English Language and Culture

First year

The first year (propaedeuse) of the bachelor’s programme consists entirely of courses in the main subjects.

The propaedeuse comprises courses that provide a general overview to orient you to the study of English. The four main subjects of Philology, Literature, Linguistics and Language Acquisition are taught in both semesters in the form of lectures, seminars and language laboratories. The lectures provide the big picture, while the seminars address specific topics and use texts to explore these.

Alongside the lectures and seminars, mentoring is a compulsory part of the propaedeuse. Here you receive more information on matters such as how the programme works. Within the framework of the mentoring, you also follow the research skills course at the Expertise Centre for Academic Skills (EAV).

The propaedeuse ends with a propaedeutic exam. You must pass (a mark of 6.0 or higher) all the components to pass the propaedeutic exam.

Extra teaching hours are scheduled for the entire propaedeuse: six hours for the introduction day and a one-hour introductory meeting/progress meeting with the coordinator of studies. In addition, a question and answer session is held at the end of each semester for each course to prepare you for the exams.

Second year

All four main subjects are covered in the second year (semesters three and four). In this year, you also follow two series of compulsory lectures and the core curriculum courses.

You have a number of options this year. In Literature you can specialise in American or British Literature. The options in the first semester are separate from the options in the second semester. In the second semester you can also specialise within Philology in one of two possible periods.

Third year

The third year is as follows:

Compulsory courses:

• Language Acquisition 5

• Language Acquisition 6

In addition, you choose one 10 EC specialisation in the first semester (in exceptional cases in the second semester) from:

• Philology: one 10 EC course

• Literature: one 10 EC course

• Linguistics: one 10 EC cousre

In addition, you choose a minor and can do a placement or choose an individual package of electives worth 30 EC, which is distributed across both semesters. For more information, see the relevant course description.

You also write a bachelor’s thesis in the third year. For more information see the course description and the website of the English programme.

Electives

Instead of a minor, you can choose your own package of electives. This can comprise courses from your own (deepening) or another (broadening) programme.

If you are studying English Language and Culture and want to put together a deepening package of optional courses, you can choose from the courses below (except for those courses that are part of the regular curriculum). You can register through uSis but must first have your chosen package approved by the coordinator of studies and the Board of Examiners. For the latter, see the procedure on the website under electives.

If you are studying another programme, you must first contact the coordinator of studies to discuss the possibilities and how to register.

The coordinator of studies can also help you put together a deepening or broadening package of electives.

More info

Learning outcomes of the programme
Binding Study Advice
The programme
Elective credits
Full-time and part-time
BA thesis and graduation requirements
Subsequent degree programmes

2018-2019

Learning outcomes of the programme

Bachelor’s in English Language and Culture:

• possess general knowledge of and insight into English Language and Culture, that is to say knowledge of (a) the system and global historic development of the English language, (b) the development of English literature in a cultural-historical perspective, and (c) an active (writing, speaking) knowledge of the English language at CEFR level C1 and a passive (reading, listening) knowledge of the English language at CEFR level C2;

• are able, on the basis of the acquired knowledge and insight, to develop a correct, well-argued and critical oral and written report of the current status of topics within one or more areas of English Language and Literature and draw sound conclusions from the findings;

• are able, in one or more areas of English Language and Culture, to collect and interpret relevant data based on the specialist literature studied and the application of common methods and terms from the discipline, with the aim of forming a judgment on the topic that they have studied;

• are able to communicate, orally and in writing, information, ideas and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences;

• possess such knowledge and skills concerning the discipline of English Language and Culture that they can be considered able to apply these in the performance of employment for which a degree in English Language and Culture is necessary or useful.

At the end of the three-year degree programme, bachelor’s students also possess skills and knowledge that are further tailored to their field of specialisation. For more details see: student.universiteitleiden.nl/reglementen.

Binding Study Advice (BSA)

For further information on the BSA Regulation and the associated study guidance plan, see: www.studenten.universiteitleiden.nl/BSA
Please note: the course*** Language Acquisition 2*** is an additional requirement to the BSA.

The programme

The English Language and Culture programme has four specialisations: Philology, Literature, Linguistics and Language Acquisition.

First year: propaedeuse
The first year of the bachelor’s programme consists of mentoring and courses in the main subjects, i.e. the above disciplines. All full-time students also take part in the compulsory mentoring.

In the first year, you are assigned to a mentor group that has two student-mentors. In addition, two lecturer-mentors supervise the mentoring. The lecturer-mentors are generally also lecturers in one of your seminars or lectures. The student-mentors are students from the more advanced years of the bachelor’s programme.

The mentor group is identical to the seminar group and the meetings are scheduled in the timetable. In the different mentor meetings, you can ask informal questions about various topics associated with studying. You also learn about important matters such as how to avoid plagiarism. The student-mentors can help you by sharing their own experiences, and can also show you around the University and city. There is also time for social activities to help you get to know the other students better outside classes.

If you receive negative study advice in January, you follow a compulsory course provided by EAV in the second semester. This helps you improve your study skills. You will receive further information about this from study coordinator before the second semester.

