This Handbook should be used together with the QMUL Academic Regulations and the QMUL Student Guide. This Handbook provides information specific to the
School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, while the Student Guide gives information common to all students at the College.

The Student Guide contains a wide range of information, including:

• Academic and student support services
• The academic year
• Campus facilities
• Simplified academic regulations
• How to? advice
• Queen Mary contact information
• Calendar
• Graduation and alumni
• Student administration, and common issues and processes
• College policies
• Campus and College information

The Academic Regulations provide detailed information on award requirements and governance. Nothing in this Handbook overrides the Academic Regulations, which always take precedence.

This Handbook can be made available in large print format. If you would like a large print copy, or have other requirements for the Handbook, please contact Rosine Smyrl r.smyrl@qmul.ac.uk or 020 7882 2825

The information in this handbook is correct as of September 2013. If any information is changed during the year, it will be kept up to date here, so please refer to this online version, rather than printing it out

The College cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of information given in third party publications or websites referred to in this Handbook.

About the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film

Welcome to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film. We hope that this year will prove a rewarding and enjoyable academic experience. This Handbook aims to give you the information you need in order to get the most out of your studies in the School. Please read it carefully, and bookmark it so that you can refer to it throughout the year. This is in your own interest. This information is intended to help you, but you are also expected to be aware of its contents. Teaching and administrative staff will be operating according to the procedures described here, and it will not be allowable to claim that you were unaware of the regulations, penalties, and so forth, that are set out in these pages. If you find any of the information in this book unclear, please do not hesitate to ask for guidance from any member of staff.

You will also need the School’s Directory of Modules which gives details of all modules on offer in the current session. A full listing of all the modules offered across the College is also available on the College website at www.qmul.ac.uk/modules.

Queen Mary uses its student records system, MySIS, to give students and staff online access to information about enrolment, module registration, timetables, assessment etc.  This system allows you access to your own information on record. Information on accessing and using MySIS will have been sent to you by the Academic Registry as part of the instructions for enrolling for this academic year.

One very general comment before we go into detail. Members of staff of the School are here to help and guide you. Rosine Smyrl is the Student Experience Manager. Her office is ArtsOne 103a. You can go to her for help, advice and support with any issues or problems. She can either help you herself, or will refer you to the appropriate service depending on the situation.  All students also have a personal Adviser, to help with academic issues, such as which modules to choose, and what to do if you’re having trouble understanding a class, or how to get started with an assignment. If you cannot see your Adviser, you may speak to another member of staff.  There is a Senior Tutor for each year of study, who can grant extensions on coursework if you have extenuating circumstances (illness or personal problems) that are causing delays to the completion of your coursework or make you miss a class test.  If you have queries or problems, we will listen to them attentively and consider them seriously. The university and the school have policies and procedures for just about any situation, and they are there to help you. There are time limits and deadlines for extenuating circumstances claims, so do not keep silent about difficulties that affect your ability to study effectively: the longer they go on, the worse they can get, and the less we may be able to do about them. 

About the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film

The School’s aims, with regard to the undergraduate programmes of study we provide, or to which we contribute, are:

• to maintain a high quality, stimulating and congenial learning environment for all students of Catalan, Comparative Literature, European Studies, Film Studies, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Linguistics, Portuguese, and Russian;
• provide an intellectually challenging academic culture informed by innovative research and scholarship of national and international standing, and by proven excellence in teaching and research, with some of our departments belonging to the foremost research units in the UK;
• to make students aware of, and allow them to benefit from, appropriate interdisciplinary programmes and activities within the School, the Faculty of Arts, and the Humanities and Social Sciences Sector of the College;
• to ensure that the content of degree programmes and courses in all subjects reflects new and cutting edge research within the discipline, and the particular research expertise of members of staff;
• to provide language students with the highest possible degree of linguistic competence and confidence in written and spoken foreign language production;
• to enable students at undergraduate and postgraduate level to develop appropriate skills of critical thinking and judgement, and to undertake independent research;
• to enable students to develop as independent, reflective learners who accept responsibility for the management of their own learning and intellectual development;
• to assist students in the acquisition of a range of cognitive and transferable skills relevant to their intellectual, professional and personal development;
• to engage in a continuous process of curriculum innovation and development, sensitive to changes within the disciplines and the non-academic world;
• to support student learning through provision of appropriate teaching materials, including e-materials, through the delivery of the curriculum, and through appropriate structures of pastoral care;
• to draw on the wide range of resources that our London context provides for all disciplines taught in the School;
• to connect students, as appropriate, with our world-wide networks of research and exchange programmes by offering a host of events and contacts with affiliates from other (academic and non-academic) institutions, visiting academics, authors, filmmakers etc..

The School is responsible for delivering degree programmes in Modern Languages, Comparative Literature, Film Studies and Linguistics. You are first and foremost a student of the School (as far as your study of these subjects is concerned), and only secondly of a department or departments within it.  The members of the teaching staff are divided into various groups depending on the subjects they teach. In particular, there are a number of departments corresponding to the languages taught in the School: French, German, Iberian and Latin American Studies, and Russian; there are also the departments of Comparative Literature and Culture, of Linguistics, and of Film Studies. But members of staff co-operate across departments, so that members of the language departments, for example, contribute to modules in Comparative Literature. Overall responsibility for the School rests with the Head of School, who works in conjunction with the Chairs of the departments and other senior officers of the School.

The School has an excellent record in research and teaching, as shown by its consistently high performance in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), with strong evidence of national, international and world-class recognition in all its disciplines.  In the RAE 2008, the School’s scores for 3* and 4* were: French 55%, German 40%, Iberian and Latin American Studies 60%, Linguistics 80% and Russian 40%. The department of Film Studies will make its own submissions to REF in 2013, when we expect to be graded equally highly. These independent assessments show, we believe, that the School is well on the way to achieving its aims.

Contacting staff in the School

All academic staff set aside office hours during term-time when they are available without appointment to see students. These hours are displayed on their office doors. You should, where possible, use these hours to see Module Organisers with queries about your modules, or your Adviser about any matter you wish to discuss. If you cannot see a member of staff during his or her office hours, it is often easiest to contact staff by email to arrange an alternative time. Email addresses, as well as telephone numbers and office locations for all staff are listed on the website.

The School’s Student Office is room 1.08, on the first floor of the Arts One Building. The office is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm during term-time.

There is a School postbox in the Gallery Area on the first floor of the Arts One Building which is emptied at least once daily, the last time at 4 pm. You should use this to post any messages for members of staff. Do NOT put work or any other messages under office doors as they may go missing. The postbox is kept locked, so your message is safe once it has been posted in there, and will be delivered straight to the staff pigeonholes which are in a secure room.

Contacting you

When you enrol for your first year, you will be registered with the College’s IT Services, and receive a username (with password). As well as allowing you to make full use of IT facilities, the internet and College intranet, and giving you access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platform, QMPlus, this will give you access to your College email address. This is vital as this is the email address we will use to contact you throughout your studies. Please note that you can forward messages automatically from your College account to any other email address if you prefer (such as hotmail etc.). You should consult the IT Services Helpdesk staff for advice on this. The Helpdesk is in the Queens Building, on the 2^nd floor, in W207

We may contact you in one of a number of ways: either individually or as part of a group; via your College email; via the noticeboards or QMPlus pages relevant to your subject area, or a particular module; via the School’s LCD screens; via the student pigeonholes. On occasion, we may need to write to you at either your home or term-time address, or contact you by phone. You must ensure that you keep your personal details up to date on MySIS. You must check your email regularly, and the noticeboards, screens and pigeonholes every time you are in College – we will expect that you have received any information passed on in these ways, so it is your responsibility to make sure that you do.

Any mail that is sent to you at the College, or messages from staff, will be placed in the student pigeonholes, located in the Gallery area on the first floor of the Arts One Building. You can also use these pigeonholes to leave notes for fellow students. Do not leave coursework or messages there for staff: you should use the postbox described above.

Each module offered in the School will have a QMPlus page which the module organiser will use to make material available for you to download.  You must be properly registered for the module to access the page. You can log into QMPlus at http://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/

The School has two LCD screens which show identical information.  One is located outside the main administration office, Arts One 108, and the other in the Gallery Area on the first floor of the Arts One Building.  These screens will be used to display general information about the School, such as forthcoming events, and also for urgent messages. 

There is a noticeboard for each department.  The noticeboard for Film Studies is located outside the Hitchcock Cinema (Arts One G19).  The noticeboards for Comparative Literature and Culture, French, German, Iberian and Latin American Studies, Linguistics, and Russian are located in the Gallery Area on the first floor.

Email etiquette in the School

The School has implemented the following guidelines for email use which apply to staff AND students in the School:

• All email communications must take place using the College email system (staff must use their named College email addresses and students must use their College email addresses).
• Staff must activate the signature function on their email and include further contact details (phone number, office and office hours).
• Students must be sure to include their full name and student id number in every message and a clear description of any query.
• Staff and students must check their email every working day (please note Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays are not working days) during the teaching and examination terms.
• Staff and students will reply to emails within three working days of receipt during the teaching and examination terms.
• If the query is a complex one that can’t be dealt with within three days then staff and students must acknowledge receipt of the email and give an estimated time in which a response will be likely.
• If absent from College for longer than three days staff and students should set an ‘autoreply’ message and where appropriate give contact details for someone who can deal with queries on their behalf. 
• Emails should not be used to find out information that is readily available in the student handbook and/or university web pages (you must search first, email second).
• Emails should be written in a suitable and polite register and should not use slang or informal abbreviations.
• Involved and complicated queries are often best dealt with face to face in office hours and a member of staff may suggest that you come to see them rather than respond by email.

Your Queen Mary ID card

You will receive a photo-ID card upon enrolment. This card is very important, and must be carried at all times on campus. If you do not produce your card on request, you may be removed from the building, or from campus.

The card shows your Student Number. You must take your card into all examinations, and display it on your table for inspection. You will also need to copy the Student Number onto your paper.

The card also serves as your library card, and as an access card for certain buildings. Many buildings have security points at which you must show your card, and others require you to scan your card to release the doors.  Students in the School have card access to the rear and side doors of the Arts One Building from 8 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday.

It is vital that you keep your card safe and with you at all times on campus. If you lose your card, or if your card is stolen, you must go to the Student Enquiry Centre to report it. Any found cards are taken there, so they may have your card already. A fee will be charged to replace lost ID Cards.

The above is a broad introduction, to give you a general idea of what is involved in your degree. But you will need more precise information, which is given below.

At Queen Mary, you can study towards a wide variety of degrees. You may also have a lot of choice within particular subjects. There are core and compulsory theoretical modules which must be taken in all of our degrees, and in any language degree there is an obligatory core of language studies. The remainder of the curriculum is made up of optional modules in film, cultural studies, literature, and linguistics. This structure is called ‘modular’. If you find that your academic interests change, you can sometimes change your programme in the course of your studies, provided that you meet the core requirements of the new programme.

We would encourage you to use your choices to extend your range of knowledge and skills.  Do not be afraid of subjects you may not have studied at school, and do not think that a language-based module is aimed simply at improving your language skills. To study literature or film at university is to learn to read books or watch films with care, to think about the picture of the world they give, the reactions they provoke, the ideas they convey or challenge, the way in which they throw light on a society’s culture and history. It also means learning what is specific to the medium: to understand the various visual ‘languages’ employed in cinema or the various forms of writing that can be found in novels, plays, philosophical works, and so on. To study linguistics is to understand how language in general, and particular languages, actually work, as distinct from using them in practice: how languages have changed and are changing over time, how the study of language gives an insight into culture, society, the workings of the human mind. These subjects can all be difficult, but they are not mysterious, and all of them will help you develop your skills of analysis and self-expression in ways that will benefit your career, even if you work in a completely different area.

In making your choice of modules, you have to take account of the requirements of the degree programme you are registered for, and of academic coherence (i.e. the different subjects you study should have some kind of relation to one another). You have an Adviser to help you make appropriate choices.

You are expected to attend all classes, and to pursue your studies outside class during term and vacations. If you have to take a paid job, remember that you are still registered as a full-time student, and must give your studies precedence.

PLANNING YOUR DEGREE

Queen Mary Academic Credit Framework (“QMACF”)

The College operates under its Academic Credit Framework, which is in line with national norms.  The QMACF ensures that your degree is easily recognisable worldwide by reference to the National Qualifications Framework, as set out by the UK’s Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

In the College’s terminology your overall degree (e.g. Film Studies; French and Linguistics; Hispanic Studies with Business Management) is called a ‘programme of study’.  A specific element of study (e.g. French Feminist Theories; Spanish Cinema;) is a ‘module’.  Each module is run by a ‘Module Organiser’, who is the member of staff responsible for all aspects of the module.  In many cases, this will also be the sole teacher of the module, but some modules may involve more than one teacher.  The Module Organiser is named in the Directory of Modules, and is the person to approach in case of any queries about the module.

Each module has a weight or ‘credit’ value attached to it, which is a multiple of 15. Students choose combinations of modules up to the required value of 120 credits per year. There is a programme specification for each programme of study which will inform you of the requirements you must meet in order to qualify for a degree in a particular subject.
These are on the website at http://www.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/programme_regulations.html

Of the modules available, most are valued at 15 credits. These generally run for one semester and require a quarter of your time for that semester. (Note that only a part of this time will be spent in classes; most of it will be spent on self-directed study.) Some modules are valued at 30 credits. Generally, these last all year and require a quarter of your time during each semester.

During their compulsory period abroad, language students are required to complete a Year Abroad Assessment, which may be a single project, or a Learning Log, or be formed from the results of the examinations at their host university (see § 6 YEAR ABROAD AND YEAR ABROAD ASSESSMENT). The Year Abroad Assessment is valued at 120 credits. If you split the year abroad between two different placements, you will submit two 60 credit Semester Abroad Assessments.

As well as a credit value, modules also have a level assigned to them, which indicates their difficulty, and you are required to progress up the scale to BA honours level during the course of your studies. There are requirements as to how many modules you can take at the lower levels as well as a minimum number you must take at the level of the award (level 6).

Registration and choosing modules

Students will be able to pre-register during the summer for modules in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film in the following session. Most other Schools also allow pre-registration, although only to students enrolled on their own programmes of study. Many modules are heavily subscribed and you may be disappointed if you do not take advantage of pre-registration. Please note that your core modules count towards your 120 credits per year. Native speakers of any language they are studying should check with their Adviser about alternative requirements (see Required pathways through the School’s degree programmes).

Your Adviser is there to help you decide which modules to choose each year, and must approve your choices to ensure that you follow a coherent programme throughout your studies at Queen Mary. You should also take care to balance your workload; try to avoid too many modules in the same semester, or too many with a high element of assessed coursework.

Students in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film are not permitted to take more than one introductory language at the same time. Students wishing to take Language Centre modules should also note what is said below concerning levels.

Levels

All undergraduate modules in the School are assigned a level consistent with the National Qualifications Framework. The level of a module indicates the difficulty and is determined by the learning outcomes; essentially what you will be expected to have achieved by the end of the module. Full details of these are given in §5.2 EXAMINATIONS PROCESS. The academic levels are as follows:

Level 3: Pre-university or foundation level

Level 4: Certificate level

Level 5: Intermediate level

Level 6: Honours level

Level 7: Masters level

Occasionally, modules may be assigned a dual level, either 4/5 or 5/6, in which case separate learning outcomes are given for each level; there is a separate module code, and different assessment may apply.

A few of the College’s modules are defined as level 3, which means they are at or below the standard for admission to an Honours degree programme, and although these modules do count towards your 120 credit load for the year, they do not count towards the number of credits required for progression, or towards the minimum credits required for the award of your degree (see § 5.3 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION).

It is usual for students to progress from one level to the next as they progress through each year of their degree.  However, it may be appropriate for you to take some modules from a level lower or, in exceptional cases, a level higher than your year of study may indicate. 

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

You take 120 credits at level 4 in your first year.

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS

1.   You must take at least 90 credits at level 5 in your second year.

2.   Up to 30 credits may be at level 4 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent. You may not take more than 150 credits in total at level 4 during your entire degree.

3.   Up to 30 credits may be at level 6 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent (sought on a case-by-case basis), and if the appropriate level 5 pre-requisite has been met.

FINAL YEAR STUDENTS

1.   You must take at least 90 overall credits at level 6 in your final year. This includes any core modules.

2.   In order for a subject to be named in your degree title, as well as meeting the minimum credit and core module requirements of the programme, you must take at least 15 credits in that subject at level 6 in your final year.

