Programme aims
Journalism:
- create graduates who are thoroughly grounded in the theory and practice of journalism,
- able to make sound editorial judgements and behave in a professional manner;
- help students to develop their writing and broadcasting skills to a high level;
- encourage students to develop their critical faculties, in particular to adopt an inquiring, sceptical and whole-hearted approach to their work;
- encourage students to work effectively on their own and in teams to produce the best journalism.
Modern Languages:
- enable students to become proficient in one or two modern languages, developing an appropriate level of fluency and accuracy in using the language(s) as a medium of understanding, expression and communication (both oral and written), with awareness of stylistic and sociolinguistic variation (where relevant higher-level courses can be taken).
- Offer students the opportunity to become familiar with linguistic techniques used to describe aspects of the structure of one or two modern languages.
- Equip students with a range of transferable cognitive, practical and key skills.
Students who study just one language will also have the opportunity to
- Develop a greater understanding of aspects of the culture and society of countries which use the chosen modern language(s) as a medium of communication, enabling them to draw comparisons with their own culture and observe contrasts and (through the year abroad) to experience, engage with and integrate into another culture.
- Develop skills in translation, interpreting, and creative writing, providing a foundation for further study, employment and lifelong learning.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Theoretical and practical approaches to journalism
A2: The history and evolution of journalism, the current state of the industry and its future prospects
A3: The role of publishing and broadcasting in a modern society
A4: The UK legal system, and the law, regulatory framework and codes of practice relating to journalism
A5: The characteristics and needs of a range of print, broadcast and web-based journalism, how audiences consume them and how best to serve those audiences
A6: Learn linguistic aspects of the chosen modern language(s) including sound structure, word and sentence structure, lexis, usage, and socio-stylistic variation in the chosen modern language(s)
A7: Learn linguistic concepts and metalanguage used to describe and analyse the chosen modern language(s)
A8: Aspects of the culture and society of one or more countries which use the chosen modern language(s) as a medium of communication, drawing comparisons with their own culture and observing contrasts.
A9: Learn and practice techniques of translation, interpreting, and creative writing (For students studying only one language)
A10: Learn analytic methods and techniques used to analyse texts and other authentic modern language materials from a variety of perspectives (For students studying only one language)
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback, reflective portfolios, presentations, debates, study of authentic (textual, or video, or film, or aural) materials and role-play activities, book reports, translations.
Assessment methods
A1-A5 Range of in-class tests, portfolio of work, reflective journals, group work, project work, essays and other coursework
A1: examination
A6-A10: Range on in-class tests and oral examinations, reflective portfolios, group and independent projects, quizzes, exercises, written exams, book reports, translations
(A8 to A10 relate to students studying only one language)
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Able to absorb and organise large amounts of information in a short time, applying critical techniques to assess evidence on the basis of relevance, reliability and newsworthiness
B2: Turn raw data and information into clear, accurate and engaging journalism with impact
B3: Make good decisions and present clear, well-reasoned and coherent arguments, in writing or orally, often against a deadline
B4: Exercise judgement in designing, planning and delivering journalistic output
B5: Evaluate, interpret and demonstrate critical judgement in the understanding of developments in the news, of issues and concepts, and be able dispassionately to assess one's own work and the work of others
B6: Produce independent and imaginative treatments conforming to a clear framework of values
B7: Abstract and synthesise information from a range of sources (lectures/seminars/classes, journals, books, internet, etc.) identifying central concepts and findings
B8: Interact in the chosen languages, expressing one's own ideas (and responding to those put forward by others) coherently and articulately
B9: Be able to exploit cognitive skills from one language in another
B10: Be able to exploit cultural and language awareness to solve communicative problem in both spoken and written contexts
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback, reflective portfolios, presentations, debates, study of authentic (textual, or video, or film, or aural) materials and role-play activities, book reports, translations.
Assessment methods
B1-B6: Assessment is by coursework, practical assignments, portfolios, group projects, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations.
B7-B11: Range of in-class tests and oral examinations, reflective portfolios, group and independent projects, quizzes, exercises, written exams, book reports, translations, web-based assignments involving a web search or producing web materials
C: Practical skills
C1: An ability to find, research and write news stories and features for various print, online and broadcast media
C2: An ability to conduct interviews, record information accurately and analyse it to a professional standard
C3: An ability to work in production for various media, using industry-standard software and hardware
C4: An ability to work independently, cooperatively and in editorial teams to produce finished work to agreed deadlines for various media
C5: An ability to operate in professional manner, observing ethical and legal constraints
C6: An ability to competently communicate ideas and materials in one or two modern language(s) both orally and in writing
C7: Gather and process information from different sources, e.g. doing a bibliographic search in the library, accessing material from online databases and locating and downloading appropriate foreign language materials from the Web
C8: Ability to make professional presentations and create reflective journals
C9: Ability to produce professional reports in the form of book reviews, providing evaluative and critical analyses
C10: Develop the ability to think laterally and appreciate different cultural perspectives
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback, reflective portfolios, presentations, debates, study of authentic (textual, or video, or film, or aural) materials and role-play activities, book reports, translations.
Assessment methods
C1-C5: Assessment is by coursework, practical assignments, portfolios, group projects, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations.
C4, C6-C10: Range of in-class tests and oral examinations, reflective portfolios, group and independent projects, quizzes, exercises, written exams, book reports, translations, sub-titling tasks, web-based assignments involving a web search or producing web materials
D: Key skills
D1: Ability to express oneself in a clear, focused, relevant and effective way, both orally and in writing
D2: Ability to use appropriate software and hardware to produce and present high quality editorial content
D3: Finding, understanding, organising and processing information. Applying knowledge and understanding to make judgements. Ability to question conventional wisdom and find innovative methods of research. Working to deadlines. Management of projects and timetables.
D4: Ability to plan, manage time, and advance and argue for proposals in editorial meetings, ability to respond constructively to criticism, ability to engage in collaborative writing and programme-making activities; ability to work co-operatively in a variety of group contexts, including practical production, taking on a number of different roles.
D5: Ability to work autonomously, showing organisation, self-discipline and time management, and to take responsibility for ones own work and actions in individual and collective contexts, reflecting on ones own performance and making constructive use of feedback in class and written comments on coursework and oral communication.
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback, reflective portfolios, presentations, debates, study of authentic (textual, or video, or film, or aural) materials and role-play activities, book reports, translations.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework, in-class tests and oral examinations, practical assignments, (reflective) portfolios, group and independent projects, quizzes, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations, book reports, translations, and web-based assignments involving a web search or producing web materials