University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2021/22 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages > English and Russian (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1RUSS002U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Laurence Publicover (English)
Connor Doak (Russian) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Second School/department | Department of English |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups |
English (2023) (benchmark statement)
Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The joint-honours Russian and English degree provides students with the opportunity to study two complementary disciplines, both of which ask them to think carefully about culture and history and to pay close attention to detail while comprehending and analysing language. Students will develop distinct but also complementary skills while taking the degree: for example, while in English they will be asked to write commentaries on (or, on some modules, to translate) passages from literary texts written before 1740 in order to demonstrate their comprehension of earlier forms of English, in their chosen modern language they will, throughout the four-year degree, similarly undertake translation and commentary exercises as part of developing written and spoken language skills; in both disciplines, meanwhile, students will be provided with the opportunity to study literary texts in their social, political, and historical contexts. They will also spend a mandatory year abroad to improve their language skills and their global citizenship. This combination of skills drawn from the two fields will maximize the attractiveness of the proposed degree for the student offer and then their experience at the University.
Russian
The programme offers students the opportunity to study Russian language in the context of courses exploring aspects of Russia's rich and varied culture from the 18th century to the present day. The programme covers the following aspects of Slavonic Studies: Russian language; Russian literature and culture; elements of Russian history; and, optionally, Czech language and literature. Students are introduced to a linguistic and cultural tradition, spanning some of Europe's most important writers, literary developments and ideological trends, against the unique background of Russia's often turbulent socio-political circumstances. As a relatively rare skill, fluency in the Russian language, together with detailed knowledge and appreciation of Russian culture and customs, is in demand among a wide range of employers.
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 Russian literary or cultural 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). |
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.Essay-writing, class tests and examinations assess students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Language is formally assessed by translations, 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. 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. Separate core units in language provide intensive initial instruction for ab initio students, and consolidate and develop the existing language skills of qualified entrants. Non-linguistic units introduce some of the main themes and key concepts of classical Russian history, culture and literature. 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 Russian texts and/or documents is introduced into non-linguistic units followed by all students. The main but not exclusive focus of non-linguistic units is the 'classical' period of 19th-century Russian culture. Several units may be selected from a list of options; all are treated in greater depth and specificit 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. In Year 3, students will develop their command of spoken and written Russian during the mandatory period of residence abroad when they either follow a formal programme on instruction at and academic institution in a Russian-speaking country. Their linguistic critical, research and presentational skills will also be enhanced through the writing of dissertations in Russian during the year. |
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. |
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 of both disciplines is acquired through lectures, seminars, tutorials, directed reading and individual formative feedback. Independent research is fostered at each level of the programme, culminating with the Dissertation at level H. Language skills are developed through language classes and through the year abroad. |
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 skills are assessed through spoken, written and aural examination. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations, and essay writing. 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 | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse, evaluate and organise information, and to present reasoned arguments based on appropriate selection of evidence. 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. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Written assignments of various kinds in the mandatory and optional units impart skills in research, analysis and communication. Seminars are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations. All units make use of Blackboard. Independent learning is required in all units. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essays and other forms of written assignment test the students' ability to analyse, evaluate and organise information, and to present reasoned arguments based on appropriate selection of evidence; research skills are also assessed through written coursework and the final year dissertation. Oral presentations provide diagnostic and formative assessment of this skills. |
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 has been designed to lay the foundations which will enable the student to fulfil the programme's objectives. Mandatory units provide both knowledge and skills while optional units start students on a pathway and allow the exploration of other subject areas. The student will acquire familiarity with the main themes and concepts of their chosen disciplines and will take the first steps towards independent research. Here the expectation is that their work may require substantial direction and guidance on the development of study skills from tutors. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
Year 2 is intended to complete the foundations of skills and knowledge though the mandatory units, while the optional units expand knowledge and understanding in the students’ chosen. Students will be expected to grasp and apply the underlying concepts, principles and methods appropriate to their area of study, to show a greater degree of independence in the interpretation of evidence and construction of arguments, and to present their work effectively. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
At this level students are expected to make use of the knowledge and skills acquired in the first two years in researching and discussing topics in much greater depth. They will work at a higher level of methodological and conceptual complexity. They will be expected to work more independently in gathering and assimilating information, synthesising it in an appropriate way and engaging in the sophisticated analysis of relevant evidence. There is an emphasis on self-directed study and the development of research skills, especially through the compulsory dissertation. |
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.