3.   You may take up to 30 credits at level 5 with your adviser’s agreement, and module organiser’s consent.

4.   You may not take any modules at level 4 in your final year.

Transfers between modules and programmes of study

If you wish to change a module or your programme of study you should first discuss any proposed transfer with your Adviser. No module or programme changes can be made without approval. You must consider carefully the academic coherence of your chosen modules, as well as their suitability to your own personal interests and to the level at which you are studying.

If you have registered for a module, and after attending one or two sessions realise that you are not really suited to it, you may withdraw up to the end of week 2, but you must get your Adviser’s permission.  You will need to come to the School Main Office to make an amendment to your registration.  You will be expected to substitute another module, since all students must be registered for modules to the value of 120 credits per year.  You may not withdraw from a module, or join a new module, however, after the end of the second week of teaching.  If you withdraw from a module, you must remember to let the Module Organiser know, or you may find yourself being chased up for non-attendance.  It is essential that you formally change your registration; it is not enough simply to stop attending one module and start attending another.

Transfers between programmes of study require the permission of any department or School concerned. Within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, the transfer must first be agreed by the UCAS selector for the programme you wish to join, including transfers to the single honours programme of a subject you are already taking as a joint honours student.  You may need to repeat all or part of a year of study in order to meet the requirements of your new programme.  If the change is agreed, then you must complete a ‘Change of programme’ form which is available from the School Main Office.

Programme Regulations

The programme regulations lay out the requirements you need to meet to qualify for a degree in your chosen programme of study.  Apart from the core and compulsory theory and language modules, there are few prescribed sequences of modules.  However, there are overall specifications to ensure not only that you take sufficient modules in your chosen subject overall, but that you progress in the course of your studies until you are taking predominantly honours level modules.  It is vital that you are familiar with these requirements as these will affect the pathway choices you are able to make.

Some modules are core, which means you must take and achieve a pass in order to continue your studies; some are compulsory, which means you must take them but a fail mark will not necessary prevent you from progressing, as long as you gain sufficient credits overall to progress; some requirements differ according to your circumstances, eg there may be different requirements for native speakers of the language studied.

The full requirements for each of our programmes are set out on the School’s website under Programme Regulations. The core and compulsory modules are summarised below but you will see from the full requirements that you will need to take more than just these modules to qualify for your degree. Please note that more than one set of regulations may apply to you.

THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Attendance

All students are expected to attend 100% of classes unless a very good reason is given. The teaching which you receive and the discussions you take part in during classes are a vital part of the learning process at Queen Mary. You will not be able to keep up with a module for which you are missing classes by reading for it at other times. This is an essential complement to class attendance, but not a substitute for it. Copying another student’s notes will also not give you the deeper understanding of the issues discussed which you gain from taking part in those discussions.

Of course, there are legitimate excuses for absence: illness, religious obligations, bereavement, would be examples. But you do need to keep us informed of any reasons (medical or personal) that will prevent you from attending a class or classes. You should inform the teacher before the class that you are unable to attend, and give reasons. You may be asked to submit a medical certificate or similar document to cover absences of more than five days, or a series of shorter absences.

We are well aware that many students have to find employment to finance their university studies. However, employment commitments will not be regarded as a sufficient excuse for absence. If you have to work, you must harmonise your work commitments with your academic timetable.

If your attendance is regarded as unsatisfactory, we may ultimately take steps to de-register you from that module. A student deregistered from a module is not permitted to replace it with a new module: it remains on your transcript, and although you will receive any marks for work submitted up to the point of your deregistration, it will inevitably be a fail mark overall. If, as a result of de-registration, you are registered for fewer credits than you require to progress to your next year of study, your enrolment is at risk of termination: that is, you may be unable to continue as a student of the College.

We will always try to help students who are experiencing genuine problems, but we cannot do so if you do not keep us informed of them. Of course, you may not want to discuss personal matters with all of your teachers, but you must make sure that the Student Experience Manager, Rosine Smyrl, or your Adviser is aware of what is happening so that he or she can offer a generalised explanation on your behalf. Even if your attendance is jeopardised by genuine problems, it is unreasonable to delay informing us of these until you have already been deregistered from a module for non-attendance. By that time, it may be too late to reinstate you.

Students must have permission from the Head of School to be absent from College during term-time for anything other than medical or urgent personal reasons, and must provide a valid reason for absence for such permission to be given.

With very few exceptions, all classes are timetabled for a full hour or multiples of an hour. By a College-wide agreement, they actually run from five minutes past the hour until five minutes to the next hour, to allow everybody to get from one venue to another. It is extremely disruptive to teaching if students (or teachers) arrive late. If you do not arrive by quarter past the hour at which the class starts, you may not be permitted to enter the room, and you will be recorded as absent from that class.

Private study

You must be aware that as well as attending all classes, you will need to set aside at least five hours per week per module for private study in order to keep up with the modules you are taking. This requires a great deal of motivation and organisation. You might spend this time researching in the library, reading and making notes and working on preparation for assignments, or it might suit you better to work at home.

Teaching

Teaching is carried out principally in lectures and seminars. For seminars and language classes, groups are usually kept small, but lectures may be larger. Typically, you will have one lecture and one seminar each week for each module that you take. There will normally also be a film screening each week for any film-related modules. Language classes may sometimes take place in the language or computer laboratories.

Lectures

Lectures are used to give an overview of the topic. You may not be expected to contribute, but to listen and take notes while the lecturer speaks to you, although you may have the opportunity to ask questions, or be asked questions, at the end. Lecturers may speak or read from notes, write on the board or use a variety of presentation aids (overhead projectors, slides, film extracts) to illustrate their points. You may find for some modules that a number of different lecturers are involved, teaching for only one or two weeks on topics on which they are specialists.

Use the information given in the lecture as a basis for further reading and also aim to consolidate and build on what you have heard to get a clear picture. You may find it helpful to discuss the lecture with other students and compare notes. This will help you to be prepared to contribute in seminars on the same topic.

Seminars

A seminar group will normally consist of the teacher and a group of not more than 25 students. It will typically concentrate on a topic from a previous lecture and investigate it in more depth. The seminar may take the form of traditional classroom teaching where the lecturer leads by delivering information and then asks the students to work in groups on set tasks. It may take the form of a large discussion. In any event, as a student you will be expected to take an active part and will grow in confidence as you find that you are able to contribute.

Preparation for classes

The module outline which you receive at the start of each module will give you information about the topic for each week, and you will normally be given suggestions for prior reading. You may find that preparatory reading or viewing for a lecture does not make the topic ‘gel’ completely, but you will find that it will help you to make sense of the lecture and the lecture will help you make sense of the reading.

It is important to prepare for seminars by reading through lecture notes, and making sure that you have done any background reading which has been set. If you don’t, you may find that you are at a loss and embarrassed during the seminar. You may be wasting your time, and that of the other students attending. It is, of course, unfair to expect others to do the work for you.

Taking notes

Learning to take clear notes is a valuable skill. You should aim to take down key ideas, rather than attempt to write down everything that is said. Listen for clues as to when a key point is being made or when a lecturer is moving on to the next heading. Use a spidergraph system, or write your notes as headings or sub-headings and leave plenty of space to fill in other details later. It is better to keep listening rather than frantically write. If you absorb what you hear, your headings will act as memory joggers and you can write further notes in your own words later. Go through your notes as soon as possible after the class and try to fill in any details and clarify any abbreviated bits.

Make sure that you label your notes, and any handouts, with the date and name of module and teacher. This will enable you to make use of the information when you are preparing to write essays.

The English Language and Study Skills section of the Language offers a number of free “Insessional” courses in study skills where you can learn strategies for taking good notes, and other ways to get the most out of your studies.  You can get detailed information about the modules and how to register for them on the website, or come to the SLLF School Office, in ArtsOne 108.

Feedback

Questions and discussion in class, the essays you write, etc, and your teachers’ comments on them all stimulate and help you clarify your ideas, and also show the effectiveness of the teaching/learning process. You are encouraged to discuss your essays individually with your teachers, who will usually set aside times to do this when any work is returned. You should discuss your general progress with your Adviser each semester.

 Coursework will be returned and feedback offered within four term-time weeks of the submission date.

Deadlines

Deadlines for handing in coursework will be put in writing in a module handout, on QMPlus, and sometimes also on the noticeboards. They must be treated as absolute, and it is your responsibility to make sure you know what the deadline is for each piece of coursework, as you will be penalised if you miss it. You can submit work prior to the deadline, and you would be well-advised not to leave work to the last minute. Work submitted after the deadline (even by 5 minutes!) will receive a maximum mark of 40%.  If you have personal or medical issues that prevent you from being able to complete your work in time, you may ask for an extension to the deadline (see § 4 DEALING WITH PROBLEMS) by completing the Extenuating Circumstances form, which is available online from the Extenuating Circumstances pages of the website or on QM+. Late work handed in up to two weeks after the deadline without an agreed extension will receive a maximum mark of a bare pass (40%). Work handed in more than two weeks late without an agreed extension will receive a mark of zero. Failure to submit coursework may also lead to de-registration from a module.

Time management

To be sure of meeting deadlines, it is vital that you plan ahead. The freedom of choice you have under the modular system makes it impossible for Module Organisers to prevent deadlines for different modules from coinciding. Stagger your essay writing and get some essays out of the way well before the common deadline so you have time to think properly about the later ones. Remember too that a lot of students will be looking for the same library books at the same time. Poor time management is NOT considered an extenuating circumstance, and it can seriously jeopardise your final mark.

There are some things that you can do to lessen the panic of running out of time for assignments.

•     Use a year planner to highlight the actual dates of your deadlines in each semester.

•     Mark down on the same planner all your personal commitments that may prevent you from working on your assignments, e.g. family birthdays, weekends away, commitments with children and busy periods at work if you have a job.

•     Next you should share out your own assignment deadlines and tasks into the spaces. This will give you time for working on essays through the semester. This DOES mean that you will be researching and writing notes before you have a lecture on the topic. It will encourage you to be thinking about, and working on, assignments continuously and you will have a bank of research and notes ready for adding to, and be prepared for the final write-up.

Help yourself by being organised. Try to visit the library on the same days as your teaching sessions. Keep a diary with a list of everything that you hope to achieve in that day. If you need to meet certain people, teachers or other students, arrange to see them at times close to your classes. In other words, capitalize on the time when you are in College to make the best and fullest use of your time. Wherever possible, make your efforts more productive by working with a study partner and attacking the library together, sharing lecture notes and brainstorming ideas.

Find out what works for you and those around you regarding your working patterns. The same pattern does not suit everyone. Some people find it useful to stick to a work-style 9-5 pattern. Others prefer to be (or have to be) much more flexible.

Prepare your family and friends by making sure that they understand the commitment you are going to be making. Make your time planner visible to all so that they are aware of the periods when you will be most in need of their support. As you progress you will probably find that you can get tasks done in less time, but don’t forget to schedule time for unforeseen events and for time off to relax. You will find some weeks will be more productive than others during the term.

Disability

It is in your own interest to let your adviser know if you have a disability, including dyslexia. The College has a statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments for you according to that disability, but we have to rely on you to make it known to us in the first instance. Examples of such adjustments may be allowing you to record lectures, special exam arrangements, provision of module material in alternative formats, e.g. large print, alternative forms of assessment, or other campus academic support. The College’s Disability and Dyslexia Service, based on the second floor of the Bancroft Building, can provide a great deal of assistance, from advice to support workers, if required.

You are advised to consult with the Disability and Dyslexia Service (www.dds.qmul.ac.uk, email: dds@qmul.ac.uk; tel: 020 7882 2756) as early as possible in the academic year, to ensure all appropriate support has been considered and can be put into place early on. Please note that in some modules there are in-class tests during the semester for which special arrangements may need to be made, and you would be well advised to ensure that we are aware of your requirements in good time, as allowances cannot be made at the last minute, or retrospectively.

Advice and support for disabled or dyslexic students

The Disability and Dyslexia Service provides advice and support for students with sensory, mobility and physical disabilities; dyslexia and specific learning difficulties; mental health issues and long term medical conditions. They offer comprehensive advice and support with your related study needs, such as arranging non-medical helper support (including readers, note-takers and campus support workers), exam and study arrangements, dyslexia screening, special equipment, funding sources for special equipment or assistance and Disabled Students’ Allowances.

Writing essays

The School is active in the College’s ‘Writing in the Disciplines’ programme, and some of its modules are designed to be writing intensive, that is, to provide serious instruction on essay-writing as an integral part of the module; you are encouraged to take at least one of these modules during your studies here. Essays are the main type of work that you will be producing throughout your undergraduate career. It is essential that you develop the skills of writing essays of university standard as quickly as possible. The process is not an instant one, and students come to university with different skills and approaches; moreover, lecturers have different ideas about essay writing as well. The following notes are intended as general help and orientation. They should be treated as ancillary to the guidance and feedback that you will get from your teachers throughout your studies in the School. The English Language and Study Skills section of the Language offers a number of free “Insessional” courses in study skills where you can learn strategies for taking good notes, and other ways to get the most out of your studies.  You can get detailed information about the modules and how to register for them on the website, or come to the SLLF School Office, in ArtsOne 108.

The purpose of essay‑writing

Perhaps the first point you should be aware of is that at university level literature, linguistics, film, and cultural studies are not disciplines which look for black‑and‑white, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers to problems. It is accepted that problems will produce many interpretations, and disputes among experts are a sign of a healthy interest in the subject.

Essay‑writing requires you to organise your thoughts on a given topic, and to put forward your own argument in response to a particular question. It also gives you valuable experience in expressing your ideas in a clear, logical and structured way —a skill which obviously has countless applications beyond undergraduate studies.

A further benefit from writing essays is that practice is gained which can be drawn upon in examinations, and the essays you write during term‑time can be very useful revision aids (although, obviously, you may not answer on the same topic in an exam as you have already written for assessed coursework). Moreover, it is through the comments you receive on your essay (either written or oral) that you can gauge your own progress, discovering which areas are your particular strengths, and ones to which you may need to give more attention.

Analysing the question

Essays are written as responses to specific questions, rather than just general discussions of a topic. This is quite different from the system in many countries of continental Europe. Both in coursework essays and in examinations, relevance to the question is one of the most important criteria on which essays are judged.

The first and most crucial step before embarking on writing, therefore, is careful thought about the question and analysis of it. What are you being asked to do?  Essay questions can be of different types. Some are survey questions (‘Discuss the role of women in the Spanish Golden Age plays you have studied’); some focus on change over a period of time and ask you to assess questions of causation (‘Account for the development of the passive in French’); some invite you to engage in a debate on an issue which has generated critical controversy and on which you are expected to come down on one side or other (‘Do you agree that classicism is an outmoded concept?’); some may ask you to concentrate on aspects of form (‘Discuss the use of colour in the films of Claude Chabrol’); and many expect you to combine these approaches.

It is essential, therefore, before beginning to write, to clarify in your mind what the question is asking. Make absolutely sure that you understand the question. If you do not, then ask your teacher, or choose another question.

Planning the essay

Perhaps the most difficult part of writing an essay is beginning it. Looking at a blank sheet of paper can be very daunting. To get over this initial hurdle, it is sometimes helpful to ‘brainstorm’, jotting down any thoughts that occur to you, in any order.

The next step is to decide your strategy for answering the question. Planning and structuring your answer are essential; poorly planned essays are unlikely to be very coherent. Decide what the main points are that you need to make. Ask yourself in what order they should be considered. What emphasis does each point deserve within your essay?  You need to ensure that your answer is full (that no part of the question has been ignored), balanced (that each component or point is given due weight) and appropriately illustrated.

There are no simple universal rules about how to decide on structure because it will depend so heavily on the specific question asked. Some general principles, however, are worth bearing in mind:

•     Essays need to be clearly shaped and signposted. It is useful to think in terms of an introduction which engages the interest of the reader, picks up on the title (or at least an important aspect of it), and tells the reader how you are going to handle the topic. Equally important is a concluding paragraph, in which you summarise and draw together what you have said. Those are the easy parts to define (though not necessarily to write!). What comes in between needs to be just as structured and clear in purpose and function.

•     A statement at the beginning of your essay (often in the introduction) should clarify the direction and aim of your argument. The argument (most of the rest of your essay) is the setting down of the various specific aspects you have decided to discuss.

•     Arguments need to be developed. Where your essay is of the ‘survey’ type, the different aspects should be the subject of different paragraphs or series of paragraphs which are presented in a sensible and effective order. It should be clear to the reader where the argument is going. In essays of the critical type, planning and laying out the argument can be more complicated and need more thought, but the basic principle is the same; the reader should always know where the argument is going and why you are making the points that you are.

