular, an intensive 40 credit unit taken in language taken ab initio in Year 1 provides a foundation for further study to reach an advanced level in that language and to engage with a study of its culture in the following years. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge in various areas of the relevant disciplines and their capacity to evaluate their work through the wide range of options available beyond the core language unit. The themes and language readings will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and present it fluently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be developing a capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of essays and projects). Spoken and written language skills will be reinforced and enhanced. They will also be supported in developing relevant skills for the Year Abroad through language classes, seminars and dedicated briefing sessions at departmental and School level. In Year 3 (the Year Abroad) students are expected to exercise skill and sophistication in both oral and written communication in their target language. They will show understanding of how cultural difference and specificity manifests itself through national and / or regional identity by applying critical thinking to their experiences abroad. Also, they will demonstrate a focussed, individual approach to advanced language-learning, the acquisition of advanced language skills and an awareness of how to manage study projects. They are expected to organise themselves effectively and adapt with confidence to foreign environments. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
In Year 4, students are expected to have expanded the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units; the units are more closely linked to staff research interests developing the conceptual and methodological approaches used with more depth and complexity. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate information, to synthesise these in an appropriate way, to engage in sophisticated evaluation of language texts. These skills will be perfected in the writing of longer and more demanding essays, already introduced during their study abroad. There will be an emphasis on independent learning, self-directed study and research skills. |
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.
UG Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. Programmes are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research-based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive. At the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing and it is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Most programmes use credits and a 20 credit unit broadly equates to about 200 hours of student input. This includes all activities related to the teaching, learning and assessment of taught units.
A component of this is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes activities such as lectures, laboratories, tutorials and fieldwork. Some of this activity may be online and could consist of activity that is synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis).
In some programmes there are field courses and/or placements that will take place in concentrated periods of time.
Outside scheduled activities you are expected to pursue your own independent learning to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include, reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks, working on examples sheets, completing coursework, writing up laboratory notes, preparing for in-class progress tests and revising for examinations.
We recognise that many students undertake paid employment. To achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Professional Programmes
Many undergraduates in the Faculty of Health Sciences will be following the professional programmes of:
For these professional programmes, full time attendance is compulsory unless absence is formally approved. Academic activities are timetabled throughout the 5-day week and student workload is around 40 hours per week on average. Where possible, students in the early years are permitted Wednesday afternoons for sport and extra-curriculum activities. This may not be available in later years of professional programmes as when a student progresses through the curricula there is an increasing exposure to clinical and professional activities. Students in clinic or on placements may need to stay later than core times of 08.00 – 18.00 or even overnight to observe out-of-hours activities. This increasing exposure to clinical activities means that students on these professional programmes often have longer term dates than the University standard. Individual years within programmes are likely to vary in length (for example because of the timings of placements) and further information on this will be found in individual programme regulations. Another important point to note is that many of the assessments sit outside of the standard University examination timetable and are likely to be more frequent meaning that students will more oftentimes be engaged in revision activities and self-directed learning.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty Assessment and Feedback Statement for Undergraduate Students. University of Bristol access only.
The programme involves a compulsory year abroad either on study or work placements.
The 3 language units chosen 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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Select one from the following: | |||||
French Language | FREN10029 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 1 (Post A-level) | GERM10009 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 1A (Post A-level) | ITAL10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language (Post A level) | HISP10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Portuguese Language - Post A Level | HISP10307 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russian Language (for qualified entrants) | RUSS10036 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Select one from the following: (It must be a different one to the one selected above) | |||||
French Language | FREN10029 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 1 (Post A-level) | GERM10009 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 1A (Post A-level) | ITAL10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language (Post A level) | HISP10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Portuguese Language - Post A Level | HISP10307 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russian Language (for qualified entrants) | RUSS10036 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Select one from the following: | |||||
German Language 1 (ab initio) | GERM19003 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 1B (ab initio students) | ITAL10002 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language (Ab-initio) | HISP10116 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Portuguese Language | HISP10302 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Russian Language (ab initio) | RUSS10001 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language 1 | RUSS10015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Students selecting Czech RUSS10015 must take the following | |||||
Czech Language and Society | RUSS10026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Select TWO from the following:(in line with the Post A' Level language selected) | |||||
Shaping France | FREN10008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Representations of Francophone Cultures | FREN10013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
German Literature and Film: Genres, Texts, Contexts | GERM10035 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Language and Power: Introductions to German History | GERM10039 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Making of the Hispanic World, from 1492 to the present day | HISP10014 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Understanding Russia: Critical Approaches | RUSS10039 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
120 |
The 3 language units chosen at stage 2 level 5 must follow on from the language units chosen in Year 1. The 3 language units chosen 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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Select THREE from the following: | |||||
French Drama | FREN20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Paris 1857-1897 | FREN20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The French Language: Structures and Varieties | FREN20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to French Cinema | FREN20056 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
France in Ferment 1870-1940 | FREN20063 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Burning Books: Radicalism Before the Revolution | FREN20065 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
French Thought | FREN20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Francophone African Literature | FREN20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transforming the Tragic Hero(ine): 1770-1840 | GERM20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Nation: Germany 1840 - 1990 | GERM20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Effi Briest and her Afterlives | GERM20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Inventing Austria | GERM20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Destination Italy: Cultural Responses to Migration | ITAL20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Dante's Inferno (TB2) | ITAL20035 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Italian Fascism | ITAL20045 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Italian Cinema: Genre and Social Change | ITAL29007 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Republic, War and Dictatorship in Spain, 1931 - 1975 | HISP20076 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Languages of the Iberian Peninsula | HISP20088 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Mobility and Displacement in the Lusophone World | HISP20120 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to Latin American Cinema | HISP20114 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Contemporary Latin(x) American Poetry | HISP20115 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Barcelona: Culture and Representations | HISP20117 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Queer Writing and Film in the Hispanic World | HISP20118 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Latin America in the Twentieth Century: A People's History | HISP20119 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to Spanish Peninsular literature since 1850 | HISP20121 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Women's Writing in Post-War Spain | HISP21309 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 | RUSS20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Migrations of Culture | MODL20024 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture | MODL20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
World Cinemas: from national to transnational | MODL23016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Select one from the following: | |||||
French Language 2 | FREN20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 2 | ITAL20001 | 20 | Optional | A | TB-4 |
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language | HISP20101 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Select one from the following: | |||||
French Language 2 | FREN20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 2 | ITAL20001 | 20 | Optional | A | TB-4 |
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language | HISP20101 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Select one from the following: | |||||
German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 2 | ITAL20001 | 20 | Optional | A | TB-4 |
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Spanish Language | HISP20101 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Portuguese Lang for Joints/ML | HISP20302 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
120 |
The Year Abroad is 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 (3 Language Pathway) | MODL20013 | 120 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
The 3 language units chosen at stage 3 level 6 must follow on from the language units chosen in Year 2. The 3 language units chosen are must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
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.
An oral distinction may be awarded.
The alternative classified honours degree of Arts (Modern Language Studies) may be awarded on this programme. For further details please see 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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Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000