You will acquire not only increased fluency in French or Spanish and greater awareness of key issues in the foreign society in which you are living, but you will also become increasingly self-confident and autonomous in your linguistic and employability skills. Completion of the placement abroad will enable you to identify key skills and qualities which are being developed during the placement thus enhancing your future employability.

The placement abroad is an accredited year-long placement. It consists of a work placement as an English Language Assistant through the British Council.

Emphasis will be placed upon the development of your employment potential, the consolidation of your professional profile, and the nurturing of your critical approach to sources relevant to the French/ Spanish-speaking world.

Throughout your placement you will be supported by a supervisor in situ as well as placement and guidance tutors. Your tutors and supervisor will liaise to ensure that the placement abroad meets the learning outcomes set for the module and you are developing both your employability and linguistic skills. Your tutors and supervisor will fulfil their enhanced duty of care to ensure your well-being during the placement abroad. You will have the opportunity to prepare for your placement abroad through information meetings and tutorials. You will be able to access learning and information material through Blackboard and will be in regular communication with your tutors via e-mail throughout your placement.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

• You will consolidate your ability to recognise and compose in different styles and registers, including business related vocabularies and registers, extending your knowledge of applied terminology relevant to economic, business, political and socio-cultural issues in the French/Spanish world and for the Modern Languages graduate (MLO1).

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

• You will develop the foreign language skills required in a working environment, demonstrating your knowledge of more complex lexical and syntactic structures in the target language (MLO2).
• You will be able to initiate and maintain written and verbal communication in response to familiar and unfamiliar demands in professional and business environments (MLO3).
• You will be able to use the linguistic and methodological skills needed to tackle fieldwork and academic research commensurate with level 5 (MLO4).


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• You will develop an expert understanding of global ethical issues in business and employment environments (MLO5).

The Formative assessment will enable you to demonstrate, on a regular basis, that you are building towards achieving all MLOs

Summative assessment consists of a portfolio of assessment including the following:

• 1,500 word report in French or Spanish (40% weighting) (MLO1, 2, 4, 5)

• 500 word statement of personal achievement in French or Spanish which reflects on personal, professional and academic development during the placement and demonstrates your ability to identify key skills and qualities which you have acquired and/or developed during your placement abroad (30%) (All MLOs)

• Work-log/dossier of evidence of learning which shows how you have maximised the opportunities available to you. This may include example of tasks performed during your placemen and cultural activities you have engaged with (30%) (All MLOs).

The quality of the written language (accuracy, register) of the report/statement of personal achievement is also taken into account. Failure has to be retrieved by an oral resit-examination in semester 1 of year 4

ML4002
ML4003 OR

ML4004
ML4005 OR

ML4006
ML4007

ML5023
ML5024 OR

ML5025
ML5026 OR

ML5027
ML5028

Please find details of this module in the other sections provided.

You will focus on experiential learning to enable you to develop your linguistic and employability skills whilst immersed in the culture of the host country as an integral part of this module. The placement abroad provides you with the opportunity to develop your oral and written communicative competence in French or Spanish. Living and studying or working abroad will enable you to further develop your understanding of the business, economic, political, social and cultural environment of a French or Spanish-speaking country.

The module aims to enable you to apply your linguistic competences (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in a working environment. You will extend your knowledge of more complex lexical and syntactical structures of the French or Spanish language appropriate to the business and social environment of a wide variety of sectors and disciplines. You will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge and skills to increasingly complex situations as well as develop as an autonomous learner.