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Summary of HEFCE Quality Assessment Reports for Less-Widely-Taught languages
(LWTs)
Organisation of the period of residence abroad
Purpose of the period of residence abroad and
curriculum integration
General preparation of students
Practical, linguistic and intercultural preparation
Support and monitoring during residence abroad
Academic work, assessment and accreditation
Debriefing and follow-up + evaluation of residence
abroad practice
The HEFCE QA reports on LWTs refer specifically to the following languages:
Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Yoruba, Portuguese (includes Brasil), Dutch, Swedish, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Greek
However, reference is also made to the following groups of languages: Middle Eastern Languages (Q162/97); Eastern European Languages (not Russian) (Q171/96, Q240/96); Other Languages (Q171/96). Where this is the case, the constituent languages are not specified.
NB: The brackets within the text (Q.../..) refer to the reference number of the original institutional report.
Organisation of the period of residence abroad
In the majority of cases, residence abroad takes place in year 3, however it can be in year 2 (Q162/97), and may be in one or two countries, depending on the number of languages studied. The duration of the period abroad may be as little as one month (Q165/97), but is commonly a whole academic year.
Residence abroad is compulsory in all but one case (Q165/97), and the types of placement used include assistantships, study placements, work placements and in one case a ‘field trip’ (Q165/97). In one case the assessors stated that the emphasis on assistantships (was) at the expense of academic study (Q240/96).
Purpose and curriculum integration
The reports only include the objectives of the period of residence abroad in two cases: to ensure that students reach an advanced level of practical competence in at least one foreign language (Q171/96); The year abroad is designed to reinforce the development of transferable skills and increase independence, thus helping to meet the aim of equipping students for life in foreign language and multilingual environments (Q242/96). In other instances it is evident that the courses have stated objectives, but these are not specified in the TQA. No mention of objectives is made in the majority of cases, hence, is not clear whether these courses involving LWTs have specific stated objectives.
Similarly, little is said about how well the period of residence abroad is integrated into LWT course curricula. Five courses attract positive comments:
(RA) determines the ability to proceed with the second part of the course. (Q189/96);
All units in the first two years are geared towards ensuring that students benefit to the full from their year abroad, and fourth-year units provide for students to be able to function in a Dutch-language environment afterwards. (Here the residence abroad component = half or one full unit depending on the course) (Q239/96).
... period of study abroad ... is effectively integrated into the curriculum. (Q41/96);
(A) placement-based project ... may form the basis of the final-year project dissertation. (Q241/96);
(Residence abroad) determines the ability to proceed with the second part of the course. (Q189/96);
The year abroad is an integral part of the language curriculum. ... It builds on the skills acquired in the first two years of study, contributes to the development of communicative competence and develops an understanding of the cultural context of the target language. (Q242/96).
Objectives and curriculum integration were specifically criticised in two cases:
The faculty could situate the function of the year abroad more clearly within the context of its overall aims and objectives. ... (Improvements:) need to address the place of the RA in the curriculum ... (Q240/96);
Not fully (integrated) ... since the work required of students is not directed to inform subsequent study, nor is it systematically monitored. (Improvements:) integrate RA more fully into curriculum and introduce systematic monitoring of RA. (Q171/96)
General preparation
The reports offer some positive comments: clear briefing about arrangements and options (Q171/96), appropriate guidance (Q41/96), Department is to be commended on the preparation given to students before they go abroad (Q241/96), Advance support and guidance (Q189/96), clear, comprehensive and helpful documentation is provided (Q7/97), good arrangements (Q162/97).
Some form of briefing (either one or a series of briefings) appears to be the most common method of preparing students in general terms. The briefings may include input from returning students (Q175/96, Q162/97) and involve year abroad tutors, a year abroad office or a European Studies placement officer (Q239/96, Q7/97, Q242/96). In at least three institutions (e.g. Q242/96, Q239/96) the careers advisory service are involved in the briefings or run workshops on how students can gain maximum benefit from the period of RA with regard to personal and professional development. At one of these (Q242/96) the student services are also involved in the preparation process, running sessions on financial and organisational aspects of the year abroad.
In one case (Q240/96), the TQA stated that there was a need to address ... the preparation for (residence abroad) ... .
Practical, linguistic, academic and intercultural preparation
The TQA does not refer specifically to most of the above, but with regard to academic preparation in one report it does state that, students are given general advice on the type of coursework and dissertation preparation they are expected to do. (Q89/96).
