As well as taking this programme from post-A level (Japanese available from post-A level in 2012 onwards), it is possible to start from beginners level in one of Spanish or Japanese, or GCSE level in one of Spanish or Japanese. In these cases, more intensive language study is provided prior to the year abroad in year 3. This more intensive study reduces slightly the number of optional modules available in year 1. If you study two languages to Honours level, only one of them can be studied from below A level.
This is a four-year degree programme which enables you to devote between about one-half and two-thirds of your time to the study of up to three languages, one or two languages to Honours level and one at Subsidiary level, for example. The programme includes a year abroad related to the Honours Language(s).
The programme is designed to provide coherence and focus around core language study. Progression over four years is ensured by the careful sequencing of modules, from a range of introductory modules in the first year, to greater specialisation and sophistication of approach in subsequent years. The programme is flexible, built on the modular principle, and a number of free choice modules are available to enable you to pursue your own individual interests.
In Year One, as subsequently, language modules make up the compulsory component of the programme and you also take an introductory module called Study, Research and Communication Skills which develops the core academic skills, attributes and knowledge necessary for language students to make the most of your study at university. You then have scope to choose from a range of options which normally include: Language, Culture and Interpersonal Communication, Popular Culture in Latin America; Introduction to International Relations, and Discourse and Power.
Core Honours language study makes up more than one third of your study for the remaining two years spent at UEA. In your Final Year, alongside core language study, you have the option of taking an advanced/specialised translation module. The latter is an option if you are studying two languages to Honours level.
For the non-language credits in years two and four, you have a choice of options in language-related modules which currently include, Translation Issues in the Media, Subtitling and Dubbing, Translation Theory and Practice, Translation and Adaptation, Intercultural Communication in Practice, Language and Gender, Language and Politics, or Interpreting, or cultural modules such as Spain through the Eye of a Lens, or An Introduction to Latin American Film. There is also the possibility of choosing one module of Free Choice in Year Two from the range offered across the university; including the Year Two modules listed above. Your choice of options is made in consultation with your Adviser, who will ensure that it not only reflects your interests, but that it is also academically coherent.
Honours Language Work
Each year, you have on average 8 contact-hours per week in your Honours languages (or more if you study from beginners level). The Honours language teaching is closely related to the study of contemporary society in the country (or countries) where your Honours language is spoken and your experience of learning language at UEA will include a combination of lectures, seminars and conversation classes. It will cover grammar, translation from and into Spanish or Japanese, reading and listening comprehension, précis and paraphrase work, the study of different styles and registers, lexical exercises and oral work. You will also spend a significant proportion of your time working independently using subject-oriented teaching dossiers, radio, TV, films, transcripts, newspapers and online resources while keeping abreast of current affairs and cultural life at home and abroad. Our Language Centre has a digital language laboratory, a viewing and editing room, an interpreting suite for advanced language training, live satellite television broadcasts, a large, multi-media self-access resources room with a wide range of DVDs and reference books, up-to-date computers linked to the internet, and translation software.
You will acquire specific expertise in the traditional language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, as well as transferable skills such as time management, self-discipline and self-motivation, intercultural awareness, flexibility and resourcefulness, mediation skills, IT literacy and teamwork.
The Year Abroad
Year Three is spent in a country where your Honours language is spoken. For more information on the Year Abroad, please click on the Study Abroad tab above.
Dr. Carlos De Pablos-Ortega
The School of Language and Communication Studies is a small, lively School where we offer flexible undergraduate degree programmes with an emphasis on language competence and on issues relating to contemporary language and translation. Our graduates are highly employable and enter an extremely wide range of professions using their well-developed language and communication skills, and intercultural sensitivity.
Our MA graduates are equally successful professionally. Courses at this level enable flexible planning in the combination of core and optional modules and in the range of possible dissertation topics, while the Faculty of Arts and Humanities provides a rich interdisciplinary environment designed to encourage dialogue and the cross-fertilisation of ideas.
New for 2012-13
We’re always working to build on our strengths here in LCS, improving your student experience – and your prospects. Here are some new Key Features for 2012-13 that you won’t yet find in our brochure:
Smaller groups in language classes – as few as 10 – mean even better quality learning.
New high-spec professional interpreter training facilities – helping to keep you ahead of the game.
Employability boost – extra timetabled sessions to develop your skills and employability profile for a range of professions using language skills right from the start of your degree course.
Find out what our undergraduate students say or check out our Facebook page for 2013 applicants where you can ask our current students questions about studying and living here:
This module provides an environment for LCS students to develop the core academic skills, attributes and knowledge necessary to make the most of their study at university. Key themes in the study of language, culture and intercultural communication will be visited, allowing exploration of learning, study and academic writing strategies and skills with the aim of developing effective, self-supporting learning and communication. Presentation will be via a variety of lectures, workshops and seminars. AVAILABLE ONLY TO LCS FIRST YEAR STUDENTS.
