LN115 Independent Project

Module Convenor: Dr Pierre Botcherby

Module Duration/Weighting: Full Year/30 CATS

Available to: Core for 1st year Single Honours students in French, German, and Italian; Optional for 1st year students studying Hispanic Studies (Single Honours) and degree combinations with Film Studies.

PLEASE NOTE: this module is being updated for the 2026-2027 academic year and more detailed information about the module will be made available in due course.

Module description

This module is focused around independent work and study. It aims to provide students with key research tools which will serve them well later in their degree. It is a chance to become familiar with important elements of the academic world today, such as public engagement and digital humanities, as well as a chance to undertake a deeper dive into questions around language learning in the UK and themes from your 1st year culture modules. It will give you experience in managing your own work independently, in producing work in a variety of formats and for a variety of audiences, and in using relevant research techniques, tools, and sources to produce this work. You will learn to undertake independent work effectively but also how to work collaboratively with your peers in terms of discussing your work and providing feedback to each other.

Format

The module is taught through weekly classes. These comprise a mixture of masterclasses taught by experts from across the university on topics related to the module's assessment, such as public engagement or digital humanities, and collaborative workshopping sessions where students share and compare their own progress on their projects.

Assessment

Assessment for this module in 2026-27 is TBC, but is likely to comprise:

a public engagement project related to language learning in the UK
a poster presentation related to a topic you study in your 1st year culture module (FR121, GE112, IT116, HP103/104)
a written dissertation related to a topic you study in your 1st year culture module (FR121, GE112, IT116, HP103/104)
participation in classes throughout the year (attendance, participation in activities, completion of an ongoing portfolio of progress)

Disclaimer:

This information was correct at the date of publication. However, teaching staff (or their availability) and departmental facilities do sometimes vary, or become unavailable, for reasons beyond the University’s control. In exceptional cases, timetable slots may need to change to accommodate clashes. Where this happens, the University will ensure the minimum of disruption and will ensure that the expected standard of education is maintained.