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Programme code | 1GERM003U |
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Programme type | Joint Honours (UG) |
Programme director(s) |
Laurence Publicover (English)
Debbie Pinfold (German) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Second School/department | Department of English |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups |
English (2023) (benchmark statement)
Languages, Cultures and Societies (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
The joint-honours German and English degree provides students with the opportunity to study two complementary disciplines, both of which ask them to think carefully about culture and history and to pay close attention to detail while comprehending and analysing language. Students will develop distinct but also complementary skills while taking the degree: for example, while in English they will be asked to write commentaries on (or, on some modules, to translate) passages from literary texts written before 1740 in order to demonstrate their comprehension of earlier forms of English, in their chosen modern language they will, throughout the four-year degree, similarly undertake translation and commentary exercises as part of developing written and spoken language skills; in both disciplines, meanwhile, students will be provided with the opportunity to study literary texts in their social, political, and historical contexts. They will also spend a mandatory year abroad to improve their language skills and their global citizenship. This combination of skills drawn from the two fields will maximize the attractiveness of the proposed degree for the student offer and then their experience at the University.
German:
The programme aim is to deliver, within a programme which also includes work undertaken in a non-language department, a command of modern spoken and written German to a high level of fluency and accuracy, and also to provide the opportunity of studying the rich cultural, linguistic, political and social history of the German-speaking world from the Middle Ages to the present day. The programme combines the traditional and the innovative, students gain an interest in and knowledge and understanding of the Germanic world, past and present, including its language, literature, broader culture, institutions and politics. Through the ages the language, culture and political and economic weight of the German-speaking world have made a lasting impact on civilisation in Europe and beyond, and today it remains a powerhouse at the centre of the European Union. Learning the German language is the key to understanding this fascinating society and its complex development. The programme aims to promote the self-development of the individual learner and thereby to offer society the resource of intellectually trained individuals, capable of both independent and collective work, with both subject-specific and transferable skills. Graduates enter employment in a wide range of contexts, building on the skills and values of an education in the humanities.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding are acquired through: lectures, seminars, tutorials, intensive language classes, directed reading, regular written coursework and practical language work (supported by the facilities of the Multimedia Centre), and a compulsory period of residence in the country or countries where the language is spoken. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A range of essay writing skills (short and extended essays), providing summative and formative assessment. Project work. Special subjects to allow students to address areas in-depth and the option of a dissertation. Examinations and coursework assessment in all three years spent in Bristol. Language is formally assessed through coursework, translations, essays, oral presentations and aural comprehension. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations and essay writing. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of literature are developed. History and linguistics units develop similar skills in that specific field. Language, problem solving and research are honed in the year abroad assignment. The option of Independent Study is also available in the final year. |
Methods of Assessment | |
A variety of assessment methods are used as per individual unit aims and objectives. Essay writing and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Research skills are assessed by means of extended written coursework and dissertation. Language is formally assessed by translations, essays of various types, oral presentations and aural comprehension, including interpreting. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Seminars and tutorials are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short introductory talks/presentations to initiate discussion. These oral skill are further developed in the language classes. The ability to think and work independently is stimulated by dissertation, essay and project tasks. |
Methods of Assessment | |
All units are assessed through written coursework and extended essays. These require a detailed and expansive handling of literature and extensive reading in support of their conclusions. The knowledge base is also tested through traditional unseen written examinations, through project work and Dissertation. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 of the programme has been expressly designed to lay the foundations which will allow students to fulfil the programme aims and objectives. A core unit in language is geared to lead the student in the development of their language skills. The year introduces and includes preliminary work on some of the main themes and key concepts of German literature, history and linguistics to provide a familiarity with these disciplines. It enables students to understand the cultural heritage, historical development and modern contours of the German-speaking world. The expectation is that their work may require considerable direction from members of staff at this stage, and the Year 1 units are designed with this in mind. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