A Post A-Level module designed to develop overall competence, with emphasis on grammatical accuracy and on the promotion of autonomous learning and transferable skills. It aims to enable students to build on, and further enhance, existing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
An advanced course in Spanish for students with Spanish A-Level, Intermediate Spanish (LCSU2H11 & 12), or any other equivalent qualification. This module can be taken in any year. (Alternative slots may be available depending on student numbers.) Orals are arranged separately. This module is not available to native speakers or those with equivalent competence.
From salsa to samba, football to fiesta, telenovelas to tex mex: Latin American popular cultures combine indigenous, African and European elements to produce vibrant experiences. In this module we will explore theories and forms of popular culture in order to gain a deeper understanding of the peoples, history and politics of Latin America.
This module focuses on the role of discourse in the structuring of social relations. Its aim is to show that the linguistic features that make up our texts and verbal exchanges reflect the purpose language is put to in a specific context. Particular consideration is given to the role played by language in producing and maintaining unequal relations among different social groups in different social situations. Students are introduced to the analytical tools that will allow them to undertake their own critical analysis of any texts encountered in the course of their studies and beyond. Presentations of the main concepts and examples are followed by practice sessions in which students analyse a variety of texts.
This module introduces students to some key issues in the development of European Politics and Government in the latter part of the twentieth century. The module focuses on the development of liberal democracy in Europe, its different forms and the challenges to it. The module also examines the changing nature of the European nation- state and the development of supranational organisations, particularly the EU and the impact of globalisation for both liberal democracy and the state. During the module ample use is made of country-specific case studies to illustrate general points.
Japanese popular culture is becoming increasingly influential around the world. Important current manifestations are J-Pop (Japanese popular music), manga, anime, cospre (costume-play), computer games, and ketai-shosetsu (short novels for mobile phones). For understanding young Japanese and their relation to society, knowledge of Japanese popular culture is key. The aim of this module is to make students familiar with contemporary Japanese mass culture through consumption experiences, case studies and their analysis from socio-anthropological and historical perspectives.
There is far more to linguistic communication than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar of a language since interpersonal communication is inseparable from culture. That is, because language is used not only to represent but also create and sustain a speaker's expectations, beliefs, attitudes, practices and moral values about the world, verbal communication always involves a high degree of "cultural business". This becomes especially apparent when communicating with native speakers of a foreign language where different sets of cultural assumptions may lead to misunderstanding. This module aims to equip you with ways of thinking about cultural and intercultural issues which will aid you in becoming more communicatively competent in your foreign languages(s). Initially the content will be aimed at exploring the knowledge and assumptions we have about the socially constructed world exhibited in our own communicative practices before extending these notions to other language cultures. The intention is that this module will enable you to become more effective learners in the particular language culture you will encounter on your Year Abroad.
Compulsory Study (80 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 80 credits:
This semester-long Japanese language module is compulsory for all second-year Single Honours Japanese students. Its aim is to build up language proficiency and cultural awareness of Japan.
This semester-long module is compulsory for all second-year Japanese Honours students. Its aim is to build up language proficiency and cultural awareness of Japan.
This semester-long Spanish language module is compulsory for all second-year Single Honours Spanish students as well as being an option for any student who has done Post-A-Level Spanish Language I. Its aim is to build up language proficiency and cultural awareness of Spain and Latin America. (Alternative groups may be available depending on student numbers.)
This semester-long module is compulsory for all second-year Spanish Honours students as well as being an option for any student who has done Post A-Level Spanish language 2/I (or equivalent). Its aim is to build up language proficiency and cultural awareness of Spain and Latin America. For one of the three weekly contact hours, students will be able to choose either Translation or Business as an option. (Alternative groups may be available depending on student numbers.)
Option A Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
Recent Latin American films like the Mexican 'Love's A Bitch' and the Brazilian 'City of God' have received critical acclaim at home and abroad and have been great commercial successes. This module takes these films as its starting point and moves on to offer a survey of Latin American cinema up to the present day, including golden age, 'pulp' cinema and horror genres, political cinema, recent co-productions, the cinema of 'smaller' countries, and grassroots video work.
Japan is often seen as a homogenous society, and Japanese themselves sometimes think like this. In reality, however, there are several ethnic minorities and migrant populations living in Japan. Besides, Japanese communities from north to south have developed their own particular cultures and identities. Japan is a multicultural society with different and sometimes conflicting value systems. This module offers a diversity of perspectives on Japan by focusing in on the local cultures of different cities and regions. Its aim is to equip students with good knowledge and understanding of contemporary Japanese identity, culture and society.