•     Avoid ‘telling the story’ in literary essays. Concise reference to plot in a way that immediately relates to a specific point you are making in your essay can enhance your argument; but you must take care to avoid lapsing into telling the story for its own sake. Essays which follow this route very quickly become diffuse and aimless and lose sight of the argument. It is more effective in argument to allude to the events of the plot than to spell them out.

You should adhere closely to the word-limit that has been set for your essay. The questions set are designed to be answerable within the limit and essays which are more than about 10% longer than the limit will be penalised. On the other hand, an essay which is substantially shorter than the limit will also be penalised, as it is unlikely to cover the topic in sufficient depth.

Style

Clarity and succinctness are the most important qualities to aim for, and that applies to the detail as much as the overall approach. Written work should be formal (avoiding the colloquial) without being pompous or verbose. Here are some suggestions:

Words and phrases:  Try to cut out the superfluous. Why say ‘conduct an investigation of’ when ‘investigate’ will do, and is easier on the reader?

Sentences:  Always go for a clear and unambiguous structure, and remember that a sentence must contain a main clause. Here are some examples of common non-sentences found in essays: ‘For example, his mother.’; ‘For example, when the mother dies.’. If you are juggling with more than two sub-clauses, the chances are that it would be better to break the concepts you are trying to express into more than one sentence. A variety of sentence length is an effective way of holding the reader’s attention, but not if the sentences become convoluted in the process.

A key to effective communication is the punctuation of sentences. This can both clarify what you are saying and make it easier to read. Two of the most common traps:

•     Do not run sentences together with commas when they are really separate sentences. Do not write ‘The mother is portrayed cruelly, her ugliness is heavily stressed’.

•     Do use commas in pairs to delimit phrases or subordinate clauses; e.g., ‘The message of the novel, in spite of the seemingly happy ending, is a pessimistic one’.

Paragraphs:  Paragraphs are elements or building blocks of an argument; each paragraph should show its logical links with the next. Paragraphing is a way of giving shape to a text by breaking sequences of sentences, but it is always better if these breaks correspond to coherent units, or at least have a clear purpose. Starting a new paragraph should indicate that you are moving your argument along into new terrain. Many people do not take advantage of this device. Some write in long paragraphs of uninterrupted strings of sentences, in which it is easy to lose the point; others break the sequences so frequently that paragraphs can contain little more than a sentence or two, in which case the argument is lost in a sense of fragmentation. The best way to improve your paragraphing is to learn from examples; look at the books which seem to you to present the argument most effectively, study the paragraphing and try to emulate it.

Spelling

A great number of students have problems with spelling. This is not said to depress you (on the contrary, it may come as a relief to know that the problem is so common), but because a) it is a fact, b) it matters, and c) if you are one of those many who has difficulties with spelling, now is the moment to do something about it.

•     Take note of the corrections made by your teachers on essays. One practical suggestion is that you keep a list of the words that you identify as those with which you have difficulty, especially those which you use frequently. If you word-process, you could keep this list in alphabetical order and build it up as you go along.

•     As you are word-processing your essay, use a spell checker. It won’t cure the problem in itself; apart from anything else, a spell checker may ensure that words are spelt correctly but not that they are the words you wanted to use. But it will improve your end-product, and, if you take note of the corrections it suggests (as above), in time it can help you to improve your own spelling. You may also find it useful to keep a good dictionary at your side as you write.

•     One of the commonest mistakes nowadays concerns the use of apostrophes. In the case of nouns, the apostrophe is used to convey possession, not plural. Thus you should write the committee’s decision (= ‘the decision of the committee’), but not the three king’s (which has no meaning). Unfortunately, the same is not true of pronouns; its means ‘of it’, while it’s means ‘it is’ (and should not be used in essays anyway, as it is too informal).

Some people who have substantial difficulties with spelling are dyslexic. If you suspect that your writing problems may come into this category, you should contact the Disability and Dyslexia Service (dds@qmul.ac.uk) to arrange a diagnosis.

Documenting your essay

We do not expect your essay to consist purely of your own ideas and opinions. It will naturally include some material that you have acquired from lectures or seminars. But there are other sources on which you can draw: books, articles in journals, and websites. In general, you should be guided by your teacher’s recommendations for reading. He or she may have deliberately left a book off a reading list because it is too rudimentary or too difficult, or because its conclusions are not accepted among scholars. You should be very careful about using material from websites, because this has often not gone through the quality controls required in academic books or journals. But never keep silent about a source because you do not know whether the teacher will approve of it or not. If consulting an unreliable source leads you into error, you will lose marks for the error anyway, and to mention the source at least gives you some excuse.

The rule is that, whatever sources you use, you must acknowledge them. Not to do so is dishonest since it is seeking credit for someone else’s work (see Plagiarism under § 5.1 ASSESSMENT). To acknowledge a source means: (i) to list it in a bibliography; (ii) to give references in the text of your essay itself. Both are essential. The form these acknowledgements take is largely a matter of convention. Other departments may require you to do things slightly differently. But when submitting essays to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, please make sure you keep to the following guidelines.

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film prefers the so-called ‘Author-date’ (or ‘Harvard’) system. This means that, rather than having to add a footnote or endnote every time you need to document the source of an idea, you simply add a bracket in the text giving the surname of the author, the date of the publication referred to, a colon, and the relevant page numbers. Thus, if you found a particular point on page 330 of an article by Charles A. Ferguson, published in 1950, you should, after making that point in your essay, add a brief reference in the form (Ferguson 1950: 330). To enable your reader to make sense of these references, you will then need to include at the end of your essay a bibliography giving the full details of all the material you read for that essay. These should be listed alphabetically by author and chronologically by date (i.e. they should begin with exactly the information included in the brackets in your text). They should contain enough information to enable the reader to check the reference for him or herself, including the exact title and the exact place of publication. Ferguson’s article is entitled ‘Diglossia’ and appeared in the 15th issue of a journal called Word. In a bibliography therefore it would appear as: Ferguson, Charles A (1950), ‘Diglossia’, Word, 15: 325-40.

Notes: Besides the bibliography, you may also want to add information to your essay other than in the text. This is best done through notes, with a number superscripted in the text referring to the note which then appears either at the bottom of the page (‘footnotes’) or after the end of the essay itself (‘endnotes’). However, notes should always be kept to a minimum, and in many essays are quite unnecessary.

Writing a bibliography

Remember: All essays must have a bibliography attached at the end; failure to provide one will have a serious effect on your mark. This list should include all the reading you have done in the preparation of your essay, even if you haven’t used it directly. If you are writing about a particular text or texts, do not forget to include details of the edition(s) you have used. Do not include in this list anything you have not read.

Within the School we recommend that in your bibliography you should adopt the following conventions:

Books. Give, in this order:

i)     the surname of the author, followed by a comma;

ii)     the author’s first name (or initials only, if the title-page has only initials);

iii)    the date of publication (in parentheses) followed by a comma;

iv)   the title (in italics if you can when word processing, or if not, underlined);

v)    the place of publication (followed by a colon), and the name of the publisher (both in parentheses). E.g.:

        Garman, Michael (1990), Psycholinguistics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

Films. Give, in this order:

i)     the surname of the director, followed by a comma;

ii)     the director’s first name (or initials only, if that is how the director is known);

iii)    the date of release (in parentheses) followed by a comma;

iv)   the title (in italics if you can when word processing, or if not, underlined). E.g.

        Jordan, Neil (1992), The Crying Game.

Articles in periodicals. Give, in this order:

i)     the surname of the author, followed by a comma;

ii)     the author’s first name (or initials only, if that is what the author gives);

iii)    the year (in parentheses) followed by a comma;

iv)   the title of the article in single quotation marks, followed by a comma;

v)    the name of the journal (in italics if you can when word processing, or if not, underlined) followed by a comma;

vi)   the volume number, followed by a colon;

vii)   the first and last pages of the article. E.g.:

        Ferguson, Charles A (1950), ‘Diglossia’, Word, 15: 325-40.

Articles in collective volumes. Give, in this order:

i)     the surname of the author, followed by a comma;

ii)     the author’s first name (or initials only, if that is what the author gives);

iii)    the date of publication (in parentheses) followed by a comma;

iv)   the title in single quotation marks, followed by a comma then the word in;

v)    the title of the book in which the article appears (underlined or in italics), followed by a comma;

vi)   the abbreviation ed., followed by the first name (or initials) and surname of the editor(s) of the volume;

vii)   the place of publication (followed by a colon), and the name of the publisher (both in parentheses);

viii)  the abbreviation pp., followed by the first and last page numbers of the article. E.g.:

        Crystal, David (1980), ‘Neglected Grammatical Factors in Conversational English’, in Studies in English Linguistics: For Randolph Quirk, ed. Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leach, & Jan Svartvik (London: Longman) pp. 150-187.

Electronic Media (e.g. the Internet). As for print media, except:

i)      if it is not clear which medium you are referring to, say so immediately after the title, in square brackets;

ii)     if it is not possible to establish when something was posted, write n.d. instead of the date;

iii)    on a new line, give the complete address for the Internet source you are citing, including, where appropriate, http:// (in angled brackets < >) followed by a comma;

iv)    always give the date when you found something on the Internet, in the form accessed 20 August 2002. E.g.:

Borrow, George (1996), The Zincali: An Account of the Gypsies of Spain [online text], Project Gutenberg

<ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext96/zncli10.txt>, accessed 20 August 2002.

Bowmal, Paul et al. (1999), ‘Why “Polemics: Against Cultural Studies”?’, parallax [online journal], 5 (2): 1-2

<http://ninetta.catchword.com>, accessed 20 August 2002.

Luther, Martin (1996), ‘Letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, 1517’ in The Works of Martin Luther, ed. and trans. Adolph Spaeth et al. (Philadelphia: A.J. Holman 1915) Vol. 1, pp. 25-28

<http://www.fordham.edu.halsall/source/lutherltr-indulgences.html>;, accessed 20 August 2002.

Note the capitalisation of words in English titles. In other languages, other rules apply: in Catalan, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish, the normal rules of prose apply; in French, the first noun and all preceding words are capitalised, the remainder of the title being treated like normal prose.

Quotation from literary texts

If the essay you are writing is a literary one based on a text or texts, refer to the text(s) you are discussing as much as possible and quote from it when you feel it is necessary or appropriate. Wherever possible you should quote in the original language. (Note that in an examination it is not essential to quote the text, but if you can do so accurately, then so much the better.)

• Titles of works should always be italicised (or underlined in a handwritten essay). Many novels or plays are named after a character within them (e.g. Don Quijote, Madame Bovary, Tristana), and italics/underlining makes clear when you are talking about the text, as distinct from the character.
• Use single inverted commas for sections of works, and for individual poems, essays or chapters of books.
• Do not give the titles of foreign-language works in English. Likewise, give names of characters as they occur in the text, not in their English forms.
• When you quote from a text, say where in a text you are quoting from. There are various ways to do this, depending on the type of text:

Poems: give line numbers, if possible,, e.g. abbreviated to 'l.' or 'll.': e.g. l. 8, ll. 23-26.

Plays:   these are usually divided into acts and/or scenes. Give the number of the act in Roman capitals, that of the scene in Arabic: thus Act Four, Scene Two is written 'IV.2'.

Novels: these may be divided into parts or chapters or both: give the reference as 'Part II, ch. 9' (or simply II.9, if you think that will be clear enough). Add the page number as well, in the edition you are using, which you will have listed in your bibliography.

Films:   give a very brief description of the point in the film at which the image, scene or sequence occurs.

All these references may be given in brackets after the quotation. Giving references will help the reader to check if necessary and aid your revision when the time comes.

(For clear guidance on all the subtler points of referencing, consult Chapter 15 (‘References and Notes’) of: Ritter, R.M. (ed. & comp.) (2002), The Oxford Manual of Style (Oxford: Oxford University Press) pp. 504-576.)

Note what is said under Planning the essay about avoiding telling the story. As the reader knows the text, you should never do this or otherwise paraphrase the plot. The purpose of your essay is to argue points and persuade the reader, not to tell the reader what s/he already knows.

Use the present tense, not the past, to talk about events and characters: ‘Andromaque is a captive...’ not ‘[...] was [...]’.

Presentation

How you present your essay matters greatly. Effective presentation should be thought of not just as something useful for writing essays, but as a life-skill. But remember, presentation is not a question of using fancy fonts and bindings, but about ensuring that your work is clear to read and to mark.

Word-processing:  You will normally be expected to word-process your essays in order to submit an electronic copy through QMPlus.

•     Ensure that your text is double-spaced and has margins of at least 2.5 cm. This is the universal convention for academic writing, and it ensures that there is enough space for your tutor’s comments and corrections.

•     Ensure that the pages are numbered, and correctly stapled together.

•     In word-processed text it is easy to put in any notes as footnotes, which puts them closer to their point of reference.

•     Be careful when you move text within your essay. This may lead to the need for adjustments to surrounding paragraphs (both in the place where you moved the text from, and in the place where you moved it to), and you should carefully re-read and amend your essay after any such reshaping.

If your coursework is hand-written, the pages still need to be numbered, and you should allow plenty of margin space on both sides of the page for comments and corrections. Notes are best placed at the end of the text as this gives you flexibility while writing.

Checking:  Teachers, and examiners, give much weight to the technical accuracy of the essay. Check very carefully for spelling mistakes, wrong quotations and typing errors. Ensure that the footnote numbers correspond with those in the text.

Assessed coursework cover-sheets:  You must submit assessed coursework with a coversheet. Make sure you have included all the information asked for, particularly the title of the essay, and the teacher’s name. Do not include your name anywhere on the work.

Writing in examinations

Almost all of what has been said above applies equally to examination essays. Obviously you should omit footnotes and references, and the crutch of a spell checker is no longer there. But the main components of essay-writing are as important as ever: analyse the question, plan the essay, write it methodically, and check grammar, spelling and accuracy.

Unless you are a seasoned and experienced examinee, entirely comfortable with the process, it is a good idea to build in examination practice as part of the revision process. Do some timed essays, and timed ‘unseen’ essays (e.g. pick questions from past examination papers which you do not look at until the moment you sit down to write your answer). The timing of examination writing is absolutely crucial; examiners deduct marks for incomplete last essays, and failure to answer the required number of questions has a dramatic impact on your overall mark.

Suggestions for further reading

The following books contain detailed advice on developing your study skills:

Barrass, R, Students Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing in Coursework and Examinations (London: Routledge, 1995). An excellent, clearly written and comprehensive guide.

Buzan, T, Use Your Head (London: BBC, 1974).

Dunleavy, Patrick, Studying for a Degree in the Humanities and Social Sciences (London: Macmillan, 1986).

Clanchy, John, & Brigid Ballard, How to Write Essays: A Practical Guide for Students, 2nd ed. (Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 1992).

Johnson, R, Writing Essays: Guidance Notes for Students (Manchester, 1991).

Jordan, R R, Academic Writing Module, Nelson Study Skills in English (London: Nelson, 1992). An excellent guide for students whose first language is not English.

Lewis, R, How to Write Essays (London: Macmillan, 1979).

Useful reference works on good written style include:

Gowers, Ernest, The Complete Plain Words (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1978).

Fowler, H W, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2nd ed., revised Ernest Gowers (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965).

The MHRA Style Book: Notes for Authors, Editors, and Writers of Theses, 5th ed. (London: Modern Humanities Research Association, 1996) gives much more detailed advice on style, referencing, etc.

Help with academic study and English language skills

The English Language and Study Skills office (ELSS) in the Language Centre offers a range of modules in English language, academic communication skills and related areas. All students are eligible to use this service, which is free of charge. Whether you are unsure about the skills required for your degree, you wish to enhance your abilities in a particular area, or your first language is not English and you feel you would benefit from extra support, you are encouraged to come and see them.

You can get detailed information about the modules and how to register for them on the website, or come to the SLLF School Office, in ArtsOne 108.

For additional self-study work on improving your use of English, the Academic English Online website is great fun and a good resource.

