University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2020/21 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > School of Modern Languages > English and Italian (BA) > Specification
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Programme code | 1ITAL002U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Laurence Publicover (English)
Tristan Kay (Italian) |
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 Italian 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.
Italian
The programme provides the opportunity to study the language, culture and linguistics of Italy and another subject of your choice.For the Italian programme:The programme is designed to allow students to achieve of a command of spoken and written Italian at a high level of fluency and accuracy.It also offers students the opportunity to study aspects of Italian Culture and Linguistics that will provide an understanding of Italy's rich diversity from the Middle Ages to the present day. The programme offers a multidisciplinary approach to cultural study through which students develop skills in interpreting a range of texts. Attention to the importance of historical context in understanding issues of cultural production and reception provides students with a thorough understanding of Italy's complicated heritage. This complexity is also mirrored in the study of Italian Linguistics that familiarises students with the languages and dialects of Italy as a scientific discipline.The programme offers an excellent multidisciplinary training and equips students with advanced practical language skills. Graduates enter employment in a wide variety of contexts making use of their language skills and of the skills and values characteristic of a Humanities degree.
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 | |
Weekly formative assessment to support all aspects of language learning: 1-8 |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, class discussion, oral presentation and essay writing |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing and oral presentations test ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to give oral presentations and engage in class discussion |
Methods of Assessment | |
All non-language units are assessed through written coursework and oral presentations requiring a detailed and expansive handling of secondary literature and extensive reading to support conclusions. |
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 is designed to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme's aims and objectives. Students take the language unit appropriate to their level of entry. Language units address the development of key language skills. Mandatory units in twentieth-century literature and contemporary society introduce students to key areas of study offered in the programme. Students will gain a broad grounding in the discipline and its methodological concerns. This will also allow them to make informed choices about which units to select in future years. The Project (available as an optional unit for post Alevel students) is designed to develop independent research skills as an integral part of the programme from the outset. It is expected that students' work may require considerable direction from staff at this stage. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
Students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge of the discipline in both mandatory and optional units. They will develop analytical skills, and expand their ability to structure and present work effectively. Language work will be of a higher level of complexity and students will advance their ability to work creatively with Italian and improve mediation skills. Active participation in seminars and responsibility for group learning is required. There is an enhanced degree of self-directed learning (for example in the researching and writing of course work assignments) |
Level H/6 - Honours |
The Year Abroad is designed to enable students to use, reinforce and expand the language structures learnt in the first two years of the degree scheme. Written work in Italian undertaken during the Year Abroad furthers students' capacity to carry out research on primary sources. Students will develop their knowledge of Italian culture and society through first-hand experience and extend their range of key transferable skills. Students spend the entire academic year in Italy. Students will be expected to have expanded their knowledge of the subject area through the study of optional units that allow them to follow more closely their particular area of interest. 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 primary texts. There is an emphasis on self-directed study and the development of research skills. Language work draws on the knowledge of Italian culture and society that students will have developed in the course of their compulsory residence in Italy. Students will be expected to be able to use Italian creatively and accurately for a range of purposes and audiences. The receptive and productive skills that students develop in the fourth year are designed to be useful in circumstances that students may encounter in the workplace. |
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.
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
Italian
In addition to its Single Honours Italian degree, the Department also offers joint programmes in which Italian is combined with Czech, French, German, Portuguese, Russin, or Spanish.The Department currently has SOCRATES exchange links with the universities of Milan, Turin, Bologna, Siena, Modena, Palermo, Forli', Florence, Padua, Verona, Udine , Venice, and Naples, but other arrangements are also possible.
Italian
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Italian///www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Italian/
Mandatory Unit Italian 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 | |||||
Italian Language 1A (Post A-level) | ITAL10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Italian Language 1B (ab initio students) | ITAL10002 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Critical Issues | ENGL10017 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B - Take this unit only if you are taking ITAL10001 in list A | |||||
Medieval and Renaissance Italy | ITAL10034 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D | |||||
Approaches to Poetry | ENGL10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List E | |||||
Literature 1550-1740 | ENGL10043 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Modern Italy | ITAL10033 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Unit Italian 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 ITAL-coded unit | |||||
List A - Choose either ENGL20063 in this list or ENGL20064 in list D. | |||||
Literature 1740-1900 | ENGL20063 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Italian Language 2 | ITAL20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose one 20cp unit from list B, list E or list E2 | |||||
The Invention of the Renaissance Woman | ITAL20029 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Destination Italy: Cultural Responses to Migration | ITAL20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 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 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Performance Histories | THTR20010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Politics of Performance | THTR20005 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
American Avant Garde | ENGL20114 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Death and Dying in Late Medieval Literature | ENGL20126 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Fairy Tale in English | ENGL20028 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
Utopian Literature | ENGL20058 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
The Invention of the Renaissance Woman | ITAL20029 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Destination Italy: Cultural Responses to Migration | ITAL20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
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 either ENGL20064 in this list or ENGL20063 in list A, and one further 20cp unit | |||||
Literature 1900-present | ENGL20064 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Dante's Inferno (TB2) | ITAL20035 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Italian Cinema: Genre and Social Change (TB2) | ITAL20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Choose one 20cp unit from list E, list E2 or list B | |||||
Dante's Inferno (TB2) | ITAL20035 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Italian Cinema: Genre and Social Change (TB2) | ITAL20037 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
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 | TB-1 | |
Black British Literature | ENGL20041 | 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 | |
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 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Author as Character | ENGL20048 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Writing the Working Classes | ENGL20030 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Art of Grief | ENGL20116 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Literature and Science: Newton to Darwin | ENGL20054 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Author as Character | ENGL20048 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
List F | |||||
Take 20 cp From UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR you may choose an additional option unit from list A-E | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma in Higher Education | 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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