Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

Successful completion of Stage 2 of a degree involving languages taught in the SML

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the SML, this module aims to build on skills and knowledge gained in stages 1 and 2. In particular, it aims to allow students studying academic courses at an approved institution abroad to accredit, at Newcastle University, their study abroad to a total of 10 ECTS credits or the equivalent thereof.

Outline Of Syllabus

If you are studying at a university during your year abroad (for one semester or for the whole year) you must take SML3006 – Study Abroad. Marks from the university at which you are studying during your Year Abroad are converted into a percentage. If you are studying at more than one university abroad during your YA, marks from each of the universities at which you have studied will be converted separately, and the best converted mark will be used as your Newcastle YA mark.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Knowledge outcomes will vary according to modules taken, but all modules must be approved by Newcastle staff, and all will be taken in the target language (except any translation modules involving English with the target language), leading to an improvement in the knowledge of that language.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Increased proficiency in the target language; a range of personal, academic and key skills depending on the modules studied abroad.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This will vary according to modules taken at host universities abroad. Modules taken at host universities are expected to be either language-learning modules, or modules on cultural topics. With very specific exceptions, most modules taken are expected to be taught in the language of the country and not in English.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Format and number of other assessments e.g. Oral, Aural, Essay, Report, Practical etc.:

For students of European languages:
Students must pass assessments for eligible courses (see below) that have an aggregate minimum value of 10 ECTS credits (or the equivalent in a non-ECTS institution).

Eligible courses are all courses except the following:
(i) beginners’ language courses (in any language)
(ii) all courses taught in a language other than the foreign languages the student is studying at Newcastle University
(iii) courses of a non-academic nature (e.g. tennis, skiing etc.).

For students of East Asian Languages:
Students must meet the 70% minimum attendance requirement for the approved language course undertaken at the partner institution, and must obtain a Pass overall in the averaged mark for related assessments.
% of module assessment from ‘other assessed work’ 100%

For students studying in countries whose official language is of European origin:
The mark awarded by Newcastle University for SML3006 will be based on the student’s mark(s) in those eligible modules taken abroad, amounting or equating to 10 ECTS credits, in which he/she has performed best.
For students in this category, a single mark is reached by converting the marks gained in the module(s) defined above to the Newcastle scale. If this involves conflating two or more marks, an average is taken that reflects the credit weighting accorded to each mark. Average marks for the 10 credits will then be ‘scaled’ to produce a UK percentage mark which reflects the value of the mark obtained abroad in terms of Newcastle University’s descriptions of attainment for student work.

For students studying in China or Japan:
A single, summative percentage will be produced for all language assessment undertaken while abroad. This percentage is then converted to the Newcastle scale. This will vary according to modules taken.

If there are still destinations to which Covid makes travel impossible in 22-23, online teaching and examination offered by partner institutions will be accepted towards the 30 ECTS requirement, but only where the University has forbidden physical travel to a given partner institution or a given region or country because of Covid-19.


ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT: If Covid or Brexit means that a student on SML3006 has to leave their study placement without taking at least 10 ECTS' worth of assessments at their host university, they will be offered the chance to do an alternative assessment, which will be the same length and format as the resit. If they have done a work placement as well as a study placement, they will be offered the chance to exceptionally change their Year Abroad module to a Work Placement Report, SML3007 or SML3008. (This would not usually be possible, as it is usually obligatory to derive a YA mark from a study placement if one has been done, regardless of what a student did in the other semester--but we are making this exception for as long as Covid and Brexit are creating situations which mean students' YA plans are derailed through no fault of theirs.)

General Notes

N/A