In Year 2 students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge in various areas of the discipline and their capacity to evaluate their work through the wide range of options available beyond the core language unit. The themes and language readings will be of greater depth and substance. Students will develop their analytical skills, their ability to structure their work and present it fluently. They will be encouraged in group work skills through active participation in seminars. They will be developing a capacity for self-directed learning (for example, through the researching and writing of essays and projects). Spoken and written language skills will be reinforced and enhanced. In Year 3, students will develop their command of spoken and written German during the mandatory period of residence abroad when they either follow a formal programme on instruction at and academic institution in a German-speaking country. Their linguistic critical, research and presentational skills will also be enhanced through the writing of dissertations in German during the year. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Students are expected to have expanded the breadth of their knowledge through the study of optional units; the units are more closely linked to staff research interests developing the conceptual and methodological approaches used with more depth and complexity. Students will be expected to develop further their ability to gather and assimilate information, to synthesise these in an appropriate way, to engage in sophisticated evaluation of language texts. These skills will be perfected in the writing of longer and more demanding essays, already introduced during their study abroad. There will be an emphasis on independent learning, self-directed study and research skills. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Knowledge and understanding of both disciplines is acquired through lectures, seminars, tutorials, directed reading and individual formative feedback. Independent research is fostered at each level of the programme, culminating with the Dissertation at level H. Language skills are developed through language classes and through the year abroad. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse information and present reasoned arguments. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. Language skills are assessed through spoken, written and aural examination. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Intellectual skills are developed through seminars, tutorials, oral presentations, and essay writing. Units are structured in such a way that the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation of data are developed. Specific units focus on other intellectual skills: problem solving and research techniques. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essay writing, formal presentations and examinations test the students' ability to analyse, evaluate and organise information, and to present reasoned arguments based on appropriate selection of evidence. Problem solving is assessed on the basis of the ability shown in addressing and responding to direct questions. Research skills are assessed through coursework and dissertations. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Written assignments of various kinds in the mandatory and optional units impart skills in research, analysis and communication. Seminars are used to develop oral communication by requiring students to engage in class discussions and to give short presentations. All units make use of Blackboard. Independent learning is required in all units. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Essays and other forms of written assignment test the students' ability to analyse, evaluate and organise information, and to present reasoned arguments based on appropriate selection of evidence; research skills are also assessed through written coursework and the final year dissertation. Oral presentations provide diagnostic and formative assessment of this skills. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
Year 1 has been designed to lay the foundations which will enable the student to fulfil the programme's objectives. Mandatory units provide both knowledge and skills while optional units start students on a pathway and allow the exploration of other subject areas. The student will acquire familiarity with the main themes and concepts of their chosen disciplines and will take the first steps towards independent research. Here the expectation is that their work may require substantial direction and guidance on the development of study skills from tutors. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
Year 2 is intended to complete the foundations of skills and knowledge though the mandatory units, while the optional units expand knowledge and understanding in the students’ chosen. Students will be expected to grasp and apply the underlying concepts, principles and methods appropriate to their area of study, to show a greater degree of independence in the interpretation of evidence and construction of arguments, and to present their work effectively. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
At this level students are expected to make use of the knowledge and skills acquired in the first two years in researching and discussing topics in much greater depth. They will work at a higher level of methodological and conceptual complexity. They will be expected to work more independently in gathering and assimilating information, synthesising it in an appropriate way and engaging in the sophisticated analysis of relevant evidence. There is an emphasis on self-directed study and the development of research skills, especially through the compulsory dissertation. |
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
In common with the rest of the University, units in the Faculty of Arts
adhere to the credit framework which sets out that 20 credits normally
equates to some 200 hours of student input. Some of this time will be spent
in class, with the remainder divided between preparation for classes and
preparation for, and completion of, the assessment tasks. Some of this
activity may occur within the University’s online learning environment,
Blackboard, which you may use to prepare wikis, to interact with other
students, to download tutorials or to receive feedback.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/current/under/assessment.html
German
The School of Modern Languages also offers a single honours German degree and joint programmes in German and Czech, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish.The Department has special links under the SOCRATES scheme with the Universities of Hannover, Heidelberg, Mainz, Marburg, Germersheim, Leipzig and Graz.
