Setting up a new programme in English LanguageCarolin EsserUniversity of WinchesterCarolin.Esser@winchester.ac.uk

Phillip TiptonUniversity of Chesterp.tipton@chester.ac.uk

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

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was employed to indicate that the curriculum went beyond literature alone e.g. former provision in Film Studies (now withdrawn as a separate programme)

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

Some Facts Some Facts about about Winchester: 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

English

American StudiesCreative Writing

English Language Studies

From First Idea to Validation 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

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)

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.

The Planning ProcessThe Planning ProcessWinchester Structure in ComparisonWinchester 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

English

American StudiesCreative Writing

English Language Studies

ELTSU

History

Psychology

Local Schools English Project

Employers

QAA

BA BA English Language Studies English Language Studies – – Academic Content for LifeAcademic 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.

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’

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

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)

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)

The relationship between single and combined honours EL 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

Building the Winchester ELSBuilding 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.

Our Programme to DateOur 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

Our Programme to DateOur 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)

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

ValidationValidation

Validation Both programmes were approved without

conditions, and a commendation was given regarding the breadth of the programme

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.