Learning Development

The College offers a free and confidential Learning Development service available to any QM student. Based in the Mile End Library, this includes:

• bookable one-to-one tutorials to discuss your approaches to study, a written assignment, a spoken presentation or a knotty area of grammar
• bookable one-to-one tutorials  with one of our Royal Literary Fund Fellows to talk about your writing
• advice on Maths, Statistics and Science  - on a drop-in basis in the first floor study centre
• brief consultations on writing and study skills, such as researching an assignment, referencing or using your time effectively on a drop-in basis in the ground floor Help Zone
• retreats and protected reading and writing spaces to help you focus, manage your time, develop better practices for reading and writing
• access to QM study skills books collection located on the ground floor

To find out more details, go to: www.learningdevelopment.qmul.ac.uk

We also recommend that you consult the Mind the Gap website which discusses how the modules which you study here can help you develop skills and approaches that are useful well beyond your university career: http://www.mindthegap.qmul.ac.uk

SLLF Writing Support Centre

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film recognises how closely writing is linked to thinking; and how important writing skills are both in the academic and professional worlds. A large part of your assessment, for example, while you are at university is based on your academic writing. We wish to support all our students, therefore, in developing their writing skills throughout their university career.

The School runs a Writing Support Centre, coordinated by Dr Kirsteen Anderson, in addition to the QMUL Learning Development services in the Library. They share the same goals: to help you become a more confident and effective writer.

The SLLF Writing Centre offers free weekly workshops at fixed times in Semesters 1 and 2 to any student who would like to develop their university writing further. You are welcome to come along to these sessions at any point in the academic year, on a drop-in basis or more regularly. You can also arrange an individual, half-hour session at other times in Semesters 1, 2, and 3 by emailing Kirsteen Anderson at k.h.anderson@qmul.ac.uk

Both workshops and individual sessions are informal, non-judgmental and friendly. This is not remedial work but a chance to enhance your skills- we are all learners at whatever stage we find ourselves. You can bring along essays or other coursework that you are drafting, or essays which have already been marked and commented on by a tutor, or simply aspects of your work that you would like to discuss and explore. Some of the areas that we cover are how to structure an argument clearly, how to use the SLLF referencing conventions accurately, how to re-read one’s own work critically, how to interpret what an essay title is asking you to do; and if necessary, we can also do some refresher work on grammar, sentence structure and appropriate vocabulary.

For workshop times, please see the LCD screens in the ArtsOne Building, look for details on staff office door, or email Kirsteen Anderson on k.h.r.anderson@qmul.ac.uk

Module evaluation by students

At the end of each module, students are invited to give the Module Organiser feedback by completing a questionnaire. The Module Organiser will give you the appropriate form near the end of the module. Your co-operation will be valued - it is quite voluntary and entirely anonymous. The purpose of the questionnaires is to ensure the quality and suitability of all modules and their teaching in the School. The major positive and negative points which emerge are presented to the Teaching and Learning Committee for further discussion which, where appropriate, will recommend action to the School.

Programme evaluation by final year students

In February or March each year, final year students will be contacted by MORI, an independent market research agency, who will invite you to take part in the National Student Survey of your overall experience of studying at Queen Mary. This research is commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, who has a statutory role in ensuring the quality of teaching in higher education in England is assessed, and believes that students' views should form an important part of the assessment, and the results of the survey are published in the late summer.  Participation is voluntary and anonymous, but your views are extremely important to the College to enable us to identify and build on our strengths, and improve on areas of weakness

STUDENT ENGAGMENT AND SUPPORT

STUDENT ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT POLICY - INTRODUCTION

For the timely and effective administration of support, the School wishes to use the following markers of student engagement. This is to ensure that students are well supported and given every opportunity to progress with their studies and to achieve to their fullest potential whilst here.

 MARKERS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Attendance: All undergraduate students are expected to attend all scheduled taught sessions including lectures, practical classes, group work, workshops, tutorials, seminars, field work, computer lab sessions, problem-solving classes, exercise classes, lab sessions, project meetings, and other events which are associated with the modules for which they are registered as part of their programme of study. Attendance at classes is recorded and kept by the class teacher.  Missing more than 3 sessions, or 2 consecutive weeks, of a module will cause concern and trigger the actions as described below.

Coursework Submission: All undergraduate students are expected to submit reports, exercises essays, and other pieces of coursework associated with each module for which they are registered as part of their programme of study, by the individually advertised deadlines and method of submission.  All assessed coursework deadlines in SLLF are on Wednesday at 4pm and submission is via QM+. Late submission will incur penalties (40% pegged mark). Non-submission will trigger actions as described below. Records of submission are kept on QM+

The School will capture data relating to student attendance and coursework submission on all modules for which the student is registered. This data will be used for the purpose of identifying students at risk of disengaging from their studies.

ACTION FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS WHO MAY REQUIRE SUPPORT

Actions by Schools are designed to support students to engage or re-engage with their study programme. The underpinning principles are that the School, once it has admitted a student to a programme of study, has a duty of care to that student, whilst in turn the student has a responsibility to engage with the available support. In such cases, support will be designed by the School around the needs of the individual student.

A student identified as approaching or falling below the minimum requirements of engagement set by their School will be contacted alerting them to this, outlining support mechanisms to deal with the issues that may be contributing to this.

Once a student is identified as in need of support in order to re-engage with their studies, they will be invited to a meeting with their Academic Adviser and/or the Student Experience Manager to discuss issues that might be affecting their studies, and for the provision of encouragement/advice (with possible referral to QM support services if necessary).

The School will always try to help students who are experiencing problems, but we cannot do so if we are not kept informed of them. If there are factors making a student’s engagement with their programme difficult, it is essential that the student discusses these with their Academic Adviser, the Student Experience Manager or another appropriate person in the University, at an early stage. This will give us the opportunity to intervene and provide the necessary support.

ADVISERS AND THE ADVISING SYSTEM

The policy of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film is to provide maximum support and guidance to all students of the School throughout their time at Queen Mary. This is achieved through an advising system, which provides ongoing support, as well as supporting people with special needs or individual problems of a personal, medical or financial nature. Each student has an Adviser in the School. If your degree programme involves a subject taught outside the School, then you will also have an Adviser in the other School. The College issues general guidelines for ‘Advice and Support of Undergraduate Students’ which you should consult.

There are FOUR ways in which the School can support you:

1.      The Module Organiser. S/he is a major point of contact. If you are having academic problems with a module, this is the person you should approach for guidance. The Module Organiser also monitors attendance and submission of work on a weekly basis, and will report on non-participation.

2.      The Adviser. S/he sees each Advisee at regular intervals and is responsible for the overall profile of the student’s programme of study. This is chiefly an academic role. Students on joint honours programmes within the School will have only one Adviser. Students on combined honours programmes with a subject outside of the School will have an Adviser in each School.

         Advisers will organise a weekly group meeting for all their first year advisees during the first semester so that new students can compare experiences and discuss issues arising from your studies.

         The other main function of your Adviser is a pastoral one. Advisers are interested in your general welfare and if difficult problems of a pastoral or academic nature emerge, may recommend you consult the Queen Mary Central Services.

3.      The School’s Senior Tutor Team deals with serious problems and, in particular, implements the College’s policies for extenuating circumstances, administering the School’s procedures for requests for extensions to assessed coursework deadlines during Semesters One and Two, and for claims relating to written exams during the Examination Term. (See §4.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES for further details.) There is one Senior Tutor for each year of study, with the second year Senior Tutor also acting for visiting ERASMUS students, and the final year Senior Tutor acting for Queen Mary students on their year abroad.

4.      The School’s Student Experience Manager, Rosine Smyrl, is here to support you and advise you about personal or welfare matters or if you don’t feel comfortable talking to your Adviser or Module Organiser about something.  You can drop in, or make an appointment to see her individually, to speak in confidence about anything.

The Head of School will deal with disciplinary matters.

You must ensure that you see your Adviser at least once per semester to discuss your progress.

During term-time, all academic staff set aside weekly ‘office hours’, which are advertised on their office doors; you should try to use these hours if you need to see a Module Organiser or your Adviser. Even though staff may be present at other times, they may not be able to see you without an appointment.

You should take to your Adviser all problems involving choice of modules, timetabling and queries about assessment and examinations. S/he will be glad to discuss any issues you may wish to explore, from the academic to the personal. You must mention any health problems, even if they seem trivial. (Remember that you may need a doctor’s certificate if prolonged absence is involved.)  This will enable your Adviser to ensure that any justified absence from classes does not cause concern, and that failure to produce work is understood by the Module Organiser. You can always expect discretion, and can request confidentiality, from your Adviser.

The relationship that grows up between student and Adviser is a crucial one, and extends beyond your university career, since it is usually the Adviser who writes references for employment and indeed may be asked to do so years after you have graduated. 

If you feel the relationship is unsatisfactory, it is possible to arrange to change Advisers, or to consult the Chair of your department, the Senior Tutor for your year of study, the Student Experience Manager or the Head of School.

You must have the permission of the relevant Senior Tutor to take part in any non-therapeutic clinical trials.

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

Although we hope that you will enjoy your time at Queen Mary, it is always possible that you will encounter problems during the three or four years you are a student.  These problems may relate directly to your studies, such as dissatisfaction with your choice of module; or to your life beyond College, such as family difficulties or trouble with your landlord.  Often, it is impossible to separate the different aspects of your life, and problems in one area will affect your ability to cope in other areas.

Some problems may be easily solved by talking to your Adviser or Module Organiser (see § 3 ADVISERS AND THE ADVISING SYSTEM). In other cases, you may benefit from the professional support offered by the College Advice and Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service or the Students’ Union. There are also religious facilities in and around the college.

The Student Health Service is situated on the ground floor of the Geography Building. You will find other useful names, room and telephone numbers in the College’s Student Guide

ADVICE AND COUNSELLING SERVICE

The Advice and Counselling Service is based on the ground floor of the Geography Building (Tel:  020 7882 8717) and offers a range of free and confidential professional services to all Queen Mary students. It is open on weekdays throughout the year, including all vacation periods (except bank holidays and College closure days). All sessions take place in a confidential one-to-one setting. You will find more information about their services, opening times, detailed information and advice, self-help guidance and details of events and latest news on their website: www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk.

What help can I get?

Welfare Advisers have specialist training to offer you professional advice on a range of financial, practical and legal issues. Counsellors and Therapists are professionally qualified to offer you support with emotional, personal and psychological concerns.

EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

If you believe that your ability to attend or submit a particular item of assessment has been negatively impacted by circumstances outside of your control and so as to cast doubt on the likely validity of the assessment as a measure of your achievement, you may wish to submit a claim for extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances include illness, death of a close relative, etc. Extenuating circumstances do not include computer problems, misreading your exam timetable, employer commitments, planned holidays or local transport delays. The College provides further guidance here: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/examinations/extenuating_circumstances/index.html

Where any form of assessment is concerned (e.g. a deadline for an assessed essay, or performance in an examination), a formal procedure must be followed if you wish the extenuating circumstances to be taken into account, and these are outlined below. However, you must recognise that the School and College have limited powers to make allowances for the effects of extenuating circumstances. The School Board of Examiners is required by the College regulations to measure achievement, not potential: what a student has done, not what s/he might have been able to do if there had been no problems. Therefore the only claims for extenuating circumstances which we are allowed to consider are those that cast doubt upon the validity of an assessment as a measure of achievement, and are also outside the student’s control. This excludes circumstances which have had no bearing upon the assessment: e.g., absence from part of the teaching due to illness. You may not have reached your full potential, but this has not affected the validity of the assessment, which has demonstrated your level of achievement. Whilst we may be able to consider such circumstances in relation to progression – e.g. whether you might be allowed to first-take or re-sit the module – we may not be permitted to take them into account when considering your overall performance.

Extenuating circumstances during Semesters One and Two

During the teaching semesters, extenuating circumstances may affect your ability to attend classes or meet coursework deadlines.

Absence from classes

Noting what is said under Attendance in § 2.2 THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE, as a matter of courtesy you should explain your absence to the module teacher, keep your Adviser informed, and provide a medical certificate or similar document as necessary. However, if you are prevented from attending a significant number of classes you may need to consider whether you will be able to recover lost ground, and you should discuss your situation with your Adviser and/ or the Student Experience Manager. You may wish to consider formally Interrupting your studies if you need to be absent for a significant period during one year, and restarting your studies in September or January of the next year, after your situation has ‘normalised’.

Extensions to assessed coursework deadlines

If you are unable to meet an assessed coursework deadline owing to extenuating circumstances you may submit a claim for extenuating circumstances to apply for an extension. This should be at least ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE of the deadline. This applies even if a deadline falls at the very beginning of a semester. The same applies if your assessment is an in-class test during Semester One or Two, which is treated as coursework by the College systems. For in-class tests, an ‘extension’, if your claim is accepted, would normally take the form of a new opportunity to sit the test.

You will need to submit your claim using the School’s online form here:http://www-dev.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/current-undergraduate-students/Extenuating_Circumstances . The reasons for the request must be explained by you and all required information must be included on the form. You will also be required to supply supporting documentation, e.g. a medical certificate or equivalent, as requested. Incomplete applications will be rejected. You will need to make an appointment to discuss your claim with the Senior Tutor for your year of study.

If you have missed a deadline or in-class test owing to extenuating circumstances on the day of the deadline, you should submit your claim as soon as you can.  In such cases, it is acceptable to seek an extension after the event.  However, this should normally be within three working days of the deadline.

Extension of a deadline will ONLY be granted in cases of genuine extenuating circumstances; it is not an automatic right. You will not be granted an extension for foreseeable problems, such as conflicting deadlines, difficulty in obtaining books from the Library, or having to take paid work, nor for short-term or last-minute problems such as transport delays or IT problems. Remember that, unless an extension has been agreed, a late essay will receive a mark of no more than 40% (a bare pass) if submitted within two weeks, and a mark of zero if submitted more than two weeks late.  All written coursework is submitted electronically via QM+, which automatically gives a date and time for the submission. This means we are very strict—five minutes late is still late and will incur the penalty of the 40% cap.

The School’s policy is that coursework must not be allowed to interfere with your revision time for written exams. For this reason, most deadlines are set for no later than the end of the second semester. The latest deadline for any coursework is the first day of the Examination Term, and no extensions will be granted beyond the end of the first week of the Examination Term to students who have written exams to take. If you are not able to submit your coursework by the end of the first week, you must instead follow the procedure outline below for extenuating circumstances during the Examination Term.

Extensions to deadlines for coursework which does not form part of the assessment are at the discretion of the Module Organiser.

Extenuating circumstances during the Examination Term

If you do not feel you are well enough to attend any invigilated examinations then you should not attend, but must submit a claim for extenuating circumstances instead. You should note that the Academic Regulations state that if you attend an examination then you will be deemed to have declared yourself well enough to sit it and as a result any extenuating circumstances claim will not be considered. This rule is strictly adhered to.

You must fill in the online claim form at http://www-dev.sllf.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/current-undergraduate-students/Extenuating_Circumstances, giving the nature of the circumstances and how they have affected you. This statement must be corroborated by appropriate documentation (e.g. a medical certificate - self-certification is not permissible). These documents are then considered by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee of the School Board of Examiners so that your examination performance may be considered in relation to your plea of extenuating circumstances. All cases of extenuating circumstances are kept confidential until they are considered by this Extenuating Circumstances Committee, and its proceedings are strictly confidential. Details of individual claims will not normally be discussed at the full Examination Board meeting.

In accordance with the Academic Regulations all claims must be received no later than three working days before the relevant extenuating circumstances committee meeting.  This means the deadline in 2013-14 will be 10 June 2014. Please note that although accompanying documentation can be submitted late in exceptional circumstance, claims without any evidence cannot be considered.  It is in your best interest to provide evidence and supporting documentation that is as comprehensive as possible

The School will inform you of the result of your application after the Examination Boards have met in early July. If you have missed an examination and your extenuating circumstances have been accepted by the examination board you will likely be offered either a first sit or in very exceptional circumstances a first-take (see § 5.2 EXAMINATIONS PROCESS for further detail). If you have sat all your examinations and your circumstances have been accepted by the examination board it will be likely that no action will be taken at the moment, but the information will remain on file to be considered in the context of classification (see § 5.3 DEGREE CLASSIFICATION for further detail).

Please note that submission of an application for extenuating circumstances does not automatically mean that your circumstances will be accepted by the Examination Board. The scenarios outlined above are only likely outcomes and the Board is free to use its discretion to decide on any course of action that is permitted within the Academic Regulations.

It is not possible to make a retrospective claim for extenuating circumstances, specifically once you know your results.  Therefore claims submitted after the deadline will not be considered by the examination board. Please refer to the full guidance notes on extenuating circumstances from the Advice and Counselling service or online at http://www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk/documents/leaflets/extcircs/5069.pdf

PERSONAL HARASSMENT

 The College has a comprehensive policy on personal harassment and recognises a variety of types of harassment which include any type of behaviour perceived as harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, religion, political conviction, disability or age. Harassment of students is a disciplinary offence and is always treated very seriously by the College.