Mandatory Unit German Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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List A - Take ENGL10017 and one of the language units | |||||
German Language 1 (Post A-level) | GERM10009 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 1 (ab initio) | GERM19003 | 40 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Critical Issues | ENGL10017 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 | |
List B - Take this unit only if you also take GERM10009 in List A | |||||
German Literature and Film: Genres, Texts, Contexts | GERM10035 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D | |||||
Approaches to Poetry | ENGL10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
List E | |||||
Language and Power: Introductions to German History | GERM10039 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Literature 1550-1740 | ENGL10043 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 | |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
Mandatory Unit German Language is must pass. For further information and a definition of must pass units please see the Glossary of Terms
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | ||
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Besides the mandatory units, you must take at least one further 20cp ENGL-coded unit and at least one further GERM-coded unit. | |||||
List A - Take one of the two language units, and choose either ENGL20064 in this list or ENGL20063 in List D | |||||
Literature 1900-present | ENGL20064 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
German Language post ab initio | GERM20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
German Language 2 (Post A-Level) | GERM20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 | |
List B - Choose one 20cp unit from list B, list E or list E2 | |||||
Effi Briest and her Afterlives | GERM20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Inventing Austria | GERM20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
General Linguistics | MODL20016 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Creative Writing, Prose Fiction: Representing the World | ENGL20113 | 20 | Optional | B | TB-1 |
Eighteenth-Century Women's Writing | ENGL20031 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Poetry of the 1960s | ENGL20032 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Revenge Tragedy | ENGL29008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Performance Histories | THTR20010 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Politics of Performance | THTR20005 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
American Avant Garde | ENGL20114 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Death and Dying in Late Medieval Literature | ENGL20126 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Fairy Tale in English | ENGL20028 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 | |
Utopian Literature | ENGL20058 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List C - Choose 20 CP from this list | |||||
Transnational Nation: Germany 1840 - 1990 | GERM20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Effi Briest and her Afterlives | GERM20048 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Inventing Austria | GERM20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Catalan Language (Elementary) | MODL23014 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Czech Language (Elementary) | MODL23015 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Woman and Nation | MODL23017 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Introduction to teaching Modern Languages as Foreign Languages | MODL20021 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Beginners Portuguese | MODL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 | |
Writing the City: London 1550-1740 | ENGL20069 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Shakespeare | ENGL20068 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
List D - Choose either ENGL20064 in this list or ENGL20063 in list A, and one further 20cp unit. | |||||
The Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland | GERM20052 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transforming the Tragic Hero(ine): 1770-1840 | GERM20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Literature 1740-1900 | ENGL20063 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Historical Linguistics | MODL20017 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E - Choose one 20cp unit from list E, list E2 or list B | |||||
Transforming the Tragic Hero(ine): 1770-1840 | GERM20044 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Transnational Nation: Germany 1840 - 1990 | GERM20047 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Cultural and Creative Industries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland | GERM20052 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Arthurian Literature | ENGL20060 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Chaucer and Chaucerians | ENGL20061 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Old English Language and Literature | ENGL20065 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
List E2 - Choose one 20cp unit from list E2, list B or list E | |||||
American Avant Garde | ENGL20114 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
Black British Literature | ENGL20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Contemporary Multi-Ethnic Writing of America | ENGL20019 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Creative Writing: Poetry | ENGL20051 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Dangerous Books | ENGL20023 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Gender, Desire and the Renaissance Stage | ENGL20206 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Literature and the Sea: The Seafarer to The Shipping News | ENGL20020 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Rudyard Kipling | ENGL29004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 | |
The Author as Character | ENGL20048 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
Writing the Working Classes | ENGL20030 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Art of Grief | ENGL20116 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
Literature and Science: Newton to Darwin | ENGL20054 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 | |
The Author as Character | ENGL20048 | 20 | Optional | E | TB-2 |
List F | |||||
Take 20 cp From UWLP or Faculty Wide Units – OR you may choose an additional option unit from list A-E | OPEN | 20 | Optional | ||
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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