French and Spanish BA (Hons)

COURSE INFORMATION (2013 ENTRY)

4 years full-time

Arts, Design and Social Sciences
Lipman Building, Newcastle City Campus

This dual language degree will give you the edge on today's global job market by enabling you to develop an exceptional level of proficiency in oral and written communication skills. You will enhance your inter-cultural awareness and gain an in-depth understanding of the social, political, economic and cultural environment of the Francophone and Hispanic worlds. Interactive language seminars focus on:

• Translation

• Interpreting

• Grammar in context

• Academic writing skills

• Presentation skills 

Your language studies will be underpinned by a range of option pathways in Film, History, History of Art, Linguistics, Literature and Politics. You will strengthen your background knowledge, research and analytical skills, by developing these elements within the wider international context. Your foreign language competence will allow you access to a wealth of materials that would otherwise only be available in translation. 

Your employability will be enhanced, as the third year of the degree is usually spent on either a work/academic placement, or a similar vocationally-orientated placement, such as an approved project of voluntary work overseas, in a Francophone and/or Hispanic country.

 

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LEARNING AND TEACHING METHODS

Learning and teaching mainly takes place through lectures and seminars. Most of the seminars will give you the opportunity to develop your language skills via group work. You can also gain one-to-one guidance on your coursework

You will be required to work independently outside of scheduled teaching sessions to improve your language skills and read around your option topics. We offer a 'language buddy' system via the Electronic Language Zone User Portal in which you can find a native French or Spanish language speaker who is also studying at the University to practise using the target languages.

You are supported throughout with our e-learning portal, in-house websites and blogs.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

You'll be assessed through a combination of coursework, written work and formal examination. Assessment varies by module may include translation, essay, statistical commentary, interpreting and individual or group oral presentations, all of which is supported by the use of online multimedia facilities which are central to the evaluation of your progress.

CAREERS

Employability is built into the programme and we came top of The Guardian league table in 2011 for graduate employability. Graduates have entered a huge range of fields including banking and finance, law, export management, sales and marketing, travel and tourism, administration, project management, human resources, sport, cultural management, teaching, translating and interpreting, central and local government and many more.

The Northumbria Language Centre has a vast array of contacts with the business community, both locally and internationally, and we draw upon this wealth of expertise to assist our students. Modules are also geared towards employability by focusing on the business environment in France and/or Spain and you will develop skills such as writing CVs and covering letters to work in France and/or Spain, along with interview techniques and will have mock interview practise.

Key speakers including employers from various industries and former students who now work in roles that require the use of languages are invited to speak to students and give presentations on their own professional experiences.

You will have the opportunity to take a work placement with Proctor and Gamble at the end of your second year and your third year is spent abroad, providing the opportunity to gain valuable work experience as well as developing your language skills.

Tailor-made careers sessions are delivered by the Careers and Employment Service in the final year and students benefit from regular talks from Proctor and Gamble and employment opportunity presentations provided by Pertemps. 

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Northumbria University has taken reasonable care to ensure that the information published is accurate at the time of publication. However, the University gives no warranty or representation as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the information.