Discourse analysis is concerned with how sequences of sentences can be understood as both coherent and meaningful. Language occurs in specific social situations, among specific social actors and for a variety of purposes. Discourse analysis is concerned with the ways in which language in use is tied to its context. This approach is thus at the heart of the analysis of human interaction in society. This module provides the students with analytical tools that can be fruitfully applied to the study of a variety of texts (e.g. media, advertising, politics, education, business, creative writing) and for a variety of purposes (e.g. developing critical understanding, uncovering ideological bias, reproducing texts successfully in translation and achieving the desired impact through one's own writing). Presentations of the main concepts and examples are followed by practice sessions in which students have the opportunity to analyze a variety of texts both for class discussion and for their final project. This module will be taught by a two hour lecture/seminar.
This module explores critical and aesthetic issues raised by general and comparative literature, issues of 'influence', reception, intertextuality, translation, formal and generic comparabilities, national identity and cultural borrowing. Theoretical questions will be examined through specific examples and case studies, ranging across different periods and geographies; however the focus is likely to be on the modern period. Works studied may include texts by eg Kafka, Sebald, Calvino, Celan.
This 20 credit level 2 module explores how students can become more effective communicators in international or multicultural settings by developing their intercultural competence. It introduces them to theoretical approaches to intercultural communication and provides them with opportunities to analyse and understand the basics of effective communication across cultures. Students will be also encouraged to make links between module content and their own experiences and responses by keeping an intercultural journal. Classroom sessions will include small group work, practical activities to explore how theories can be applied in real-life contexts, analysis of case studies, and workshops. During the workshops, invited practitioners will introduce students to how intercultural communication operates in specific organisations, e.g. in government agencies and in multilingual business management. Assessment, which includes a critical report on an authentic intercultural interaction and a class presentation, is commensurate with a 20 credit level 2 module.
This module examines Japanese society and politics through Japanese film and TV programmes. It will enable you to further your knowledge of Japanese language and cultural products. How, for example, did Japanese TV respond to the catastrophic Tohoku earthquake in 2011? How did new programmes report this tragic fact, and how did Japanese politicians react to emerging issues? What attitudes about gender and family do popular Japanese dramas reflect? In this module we aim to understand Japanese modern life, identity and policy. Each theme will be supported by relevant written texts.
This module explores a variety of matters relating to language and its relationship to questions of gender and sexuality. Do men and women use language differently? Are the genders represented differentially in language and what might this show about socio-cultural ideologies and power structures? Is linguistic behaviour used to create and construct gender and sexual identities? Consideration will include such issues as stereotypical ideas of gendered language, sexist language, how same-sex conversations differ from mixed-sex conversations, how children are linguistically socialised into their gender categories, whether men are from Mars and women from Venus, and so on. Discussion and reading will be informed by a wide variety of ideas from fields such as anthropology, psychology, biology, sociology, and politics (especially feminism).
This module provides an opportunity for students to investigate a particular aspect of language - the use and control of a language in relation to power, both within formal political institutions and in the broader public sphere. The module looks at the linkage between language and nation, at censorship, propaganda, patriotism and xenophobia. It places particular emphasis on the acquisition of linguistic tools that will enhance students' ability to analyse varieties of political discourse in action, including parliamentary discourse, political speeches and the numerous forms of media involvement in political processes.
Different social groups and different speech situations give rise to a remarkable range of linguistic variety. In this module we will explore the kind of factors that govern such variety, the social meanings and ideologies with which it is associated, and some techniques of research. Issues covered include: language and social class, language and gender, language and education, code-switching, pidgins and creoles. Examples given are drawn from socio-linguistic practices in Britain and a variety of other cultural contexts. You are introduced to the main concepts and studies and given opportunities for class discussion. You are expected to make your own contribution by researching a particular area of interest. This module will be taught by a two hour lecture/seminar.
This module deals with the ways in which people use language to communicate in real life and it addresses some of the questions you may have wondered about if you are curious about the way language works in practice. It is concerned, for example, with the way in which simply speaking certain words ('I do') actually changes the state of social play. Questions addressed include: what are people doing when they engage in 'conversation'? Why is communication still problematic even when I am fluent in a foreign language? How does a word like 'this' refer to different things? How do we create implied meanings without actually saying what we mean? The main theoretical concepts are introduced and illustrated and ample opportunity is then given to the students to contribute and discuss their own examples to show how the concepts apply in different situations and in different cultural/linguistic environments. This module is relevant not only to language students but also to those students who are generally interested in communication. This module will be taught by a two hour lecture/seminar.
