Students either undertake study at a relevant University outside of the UK or work abroad (either as British Council language teaching assistants or in some other approved capacity).
Students will be able to spend the study abroad period at one of the University's partner institution, in particular those who have engaged in Division-wide exchange agreements with the Division of Arts and Humanities, cf. http://www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad/
Students will follow one of three options:
a) either studying at a foreign university,
b) or working as a teaching assistant,
c) or working abroad in some other approved capacity.
Both joint and single honours students may opt to spend one semester studying at a foreign university and one semester working.
Single honours students spend the entire year in one country; joint honours students either spend the year in one country, or split it between two.
Main assessment methods
Students who study abroad will pass the period abroad by:
i. Achieving passes in at least two-thirds of the credits taken as part of the FT load. Such passes must be confirmed by the official transcript of the partner provider.
Students who work abroad will pass the period by:
ii. Passing a report written in the target language (5,000 words for a full year or 2,500 words for half a year). The report will be assessed by Modern Languages staff.
With respect to students on a Study placement in a partner university:
iii. Students who pass between one third and do not pass two thirds of the credits will be required to retrieve the failure by undertaking a further piece (or pieces) of assessment at Kent sufficient to redeeming the failure of the period abroad. The format of the retrieval will be decided by the assessing School but the additional assessment(s) will test the achievement of the relevant learning outcomes;
iv. If students pass the additional assessment(s) set as per iii. above, a pass will be recorded for the period abroad;
v. If students fail the additional assessment(s) set as per iii. above, a fail will be recorded for the period abroad;
vi. Students who pass fewer than one third of the credits will not be allowed to retrieve and will have failed the Year Abroad;
vii. Where a student fails the period abroad they will be eligible for the appropriate alternative exit award, or may transfer to an appropriate degree without a period abroad; (Nb. see point viii below);
viii. Where documented concessionary circumstances exist that prevent the student from successfully completing the period of study abroad requirements, as per points i – iii above, the student will be eligible for the appropriate alternative exit award, or may transfer to an appropriate degree without a period abroad, or may be offered a deferral opportunity to repeat the whole period abroad as if for the first time.
ix. There will be no compensation, no condonement and no concessionary adjustment of any marks awarded by the partner provider;
x. Credit awarded will be on a pass/fail basis.
Reassessment methods
Please see above for full details around reassessment where possible.
None available, since students will either be studying abroad, teaching, or working in an approved job.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the relevant language, and of the culture of the relevant country;
2 Demonstrate understanding of the relevant civilisation and contemporary society based on first-hand experience;
3 Utilise advanced communication skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in the target language;
4 Analyse, evaluate and interpret a variety of texts and other cultural products in the target language in a critical manner;
5 Synthesise information from a wide range of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of the subject.
The intended generic learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate an ability to utilise problem-solving skills related to everyday and academic or professional life in a foreign country;
2 Demonstrate intercultural awareness acquired through everyday experience of an interaction with foreign communities;
3 Demonstrate an ability to mediate and display qualities of empathy in an intercultural context
4 Demonstrate an ability to study and/or to work independently;
5 Demonstrate an ability to take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development;
6 Demonstrate a developed independence and self-reliance while accommodating to and living in a foreign country.
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