Russian
In addition to its Joint Honours Russian programmes with a second language, the Department also offers single honours programmes in Russian, and Joint Programmes in Russian combined with History of Art or Philosophy or Politics.The Department has its own direct links with the following institutions for placement of students during their Year Abroad: Kuban State University, Krasnodar; The Alexandr Nevskii Orthodox School, Moscow; The Herzen University, St Petersburg; Vladimir State Pedagogical University; Voronezh State University; Republican Medical College, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Russian
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/SML/Russian///www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/SML/Russian/
Mandatory Unit Russian Language 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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List A - Take ENGL10017 and one of the language units | |||||
Russian Language (for qualified entrants) | RUSS10036 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Critical Issues | ENGL10017 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
Russian Language (ab initio) | RUSS10001 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B | |||||
Understanding Russia: Critical Approaches | RUSS10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List D: If you take RUSS10036 in list A, also take MODL10016 | |||||
Comparative Literature: What is it and how can we practise it? | MODL10016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Approaches to Poetry | ENGL10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List E - Take ENGL10043. | |||||
Literature 1550-1740 | ENGL10043 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Unit Russian Language 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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Besides the mandatory units, you must take at least one further 20cp ENGL-coded unit and at least one further RUSS or MODL-coded unit | |||||
List A Take RUSS20008. Choose either ENGL20063 in this list or ENGL20064 in list D. | |||||
Russian Language 2 | RUSS20008 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Literature 1740-1900 | ENGL20063 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B - Choose one 20cp unit from list B, list E or list E2 | |||||
Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
World Cinemas: from national to transnational | MODL23016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
African American Literature | ENGL20111 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
American Literature: 1945 to Present | ENGL29007 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Creative Writing, Prose Fiction: Representing the World | ENGL20113 | 20 | Optional | B | TB-1 |
Eighteenth-Century Women's Writing | ENGL20031 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Poetry of the 1960s | ENGL20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Revenge Tragedy | ENGL29008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Fairy Tale in English | ENGL20028 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
Literature and Trauma: 1900 to the present | ENGL20129 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Utopian Literature | ENGL20058 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Russian Orthodox Culture | RUSS20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Intermediate Czech Language | RUSS20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Revolutionary Russia, 1881-1917 | RUSS20066 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Nineteenth-Century Russian Novel | RUSS20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Migrations of Culture | MODL20024 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Writing the City: London 1550-1740 | ENGL20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Shakespeare | ENGL20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Choose either ENGL20064 in this list or ENGL20063 in list A, and one further 20cp unit. | |||||
Literature 1900-present | ENGL20064 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
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 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Popular Representation and Institutions of Culture | MODL20026 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Choose one 20cp unit from list E, list E2 or list B | |||||
Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 | RUSS20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
World Cinemas: from national to transnational | MODL23016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Arthurian Literature | ENGL20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Chaucer and Chaucerians | ENGL20061 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Old English Language and Literature | ENGL20065 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E2 - Choose one 20cp unit from list E2, list B or list E | |||||
American Avant Garde | ENGL20114 | 20 | Optional | B | TB-2 |
Black British Literature | ENGL20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Border-Worlds | ENGL20135 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Contemporary Multi-Ethnic Writing of America | ENGL20019 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Creative Writing: Poetry | ENGL20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Dangerous Books | ENGL20023 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Drinking in the words: The pleasures and pains of alcohol in British fiction and culture | ENGL20127 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Gender, Desire and the Renaissance Stage | ENGL20206 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Literature and the Sea: The Seafarer to The Shipping News | ENGL20020 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Large, Loose, Baggy Monsters: Victorian Fiction and Novel Form | ENGL20128 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Author as Character | ENGL20048 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Writing the Margins: Early Modern Race, Gender, and Nation | ENGL20131 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Writing the Working Classes | ENGL20030 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Art of Grief | ENGL20116 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List F | |||||
Take 20 CP From Bristol Futures, UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR choose an additional 20 CP as follows: any 20 CP from lists B or C; any Russian or Modern Languages unit from list D; any unit from list E. | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory 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 TB-1 | MODL20014 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
Year Abroad TB-2 | MODL20015 | 60 | Mandatory | AYEAR | |
120 |
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.
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