However, the same report calls for the inclusion of some applied and theoretical linguistics; a more systematic approach to meeting the needs of students studying abroad.
The fact that there is almost no reference to these specific areas of preparation suggests that such topics are either dealt with under the heading of the previous section (‘General preparation’), or that there is very little practical, linguistic, academic or intercultural preparation going on within the sector. If this is indeed the case with modern language courses, then it may be reasonable to assume that the situation is worse for non-specialist language courses. Evidence of this may be where one report states that there is a lack of input from ELS (European Language Studies) (re.) ... placements on the year abroad for BA International Leisure and Tourism Management and BA International Hospitality Management students (Q242/96).
Support and monitoring during residence abroad
Where reported, the level of support and monitoring ranges from adequate to high on the positive side, while on the negative side there is reported to be a possible lack of urgency in responding to problems, a need to introduce systematic monitoring, and a need to review arrangements for maintaining contact with students abroad. Another report states that the support provided for the year abroad needs addressing, while yet another calls for greater involvement of the European Language Studies department in the monitoring process.
Only three reports suggest that all students are visited while abroad. Three reports indicate that either some students are not visited (only in emergencies), or that the student support may include a visit (Q162/97), or that only humanities and European Studies students are visited (Q242/96). Where students are visited, this may be limited to one visit, or at least once (Q241/96).
Most of the institutions provide support by telephone or letter and there is no mention of the use of email. At least two reports state that a year abroad tutor maintains contact with the host institution and with whom the student keeps in touch. At least one institution uses local tutors, while another maintains contact through a project supervisor, a placement officer and a year abroad tutor.
The host institution commonly plays a part in the support and monitoring of the students, being responsible in many courses for support according to one report. Report Q89/96 states that strong contacts ... provide satisfactory pastoral care when necessary, while another (Q241/96) reports that support and monitoring is facilitated by a contacts network. Local tutors are used in some cases and report Q175/96 refers to long experience and familiarity with hosts, and states that Relations are constantly reviewed.
Academic work, assessment and accreditation
Academic work while abroad is mentioned in 8 reports. The most common requirement is that students complete a dissertation or project (Q175/96, Q242/96, Q241/96, Q239/96), and this is normally written in the target language.
Other types of work undertaken are a personal development portfolio (Q242/96), a personal self-assessment log (Q241/96), coursework and dissertation preparation (Q89/96) and reading.
At Hull, students reading Swedish have the opportunity to sit the Rikstest, a national language examination for non-Swedish nationals, which is accepted by most Swedish employers and universities (Q175/96).
In most of the cases where students are required to complete academic work while abroad, this is assessed, and with one exception, where it is assessed it is also accredited: e.g. counts for 10% of the degree classification in one case (Q175/96) and 1 or 0.5 of a course unit in another (Q239/96).
The period of residence abroad may also be assessed by video-taped language orals and oral presentations (Q242/96). The same report states that accreditation is done through profiling of concurrent experiential learning during residence abroad. (This) develops students’ self-awareness, focuses attention on work-related skills and ... calibrates the important personal gains of residence in a foreign-language community.
In one case, the assessors noted that the department should keep under review the need to ensure a greater degree of consistency regarding the approach to assessed work during the year abroad. (Q240/96).
Debriefing and follow-up + evaluation of
RA practice
At one institution the placement project may form the basis of the final year project dissertation (Q241/96).
The institution also evaluates its own RA practice by means of an annual course monitoring report.
Report Q239/96 states, Fourth year course units build on linguistic competence acquired during the year abroad and offer the student the opportunity to train for a future career in publishing or translation.
The home institution may also assess its RA practice by means of a questionnaire (Q175/96).
Report Q89/96 notes a move towards a formal requirement for students to complete a written feedback report on their experiences, while Q165/97 reports that students share their experiences when they return - by showing photographs of their stay and providing input in seminars and classes (discussion sessions).
Improvements
The points noted by the assessors as improvements that should be made at one or more institutions included the following:
- the inclusion of a timetable for progress reports in the project guidelines in order to ensure regular contact between project supervisors and students;
- closer liaison between the department and the placement office to ensure that advantage is taken of the money from Leonardo and other EU schemes;
- more advice be given to students on the subject of grants;
- the inclusion in universities’ self-assessment documents of the treatment of the placement abroad;
- review of arrangements for maintaining contact with students abroad;
- introduction of student visits;
- preparation for and assessment of placements;
- the place of residence abroad within the curriculum;
- more explicit language-teaching policy.