This module covers and explores the use of various visual resources which show elements of the contemporary history and culture of Spain and the evolution of the Spanish society during many decades of political upheaval. You will become familiar with important Spanish issues such as national stereotypes, violence, race, immigration, sexual identities and social transformation through the use of visual resources such as: films, TV commercials, programmes, documentaries and series, photography etc.
This module is an introduction to aspects of subtitling and dubbing in different media and multimedia contexts (television, radio, cinema, world wide web), and to issues associated with these activities in the age of globalisation. A range of materials and processes will be considered (e.g. film subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, subtitling and dubbing in news reports or documentaries, subtitling and dubbing in the context of multimedia localisation) to investigate key features and concerns involved in transposing text across communication channels, media, forms and codes. Assessment commensurate with level. Taught with LCS-3T11 and LCS-3T17.
This module provides first-hand experience of subtitling and dubbing. There will be an opportunity to become familiar with software used for interlingual and intralingual subtitling and dubbing at professional level while undertaking practical exercises involving cueing, text compression and segmentation, respecting time and space constraints and conforming to conventions of good practice. The different types of technological tools used for audiovisual translation at professional and amateur levels will be explored, analysed and assessed. Selected film/TV series/documentary extracts in several languages will be used. Practical activities will present participants with the challenges posed by the interplay of audio, image and text.
The module seeks to provide an understanding of how the special cultural product we call 'news' is created. It examines the changing economic, political, legal and cultural contexts of newspaper production in a variety of media (print, web, broadcast). It presents and assesses different theories about how these contexts (or 'structures') impact on the day to day practice of journalism and the nature of the news message. An important part of the module involves tracing the reflections and refractions of these wider processes in actual news media discourse. We will use frequent practical analysis exercises to test and challenge the theories of new production and the practices of new production in today's fast-changing news environment. The module encourages students to develop, practice and test a range of skills, including: being able to consider, analyse and challenge critically the ideas and practices of themselves and others; taking part in teamwork; presenting ideas and analytical outcomes. By the end of the module, you should be able to 'read' news media in a very different way to before.
This module will consider translation and adaptation (understood as the transferral of a cultural product from one medium to another) in a range of media (for example, film, television, theatre, literature, and computer games) and the issues associated with these processes in these media. The module is taught in English and source texts which are not English (but which have translations available) will be used, i.e. inter and intra-lingual work will be examined. There will be the opportunity for you to undertake creative work which will form part of the assessment for the module along with a theoretical discussion of the translation/adaptation. The module is open to students who do not have a foreign language. Assessment commensurate with level. Taught with LCS-3T20 and LCS-3T22.
This module is particularly relevant to language and translation students, but will appeal to students from across the University with an interest in language issues associated with the globalisation of communication and the media. It considers a range of materials (texts and their translations, multilingual publications and packaging, film subtitles, dubbed soundtracks, IT-mediated text) to explore issues involved in the transposition and translation of (spoken and written) text into other media and other languages across different genres, literary and non-literary. Taught in English. Receptive knowledge of one other main European language required. (Taught with LCS-3T06 and LCS-3T26). Assessment commensurate with level.
The module builds on partnership with local public services to give home and visiting/exchange students the opportunity to work jointly on professional translation briefs (e.g. translation, from English into a variety of languages, of information panels for the Norfolk Museums). Work involves translating to specifications, background research and product delivery/presentation. Assessment is by a variety of means including diary notes and critical report. Module open subject to availability of briefs - a back-up module choice is essential. One hour per week timetabled, other commitments to be arranged. Taught with LLT-3T13 and LLT-3T15.
Free Choice Study (20 credits)
Students will select modules worth 20 credits from the course catalogue with the approval of their School
Compulsory Study (120 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 120 credits:
A compulsory year abroad for students taking one or more honours language(s). Satisfactory completion of the year abroad, as defined by the School Board, is necessary for registration in the following year.
Students will take the following 20 credit compulsory modules: LCS-3J11 - JAPANESE HONOURS LANGUAGE 3/1 - READINGS ON MODERN JAPAN. LCS-3J12 - JAPANESE HONOURS LANGUAGE 3/11. Compulsory Modules = 80 credits
Compulsory Study (80 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 80 credits:
In this module the students develop deep skills in the reading and understanding of the Japanese language. Students will read Japanese modern literature, newspapers, historical documents, and philosophy. While understanding and discussing such literature in Japanese, students will develop a deeper understanding of the language and learn how to use it for debate. They will become ready to use Japanese at academic level.
