French and English Literature BA Honours

Program Overview

The program emphasizes real-world language usage, offers international immersion opportunities, and prepares students for successful careers in various sectors demanding linguistic competence and literary comprehension. Graduates can pursue roles in industries including advertising, media, publishing, and education.

Program Outline

The program emphasizes employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough understanding of language use in real-life situations.

• Objectives: The program aims to develop students' French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in a culturally aware manner, enabling them to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations.
It also aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of English Literature, examining literary and non-literary works from various periods, authors, and themes. Students will explore the historical and political contexts of cultural and literary works, relating them to intellectual history and other art forms.
• Program Focus: The program integrates applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by rigorous development of foreign language skills in all areas.
Students have the option to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution or engage in approved employment in a French-speaking country, enhancing their language skills and employability.

Outline:

• Structure: The program is offered as a part-time day program, with a duration of 5 years.
It is divided into six levels, with Level 4 corresponding to Year 1, Level 5 to Year 2, and Level 6 to Year 3 of the full-time version.
• Course Schedule: The program includes a placement year between Years 2 and 3, offering students the opportunity to undertake a professional placement year in industry or a study abroad year at one of Westminster's partner institutions.
• Modules:
• Level 4:
• Introduction to the Study of Language and Culture
• Introduction to Translation (available to intermediate students)
• Objects and Meaning: The Social Life of Material Culture
• Poetry and Politics
• The French World and the Word
• What Is Literature?
• Level 5:
• Expressions of French Culture
• Language in the Public Space
• Making Memory: Culture, History and Representation
• Multilingual e-Collaboration: Transposing Current Affairs
• Romanticisms
• The Novel
• The Victorian World
• Understanding Culture: Francophone Studies in Focus
• Level 6:
• Fiction after 1950
• Final Year Project
• Issues in Culture
• Identities on the Move: Francophone Studies in Focus
• Multilingualism in Society: Theory and Practice
• Reading the Present
• Sex Strike: Gender and Protest
• Sexualities in Literature and Culture
• Special Topic
• The Modernist World
• Themes in Contemporary French and Francophone Studies
• Tragedy: Ancient to Modern
• Work Placement for Humanities

Assessment:

• Methods: The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:
• Essays
• Exams
• Individual and group presentations
• Critical analysis
However, it is implied that assessments will evaluate students' understanding of the subject matter, their ability to analyze and interpret texts, and their communication skills.

Teaching:

• Methods: Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, practical sessions, seminars, and workshops.
However, a significant portion of learning is independent, conducted outside the classroom through library research, individual and group study, and online learning.
• Faculty: The program is led by Dr. Liz Harvey-Kattou, Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies, and includes a team of experienced lecturers in French, Linguistics, English Literature, and Cultural Studies.
• Unique Approaches: The program emphasizes real-world language skills, focusing on language in a cultural context.
It also offers the Languages Plus program, which connects students with native speakers through language exchange, provides one-on-one grammar help, and facilitates work experience in language-related fields.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths: The program prepares students for roles in various sectors, including:
• Advertising, marketing, or PR
• Business and finance
• Interpreting and translation
• Media and journalism
• Public sector work
• Publishing
• Teaching
• Opportunities: Students have the opportunity to gain international experience and develop their language skills through a year of study or work in a French-speaking country.
They may also have the opportunity to work as paid language assistants in foreign schools or undertake work placements, boosting their employability and language competence.
• Outcomes: Graduates have secured roles in companies such as HSBC, LCI (London Clubs International), Properties of the World, and Swiss Cottage School.

Other:

• International Study: The program offers the option to study or work abroad for a year in a French-speaking country, allowing students to immerse themselves in the language and culture.
• Literary City: The program allows students to study English Literature in the heart of London, a historic literary city home to renowned writers.
• University of Westminster: The University of Westminster is a Higher Education Language partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

UK Fees: £1,540 (Price per 20-credit module)

International Fees: £2,830 (Price per 20-credit module)