 If you feel that a fellow student or a member of staff is treating you unkindly or unfairly you should contact the Students’ Union for advice on making a complaint.

DEBT

Most students have to borrow money during their time at university, and have few difficulties controlling their borrowing and their expenditure. Sometimes, however, students borrow more than they can comfortably repay. Getting into debt can become a major problem and a source of much anxiety. If you feel you are in debt to a degree which is causing you difficulties you should discuss this with your Adviser, or the Advice and Counselling Service. It is important to resolve this issue at an early stage.

 The Advice and Counselling Service also offers preventative advice so that you can avoid your finances becoming a problem in the first place, for example checking that you are getting all the financial support you are eligible for, and helping you to plan a realistic budget.

 You are reminded that College regulations state that a student who is in debt to the College, or the University, for tuition fees or for services fundamental to your studies, such as outstanding library fines, shall not be entitled to receive examination results, to progress from one year to the next, or to receive any award of the College or University. The College reserves the right to charge an administration fee in respect of reinstating the record of any student whose registration has previously been terminated under the College's Ordinances for the non-payment of tuition fees.

SCHOOL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

This Policy complements the College policy; our emphasis is on informality, with the object of solving your problems quickly and simply. The majority of problems should be able to be solved at the first stage, with relatively few progressing to the third stage.

The Policy seeks to embody the following principles:

• transparency – it spells out who is responsible for dealing with your complaint at each stage of the process, and indicates what action you should take if you feel dissatisfied with the outcome;
• speed – there are target timescales set for each stage of the process. If for any reason it is not possible to meet the timescale, you will be informed of the reason for the delay;
• natural justice – the Policy follows the principles of natural justice, in that no person who has any direct interest in a complaint will be involved in deciding the outcome, and you will be guaranteed a fair hearing;
• confidentiality – your complaint will be dealt with confidentially, and only the person(s) responsible for dealing with the complaint, and those who are parties to it, will be informed;
• non-detriment – you will not be disadvantaged if you make a complaint in good faith;
• group action – if several of you have a problem, you can make a joint complaint;
• a friend – you have the right to be accompanied by a friend or Student Union Representative when you make a complaint, or at any subsequent meeting to deal with the complaint.

This Policy covers student concerns or complaints about the provision of a programme of study or related academic or administrative service. There is a separate policy covering ‘appeals’ – i.e. requests for the review of an examination board decision relating to the overall assessment, progression or the classification of a degree: these requests are considered under the provisions of the Regulations covering the Review of Examination Board Decisions.

The School aims to provide effective teaching and assistance with academic matters, with the resources it has at its disposal. If you feel that what is provided falls short of this, there are various avenues open to you to express your feelings on the matter. Which you choose will depend on the type of problem you have encountered.

Types of Complaint

Complaints are of two kinds: informal and formal.

Stage 1: Informal

If the problem is relatively straightforward, it can probably be settled informally. A brief talk with the member of staff in question may be sufficient to solve your problem. Even if it has to be referred upwards, to the Chair of department or Head of School, it may still be possible to deal with the matter by a face-to-face conversation. No record will normally be kept of such a complaint and you should not feel nervous of approaching any member of staff in such a way.

The object of this informal first stage is to resolve problems quickly and easily with a minimum of formality. You should receive a response within a week.

1. If you find some aspect of the teaching or organisation of a module unsatisfactory, the obvious person to talk to in the first place is the teacher concerned. If there are many teachers involved in a module, you may wish to consult the Module Organiser, whose name can be found in the Directory of Modules. If neither the teacher nor the Module Organiser can satisfy you, you may take the matter to the Chair of department concerned. If you wish to take the matter further, you may take it to the Head of School.

1. If you are dissatisfied with the assessment of coursework during the course of the year, in the first instance you should take note of the feedback given on the piece of work, and ask the marker or module organiser for additional clarification of how the given mark was reached.  If you still feel an error has occurred, you may wish to consult the Exams Officer, who will investigate whether a procedural error has occurred.

1. If the problem is of an administrative nature, the first person to speak to is the Administrator who deals with that area, and then the School Senior Administrator. If you wish to take the matter further, you may take it to the Head of School.

In most cases, you will find it advantageous to consult your Adviser or to the Student Experience Manager before making any complaint. He or she may well be able either to solve the problem there and then, or to indicate whom you can best approach. If you wish, you may instead talk to the relevant Senior Tutor and/or the Chair of department.  You may also wish to talk to your SSLC representative who can make the approach on your behalf, particularly if more than one student is affected.

Outside the School, there are other sources of help and advice:

• the Students’ Union
• the Advice and Counselling Service of the College.

Stage 2: Formal

If you cannot get the problem solved satisfactorily through the informal policy, or if the matter is relatively serious, you should make a formal complaint in writing to the Head of School. Your complaint will be investigated, and you will receive a written response, normally within two weeks. The School keeps a record of all formal complaints, including a note of the substance of the complaint, and how the matter was resolved, and makes an annual report to Senate.

Stage 3: Institutional

If you do not feel that the problem has been solved at the School level, you may bring a complaint at institutional level by writing to the Academic Secretary, spelling out the details of your complaint, and the steps you have already taken to get the matter resolved. The Academic Secretary will not normally consider complaints that have not first been raised at the School level unless the problems are particularly severe and/or urgent. She will then investigate the complaint according to the procedures set out in the College Policy. The Advocacy & Representation Manager of the Students Union can advise and support you through this procedures.

ASSESSMENT, EXAMINATIONS AND DEGREE CLASSIFICATION

Assessment methods

There is a variety of methods of assessment in the School.  Most modules are assessed by a written examination and by coursework, which is submitted during the year and counts for a percentage of the marks. Some modules have no written examination, but are assessed by essays and projects. Class presentations or quizzes may also be part of the assessment.  A few modules have only a written examination. In all cases you should check the details with the Module Organiser and be sure that you fulfil all obligations and meet all deadlines.  Failure to complete any part of the assessment (such as by not submitting a piece of coursework, or missing a written examination) will result in a mark of 0% for that item, which may lead to failure of the whole module.

Language of assessment

In the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, content modules in the language departments (e.g. modules other than the core language modules) may be taught either in English or, where appropriate, in the ‘target language’, so that a German literature module might be conducted in German, a French culture module in French, etc.

Where a module is taught in English, all coursework must be written in English.  However, you may write in English or in the ‘target language’ in examinations.

Where a module is taught in the target language, the language of assessment will be at the discretion of the Module Organiser, and you should consult him or her for guidance.

Written examinations

Attendance at all examinations is compulsory. You must ensure that you are properly registered for all your modules, including those which do not have a written examination. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered for the correct modules.  You have a final opportunity to make amendments at the start of Semester 2, in consultation with your adviser and the School Office.  Please note, however, that you cannot withdraw from a module which has already taken place.

You must inform the Registry if there are any dates during the Examination Term when you will not be available for religious reasons. You will have an opportunity to do this at the start of Semester 2.  You will then be able to view your individual timetable shortly before the Easter vacation via MySIS: as well as giving you the dates, times and locations of your written examinations, this is also your final opportunity to make sure that you are properly registered for all of your modules. Oral and aural examinations normally take place in the first week of the Examination Term and are timetabled by the School. You must check the relevant noticeboard before the Easter vacation for your times.

To ensure fairness, examinations at Queen Mary are taken anonymously. You must write your student number in place of your name on your examination scripts.

You must take care to follow the instructions on examination papers. If you do not do so, you will be penalised. This may lead to a mark of zero for a question inappropriately answered. In particular, you must not recycle assessed coursework in an examination answer.

Coursework

Coursework may take many forms: essays, projects, practical worksheets, translations, quizzes, presentations.  It can be either ‘assessed’ or ‘required’, and you should be sure that you know which applies to each piece of work.

Set work may be ‘required’, which means it will not count towards your final mark, but it is a requirement of the module that you produce it. You will find the marks and feedback that you receive for it useful in gauging your progress. Failure to submit such work may result in your being de-registered from the module. If that is a compulsory or core module, such as a language module, you may be unable to continue with your studies.

Assessed coursework can count for anything up to 100% of your final mark for a module.  Submission of all assessed coursework is compulsory and failure to do so may result in failure of the whole module. If you hand in a piece of coursework after the deadline, without an agreed extension, your mark for that piece of work will be pegged at 40%. Work handed in more than two weeks late will receive a mark of zero. Please note that any mark given for assessed coursework remains provisional until it is confirmed by the Examination Board at the end of the academic year.

Handing in coursework

Coursework should, unless you have good reason, be word-processed, and you must ensure that you keep a copy of each piece of work you submit, whether or not it is word-processed.  From 2013/14, submission of assessed coursework is via QM+ only. Only electronic submission, through QM+ can be accepted. No hard (paper) copies are required.

The submission deadline for all coursework is 4pm on Wednesdays, regardless of the day your class usually takes place.

Please ensure that you upload the correct document before the deadline when you submit coursework. Uploading the incorrect document by mistake is NOT considered as Extenuating Circumstances and if it leads to your submission being late, it will incur the usual late penalty.

Late submission will be penalised unless you have obtained permission for an extension to the deadline. Extensions must be requested before the deadline. Permission for an extension for assessed coursework can be granted ONLY by the relevant Senior Tutor (see Extensions to assessed coursework deadlines under § 4.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES).

Plagiarism

The Queen Mary Regulations on Assessment Offences state that plagiarism is ‘presenting someone else’s work as one’s own irrespective of intention. Close paraphrasing, copying from the work of another person, including another student, using the ideas of another person, without proper acknowledgement or repeating work you have previously submitted without properly referencing yourself (known as ‘self plagiarism’) also constitute plagiarism.’ 

Plagiarism includes submitting the work of someone else as your own, with or without their knowledge or consent; using Essay Mills or ghost writing (getting someone else to write your coursework for you); and extensive copying from someone else’s work without proper referencing. Copying from the internet without acknowledging the source is also plagiarism. You may use brief quotes from the published or unpublished work of other persons, but you must always show that they are quotations by putting them inside quotation marks, giving the source and listing the work in the bibliography (see Writing essays under § 2.2 THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE). It is also plagiarism to summarise another person’s ideas or judgements without reference to the source. 

Plagiarism is not only unethical and poor academic practice, but when discovered will result in very serious consequences for you. It is often very easy for Academics to spot plagiarised work, and you should be aware that as well as relying on our own expertise, we also make use of plagiarism-detecting software. At the very least, discovery will lead to a mark of zero for the piece of work involved. It may lead to a mark of zero for the whole module, or to a more severe penalty, such as the invalidation of all examinations taken that year. Avoid it at all costs.

The best way to avoid the risk of plagiarism is first of all to make sure that when you take notes you write down full details of the source (author’s name, title of book or article, website address, notes you have made during lectures). You then list these in your essay, as references for particular points and as entries in the bibliography. Take care if you are cutting and pasting information between two documents, and ensure that references are not lost in the process. Be particularly careful with quotations and paraphrasing, and be sensible in referencing ideas – commonly held views that are generally accepted do not always require acknowledgment to particular sources. However, it is best to be safe to avoid plagiarism.

To copy an author’s words without indicating that you are quoting is the most blatant form of plagiarism. But even to put someone else’s ideas into your own words, with or without indicating where the ideas come from, can count as plagiarism. You should use other people’s ideas to develop your own views. This means that you will think actively about what you are doing, and not simply amass material in an uncritical, passive way. It will help you constantly to analyse what you are reading, deciding what material is most important for your essay and your argument.

EXAMINATIONS PROCESS

Progression

In every year you register for modules to the value of 120 credits. In order to qualify to progress to the next year of study, you must satisfy the progression requirements:

First Year Students

You must pass at least 90 credits out of 120 credits taken to progress to your second year.

The following programme regulations also apply to these specific programmes:

All programmes (single and joint honours) involving a modern language (Catalan, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Portuguese and Russian) – You must pass your first year language module (e.g. FRE411 French I). If you fail to pass this module then you have failed to progress to your second year, even if you have passed 90 credits overall.

All programmes (single and joint honours) involving Film Studies – you must pass FLM100 Introduction to Film Studies. If you fail to pass this module then you have failed to progress to your second year, even if you have passed 90 credits overall.

Second Year Students

You must pass at least 180 credits out of 240 credits taken over your first and second years.

The following programme regulations also apply to these specific programmes:

All programmes (single and joint honours) involving Film Studies – You must pass the second year core module FLM003 What is Cinema? If you fail to pass this module then you have failed to progress to your final year, even if you have passed 180 credits overall.

All programmes (single and joint honours) involving a modern language (Catalan, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Portuguese and Russian) – You must pass the second year core language module (e.g. FRE239 French II) If you fail to pass this module then you have failed to progress to the next year of study, even if you have passed 180 credits overall.

Year Abroad Students

In order to progress from your Year Abroad to your final year, you must satisfactorily complete the Year Abroad Assessment. You must have submitted your assessment by the required deadline and it must not be plagiarised. You do not actually have to pass the Year Abroad Assessment to progress into final year, however a fail mark for the Year Abroad Assessment will have negative consequences for your final year degree classification.

Re-sitting modules

If you do not pass enough credits to progress to the next year of study, you must re-sit your failed modules at the next available opportunity. For all modules within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film the next available opportunity is in the Exam Term of the following academic year, as the School does not offer late summer re-sits. Therefore if you fail to pass enough credits to progress into your next year of study, you must re-sit out of attendance during the following academic year. This means that you will not be enrolled as a student or attend classes during this year, but you will re-sit coursework and examinations out of attendance.

The results for modules passed on a re-sit are pegged at a bare pass of 40%. The re-sit assessment that you will be required to undertake will be the approved synoptic re-assessment for the module. This means that you will only be required to undertake part of the original assessment again (unless the original assessment was one piece of work worth 100%). Your re-sit mark is based entirely on the newly-submitted work. The synoptic re-assessment will comprise either: for modules which have an examination, the written, aural and/or oral examination(s) only; or: for coursework-only modules, one or more pieces of coursework which have been approved as the synoptic re-assessment for that module.

If you have failed modules that are not taught within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film you should be aware that some Schools in the College do offer late summer re-sits. Check with the relevant School to find out whether they do. If you have failed a module that is taught in a School which offers late summer re-sits the next available opportunity to re-sit this module is in the late summer and you will be automatically registered for this examination and must ensure that you attend.

If you are eligible to progress into your next of study but have not passed all the modules that you have taken, you will be able to re-sit those modules that you have failed alongside the full 120 credits that you will be studying in your next year of study. However, you will not be allowed to attend the classes again for the module(s) that you are re-sitting. 

Final year students may only re-sit failed modules if they have too few credits to be eligible to graduate. Final year students are not eligible for late summer re-sits under any circumstances.

All students who are eligible to re-sit modules must ensure that they either opt-in or opt-out of re-sitting these modules via MySIS. If you are in attendance (that is you have qualified to progress to your next year of study), you will be automatically opted-in to re-sit any failed modules that you are eligible to re-sit. If you do not wish to re-sit these modules, you must ensure that you opt-out via the MySIS system by the deadline otherwise you will remain registered to take the re-sit assessment for these modules. You should be aware that opting out of re-sitting a module means that you will not have another opportunity to re-sit this module and that the highest mark that you have thus far achieved for this module will remain on your transcript and will be used in your degree classification calculation.

If you are out of attendance (that is you did not qualify to progress to your next year of study) you will automatically be opted-out of re-sitting your failed modules. Therefore, if you wish to re-sit your failed modules in order to resume your studies, you must ensure that you opt-in via the MySIS system by the deadline otherwise you will not be registered to re-sit your modules.  You will not have another opportunity to re-sit, and your registration as a student at Queen Mary will be terminated.

The opt-in/opt-out re-sit task is available in MySIS usually from mid-October until mid-December each year. It is your responsibility to ensure that you opt-in or opt-out of re-sitting your failed modules by the deadline. If you have any queries regarding the task, you should contact the Academic Registry.

You MUST re-sit your failed modules at the next available opportunity. This is either in the following academic year (all SLLF modules) or in the late summer (modules offered in some departments in the College). It is not possible to defer taking your re-sits (this applies even if you have interrupted your studies) and if you do not re-sit your failed modules at the next available opportunity, you will not be able to do so at any other time during your studies. The only possible exception to this regulation is for students who are abroad as part of their studies and who are not able to return to College to re-sit their failed modules (unless it is a core module). In this situation you will not be penalised, but no other deferral of re-sits is permitted.