This module, which is compulsory for all final year Japanese Honours students, aims to enhance translation skills and will involve both Japanese to English and English into Japanese translation, including sight-translation based on a variety of text types.
This module develops the students' Spanish language skills at an advanced level. It fosters an understanding of various Spanish language features and develops critical cultural awareness. Specific components of grammar at a higher level are revisited, problematic areas identified for improvement and academic writing skills are further developed. The module offers the opportunity of exploring the components that control the use of language when communicating in Spanish and of investigating and reflecting contrastively on the pragmatic components of the Spanish language and of the students’ native language. The oral component of the module focuses on improving intercultural communication with Hispanics, whilst improving speaking and listening and widening vocabulary at a higher level. This module is conducted entirely in Spanish. Assessment commensurate with credit value. (NB: Alternative groups available depending on student numbers). It is also open to second year LCS students with near native competence in Spanish and some visiting/exchange students. However, it is not suitable for native Spanish speaking visiting/exchange students.
This module offers the opportunity to develop your Spanish speaking, listening, reading and writing skills at an advanced level. The main objective is to further develop higher level language skills and raise awareness of linguistic and intercultural issues to aid inclusion and immersion in Spanish-speaking countries. It covers the exploration of the varieties of the Spanish language from a linguistic point of view and the variations of the Spanish language through the analysis and identification of extracts of spoken texts. The oral element of the module focuses on raising sensitivity to implicit messages transmitted through visual media and improving speaking and listening skills, whilst widening vocabulary. This module is conducted entirely in Spanish. Assessment commensurate with credit value. (NB: Alternative groups available depending on student numbers). It is also open to second year LCS students with near native competence in Spanish and some visiting/exchange students. However, it is not suitable for native Spanish speaking visiting/exchange students.
Option A Study (40 credits)
Students will select 40 credits from the following modules:
Language occurs in specific social situations, among specific social actors and for a variety of purposes. Meaning is, at least partially, socially constructed through the mediation of language and is constantly being (re) negotiated between language users. Discourse analysis is concerned with the ways in which language in use is tied to its socio-cultural context. This approach is thus at the heart of the analysis of human interaction in society. This module provides the students with the analytical tools that can be fruitfully applied to the study of a variety of texts and verbal exchanges (e.g. media, advertising, politics, education, business, literature) and for a variety of purposes (e.g. developing critical understanding, uncovering ideological bias, reproducing texts successfully in translation and achieving the desired impact through one's own writing). The role of non verbal expressive means (images, sound) is also taken into account. Presentations of the main concepts and examples are followed by practice sessions in which students have the opportunity to analyse a variety of texts both for class discussion and for their final project. Teaching is by a two hour lecture/seminar. Assessment commensurate with level. In addition to the timetabled seminar, a further contact hour will be arranged for level 3 students.
This module gives students the opportunity to undertake research on a project of their own choosing under the supervision of a member of faculty. The goal is to produce an extended essay (written in English) of 5,000 - 6,000 words which relates in-depth research on a specialist topic relating to wider issues in language and communication studies. The dissertation topic must be agreed by the module organiser by the end of the previous semester. There is no specific timetable slot for the module, arrangements for tutorial meetings being made between the individual tutor and student. This module will be useful preparation for those interested in pursuing post-graduate studies.
This module gives students the opportunity to undertake research on a project of their own choosing under the supervision of a member of faculty. The goal is to produce an extended essay (written in English) of 5,000 - 6,000 words which relates in-depth research on a specialist topic relating to wider issues in language and communication studies. The dissertation topic must be agreed by the module organiser by the end of the previous semester. There is no specific timetable slot for the module, arrangements for tutorial meetings being made between the individual tutor and student. This module will be useful preparation for those interested in pursuing post-graduate studies.
This 20 credit level 3 module explores how students can become more effective communicators in international or multicultural settings by developing their intercultural competence. It introduces them to theoretical approaches to intercultural communication and provides them with opportunities to analyse and understand the basics of effective communication across cultures. Students will be also encouraged to make links between module content and their own experiences and responses by keeping an intercultural journal. Classroom sessions will include small group work, practical activities to explore how theories can be applied in real-life contexts, analysis of case studies, and workshops. During the workshops, invited practitioners will introduce students to how intercultural communication operates in specific organisations, e.g. in government agencies and in multilingual business management. Assessment which includes a critical report on an authentic intercultural interaction and a class presentation is commensurate with a 20 credit level 3 module.
