Work and Study Abroad

Module title	Work and Study Abroad
Module code	SML3010
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	120
Module staff	Professor Katharine Hodgson (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	1 academic year	1 academic year	1 academic year

Number students taking module (anticipated)	150

Module description

For this module you will live and work abroad for an entire academic year. You will use one or more work placement to improve your knowledge of foreign cultures and languages and to gain skills that equip you better for the international job market. You are encouraged to think about the intercultural competence and the employability skills that you acquire during your year abroad and about the process with which you improve your knowledge of foreign languages.

Students of Russian taking SML3010 live and study in a country where Russian is spoken.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

Enhance your awareness of the process of foreign-language acquisition and to develop strategies for more effective learning
Develop your intercultural awareness and competence through reflection on the experience of living and studying abroad
Increase your employability in an increasingly competitive international market
Enhance your capacity for self-assessment through structured reflection on your experience

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate knowledge and application of the attitudes and qualities that are required to function well in a foreign work environment or in an educational institution abroad
2. Use appropriate grammatical structures and vocabulary in the spoken target language to analyse your experience and to respond precisely to a specific brief
3. Enhance your awareness of the process of foreign-language acquisition and to develop strategies for more effective learning

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Critically evaluate the process of independent learning by reflection on and evaluation of the experience of working and/or learning abroad
5. Demonstrate an understanding of different language registers appropriate to different situations
6. Demonstrate an increased linguistic sophistication, in terms of both expression and knowledge, that will enhance your performance in final-year written and oral language work
7. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the host country and a sensitivity to its culture so as to function as an integrated member of its society

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. Learn and self-assess independently, and draw up an action plan for development of your skills
9. Identify and describe strategies for adapting to working/studying practices in a foreign country, compare and reflect critically on those in your own country
10. Reflect on the ways in which your experiences of work and/or study have helped you develop so as to be better placed to obtain graduate-level employment / make best use of opportunities for further study
11. Demonstrate a level of intercultural competence that will prepare you for employment or further study in any foreign country

Syllabus plan

Internship(s) abroad in one or more Exeter-approved companies

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
0	0	1200

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Placement/study abroad	1200	Training in university-approved companies. The hours are approximate and may vary on an individual basis but are to include all assessment and study time.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Self-assessment and Personal Development Plan	6 pages	1, 3-11	Self-assessed

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	0	50

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method

Oral examination	50	15 minutes	1-11	Feedback sheet
Portfolio	50	As prescribed by the Handbook	1-11	Feedback sheet

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment

Oral examination (15 minutes)	Oral examination (50%)	1-11	Referral/Deferral period
Portfolio (As prescribed by the Handbook)	Alternative written task (1,500 words in English, reflecting on the experience of work/study abroad, and evaluating the development of skills in two of the following areas: language acquisition; intercultural competence; employability skills) (50%)	1, 3-11

Re-assessment notes

Progression from stage 3 (Year Abroad) to Stage 4 will be conditional on satisfying the requirements of the year abroad (minimum period of residence abroad) as specified in the relevant Handbook and passing the year abroad module. Students who fail to complete the year abroad or who fail a referred re-assessment of the year abroad will be required to transfer to the BA Global Cultural Studies Programme.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

R. Michael Paige et al., Maximizing Study Abroad , 2nd edn (University of Minnesota CARLA, 2002)

Recommended text:

Holliday, A.,Kullman, J., Hyde, M.(2010) Intercultural Communication: An Advanced Resource Book for Students , Routledge Applied Linguistics

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11001

Key words search

Year abroad, Internship abroad, Study at a partner university

Credit value	120
Module ECTS	60
Module pre-requisites	60 credits (30 ECTS) of core language modules in the language of the host country
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/10/2011
Last revision date	04/02/2025