Students who commenced their programme of study prior to 2011 - You have three permitted attempts to pass a module – one original attempt (where you study for the module for the first time) and two re-sit attempts. Therefore if you fail a module on the first attempt, re-sit it at the next available opportunity but still fail to pass it, you will have one more attempt to re-sit the module at the next available opportunity should you wish to do so.

Students who commenced their programme of study in 2011 or later - You have two attempts to pass a module – one original attempt (where you study for the module for the first time) and one re-sit attempt which must be taken at the next available opportunity.

If you have exhausted all your permitted attempts to pass a module but still have failed to pass it, the mark that will remain on your transcript and that will be used in your degree classification calculation is the highest mark you have achieved for the module, not the most recent.

First sitting modules

Students who have not attended an examination or who have not submitted coursework and have submitted an application for extenuating circumstances which has been accepted by the Examination Board (see § 4.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES) may be offered a first sit in that module at the discretion of the Examination Board. The timing of the first sit will depend on your individual circumstances:

If you have met the progression requirements for your degree programme, the first sit will take place in the following academic year. If the missing item of assessment is an examination you will sit in the following May alongside your other examinations. If the missing item of assessment is coursework you will be set a deadline for submission in the following academic year. You will not attend classes in the module which you are first sitting.

If you need to pass the first sit to meet the progression requirements for your degree programme, the first sit will take place during the summer vacation of the same academic year. If you pass the first sits and meet the requirements for progression you will be able to progress into the next year of your degree programme in September.

Please note that the decision regarding the timing of first sits is made by the Examination Board not by the student. Under the College’s Academic Regulations final year students are not permitted to take late summer first sits and therefore must wait until the following academic year.

First sit modules are not pegged at 40E and the full range of marks will be available.

Retaking an academic year (First Take)

Students can only be permitted to re-take an academic year in very exceptional circumstances. This is known as a “first take”. You must have applied for your extenuating circumstances to be taken into account before the Examination Board meets (see § 4.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES). If the first take is authorised, you will attend all classes and submit the entire assessment for your modules again. You must take the same modules in your first take year that you were registered for on the original attempt (unless the School is not offering that module again). Results for first-taken modules are not pegged at 40E and the full range of marks will be available.

Marking and examining

Marking and examining of work which counts towards classification (assessed coursework or written examination) is done by teachers who have had to be formally approved as Examiners. There are three stages in marking to ensure that a fair mark is arrived at: the work is marked by two teachers and if, after serious discussion, there remains any uncertainty about the appropriate mark, it is sent to an External Examiner, who has a right to see all the students’ work for that module, who thus has an overview and whose final recommendation is normally accepted. External Examiners also see all overall fail performances and a sample of the work by students over which there is no disagreement internally.

DEGREE CLASSIFICATION

When you get your degree, it is a classified degree, i.e. it is a First, Upper Second, Lower Second, Third Class Honours degree, or a Pass degree. What follows is an explanation of how the marks you get for each of your modules are translated into your final classification. There is important further information on examinations in the Student Guide with which you should become familiar.

Award of degree

All students must have passed at least 270 credits to be eligible for a degree. For students registered for a 4-year degree these 270 credits passed must not include the 120 credit Year Abroad Assessment module. Students transferring from another university into the second year of a Queen Mary degree programme must have passed at least 180 credits. For students who transferred into the second year of a languages degree programme that includes the compulsory Year Abroad, these 180 credits passed must not include the 120 credit Year Abroad Assessment module. Level 3 modules do not count towards these totals. In practice, most of you will have passed more than this. 

Classification

When all the marks have been agreed, each student’s complete profile is scrutinised at a meeting of the appropriate departmental Sub-board (Comparative Literature, Film Studies, French, German, Iberian and Latin American Studies, Linguistics, or Russian). Where a student has two main subjects within the School, the Chairs of both Sub-boards discuss the case in detail and the student is then assigned for preliminary classification to one of the two Sub-boards. Combined Honours language students (a language with a non-language subject) are always classified by the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film.  The Sub-boards’ recommendations are then considered by the Board of Examiners in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, whose final recommendation is then put to the College Degree Examination Board for approval.

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film is the home department for all students registered in the School except for students registered on the following degree programmes: English Literature and Linguistics, and Film Studies and History. If you are registered on one of these degree programmes, you will be classified by the other School.  However, this will be done in consultation with the Chair of the Board of Examiners of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film.

Your overall performance is assessed using a calculation to determine your ‘mean’ mark, which will give you a percentage on the scale with which you are already familiar.

Calculating your final mean

There is a College-wide classification mean for all students.  This mean compulsorily includes the marks from all 360 credits (480 credits for four-year students) taken throughout your studies.  If marks for fewer than 120 credits are recorded in any one year, the computer will make calculations by inserting marks of zero as appropriate.

The calculation is done as follows:

For students who started their degree before 2013

• The mean for 3-year students is calculated as follows:

(year 1 average x 1) + (year 2 average x 2 ) + (final year average x 4) / 7

• The mean for 4-year students is calculated as follows:

(year 1 average x 1) + (year 2 average x 2) + (year abroad average x 1) + (final year average x 4) / 9

Classifying your degree according to your mean

A mean mark in the middle of the range will immediately be awarded the appropriate class of degree (e.g., 65% will be an Upper Second). However the College’s regulations allow for a degree of flexibility. If your mean is just below a borderline, your case is examined in detail.

Positive factors will be looked for, such as the range and level of the modules taken, and elements of ‘higher class’ performance within your profile. This includes the number of modules that have a higher class mark and how many of these modules are at level 6. If you have had unspent extenuating circumstances (that is extenuating circumstances for which you were not offered a first sit or re-take – see section 4.2 EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES) they will be brought to the attention of the Examination Board who has the discretion to recommend a higher class of degree if it sees fit. Please note that the presence of extenuating circumstances does not automatically mean that you will be awarded a higher class of degree. External Examiners attend the classification meeting and their judgement on the borderline cases, which are fully discussed, is considered very important.

Degree titles

The Queen Mary Academic Credit Framework applies to all students who entered the College in 2008 or later. The QMACF states that students’ degree titles are determined by the title of their programme of study and this will only differ where there is an approved alternative exit title for that degree programme. If your interests change in the course of your studies, you should change programme to reflect this. You should discuss the possibility with your Adviser as soon as possible. If you have taken modules outside of the subject named in your degree programme these modules will be listed on your transcript but will not be named in your degree title unless you actively change your degree programme by submitting a change of programme form. You will only be able to do this if you fulfil all the programme requirements for your new degree programme. You should always discuss any changes with your Adviser.

Final Year language students who entered the College before 2012 and who meet the overall requirements to graduate, but fail to pass the core final year language module will be awarded the approved alternative degree exit title including ‘French Studies’, ‘German Studies’, ‘Spanish Studies’ or ‘Russian Studies’ as appropriate.  All other students must pass all core modules before they can be classified.

Queen Mary University of London degree certificate

Students who are already enrolled, or due to enrol before the end of 2013, can choose whether to graduate with a degree certificate that says Queen Mary University of London, or a degree certificate that only says the University of London. Previously, students could only graduate with a degree certificate that said University of London.

Students who enrol from 2014 will automatically receive a degree certificate that says Queen Mary University of London when they graduate. 

There are some exceptions – more information is in the answers to the frequently asked questions on the website: http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/students/graduation/your-degree-award/index.html

MARKING CRITERIA AND SUBJECT BENCHMARKS

Marking scheme for undergraduate work

The standard (numerical) marking scheme used for all undergraduate work in the School is as follows:

Modules in the degree programmes are organised into four major areas: modules on literature/culture, modules on linguistics, modules on film, and language modules. Non-language modules in the degree programmes are taught at three different levels, with benchmarks for each of the levels; language modules are taught at six different stages, also with benchmarks for each of the stages. Benchmarks tell you what you should know and do at each level or stage. This includes knowledge and skills which are specific to the disciplines and/or the language(s) you are studying as well as knowledge and skills which are transferable to other spheres. Marks for undergraduate work are judged relative to the level or stage at which the modules are taught. When marking, examiners bear in mind these benchmarks in conjunction with the grade criteria. Benchmarks are provided below for each of the three major areas:

Level benchmarks for modules on literature/culture

Level 4: At this level students are expected to demonstrate:

• Basic factual and conceptual knowledge of the field of study
• Command of the essential terminology
• Basic research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Basic awareness of the complexity of the subject, and of issues and implications of tasks set
• Awareness of the basic historical, theoretical and/or critical approaches to the subject
• Capacity to apply this knowledge, with guidance, to the tasks set
• Capacity to analyse primary texts or other relevant cultural products and to put them into context
• Basic awareness of the formal attributes of primary texts and cultural products
• Capacity to synthesise findings and to communicate them effectively and concisely, and to present them in a format appropriate to the discipline
• Ability to construct a coherent argument

Level 5: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• Detailed knowledge of major discipline(s) and awareness of a variety of relevant concepts/contexts/frameworks
• Capacity to analyse a range of texts/cultural products and to place them in their contexts with minimum guidance
• Awareness of the complexity of the subject and of the tasks set, ability to identify key issues and to discern the most appropriate approaches
• Ability to work within major theories/critical frameworks of discipline
• Capacity to distinguish between these theoretical/critical approaches, to compare them and their implications
• Ability to synthesise a range of ideas and to re-think them in the light of a given task
• Capacity to challenge received opinion and to begin to develop own criteria and judgement
• Awareness of the formal attributes of primary texts and cultural products
• Capacity to communicate findings effectively and in a format appropriate to the discipline
• Ability to construct a coherent argument

Level 6: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of major discipline(s), and of areas of specialisation
• Capacity to identify own strengths and learning needs, autonomy to plan and carry out study and research tasks and to use, with minimum guidance, the full range of resources and methodologies for the discipline available
• Capacity to analyse abstract concepts and texts or cultural products without guidance, using a range of historical, theoretical and critical approaches appropriate to the subject, with confidence and fluidity
• Capacity to contextualise a wide range of concepts, texts and cultural products from a variety of perspectives
• Confidence in identifying and defining the complexity of subject(s) or problem(s) and ability to engage with the implications and contradictions resulting from that complexity
• Confidence in use of own criteria and judgement and in challenging of received opinion
• Capacity to analyse comprehensively the formal attributes of primary texts and cultural products
• Capacity to engage effectively in debate and to produce professionally presented pieces of written work following the norms appropriate to the discipline
• Ability to construct a coherent argument

Level benchmarks for modules in linguistics

Level 4: At this level students are expected to demonstrate:

• Basic factual and conceptual knowledge of the field of study
• Command of essential terminology
• Command of the core concepts
• Ability to think systematically about language structure and language use
• Ability to apply core analytical tools
• Ability to follow linguistic argumentation
• Ability to apply linguistic argumentation to data, with appropriate guidance
• Ability to follow theoretical explanations of linguistic phenomena
• Capacity to communicate findings effectively and in a format appropriate to the discipline

Level 5: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• Detailed knowledge of particular theoretical models for understanding language
• An understanding of how these models are situated in broader contexts relevant to language
• Ability to tackle some of the primary literature
• Ability to apply the concepts of these theoretical models to linguistic data with guidance
• An understanding of the link between data and theory in linguistics more generally
• Ability to collect and organise data
• Ability to construct an argument in linguistics

Level 6: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of particular theoretical models for understanding language
• Ability to tackle more technically challenging primary literature
• Capacity to identify own strengths and learning needs, autonomy to plan and carry out study tasks and use, with minimum guidance, the full range of resources for the discipline available
• Ability to apply the concepts of the theoretical models to linguistic data with minimal guidance so as to construct (partial) analyses
• Ability to collect and organise data with a full understanding of the methodological implications of the process

Level benchmarks for modules in film studies

Level 1: At this level students are expected to demonstrate: 

• A basic factual, conceptual and historical knowledge of the field of study
• Awareness of the basic terminology and key concepts
• Basic research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to conduct a sequence, or mise-en-scene, analysis
• Capacity to place film texts into their cultural, historical and political contexts
• Ability to construct a coherent argument
• Capacity to communicate ideas effectively in a format appropriate to the discipline
• Capacity to identify own learning needs and to develop strategies for improvement
• (and for students who opt to study film production) Video production skills in the areas of camera, sound, editing and lighting to a basic level of competence
• (and for students who opt to study film production) The ability to write and devise a screenplay with a narrative structure using the required standard and format

Level 2: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• A cultivated and critical sense of a wide range of different theories of film resulting in a more detailed factual, conceptual and historical knowledge of the field of study
• Confidence in the use of essential terminology and key concepts
• Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• The ability to use sequence, or mise-en-scene, analysis, within a wide range of tasks with minimum guidance

• Sophisticated understanding of the relationship between film texts and their cultural, historical and political contexts
• (and for students who opt to study film production) The ability to demonstrate video production skills related to the directing of drama in terms of working with performers, preparing a script and blocking and staging action
• (and for students who opt to study film production) The ability to write a script as an adaptation of a prose text and the ability to write an original screenplay to a good standard in terms of format and layout and in relation to narrative drama (incl. plot, characterization, genre)

• Capability and confidence in communicating ideas in a format appropriate to the discipline

Level 6: At this level students are additionally expected to demonstrate:

• The development of in-depth knowledge of selected theories of film relevant to topics covered and resulting in areas of specialization
• Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills deployed within a wide range of tasks with minimum guidance

• Autonomy to plan and carry out study and research tasks and to use, with minimum guidance, the full range of resources and methodologies for the discipline

• Capacity to construct a coherent argument that will challenge received opinion and demonstrate marked independence of thought
• (and for students who opt to study film production) The ability to produce a complete and coherent narrative drama combining both the skills of video production and scriptwriting developed at levels one and two.

Stage benchmarks for language modules

Languages for which the School offers degrees (Catalan, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish) are taught from Stage 1 to Stage 6.

Benchmarks for the six stages described below are defined in accordance with the criteria used in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A table of language modules indicating their respective stages and the corresponding CEFRL nomenclature, and pathways followed by students in the various departments of the School, can be found at the end of this section of the handbook.

Stage 1: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases concerning needs of a concrete type
• Introduce him/herself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details
• Interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly
• Write simple, isolated phrases and sentences, showing some control of simple grammatical structures

Stage 2: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. personal information, likes and dislikes, shopping, local geography, studies, employment)
• Communicate in simple, everyday situations requiring a direct exchange of information and requests for information
• Describe in simple terms his/her background, immediate environment and matters of immediate need     
• Write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors, displaying greater control of grammatical structures

Stage 3: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand straightforward, factual information and  the main points on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, leisure, university, etc.
• Produce simple connected texts on topics which are familiar or of personal interest
• Describe orally and in writing, presenting these as a linear sequence of points, experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans
• Write short, simple essays on relevant topics, expressing thoughts on abstract and cultural topics, showing sound grammatical knowledge

Stage 4: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand the main ideas of complex speech and texts, live or broadcast, on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation
• Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, and give clear detailed presentations on a range of relevant subjects, expanding and supporting ideas with subsidiary points and relevant examples
• Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects; synthesise and evaluate information and arguments from a number of sources and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options
• Write an essay with a relatively high degree of grammatical control which develops an argument systematically, using a limited number of cohesive devices to produce clear, coherent discourse

Stage 5: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand and recognise a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms and a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning
• Express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions, and give detailed presentations on complex subjects, integrating sub-themes
• Use language flexibly and effectively for social and academic purposes
• Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text showing a high degree of grammatical accuracy, on complex subjects, underlining the relevant issues, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices

Stage 6: At this stage students are expected to:

• Understand with ease virtually everything heard or read whether live or broadcast
• Summarise information from different spoken and written sources, give critical appreciation of relevant material, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation
• Exploit a comprehensive and reliable mastery of a very wide range of language to formulate thoughts precisely and maintaining consistent grammatical control of complex language; express him/herself spontaneously and very fluently using an effective logical structure and differentiating finer shades of meaning,  even in more complex situations, in order to eliminate ambiguity

Marking criteria for undergraduate work

Since the criteria used in judging language modules are rather different from those used in judging non-language work (modules on literature/culture, linguistics and film), they are outlined in separate sections below.

