Quality Assurance

“The French teaching team at Swansea continue to provide a range of well thought-out, challenging, and exciting courses. The marking and moderation are both very rigorous and it is very clear how the marks are decided, with clear reference to the criteria. Students are consistently provided with detailed, constructive feedback, and they are clearly well supported by teaching staff. Language and grammar skills are carefully tested but there is also rigorous testing of other skills such as argumentation and analytical skill. There were some very impressive performances, especially in some of the oral exams." ( Dr Manon Mathias, University of Glasgow) 

“The [undergraduate] programme in French at Swansea benefits from the input from a range of experts in the field and students have the opportunity, not only to develop their language skills in innovative and interesting ways, but to engage with Francophone culture in a critical and analytical manner. The range of skills developed on the UG programme are excellent and the feedback provided by staff is second-to-none. The overall programme is cohesive, stimulating and challenging, while also supporting students who are new to the subject.” (Dr Damien Mooney, Bristol University)

"German at Swansea continues to uphold its excellent reputation. Modules are wide-ranging, upto-date and innovative. Staff clearly offer a supportive learning environment. Assessment and marking practices are rigorous and fair." (Dr Hillary Brown, University of Birmingham)

"I am satisfied that the Spanish programmes at Swansea are being run to the highest standards and that, over the course of their degrees, students are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in their academic careers.Swansea’s forte is in applied language, career development, and real-world usage. The Spanish department excels in this. I am impressed by the quality and scope of teaching across the programme. Many of the students have performed exceptionally in their assignments and these strong performances are testament to the commitment and expertise of staff." (Dr Rebecca Jarman, University of Leeds)

"Overall, the content and learning outcomes of the individual modules seem to me to be entirely appropriate, at both BA and MA level. Together, they provide students with a suitable range of skills and knowledge to equip them to enter the translating and interpreting profession. Module content and learning aims are very much in line with modules I have been involved in at my previous and current institutions.

The module assessments, as usual, make very effective use of authentic materials, with clear alignment to the module learning aims and teaching content. There is an appropriate level of challenge – that allows for differentiation – and variety of real-world issues, that underscores the suitability for these modules to train tomorrow’s translators and interpreters. I like the way that some modules support the students to select suitable texts to work with, enabling them to enhance their independence and critical thinking capacity. There was a consistent approach to marking and feedback, including in modules where first marking was distributed between the teaching team. In most cases, in-text comments in Turnitin, as well as a detailed feedback report, were provided; the marking clearly demonstrated how grades were arrived at. The feedback informed students in some detail what they could do to build on and improve their performance." (Dr Kester Newhill, University of Stirling)

“The French teaching team at Swansea continue to provide a wide-ranging, challenging and stimulating suite of language modules and the students are very well prepared for the assessments. Grammatical ability in particular is rigorously tested. All of the tutors are very engaged and encouraging and the strong relationships between staff and students came through in particular in the oral exams, where students responded well to probing questions. Within the modules students not only develop their written and spoken French but also other skills such as the ability to structure a clear and professional presentation, to undertake their own research, and to develop professional skills. They are also encouraged to become critical and sophisticated readers of the French language and to demonstrate knowledge of specialist terminology. The standards were very high across the modules. I was particularly struck by the quantity and quality of feedback provided by staff and the fairness  of the marking." ( Dr Manon Mathias, University of Glasgow) 

“The French degree programme at undergraduate level is well-structured and uses a wealth of high-quality materials in the modules offered. The low student numbers permit the development of strong student-teacher relationships and the guidance and feedback offered to students on this programme is really excellent. Overall, the staff deliver a stimulating range of options to a very able body of students and, as noted above, the performance of students at the higher end of the spectrum is stellar.” (Dr Damien Mooney, Bristol University)

"The German team at Swansea offer an excellent range of modules, covering literature, film, business, translation and interpreting. They also offer modules on German language at all levels, and German language is very well embedded into other options. Students are very well supported in their teaching and learning, and receive detailed and useful feedback on their assignments. Marking and moderation practices are fair and rigorous." (Dr Hillary Brown, University of Birmingham)