This module is offered to final year undergraduates with no prior formal interpreting training. Its aim is to equip students with conference interpreting skills as well as to enhance linguistic and cultural knowledge in order to improve their ability to reflect on the process of interpreting in a multicultural world. The course is taught in a Sanako digital language laboratory and consists of 4 hours of contact time per week. The module covers on-sight, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills as well as the non-verbal elements of importance to communication such as pitch, intonation, body language etc. The content of the module is EU oriented and includes topics such as human rights, peace processes and racism and xenophobia. The skills based approach of this course provides effective academic learning and has high employability credentials as it develops transferable skills in demand in the professional world such as good concentration, active listening, flexibility, confidence and self-presentation. Although students will practice interpreting from Spanish or French into English and from English into Spanish or French, they will be assessed on interpreting into their mother tongue.
This module is offered to final year undergraduates with no prior formal interpreting training. Its aim is to equip students with public service interpreting skills as well as to enhance linguistic and cultural knowledge in order to improve their ability to reflect on the process of interpreting as a multicultural world. For students also enrolled on the Autumn semester Introduction to Conference Interpreting module, it will provide the opportunity to hone their skills whilst introducing new topics in different settings, such as liaison interpreting during a police interview. This course in a Sanko digital language laboratory and consists of 4 hours of contact time per week. The module covers on-sight, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting skills as well as the non-verbal elements of importance to communication such as pitch, intonation, body language, etc. The content of the module focuses on medical and legal settings. The skills based approach of this course provides effective academic training and has high employability credentials as it develops transferable skills in demand in the professional world such as good concentration, active listening, flexibility, confidence and self-presentation. Students will be assessed on interpreting both into and out of their mother tongue. It is essential that students are at native speaker level in at least one of the following languages: English; Spanish or French.
While the adaptation of literature or comic into film can be seen in other countries, the reverse process in which films are frequently adapted back into novels (novelize) or manga, written by different authors, is a pattern particular to Japan. In this module we will first examine different case studies of this phenomenon, and then demonstrate how it can be analysed and understood as a case of intralingual translation. These will include, for example, "Departures" (2008, Original title: "Okuribito", Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film), and "Nodame Cantabile" (2009 and 2010), and "Nana" (2005). In this module, students will learn about current views on intralingual translation in general and about its practice as a mass-phenomenon in the Japanese setting.
This module explores a variety of matters relating to language and its relationship to questions of gender and sexuality. Do men and women use language differently? Are the genders represented differentially in language and what might this show about socio-cultural ideologies and power structures? Is linguistic behaviour used to create and construct gender and sexual identities? Consideration will include such issues as stereotypical ideas of gendered language, sexist language, how same-sex conversations differ from mixed-sex conversations, how children are linguistically socialised into their gender categories, whether men are from Mars and women from Venus, and so on. Discussion and reading will be informed by a wide variety of ideas from fields such as anthropology, psychology, biology, sociology, and politics (especially feminism). Assessment commensurate with level. In addition to the timetabled seminar, some further contact hours will be arranged for level 3 students.
Different social groups and different speech situations give rise to a remarkable range of linguistic variety. In this module we will explore the kind of factors that govern such variety, the social meanings and ideologies with which it is associated, and some approaches to research. Issues covered include: language and social class, language and gender, language and education, code-switching, multilingualism and politeness. Examples given are drawn from socio-linguistic practices in Britain and a variety of other cultural contexts. You are introduced to the main concepts and studies and given opportunities for class discussion. You are expected to make your own contribution by researching a particular area of interest for a class presentation and the project. The module does not assume knowledge of a second language and is relevant to students majoring in political, socio-cultural and media studies as well as to language students. In addition to the two hour lecture/seminar a further hour will be timetabled and dedicated particularly to the exploration of language and identity, leading to the development of the project.
This module addresses some of the questions you may have wondered about if you are curious about the way language works in practice. It is concerned, for example, with the way in which simply speaking certain words ('I do') actually changes the state of social play. Questions addressed include: what are people doing when they engage in 'conversation'? Why is communication still problematic even when I am fluent in a foreign language? How does a word like 'this' refer to different things? How do we create implied meanings without actually saying what we mean? The main theoretical concepts are introduced and illustrated and ample opportunity is then given to the students to contribute and discuss their own examples to show how the concepts apply in different situations and in different cultural/linguistic environments. This module is relevant not only to language students but also to those students who are generally interested in communication. Assessment commensurate with level. In addition to the timetabled seminar, a further contact hour will be arranged for level 3 students.
A module in the translation of specialised texts of various types such as economic, journalistic, scientific, literary, and technical. This module is also open to second-year LCS students with (near) native competence in Spanish and/or visiting/exchange students.Taught with LCS-3T50. Assessment commensurate with credit value.