Criteria for marking modules on literature/ culture, linguistics and film

Examiners bear in mind a number of different criteria when determining what mark to award. One relates to the coverage of the particular topics or questions addressed: relevant issues should be identified and implications addressed. You are expected to display an understanding of relevant criticism. Argumentation is expected to be clear, consistent and balanced, and should be supported by relevant evidence and exemplification. Depending on the nature and difficulty of the topic, an appropriate level of originality, imagination, insight or ingenuity in exemplification, argument, approach, problem statement or solution is expected. From a presentational point of view, work should be neat and tidy, clearly structured, well written, precise and directly relevant to the topic, without unnecessary digression or errors in spelling or grammar, with proper attention to presentation of examples, citation and the form in which bibliographical information is presented. Technical terms should be used correctly. Conciseness is important (e.g., length restrictions should be adhered to).

Not all of the criteria below apply equally to all kinds of assignments (essays, exercises, transcriptions, practical projects, sequence analyses, etc.). In general, weakness in one area may be compensated by extra strength in another. A brief outline of the qualities expected of a piece of work in a non-language module at a given level is presented below:

Work of A-grade Standard: A piece of work will normally be awarded an A grade, and be considered of excellent standard, if it displays the following:

1. Follows the assignment brief; is confident in handling key terms and concepts; may also productively challenge and question key terms and concepts
2. Excellent knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; excellent knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches; the assimilation and integration of additional material not directly covered in the module
3. A coherent line of argument throughout the assignment backed up with excellent analysis; an ability to go beyond the arguments presented in the critical literature; evidence of independent and/or original thinking
4. An appropriate and elegant structure that ensures excellent organisation of material and detail
5. Excellent command of language, including accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; the use of a suitable scholarly register; fluency, flair and an assured use of difficult and specialised terminology
6. Impeccable referencing and bibliography presented according to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film’s preferred referencing system
7. Excellent presentation of work (word processed in at least 11 point font, one and a half line spacing, pages clearly numbered, etc.).

Note – a piece of assessed work that is excellent in all these criteria should be awarded the highest possible grade of 85%.

Work of B-grade Standard:  A piece of work will normally be awarded a B-grade mark, and be considered good, if it displays the following:

1. Follows the assignment brief; is confident in handling key terms and concepts
2. Good knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; good knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches
3. A coherent line of argument throughout the assignment backed up with good analysis; good understanding and synthesis of the arguments presented in the critical literature
4. An appropriate structure that ensures good organisation of material and detail
5. Good command of language, including accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; the use of a suitable scholarly register
6. Good referencing and bibliography presented according to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film’s preferred referencing system
7. Good presentation of work (word processed in at least 11 point font, one and a half line spacing, pages clearly numbered, etc.).

Work of C-Grade Standard:  A piece of work will normally be awarded a C-grade mark, and be considered satisfactory, if it displays the following:

1. Follows the assignment brief; satisfactory handling of key terms and concepts
2. Satisfactory knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; satisfactory knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches
3. An identifiable line of argument throughout the assignment backed up with satisfactory analysis; some problems understanding and synthesising the arguments presented in the critical literature
4. A functional structure that ensures satisfactory organisation of material and detail
5. Satisfactory command of language, including reasonably accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; the use of a suitable scholarly register
6. Satisfactory referencing and bibliography presented according to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film’s preferred referencing system
7. Satisfactory presentation of work (word processed in at least 11 point font, one and a half line spacing, pages clearly numbered, etc.).

Work of D-grade Standard:  A piece of work will normally be awarded a D-grade mark, and be considered weak, if it displays the following:

1. Does not always stick to the assignment task set; problems handling key terms and concepts
2. Weak knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; weak knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches
3. Weak argument throughout the assignment not well integrated with weak analysis; problems understanding and synthesising the arguments presented in the critical literature
4. A weak and incoherent structure that does not ensure satisfactory organisation of material and detail
5. Weak command of language, including inaccurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; failure to use a suitable scholarly register
6. Inconsistent and/or incomplete referencing and bibliography; does not follow the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film preferred referencing system
7. Weak presentation of work (not word processed, illegible font, pages not numbered, etc.).

Work of E-grade Standard:  A piece of work will normally be awarded an E-grade mark, and be considered poor, if it displays the following:

1. Does not always stick to the assignment task set; problems handling key terms and concepts
2. Poor knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; poor knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches
3. Poor argument throughout the assignment not well integrated with weak analysis; problems understanding and synthesising the arguments presented in the critical literature
4. A poor and incoherent structure that does not ensure satisfactory organisation of material and detail
5. Poor command of language, including inaccurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; failure to use a suitable scholarly register
6. Inconsistent and/or incomplete referencing and bibliography; does not follow the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film preferred referencing system
7. Poor presentation of work (not word processed, illegible font, pages not numbered, etc.).

Work of less than E-grade Standard:  A piece or work will normally be awarded a fail if it shows a number of significant shortcomings, such as the following:

1. Does not stick to the assignment task set; severe problems handling key terms and concepts
2. Little or no knowledge/understanding of the topic of the assignment; little or no knowledge/understanding of the wider subject area, including relevant theoretical/critical approaches
3. No argument throughout the assignment and no analysis; no understanding or synthesis of the arguments presented in the critical literature
4. Non-existent structure that leads to disorganised presentation of material and detail
5. Very poor command of language, including inaccurate spelling, grammar and punctuation; failure to use a suitable scholarly register; the marker may find it impossible to actually read the assignment
6. No references or bibliography; does not follow the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film preferred referencing system; may contain plagiarised material.
7. Extremely poorly presented.

Note - narrative or descriptive (rather than analytical) essays will not normally be given a grade higher than C.

Criteria for marking language modules

Work of A-grade Standard:

Excellent command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Work of B-grade Standard:

Good command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Work of C-grade Standard:

Satisfactory command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Work of D-grade Standard:

Limited command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Work of E-grade Standard:

Poor command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Work of less than E-grade Standard:

         Inadequate command of all language skills outlined at each given stage

Language work is normally assessed on the basis of quality of content and quality of language.

Students should note that descriptive rather than analytical essays will not normally be given a grade higher than C.

The normal mark for work which is of clear A-grade standard (with no significant shortcomings) is 75; for work which is of clear B-grade standard it is 65; for work of clear C-grade standard it is 55; for work of a clear D-grade standard, 47 and for work of clear E-grade standard, 43. Marks are correspondingly higher or lower for work which is a little above or below average work in the relevant class. For example, work which is overall of A-grade standard but contains a few minor shortcomings might be awarded a mark of 72. The normal maximum mark for work which is truly exceptional in every respect is 85.

LANGUAGES TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, LINGUISTICS AND FILM

YEAR ABROAD AND YEAR ABROAD ASSESSMENT

The Year Abroad is compulsory for all students registered on French, Hispanic Studies and German degree programmes. These degree programmes are four years in length of which the third year is a compulsory Year Abroad spent in one or more relevant countries.

The following programme regulations apply to students registered on Russian degree programmes:

Russian Single Honours or Russian Joint Honours with a non-Language Subject – Ab Initio Level

Students who start studying Russian from ab initio level will be registered on 4-year degree programme without a Year Abroad as the first year is a preliminary year. Students may if they wish spend a Year Abroad in a Russian speaking country, but this will involve changing their degree programme to a 5-year degree. This is optional and not compulsory.

Russian Single Honours or Russian Joint Honours with a Non-Language Subject – Post A-Level & Native Speakers

Post A-Level and Native Speakers of Russian will be initially registered on a 4-year degree programme. However as the Year Abroad is not compulsory in Russian these students may complete their degree in three years. Students who opt not to go on a Year Abroad must complete a Change of Programme form (available from the School Office or the College website) to change their degree programme to a 3-year degree programme.

Russian Joint Honours with a Language Subject – Ab initio Level

These students will be registered on a 4-year degree programme without a Year Abroad as the first year is a preliminary year. These students are not required to spend a Year Abroad in either a Russian-speaking country or in a country where the other language is spoken. Students may if they wish opt to go on a Year Abroad but this will involve changing their degree programme to a 5-year degree. This is optional and not compulsory.

Russian Joint Honours with a Language Subject – Post A Level & Native Speakers

These students are registered on a 4-year degree programme and are required to spend a Year Abroad in either a Russian-speaking country or in a country where the other language is spoken or split between two countries.

Wherever possible, arrangements are made for students who are not native speakers of Russian and who do not on a Year Abroad to a Russian-speaking country to spend substantial periods in Russia; but these periods do not constitute a ‘year abroad’ (see also § 16.5 DEPARTMENT OF RUSSIAN).

The primary objective of the year abroad is to enable you to acquire the language fluency which can only come from being immersed in a particular language environment, developing passive and active language skills from hearing, reading, speaking and writing that language as the unique means of communication.

Other objectives are:

•     to provide you with the opportunity to learn about the general culture of the country or countries which you visit

•     for you to investigate aspects of that culture and engage in personal research

•     to help you develop confidence and resilience through exposure to other bureaucracies and other ways of life

•     to learn invaluable transferable skills

•     to give you an insight into different educational and working structures, whether as an assistant teacher, as a student in a university, or undertaking an internship, and to enable you to participate in and adapt to those structures

Students who study two languages are able to split their Year Abroad between two countries if they wish to.

Most of you will spend your year abroad either as a English Language assistant on placements arranged by the British Council, or as a university student, either under the EU-funded ERASMUS scheme which offers exchanges with other European Union universities, or as an independent student or on an independently arranged work placement. All students are bound by a contract signed before or on taking up their places or positions, and you must take care to honour it. The various certificates which students are required to produce on their return, the reports written by the institutions or companies in which they have spent their time, visits made by members of staff from Queen Mary to students abroad, and the close contact maintained by Queen Mary both with the institutions responsible for its students and with the students themselves, are all of great importance.

An initial meeting to inform you about your options is held at the end of your first year. This is followed by a series of briefing meetings throughout your second year and backed up by written year abroad handbooks. It is vital that you attend all of these meetings and take note of the guidelines. If you need more information, please seek it from the following: French – Dr Laetitia Calabrese; German – Dr Annja Neumann; Spanish – Dr Mar Encinas-Puente; Portuguese – TBC (Instituto Camões Instructor); Russian – Mrs Anna Pilkington. You may also refer to the Administrator responsible for the year abroad.

Exemption from Year Abroad

If, due to illness or unavoidable family issues, you feel unable to go abroad for a year, you can apply for exemption. The policy for this follows the Extenuating Circumstances policy and requires you to submit documentary evidence of your circumstances. If you are considering applying for exemption, you should speak to your departmental Year Abroad Coordinator, or the Student Experience Manager.  Applications for Exemption from Year Abroad are considered by the Year Abroad Committee, and should be submitted to its Chair.

 YEAR ABROAD FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS

The following arrangements apply to students undertaking the Year Abroad in 2012-13. Students should be aware that funding arrangements are subject to review on a yearly basis and the information in this section may change by the time you come to undertake your Year Abroad.

The amount of funding that you receive will depend on your tuition fee status AND in on the country or countries in which you will be undertaking your Year Abroad Placement.

Students who qualify for HOME fee status (this includes UK students, EU students, students who are permanently settled in the UK or who have refugee status) AND who will be on a study or work placement (including British Council Language Assistantship) within the European Union and/or Switzerland for a minimum of 24 weeks (this can include split placements) will receive:

-  A tuition fee waiver. No fees will be payable to Queen Mary or to your host institution (if studying under the ERASMUS scheme) for the academic year 2012-13.

-  A small ERASMUS grant

Students who qualify for HOME fee status who will be working or studying within the European Union and/or Switzerland for less than 24 weeks will receive:

-  A small ERASMUS grant

-  You or your funding authority will be required to pay half rate tuition fees to Queen Mary for the academic year 2012-13. If studying under the ERASMUS scheme, you will not be required to pay any fees to your host institution.

Students who qualify for OVERSEAS fee status who will be working or studying within the European Union and/or Switzerland will receive:

-  A small ERASMUS grant

-  You or your funding authority will be required to pay half rate tuition fees to Queen Mary for the academic year 2012-13. If studying under the ERASMUS scheme, you will not be required to pay any fees to your host institution.

All students who will be working or studying outside the European Union or Switzerland (Latin America or Canada) will be required to pay half rate tuition fees to Queen Mary for the academic year 2012-13. You will also not be eligible to receive an ERASMUS grant.

If you are going to spend the year studying independently at a university (i.e. not on an ERASMUS study placement), then you may be liable to fees at that institution as well as Queen Mary. In these cases, the College will reimburse your fees for studying abroad up to a limit of half of the home tuition fee for that year. Please note that if this does not fully cover the actual fees charged by the overseas institution, you must be prepared to meet any higher cost yourself.

The College is not able to reimburse any fees for part-time modules undertaken by students spending their year abroad on work placements.

YEAR ABROAD ASSESSMENT

Modes of assessment for the year abroad are detailed in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film Year Abroad Handbook, which is distributed to all second year students at the beginning of the second semester.  The Year Abroad Assessment is an integral and compulsory part of the year abroad.  Progression into the final year of your degree is dependent upon successful completion of the Year Abroad Assessment, which is worth 120 credits.

There are two modes through which the year abroad is assessed by the School (ERASMUS/other university examinations or completion of a Year Abroad Assessment).  In order to find out which modes of assessment are available to you, you must consult the section of the Year Abroad Handbook devoted to your home department.  Please remember that your mode of assessment of the year abroad depends on the regulations of your individual department(s).

If you are a joint language student and are splitting the year abroad between two countries, you must complete a Semester Abroad Assessment in each country. You must consult both Year Abroad Co-ordinators in order to formally agree your assessment.

ASSOCIATE AND ERASMUS STUDENTS

Associate and ERASMUS students are welcome in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, which has run successful exchanges with different countries for a number of years. Some students come for the whole academic year, others for only one semester. ERASMUS students are assigned an Adviser to help you to register on appropriate modules. The Advisers are: Dr Leigh Oakes for students in the French Department, Dr Robert Gillett for students in the German Department, Luisa Marti for Spanish students in the Iberian and Latin American Studies Department and TBC for Portuguese students in the Iberian and Latin American Studies Department. You should keep in touch regularly with your Adviser, to inform him/her of any difficulty which may arise, and of any change of address. Associate students should bring any queries to our Associate Student Adviser, Dr Erez Levon (e.levon@qmul.ac.uk).

As far as possible, the Advisers will help you to choose modules which correspond to programmes of your home universities, taking into account your own preferences.  However we cannot guarantee a place on a particular module, as they can be oversubscribed and even home students are not always able to register for the course of their first choice.  Students must have knowledge equivalent to the pre-requisites for Queen Mary modules.

Associate and ERASMUS students are encouraged to take part in all aspects of university life and benefit from all the opportunities offered on campus.  You are bound by the same rules as home students.  You are expected to contribute fully to the modules you attend, prepare oral presentations and submit written work as required.  Any special difficulty should be discussed with the Module Organiser.

ERASMUS students and Full-year and Spring Semester Associate students are required to take the standard assessment for any modules they study.  This means that you must remain in attendance for any written examinations in the Examination Term.  Autumn Semester only Associate students must identify themselves to the Module Organiser at the start of the module, and find out the mode of assessment which is appropriate to them for each module.

STUDENT / STAFF LIAISON COMMITTEE

Student / Staff Liaison Committees (SSLCs) are an important channel for students to air their views, criticisms and suggestions for improvements, and a wide range of issues regarding modules and teaching is covered each year. All reasonable suggestions are carefully considered by the department(s) concerned. Issues raised are reported to the School Teaching and Learning Committee, where appropriate, with other matters being referred to the Junior Deputy Head of School. Students are encouraged to make full use of this forum.

Terms of reference

The SSLCs exist to consider and discuss matters relating to:

• the content and organisation of programmes of study and any proposed changes;
• the provision of academic facilities and general departmental/ School/ College facilities;
• Departmental/ School social activities;
• provision for student welfare including the operation of the personal tutor system;
• arrangements for induction and study skills provision;
• Local monitoring of academic standards through, for example, consideration of annual programme reviews on undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, external examiners’ reports, first destination statistics and results of student evaluation questionnaires;
• election of student representatives to Faculty/ School Boards and College committees with assistance from the Students’ Union;
• any other topics on which the SSLC wishes to express a view.

Membership

• One undergraduate student from each year (first, second and final) from each of the following subject areas:

Comparative Literature, Film Studies, French, German, Iberian and Latin American Studies, Linguistics, Russian

• One taught postgraduate student from each of the following:

MA in Anglo-German Cultural Relations, MA in Linguistics, MA in Film Studies.

• One research student from each subject area
• One member of staff (the departmental Teaching and Learning Committee representative) from each of the following:

Comparative Literature and Culture, Film Studies, French, German, Iberian and Latin American Studies, Linguistics, Russian

Each department will hold SSLC meetings of its own student and staff representatives throughout the year.

