School of Languages, Linguistics and Film The Year Abroad Assessment Iberian and Latin American Studies Meeting for 2 nd year students Wednesday 12 February 2014

Progression into the Final Year Progression into the Final year is automatic, even if you don’t complete the Year Abroad Assessment of if you fail to pass it. However, a failing mark for the Year Abroad Assessment will have a negative impact on your degree classification, since the YA mark counts for 12.5% of your overall degree results. Your 1 st year counts also for 12.5% Your 2 nd year is a 25% Your Final Year is a 50%

Deadlines Regular School Rules apply to YAA and SAA Work submitted after the deadline (even by 5 minutes!) will receive a maximum mark of 40%. 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.

Plagiarism Plagiarism is not only unethical and poor academic practice, but when discovered will result in very serious consequences for you. Plagiarism is ‘presenting someone else’s work as one’s own irrespective of intention.

Criteria to determine your method of assessment 1.Pathway Post-A level or equivalent Ab-initio 2.Work or Study placement 3.Full Year or One Semester

Post A-Level Students studying at universities in Spain Either on an ERASMUS study placement or on independent arrangements. You will be expected to take 60 ECTS if you are studying for the full academic year or 30 ECTS if you are studying for one semester only. Your assessment will be based on your examination results obtained at your host university. You must agree your registration of modules with your Year Abroad Coordinator.

Post A-Level Students of Spanish on exchange placements in Latin American universities You will be expected to take a minimum of 4 modules per semester. Your assessment will be based on the examination results obtained at your host university. You must agree your registration of modules with your Year Abroad Co-ordinator

Module Choice and Academic Transcripts You must your list of modules (Learning Agreement) to the Year Abroad Coordinator before you complete your matrícula. The Erasmus Learning Agreement (in ECTS) should be completed and finalised by 31st May When returning from your host institution you are responsible for supplying a transcript of your results: this must be submitted to the departmental Year Abroad Coordinator before 16 th October 2015.

Regulations for module choice  Courses must be taught in Spanish.  Courses should be relevant to your degree programme and can be chosen from fields such as culture, literature, history, linguistics, translation, art history, politics, geography, etc.  Students who are studying Spanish in a post A-level pathway are encouraged to take around 50% of the overall course load on a mix of Spanish language and Spanish Studies modules. The other subject(s) of their QMUL degree programme should make up the other half of their programme of study abroad.

Language courses will be credited as follows  Students who are studying Spanish in a post A-level pathway will normally be credited to a maximum of 12 ECTS per year or 6 ECTS per semester Spanish language modules (including translation courses, classes on grammar, syntax, written/oral expression, reading/listening comprehension, etc.).  Students who are studying another language than Spanish in an Ab Initio pathway, and joint language students, will normally be credited between 4 and 12 ECTS per year or between 2 and 6 ECTS per semester from appropriate language courses.

Language courses (2)  These language courses can be modules offered specifically for Erasmus or Associate students.  Courses must be of a comparable standard to students’ year of study at QMUL.  Students at universities located in Catalonia, Basque Country and Galicia, where 2 official languages are spoken, are allowed to take up to 12 ECTS (full year) or 6 ECTS (per semester) in modules taught in Catalan, Basque (Euskera) or Galician.

Modules not eligible to be considered among the 30 or 60 ECTS used to calculate your Year or Semester Abroad mark (1)  First year (L1) Introductory courses or low level courses (above level B2 in the Common European Framework (CEF).  Non-academic subjects like sport or most other practical courses.  Modules taught in English (though translation modules are permitted).  Pre-sessional intensive Spanish language modules.

Modules not eligible (2)  Modules in languages other than those you are studying for your degree at QMUL.  Courses for foreigners offered in non-academic units within the host university will not count towards their assessment.

Year Abroad Assessment for students on full year Work Placements is composed of 3 assignments  Assignment 1: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PRESS a) COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PRESS (2000 words) counts for 25%. b) READER´S LETTER (200 words) counts for 5%.  Assignment 2: CULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT (3500 words) counts for 50%.  Assignment 3: WORK PLACEMENT REPORT (1300 words) counts for 20%.

Splitting your Year Abroad Full year Work Placements If you are splitting your Year Abroad between two Spanish speaking countries AND you are required to complete a Queen Mary Assessment for each placement, you will be required to complete one Year Abroad Assessment and not two Semester Abroad Assessments

The Semester Abroad Assessment for students on One Semester only Work Placements is composed of 3 assignments - Assignment 1: This assignment consists of two sections: a) COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PRESS (900 words) counts for 35%. b) READER´S LETTER (150 words) counts for 5%. - Assignment 2: CULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT (2000 words) counts for 50%. - Assignment 3: WORK PLACEMENT REPORT (500 words) counts for 10%.

The Year Abroad Assessment for Ab initio students on full year ERASMUS/Independent Study Placements is composed of 3 assignments - Assignment 1: This assignment consists of two sections a) COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PRESS words. Counts for 25%. b) READER’S LETTER. 200 words. Counts for 5%. - Assignment 2: CULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT words. Counts for 50%. - Assignment 3: ESSAY ON YOUR EXPERIENCE OF STUDYING AND LIVING ABROAD words. Counts for 20%.

The Semester Abroad Assessment for Ab initio students on ERASMUS/Independent Study Placements is composed of 3 assignments - Assignment 1: This assignment consists of two sections: a) COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PRESS (900 words) counts for 35%. b) READER´S LETTER (150 words) counts for 5%. - Assignment 2: CULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT (2000 words) counts for 50%. - Assignment 3: WORK PLACEMENT REPORT (500 words) counts for 10%.

Resit option If students were to fail their Year Abroad, they would be offered a resit option which consists of 2 written assignments in Spanish (worth 50% each) that they would do in their final year: If students were to fail their Semester Abroad, they would be offered a resit option which consists of 1 written assignment in Spanish that they would do in their final year: Like with all resits, their mark will be pegged at 40%.