This module is an introduction to aspects of subtitling and dubbing in different media and multimedia contexts (television, radio, cinema, world wide web), and to issues associated with these activities in the age of globalisation. A range of materials and processes will be considered (e.g. film subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, subtitling and dubbing in news reports or documentaries, subtitling and dubbing in the context of multimedia localisation) to investigate key features and concerns involved in transposing text across communication channels, media, forms and codes. Assessment commensurate with level. Taught with LCS-2T11 and LCS-3T11.
This module provides first-hand experience of subtitling and dubbing. There will be an opportunity to become familiar with software used for interlingual and intralingual subtitling and dubbing at professional level while undertaking practical exercises involving cueing, text compression and segmentation, respecting time and space constraints and conforming to conventions of good practice. The different types of technological tools used for audiovisual translation at professional and amateur levels will be explored, analysed and assessed. Selected film/TV series/documentary extracts in several languages will be used. Practical activities will present participants with the challenges posed by the interplay of audio, image and text.
The module seeks to provide an understanding of how the special cultural product we call 'news' is created. It examines the changing economic, political, legal and cultural contexts of newspaper production in a variety of media (print, web, broadcast). It presents and assesses different theories about how these contexts (or 'structures') impact on the day to day practice of journalism and the nature of the news message. An important part of the module involves tracing the reflections and refractions of these wider processes in actual news media discourse. We will use frequent practical analysis exercises to test and challenge the theories of new production and the practices of new production in today's fast-changing news environment. The module encourages students to develop, practice and test a range of skills, including: being able to consider, analyse and challenge critically the ideas and practices of themselves and others; taking part in teamwork; presenting ideas and analytical outcomes. By the end of the module, you should be able to 'read' news media in a very different way to before. Assessment commensurate with level. In addition to the timetabled seminar, some further contact hours will be arranged for level 3 students.
This module will consider translation and adaptation (understood as the transferral of a cultural product from one medium to another) in a range of media (for example, film, television, theatre, literature, and computer games) and the issues associated with these processes in these media. The module is taught in English and source texts which are not English (but which have translations available) will be used, i.e. inter and intra-lingual work will be examined. There will be the opportunity for students to undertake creative work which will form part of the assessment for the module along with a theoretical discussion of the translation/adaptation. Module open to students who do not have a foreign language. An additional workshop hour is scheduled at this level. Assessment commensurate with level. Taught with LCS-2T20 and LCS-3T20.
Translation is an integral part of Japanese culture. However, related research in Japan is in an early stage and has largely remained uninfluenced by theoretical and conceptual developments in Europe. Translation practices and norms in Japan developed on the background of the country's peculiar history of self-isolation and abrupt opening. This module offers views on the history of Japanese translation, and on current Translation Studies in Japan. One goal is to learn about the differences in thinking concerning methods and practices in translation studies in the west and translation studies in Japan. The module will also involve exercises in practical translation by the students. The module is conducted in Japanese.
This module is open to second-year LCS students with (near) native competence in French or Spanish and/or visiting/exchange students. The primary aim of this module is to develop the skills and critical thinking required for the production, by the individual student, of an extended annotated translation and commentary. The commentary consists of a theoretical discussion of the translation process and product, together with specific annotations illustrating the translation strategy adopted. Taught with LCS-3T05. Assessment commensurate with credit value.
The module builds on partnership with local public services to give home and visiting/exchange students the opportunity to work jointly on professional translation briefs (e.g. translation, from English into a variety of languages, of information panels for the Norfolk Museums). Work involves translating to specifications, background research, product delivery/presentation. Assessment is by a variety of means including diary notes and critical report. Module open subject to availability of briefs - a back-up module is essential. Two hours per week timetabled, other commitments to be arranged. Taught with LLT-2T13 and LLT-3T13
Disclaimer
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.
Year Abroad
You spend a year abroad in your third year on all our four-year language degrees or alternatively a semester abroad in the second year on our three-year fast-track degrees. The year/semester abroad is a fantastic chance for a student to explore one or more countries where your Honours language(s) are spoken and the opportunities they offer, while at the same time having the support of the School’s staff.
You either take up a teaching assistantship, a work placement, voluntary work or attend a foreign university, usually on an Erasmus/Socrates exchange in France or Spain. Students on the Erasmus scheme receive a small grant from the EU which funds the scheme, and students teaching or working also receive the Erasmus grant in addition to their salary. Students going to Japan will attend university.
If you are taking two languages from A level, you will normally split the year between two countries where those languages are spoken.