Election of student members

The Students’ Union hold elections in September and October, and they offer full training to those who are elected. Students will be invited to nominate themselves each year to represent their subject area and year. The posts are held for one year; elected representatives may stand again for a second or third year, but must be re-elected by their peers.

LIBRARIES AND BOOKSHOPS

Library 

The Main Library has an extensive collection of books and periodicals relating to film, linguistics and to foreign literatures and languages, as well as collections of dictionaries and reference books, and access to CD-ROM and on-line bibliographic databases. Make sure you attend the scheduled introductory talk about the Library at the beginning of your first year, to help you make efficient use of the Library’s collections and services. Mr Stuart Jones, the Subject Librarian for the School, can be found on the 2nd floor of the Library and can help you with enquiries during your studies. A range of printed Library guides is also available.

Students are reminded that the Library is a place for study. It is not a social space. Please:

• Always consider the needs of other users of the Library
• Always be silent in the study areas on the upper floors
• Always confine group working to the designated group study areas
• Always keep noise to a minimum in other areas
• Never talk in anything other than a quiet voice and then only where permitted
• Never allow your mobile phone to ring in the Library

There is system of sanctions for non-compliance with the above, starting with one-day bans and escalating to four-week bans and worse for frequent offenders. The School fully supports these measures and we may take our own action against any student who does not respect the study environment.

You should expect to take advantage of your location and status as a student of the University of London during your studies. As a student at Queen Mary, you will be able to benefit from using the other libraries of the University, and in particular, will find it useful also to join the University of London Library at Senate House in Malet Street. You simply need to produce your Queen Mary student card in order to obtain a reader’s ticket. This will give you access to an even larger collection of publications than can be found in Queen Mary Library. A reciprocal agreement between the University and its Colleges means that often publications are available at Senate House which are not available in individual College libraries; this is done deliberately to extend the range of books available.

Queen Mary has several corporate memberships of the British Film Institute Library, 21 Stephen Street (off Tottenham Court Road, nearest tube Tottenham Court Road, website: http://www.bfi.org.uk). This is an invaluable study resource with a wide selection of journals and books relating to film. Opening hours are Mon & Fri 10.30 –5.30, Tues & Thurs 10.30 – 8.00, Wed 1.00– 8.00. It is free if you use one of our cards. Cards can be borrowed the morning you intend to go, from the Queen Mary Library issue desk.

Bookshops

However, you must be prepared to buy your own copies of at least the core texts for your studies each year. You must buy the books required for close study in the modules that you are following. Language students will also need a good dictionary and a grammar book.  Recommendations will be made by Module Organisers.  Try to build up your own personal library. Many of the required or recommended texts together with a selection of general critical studies can be bought on campus in the Smith & Sons Bookshop, next to the Student Union Hub.  You may also find it convenient to order the books you require from internet sites such as Amazon; foreign-language books may be cheaper from their French, German etc. sites.

A very good modern languages bookshop (nearest Tube station - Oxford Circus) with a large stock is:

            Grant & Cutler

            55-57 Great Marlborough Street

            W1V 2AY

            (Telephone: 020 7734 2012)

You could also try the bookshop near Senate House:           or:

            Waterstone’s University Booksellers             European Bookshop

            Malet Street                                                     5 Warwick Street

            London WC1                                                   London W1R  5RA

            (Telephone: 020 7636 1577)                           (Telephone: 020 7734 5259)

IT SERVICES

Computing Facilities

Computing Facilities in the Arts One Building

The Arts Computing Unit is run by Mr Joe Elwood. There are workstations and printing facilities on the ground floor of the Arts One Building. The Arts One Building also has extensive WiFi access in many areas. The computer network has a number of Computer Assisted Language Learning packages (available on CD-ROM) for self-access: to use one of these simply type CLL then [Enter] and follow the menu.

Central College Computing Facilities

It is possible to use workstations at a number of locations outside the Arts Faculty Building. Present term time availability is below:

AUDIO-VISUAL FACILITIES

The Library houses a large collection of foreign and English language DVDs and video tapes, which may be viewed at the various viewing terminals in the Library, or may be borrowed for a limited period of time. The collection is entered on the library catalogue.

LANGUAGE LEARNING FACILITIES

The School now runs a virtual language learning project. Material will be available on the internet for access both in College and externally, and you will be given more information by your language teachers about using this resource.

The Multimedia Language Resource Centre in the Bancroft Building is timetabled for class-based sessions and may be used for self-access study when not in use for teaching. There are satellite-viewing facilities for foreign-language television channels.

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

If you are interested in the possibility of continuing your studies at postgraduate level, you should consult your Adviser in the first instance.  Further information can be obtained from the Administrator (Postgraduate and Research), Miss Sharon Bernor, in the School Main Office.  Admissions to doctoral research are the concern of the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Galin Tihanov.  Applications for studentships to cover some of the costs often have to be made early in Semester 2, so you should initiate discussions in the School about your proposal early in your final year.

CAREERS

Advice from The Careers and Enterprise Centre

As you begin your time at Queen Mary, you will be shaping your future employment as well as your academic life.  Take this time before the start of the year to think about the ways in which you could do the following two things, which will make you a more impressive candidate when applying for jobs after graduation:

1) find an extra-curricular activity that you enjoy and use it to develop your skills. There are a huge number of opportunities available through Queen Mary Students Union: get ideas at www.qmsu.org and www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/workexperience

2) In additional to any part-time work that you do, undertake at least 100 hours of work experience in a professional organisation before you enter your second year.  This could be in any area of work, paid or unpaid, and needs to challenge you, demonstrating your initiative and a couple of other skills.  We can help you find work experience through your own networks or our work experience hub: www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/qmprojects and www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/qrecruit

We can assist you with finding and applying for part time work or work experience through one-to-one appointments in the Careers and Enterprise Centre and activities in your School run by your School Careers Consultant. See our website for more information www.careers.qmul.ac.uk.         

If you envisage making your career abroad, the year abroad can be put to especially good use. Take advantage of it to make valuable contacts, and find out where to go and what to do once you graduate. The School organises a personal development planning session at the start of your final year, in conjunction with the College’s Learning Institute, to allow you to consider the benefits you have gained from the time spent abroad.

QUEEN MARY EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The University of London, to which Queen Mary belongs, has an Equal Opportunities Policy, the principles of which extend to all members of the College, staff and students alike.

PRIZES

The College awards prizes, normally to the value of £100, on the recommendation of Faculties, to final year students who show outstanding academic achievement.

In addition, the School awards annual prizes to one first year and one second year student with the best performances in each of Comparative Literature, Film Studies, French, German, Linguistics and Russian, and also to one second year with the best performance in Iberian and Latin American Studies. Prizes are also offered to one student with the best final year language performance in German and Russian, and the best overall final year performance in Comparative Literature, in Film Studies, in French and in Linguistics. In addition, the department of Iberian and Latin American Studies offers the following funded prizes:

            The Kate Elder Prize was founded by a benefaction in memory of a former student of the Department. It is awarded to the most distinguished academic performance by a first-year student studying Hispanic Studies as a main subject or in a joint degree programme.

            Lynn Ingamells Prize is funded in honour of Lynn Ingamells, former deputy head of the Department of Hispanic Studies. It is awarded to the most outstanding progression in Spanish through the degree by a final-year student studying Hispanic Studies as a main subject or in a joint degree programme.

            The Catalan Prize is awarded to the degree student with the most outstanding performance in Catalan Studies.

            The Portuguese Prize is awarded to the final year student with the best performance in Portuguese language across the degree.

STUDENT SOCIETIES

The Students’ Union subsidises student-run societies and the School welcomes its students setting up societies to organise events, such as parties, visits to relevant exhibitions, plays, films etc. relating to their subject areas.

THE ARTS ONE BUILDING

Entry to the Arts One Building is via the front door on Mile End Road. You will be required to show your student ID at the entrance. Your student ID will also give you card access via the side and rear doors on weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm. Certain students may be given additional temporary access at other times (e.g. film studies students working on specific practice-based modules).  Film Studies students undertaking practical modules will also have limited access to the Arts Two Building.

In the event of an emergency, the rear and side doors of the building will automatically unlock.  In case of a fire alarm, you must make your way immediately via the nearest exit to Assembly Point D, by the Lock-keepers’ Cottage.  Do not remain by the exits to the building.

Smoking is prohibited in or directly outside the Arts One Building (and everywhere else on campus).  Please do not carry open drinks around the building; these should only be consumed on the ground floor. Please make use of litter and recycling bins in and outside the building.  Please do not stick posters to the walls.  These measures ensure a much more pleasant and safe environment for us all to live and work in, and your co-operation is much appreciated.

Please note that to avoid overloading, the lifts in the Arts One Building are for the use of staff and students with disabilities only.

DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATION

DEPARTMENT OF FILM STUDIES

 For single-subject Film Studies students and joint-degree students of French, German, Hispanic Studies or Russian the home department will be the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film.  Film Studies and Drama students will have an adviser in Film Studies and another in Drama.  Film Studies and History students will have a History adviser.  You should follow the programme regulations for that department for any matters concerning your overall studies, such as changing programme, applying for extenuating circumstances to be taken into account during the examination period, all of which will be set out in the relevant School Handbook.

Library of special interest

British Film Institute Library, 21 Stephen Street (off Tottenham Court Road, nearest tube Tottenham Court Road, website: http://www.bfi.org.uk). You will need a membership card to use this Library; students who are not members can borrow one of the College’s corporate membership cards from the Library issues desk.

DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH

Libraries of special interest

Institut Français, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT

This is the official French government centre of language and culture in London. There are films, plays, lectures and conferences all the year round, as well as discussion sessions (cafés philosophiques) on Saturday mornings.

Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies

The Romance Studies section is based at Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.

DEPARTMENT OF GERMAN

Libraries of special interest

Goethe-Institut, 50 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PH

The Austrian Cultural Institute, 28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ

The Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies: the Germanic Studies Library is based at 29 Russell Square, London WC1 (no borrowing is allowed, and a written recommendation from the department is required).

•     The Goethe-Institut puts on German plays, films, exhibitions, talks and more.

•     The Austrian Institute also has lectures, exhibitions and chamber concerts.

•     The German Information Centre (34 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QB) gives seminars and offers a wide range of documentary and audio-visual material.

•     And the German YMCA (35 Craven Terrace, London W2 3EL) also organizes various lectures, seminars and informal meetings.

The German department also hosts a Research Seminar, which is a forum for guest lectures by visiting speakers, and for informal talks on work-in-progress by staff of the department and postgraduate students.  All undergraduate students are cordially invited to attend, participate in discussions, and meet the speakers. These occasional meetings are advertised on noticeboards.

Students are welcome to participate in the conference, seminar and lecture programme of the Centre for Anglo-German Cultural Relations.

DEPARTMENT OF IBERIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

Reading texts in Spanish

First year students taking Introductory Spanish may study texts in English translation, but all other students are expected to read and study the set texts in the original Spanish. Your participation in classes, your essays, and your exams must show evidence of first-hand knowledge of the original; otherwise you can expect to be penalised. You may find that with medieval and Golden Age texts you need the help of a translation, but if you do use one, it must be in addition to the original, not instead.

Research seminars

The department runs two research seminars. Although these are primarily designed for staff and graduate students, the subjects discussed are often relevant to undergraduate modules, and all students are welcome to attend.

1.         Medieval Hispanic Research Seminar (certain Fridays at 3 pm)

2.         Departmental Research Seminar (certain Wednesdays at 5 pm)

The speakers at the first two of these seminars are usually visitors, many of them distinguished scholars. The speakers at the departmental Research Seminar are always staff or graduate students of the department.

In addition, there are occasional special lectures, by distinguished visiting speakers. In particular the department organizes two annual lectures: the History of the Spanish Theatre Lecture and the Kate Elder Lecture. These lectures take place in the evening and are usually followed by a reception. They are a great opportunity for students in all years to feel part of the academic community of the department.

DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS

Libraries in London

Queen Mary has good library holdings in Linguistics but you can also find linguistics books and journals in the University of London library at Senate House. Birkbeck and UCL libraries also have excellent collections which you can use for reference if you show your Queen Mary ID card.

Research seminars

The Linguistics Research Seminar meets 3 or 4 times each semester. These sessions are primarily designed for research students and staff, but the subjects discussed are often interesting for undergraduate students, and relevant to undergraduate modules. You are very welcome to attend. Look out for emails advertising specific seminars, and check the School website for the programme for the year. You can find out about other research seminars and Linguistics events in London on www.londonling.ucl.ac.uk/events.htm

Other Linguistics Facilities

The Linguistics Lab and the Linguistics Recording Studio are primarily for the purposes of research; however, they may be used by students undertaking a research project if approved by the chair of the Linguistics Department.

DEPARTMENT OF RUSSIAN

Libraries

Queen Mary library has very good Russian holdings. We shall be very happy to get anyone reading rights in SSEES (16 Taviton Street, tel. 020 7679 8701). Anyone who does not take modules at SSEES can use the library for reference only. You will have to show your University of London ID and have a letter of commendation from the department. To borrow books you will need to pay an annual fee. Everyone who is registered for a module at SSEES will automatically obtain a library ticket and will not need to pay any fee.

Visiting Lecturers

We are particularly fortunate in having regular teaching assistance and a stream of eminent academic visitors from Russia. This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to enhance your Russian skills, both aural and oral. The seminars cover a variety of topics ranging from Russian literature and cultural history to translation techniques. Material covered in these seminars will be included in the exams of the relevant modules. Eligibility for summer vacation grants is conditional upon active participation in classes taught by visiting lecturers.

Study abroad

We very much hope that you will be able to spend at least three months in Russia at some time during your studies, quite apart from time you may spend there during vacations. Neither a three-month nor a five-month period abroad will add a year to your module, unless you combine it with up to six months in a country where your other language is used.

Where only a part of an academic year is spent in Russia, special arrangements have to be made for seeing you through your modules. If you are away in the second half of the year, you may be assessed on the essays written in the first half of the year since you are likely to miss the examinations; if the other way round, you will need to do serious work while away, for which you will be prepared. In such a year it usually makes sense if you select Russian or Russian-related modules; we cannot recommend you choose more than one or two modules taught in other departments as this can lead to administrative problems, and in any case you should do so only after having carefully explored the implications with your Adviser and the other Department’s Module Organiser. Your time in Russia should be arranged through Anna Pilkington. A small grant is usually available to students who go abroad, and you must make sure to notify the department by a given date if you wish to apply for such a vacation grant. This grant will be available only to students with a good record of attendance, especially to modules in Russian by the visiting lecturers.

Plays

The Russian department puts on a Russian-language play every year. Over the past years our plays have enjoyed great success and popularity. Staged and directed by students (both present and former) and staff, they are an invaluable cultural and social experience, and also a good way to improve your Russian. Moreover, participants’ involvement can be accredited by registering for the module ‘Russian Play’.

Lectures and seminars outside Queen Mary

•     SSEES has a very active programme of lectures on a wide variety of topics (ranging from literature and history to contemporary issues), all linked with Russia and Eastern Europe, and given by leading academics in the field.

•     LSE has weekly research seminars on Tuesdays, 5 pm. The lectures, held by distinguished scholars, are on current affairs or historical topics connected with Russia and Eastern Europe.

•     THE PUSHKIN CLUB holds regular lectures, mainly on Russian literature and theatre, and occasionally poetry readings. Some events are in Russian, most in English. It is now located at 5A Bloomsbury Square and the programme of activities is available at http://www.pushkinclub.org.uk/. 

STAFF CONTACT DETAILS

To call from outside College, please dial 020 7882 followed by the relevant extension number.

The main number for the School is 020 7882 8330

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, LINGUISTICS AND FILM

DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND CULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF FILM STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH

DEPARTMENT OF GERMAN

DEPARTMENT OF IBERIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS

DEPARTMENT OF RUSSIAN

USEFUL COLLEGE TELEPHONE NUMBERS

You can dial direct to the following offices by dialling 020 7882 followed by the extension number. If you cannot find the number you require, call the College main switchboard on 020 7882 5555.

In emergencies, dial 3333. For Security, in non-emergencies, dial 5000

Term Dates 2014-2015

Semester 1

• 15 September - 12 December 2014
• Teaching starts 22 September 2014

Semester 2

• 12 January - 2 April 2015
• Bank holidays 3 and 6 April 2015

Semester 3 - revision week

• 20 April - 25 April 2015

Semester 3 - examination period

• 27 April - 5 June 2015
• Bank holidays: 4 and 25 May 2015