BA Modern Languages and English Language (Including Foundation Year)
Bachelor's degree
In Colchester
Description
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Type
Bachelor's degree
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Location
Colchester
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Duration
5 Years
About the course
Our BA Modern Languages and English Language (including foundation year) is open to Home, EU and international students
It will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills
This four-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further three years of study
During your Year Zero, you study four academic subjects relevant to your chosen course as well as a compulsory academic skills module
You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK
After successful completion of Year Zero in our International Academy, you progress to complete your course with the Department of Language and Linguistics
Unlike other English Language courses in the UK, our focus is not on the history of language, but on the contemporary use of English – on the way that we use language, and the ways in which language is changing
You come to understand the nature of a human social life through your study of language, exploring topics including:
The use of English in in formal and formal settings
The relationship between language and society
The structure of the English Language
The acquisition of English
You also study up to two of the languages offered at Essex: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese, completing at least one language to Mastery level
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
Reviews
Subjects
- English
- English Language
- International
- Teaching
Course programme
Studying at Essex is about discovering yourself, so your course combines compulsory and optional modules to make sure you gain key knowledge in the discipline, while having as much freedom as possible to explore your own interests. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore to ensure your course is as relevant and up-to-date as possible your core module structure may be subject to change.
For many of our courses you’ll have a wide range of optional modules to choose from – those listed in this example structure are just a selection of those available. The opportunity to take optional modules will depend on the number of core modules within any year of the course. In many instances, the flexibility to take optional modules increases as you progress through the course.
Our Programme Specification gives more detail about the structure available to our current first-year students, including details of all optional modules.
The language module that you will study will depend upon your level when you arrive in the department. We are happy to accept students with no previous knowledge of the language (except for French where an A level is required if you wish to major in this language). Please refer to the progression pathway table to find out which modules are suitable for your linguistic profile.
In your first, second and fourth year you can choose optional modules from other subject areas if you wish.
Our courses allow you to study up to two, three or four modern languages. The below example structure shows a student studying French and Spanish.
Year 0
An Introduction to the History of the United Kingdom During the Twentieth Century
Major Writers in English Literature
Political and Social Theory From Plato to the Present Day
Western Philosophy: Fundamental Questions, Major Thinkers
Academic Skills
Year 1
Sounds
Skills for Linguists
Language Variation and Change
Words and Sentences
Intensive Initial Spanish (Double Module) (optional)
Careers and Employability Skills for Languages and Linguistics
Year 2
Phonology
Semantics and Pragmatics
Analysing the structure of English
Research methods for language and linguistics
Careers and Employability Skills for Languages and Linguistics
Proficiency Level French (optional)
Advanced Spanish (optional)
Final year
Mastery Level French (optional)
Proficiency Level Spanish (optional)
Grammatical Change in the History of English (optional)
CA I - Conversation and Social Interaction (optional)
Varieties of English (optional)
Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Teaching
Teaching takes the form of lectures and seminar sessions or discussion classes
State-of-the-art technologies and materials create an ideal learning environment
Examples of practical work include digitally recording dialect speakers in a small traditional fishing community, or scouring digitised child language databanks
Activities designed to develop your practical language skills, such as role-play and class presentations
Cultural and social themes are explored through film, music, the internet, theatre and literature
Assessment
Languages assessed through role-plays and translations
Written examinations are also taken for the majority of modules at the end of each academic year
Weighted 50% coursework and 50% exams
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Additional information
BA Modern Languages and English Language (Including Foundation Year)