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Setting up a new programme in English Language

Setting up a new programme in English Language. Carolin Esser University of Winchester Carolin.Esser@winchester.ac.uk Phillip Tipton University of Chester p.tipton@chester.ac.uk. Overview. How the programme came about The planning process Programme content Validation Evaluation.

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Setting up a new programme in English Language

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  1. Setting up a new programme in English Language Carolin Esser University of Winchester Carolin.Esser@winchester.ac.uk Phillip Tipton University of Chester p.tipton@chester.ac.uk

  2. Overview • How the programme came about • The planning process • Programme content • Validation • Evaluation

  3. English Language at the University of Chester • Housed within the Department of English • 15 full-time research active academic staff (2 Professors, 2 Readers, 9 Senior Lecturers and 2 Lecturers) • Until 2009, programmes in ‘English’ and Creative Writing • ‘English’ had never included any language components: term was employed to indicate that the curriculum went beyond literature alone e.g. former provision in Film Studies (now withdrawn as a separate programme)

  4. English Language at the University of Chester • Interest at open days/enrolled students’ comments about lack of EL/Linguistics in the programme • Broader recognition within SMT that EL is a growth area • Decision made Sept 2008 to introduce both single and combined honours EL • Two academic appointments approved Dec 2008 • Matt Davies and I in post from 1st March 2009

  5. Some Facts about Winchester: • 5300 Students • Four Faculties: • Arts, HSS, BLS, and Education • Founded as College in 1840 • General HE College since 1970 • University since 2005 • RDAP since 2008

  6. Creative Writing American Studies English English Language Studies

  7. From First Idea to Validation • Old Norse and Old English (1970-2000s) • First designated Language modules (2005) • I was hired (2006/7) • Pathway BA English Literature with English Language (2007) • Further Extension Modules (2008-2009) • Barbara Loester was hired (2008/9) Further Activities: Sixth-Form Conferences and Workshops, Reading Groups, Undergraduate Conferences

  8. The planning process • March – April 2009 – preparation for the Steering Committee • April – June 2009 – acting upon recommendation of SC in advance of final Validation Event • 26th June 2009 – BA English Language validated (single and combined) • Sept. 2009 – external examiner appointed • Sept. 2009 – combined honours delivered for the first time (current data suggests 89% progression rate into Level 5)

  9. The planning process • A note about programme structure at Chester: • All modules are year-long • 120 credits must be taken at each level • Modules are either single (20 credits) or double (40 credits) • At Level 4 (Level 1) students on combined honours programmes take an equally-weighted programme, i.e. 60 credits in EL and, for example, 60 credits in Psychology. Students may alter these weightings in later years. • Possible combinations with EL were not decided by the programme team; rather an admissions committee made the decision before our appointment • Possible combinations with English Language are: English (Lit.), Creative Writing, French, German, Spanish, Communication Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Education Studies, History, Theology & Religious Studies, Journalism, Politics, Law.

  10. The Planning ProcessWinchester Structure in Comparison • All modules run for a semester for 15 Credits each, adding up to 120 Credits per year. • Level 4 also weights equally between two combined subjects. The student can choose between subsidiary, joint and main subject weightings for levels 5 and 6. • Combinations are dictated by the slotting timetable. The programme team chooses a slot which allows most suitable combinations. • Possible Combinations: American Studies, Business Management, Childhood, Youth and Communication St., Creative Writing, Education Studies, English, Theology & Religious Studies, Ethics & Spirituality, Politics & Global Studies, Event Management, History, Journalism, Law, Media Studies, Performing Arts, Sociology, Vocal&Choral Studies

  11. English Project Local Schools Employers Creative Writing American Studies English QAA English Language Studies ELTSU Psychology History

  12. BA English Language Studies – Academic Content for Life • “At the heart of the degree is the intention to provide a theoretical background and capacity for scholarly reflection within a consideration of the applicability of its content.” • Work within a discipline with an interdisciplinary perspective. • Winchester English Language Studies begins as combined honours degree with a view to extension to single honours within four years.

  13. Programme content • The main element of the process • Issues we grappled with: • What is an English Language degree? • Are we expected to weave our provision into the current offering in the Department? (Answer = no) • The relationship between single and combined honours provision • The extent to which the degree offers discipline-specific ‘pathways’

  14. What is an English Language degree? • Balancing our expertise with the requirements of a broadly-based programme • Worked on the (false) basis that no more staff would be appointed i.e. we need to be happy to deliver all modules between us even if not part of our research-specialism. • The importance of the Linguistics benchmark statement – we didn’t see the lack of one for EL as an insurmountable obstacle • The more general question of the role of Linguistics within EL degrees

  15. The relationship between single and combined honours EL • A large proportion of students at Chester are enrolled on combined honours programmes • Programmes are developed, almost exclusively, in isolation from one another • The question when designing combined honours EL provision – what does a combined honours EL student NEED to enable further successful study in EL (possibly majoring[80/120 credits] in EL at Level 6)? • The result • Structures of English [Foundations of Linguistics] (40 credits) • Language and Text [Text Linguistics] (20 credits)

  16. The relationship between single and combined honours EL • Level 4 Single Honours • Structures of English [Foundations of Linguistics] (40 credits) • Language and Text [Text Linguistics] (20 credits) • Introduction to Language and Society (40 credits) • The Nature of Language (20 credits)

  17. Level 5 The Roots and Development of English (40 credits compulsory for all) Language Acquisition (20 credits, compulsory for SH only, option for CH) Options (20 credits) Varieties of English English Phonetics and Phonology Researching Spoken Language The Power of Language Creativity in English Level 6 Dissertation (40 credits, compulsory for SH and CH majors) Language Debates The Grammar of Words Psycholinguistics Topics in Sociophonetics Advanced Literary Stylistics Language and Gender Corpus Linguistics TEFL The relationship between single and combined honours EL

  18. Building the Winchester ELS • We began from the English Benchmark with consideration of the Linguistics Benchmark • The general structure and broad base is programme orientated – the main themes are chosen in consideration of staff expertise, possible combinations, and the nature of the university: Sociolinguistics, Discourse and Text, Historical Linguistics • Our solution for the balance between compatibility and depth of study: pre-requisites.

  19. Our Programme to Date • Level 4 • Approaches to Language Study • Understanding Language I: Syntax and Morphology • Understanding Language II: Phonetics and Semantics • History of the English Language

  20. Our Programme to Date • Level 5 • Sociolinguistics • Analysing Discourse • Language Acquistion • Research Methods • Old English I • Language and Identity • Middle English • (Language and the Mind) • Level 6 • Crafted Text • English and the World • English on the Periphery • Language Death, Revival and Change • Old English II • Producing Written Discourse • (Cognitive Stylistics)

  21. Validation • The programme has successfully completed the internal scrutiny processes and is within the main validation phase as we speak.

  22. Validation • Both programmes were approved without conditions, and a commendation was given regarding the breadth of the programme

  23. Evaluation • 36 students recruited to CH in 2009-10 despite lack of prospectus entry for EL • Achievement has been very good so far • We are expecting a minimum of 60 students to enrol in Sept 2010 across both SH and CH • The demand for EL remains very strong – University of Chester alone received 500 applications by the 15 Jan UCAS deadline.

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