The main option available to you is attending a university, normally as part of an exchange programme, one semester in each country. Students of French can, for instance, attend the prestigious Ecole de Traduction et d'Interprétation in Geneva. We have Erasmus exchange schemes and well-established links with a range of universities in France and Spain: (France) Clermont Ferrand, Corsica, Montpellier III, Nancy II, Nice, Paris, and Tours; (Spain) Alicante, Alcalá de Henares, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid (Antonio de Nebrija, Autónoma and Complutense), Granada, Salamanca, Toledo and Zaragoza, as well as the Universidad de Guadalajara and the Universidad de las Américas in Mexico. We are currently establishing our year abroad university partners for the first cohort of students who will go to Japan in 2013-14.
If you are taking two languages from A level it is also possible to take up a work placement in France or Spain in combination with a university place if a short enough work placement can be found. The final option of working as a language assistant is not open to you because you will need to split your year abroad and contracts for assistants are for more than six months.
If you are taking one of French, Spanish or Japanese from below A level, you will normally spend your year in a country where the weaker language is spoken and the summer in a country where your stronger language is spoken. If you are taking French, Spanish or Japanese from below A level in combination with another Honours language, you will spend the year abroad in the country of the weaker language and, for France and Spain, follow courses in the stronger language. It is recommended that such students spend the summer before the final year in the country of their stronger language.
If you are a highly proficient native or near-native speaker of French or Spanish, then you are normally exempted from the compulsory year abroad for that language and spend your first year studying a completely different language from our wide range of subsidiary languages. In your following two years your compulsory language strand consists of final year level modules in your native language. If you are studying two languages to Honours level and one of these is your native language, then you will spend a year abroad in a country where your non-native language is spoken.
Entry Requirements
A Level:
ABB
International Baccalaureate:
32
Scottish Advanced Highers:
ABB
Irish Leaving Certificate:
AABBBB
Access Course:
Please contact the University for further information.
HND:
Please contact the University for further information.
European Baccalaureate:
75%
Students for whom English is a Foreign language
We welcome applications from students from all academic backgrounds. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading). Recognised English Language qualifications include:
IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all components)
TOEFL: Internet-based score of 88 overall (minimum 18 in the Listening and Writing components; 19 in the Reading component; and 21 in the Speaking component)
PTE: 62 overall with minimum 55 in all components
If you do not meet the University's entry requirements, our INTO Language Learning Centre offers a range of university preparation courses to help you develop the high level of academic and English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study.
Interviews
The School does not currently interview all applicants for undergraduate entry as standard, however we do offer the opportunity to meet with an academic individually on a Visit Day in order to gain a deeper insight into the course(s) you have applied for.
Gap Year
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.
Deferred Entry
We also welcome applications for deferred entry, believing that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry and may wish to contact the appropriate Admissions Office directly to discuss this further.
Special Entry Requirements
It is generally expected that you should have at least a Grade B at A Level, or its equivalent, in the language or languages that you intend to take at honours level.
In the case of Spanish or Japanese studied from Beginners' or Spanish, French or Japanese from post-GCSE level, we require evidence of foreign language learning ability, such as a good grade in a foreign language at GCSE.
Intakes
The School's annual intake is in September of each year.
Alternative Qualifications
If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the University directly for further information.
GCSE Offer
Students are required to have Mathematics and English at Grade C or above at GCSE level.
Assessment
For the majority of candidates the most important factors in assessing the application will be past and future achievement in examinations, academic interest in the subject being applied for, personal interest and extra-curricular activities and the confidential reference. We consider applicants as individuals and accept students from a very wide range of educational backgrounds and spend time considering your application in order to reach an informed decision relating your application. Typical offers are indicated above. Please note, there may be additional subject entry requirements specific to individual degree courses.
Fees and Funding
University Fees and Financial Support: UK/EU Students
University Fees and Financial Support: International Students
The University will be charging International students £11,700.00 for all full time School of Language and Communication Studies undergraduate programmes which start in 2012.
UCAS Apply is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time Undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom. It is made up of different sections that you need to complete. Your application does not have to be completed all at once. The system allows you to leave a section partially completed so you can return to it later and add to or edit any information you have entered. Once your application is complete, it must be sent to UCAS so that they can process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The UCAS code name and number for the University of East Anglia is EANGL E14.
Further Information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances with the Admissions Office prior to applying please do contact us:
Undergraduate Admissions Office (Language and Communication Studies) Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515 Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
Please click here to register your details online via our Online Enquiry Form.
As well as taking this programme from post-A level (Japanese available from post-A level in 2012 onwards), it is possible to start from beginners level in one of Spanish or Japanese, or GCSE level in one of Spanish or Japanese. In these cases, more intensive language study is provided prior to the year abroad in year 3. This more intensive study reduces slightly the number of optional modules available in year 1. If you study two languages to Honours level, only one of them can be studied from below A level.