"As with previous years, I am satisfied that the Spanish programmes at Swansea are being run to the highest standards and are highly competitive in the sector. Modules in Spanish are characterised by exemplary pedagogical innovation, particularly in employability, which should be followed elsewhere. Staff dedication and expertise is to be commended, and the students benefit from their commitment. There are many ambitious and capable students at Swansea, who are put through their paces in appropriately challenging assessments, many of which are bespoke and have the potential for practical application. Careful and detailed feedback ensures that students can improve year-on-year as they progress through the course. This stands them in excellent stead to pursue successful careers or further study, especially in the areas of translation, interpretation, and education, and marks Swansea as an ideal institution to study for a degree in modern languages." (Dr Rebecca Jarman, University of Leeds)

I am pleased to have overseen the successful delivery of these three modules [MLS210, 310 and 304], all of them with crucial practical elements and delivered by dedicated staff. Students are set challenging tasks that are appropriate to test the learning outcomes, e.g. with a range of text-types that reflect real-world contexts. Marking and moderation is fair and a consistent approach can be clearly seen. Feedback is detailed, thorough and constructive (when necessary, it indicates areas for improvement) and grades reflect students' performance. All in all, students' good performance reflects the quality of the teaching. Overall, processes are in line with practices in other institutions.  (Dr Olga Castro, University of Warwick)

"This is a very good programme that allows students to develop a high level of expertise in the field of translation at BA level with modules to develop work experience and experience with translation tools & terminology management as well as theoretical modules. Students are very well supported on the programme, which allows them to do very well. Marking is fair and feedback is supportive of learning. The aims and outcomes of this programme are fully comparable to those of comparable programmes in the UK." (Dr JC Penet, Newcastle University)

"The overall performance across Year 2 and final year modules is commendable, with students in the higher grade brackets displaying a high level of knoweledge and understanding as well as excellent linguistic and paralinguistic compentence. The grades span the spectrum of marks with higher concentrations in second and first class brackets. The level of feedback and feed-forward provided by staff is really excellent and clearly directs students' learning and skills acquisition; the internal moderation process is also extremely effective and thorough." (Dr Damien Mooney, Bristol University)

"I was very impressed by both the range of topics covered in the modules I moderated and the way in which a variety of forms of assessment are used to test student learning. Both of these aspects are highly commendable. It was also very clear that the feedback that staff provide students with is consistently detailed and constructive, and provides helpful guidance on strengths and weaknesses as well as how to improve." (Dr Jonathan Ervine, Bangor University)

 "Undergraduate provision in German is well-conceived with a range of appropriately challenging language and culture modules, covering a good range of topics and genres. Assessment patterns are varied and stimulating, enabling students to produce work of a high standard. The materials studied are well chosen, providing a challenging and stimulating engagement with German and wider European cultures. The aims and learning outcomes of the modules are appropriate, as are the standards of achievement. Marking is consistently fair and transparent, the quality of feedback is good across both language and content modules. The Dissertation module supports independent learning and enables students to develop to a high standard skills in research, critical thinking and academic communication." (Professor Joanne Leal, Birkbeck College, London)

"I am pleased to have overseen the successful delivery of BA Spanish programmes in 2019/20. On this programme, students receive instruction in language acquisition, critical thinking, applied knowledge and research skills across a broad range of topics including translation, linguistics, culture, and history. Research-led modules are delivered by experts in the field and language modules by talented and dedicated linguists. As part of their programme, students are set innovative and challenging but practical tasks which boost their intellectual growth and facilitate their intellectual development. Modules at all levels allow students to choose and build on pathways of study, while careful and detailed feedback ensures an upward trajectory across the programme. ​Marking is consistent and fair and guidance to students is thorough and helpful. Swansea graduates may leave the University knowing that they are well-equipped to thrive in their careers." (Dr Rebecca Jarman, University of Leeds)

Assessments and relevant methods were found to be appropriate at all levels and in line with current industry practices. (Dr Pierro Totto, London Metropolitan University)