LA059-6-FY-CO:
Language Studies Capstone Project
2024/25
Language and Linguistics
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
08 May 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA Q140 Language Studies,
BA Q143 Language Studies (4 Years Including Foundation Year),
BA R106 Language Studies with Latin American Studies,
BA R107 Language Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year)
Building on the knowledge and skills gained in their language modules, students will conduct an independent study, under supervision, on a topic related to their chosen language (areas studied at levels 4 and 5). The topic must be approved by their supervisor. The study culminates in a project written in the target language. The project can take the form of:
- A 5,000-word capstone project: for example, a research project on an aspect of culture or society, a literature/film review and analysis (with a focus on a specific author/text or director/film), etc.
- A 4,000-word website with additional information given in web design (pages, links, structure, etc.) and content (pictures, videos, graphs, etc.).
The aims of this module are:
- To develop students' ability to conduct independent research.
- To work with varied and complex sources of information in the target language, thus having the opportunity to develop their analytical thinking and problem solving abilities.
- To expand their linguistic proficiency and communication skills in the target language.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Have a sound understanding of how to conduct independent research, gather information and report the results of research.
- Have advanced lexical and grammatical knowledge of the target language, and an in-depth understanding of the topic they have investigated.
- Have acquired useful transferable skills such as independent learning, planning and organization and editing and digital skills.
Materials placed on Moodle are essential to the module and should be treated like a textbook. They must be downloaded, printed and brought to classes. Materials will be added to Moodle when needed, and you are expected to check updates regularly.
A combination of seminar work, individual supervision in person and by email, and independent study:
- Generic (all languages) weekly support sessions (2 hours each) on research methods and academic skills in the autumn term. The first hour (compulsory) is a seminar in which the teacher provides information on the different aspects of the research project and related activities, the second (optional) is a practical session in which students work on their project in the company of their peers, with help available from the teacher.
- 3 individual supervision sessions in both autumn term and spring term.
Term 0: – Summer Term prior to final year of study:
- Select a topic for study (+ scope and range) and email a suggestion to the language teacher. A supervisor will be assigned.
- With the help of the supervisor, identify research questions, sources of information and data gathering methods and start independent research.
- Send a draft proposal to the supervisor in week 38.
- Complete a written Project Proposal* of 400 words and submit it on Moodle by week 40. This will count for 10% of the overall mark for the module.
Term 1:
- Attend the generic sessions and the individual sessions with the supervisor.
- Submit a plan and a bibliography.
- For website only: design a layout and a
- Submit short drafts of sections/sub-sections.
*Any subsequent changes to the proposal will have to be agreed by the supervisor and the module director.
Term 2:
- Submit the draft of a section or sections (1,000 words) by week 16. This is a formative piece of assessment, for which students will receive feedback but which will not count towards the final mark.
- Attend the individual sessions with the supervisor.
- Re-write the 1,000 draft in the light of the supervisor’s feedback.
- Write up the project, considering comments from the supervisor and peer review (where applicable).
- For website only: finish the design and incorporate content into
Easter break
Finalise and submit the 5,000 word capstone project (including content page, annotations/bibliography, appendices, etc.) or 4,000 word website (including references to sources) by Tuesday of week 28. This will count for 70% of the overall mark.
Term 3:
Prepare a viva to defend the work: this will consist in a 7-8 min. oral presentation in week 32, with written support (slides, bibliography), followed by 7-8 min. questions. This will count for 20% of the overall mark.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Written proposal (in English) |
|
10% |
| Coursework |
Final Dissertation |
|
70% |
| Practical |
Oral presentation (viva) |
|
20% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Ms Dounia Bissar, email: dbissar@essex.ac.uk.
Dounia Bissar, Daniela Carboni, Antonio Da Silva, Claudia Alsdorf, Teresa Torres
Dounia Bissar, Room 4.215, tel. 2213, email dbissar@essex.ac.uk. Contact teachers: Dounia Bissar (French), Daniela Carboni (Italian), Antonio Da Silva (Portuguese), Claudia Alsdorf (German), Teresa Torres (Spanish).
No
No
No
Mrs Enza Siciliano Verruccio
University of Reading
Associate Professor
Prof Maria Teresa Conde
University of Cambridge
University Professor
Ms Maria Isabel Moros
University of Exeter
Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 18 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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