Second year
Most departments expect you to meet certain conditions before you can take their second-year courses. If you have not met all the requirements for the propaedeuse, take good note of the entry requirements for the second-year courses. In the second year, you also look at how to develop your study plan, which is compulsory from the second year.

In both semesters of the second year, you follow compulsory courses in the four main subjects. You also follow two culture courses that span the main subjects. Within Literature you can choose American or British literature in the first and second semester. In the second semester of Philology, you can choose one of two specialisations. You have to decide which options you will choose before the start of the semester. You do so in your study plan and register through uSis.

In the second year, you also follow the Introduction to Literary Theory and Philosophy of Science courses together with students from other Humanities programmes.

Third year
In the third year, you can specialise in one of the courses (10 EC total) offered by the different departments. In addition, you follow the compulsory Language Acquisition course in both semesters. You write your bachelor’s thesis in the second semester and attend a compulsory thesis seminar.

You also need to earn 30 EC of elective credits in your third year.

Mandatory attendance
Seminar attendance is compulsory. You may miss a maximum of two of the 13 meetings per subject (if you have a valid reason and provided younotify the lecturer and the study coordinator before the seminar that you will miss). If you have not prepared, do not participate and/or fail to bring the course material for a particular week, this may also count as absence.

If you miss more than two seminars, you must contact the study coordinator. If the study coordinator believes there are special circumstances, they may decide that the maximum two absences do not apply. The study coordinator will consult your lecturer(s) and inform you and your lecturer(s) of their decision.

If you fail to meet the attendance requirement, you will be excluded from attending the course. This may mean that you will not receive a final mark or that your final mark will be a fail for the participation or presentation part, for example, and/or any other exams that you sit during the seminar.

Please note: if you have been absent for a valid reason, you may still be barred from attending the course if it is likely that you will no longer be able to successfully complete the course. This could be if you have missed important deadlines or have simply missed too many meetings.

Exemptions
You may request an exemption from apply to the Board of Examiners for exemption from a course on the basis of a previously completed equivalent course, with one exception: no exemptions are granted for Language Acquisition courses. For the procedure, please contact the teaching administration and/or study coordinator.

Exam resits
Each course provides an explanation of the form of examination and any resits.
You must always resit any exams for which your final mark is a fail (that is to say, lower than 5.5). In principle, you may not resit exams that you have passed, with the following exception:

You may resit a passed exam or partial exam three times during your entire bachelor’s degree programme. You must take the resit in the same academic year in which you passed the exam or partial exam that you are resitting.
You must submit a request to the Board of Examiners in good time if you wish to resit a passed exam or partial exam.

Electives

In the third year of the bachelor’s programme, you must earn 30 EC (15 EC per semester) of electives. For more information on how to earn these see: [student.universiteitleiden.nl/fgw/keuzeruimte](https://www.student.universiteitleiden.nl/studie-en-studeren/studie/onderwijsinformatie/keuzeruimte/geesteswetenschappen/engelse-taal-en-cultuur-ba?cf=geesteswetenschappen&cd=engelse-taal-en-cultuur-ba#tab-1.

Full-time and part-time

The Bachelor’s degree programme in English Language and Culture is a full-time or part-time programme. The description of the part-time programme can be found in this [e-Prospectus] (https://studiegids.universiteitleiden.nl/studies/bachelors/part-time).

Bachelor’s thesis and graduation requirements

To graduate, you must have passed the programme of 180 EC, met the requirements for the elective credits and successfully completed your bachelor’s thesis.

The bachelor’s thesis is a paper worth 10 EC. It must tie in with a second- or third-year course (not an introductory course). You develop two possible topics and submit these to the Board of Examiners before the start of the semester in which you will write the thesis. The Board of Examiners appoints a supervisor for one of the two topics. The supervisor then helps you write a thesis proposal, which you submit to the Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners uses the thesis application form to evaluate your proposal and appoints a second reader. Then you attend a compulsory thesis seminar. For more information, see the course description for the third year.

The regulations and important deadlines for the BA thesis can be found at: student.universiteitleiden.nl/reglementen.

Subsequent degree programmes

A Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture grants you direct access to the one-year Master’s programme in Linguistics, English Language and Linguistics track, or the one-year Master’s programme in Literary Studies, English Language and Culture track. If you hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture and have completed the minor in Translation, you have direct access to the one-year Master’s programme in Linguistics, Translation in Theory and Practice track, but will have to request admission.

Depending on your results, you may also be granted access to a two-year research master’s programme, for instance Literary Studies or Linguistics. You can also apply for admission to another related master’s programme such as the Master’s programme in Media Studies, Book and Digital Media Studies track, or the Master’s programme in Linguistics, Language and Communication track, or the Master’ s programme in North American Studies.

After graduating from the one-year Master’s programme in English Literature and Culture or English Language and Linguistics, you may wish to train as a secondary-school teacher. You can choose to follow the Master’s degree in Education at ICLON (one year full-time, two years part-time), which qualifies you to teach in all types of secondary education. If you have followed the Minor in Education during your bachelor’s degree (only possible if you pass the first and second year) and have already earned a master’s degree, you can follow the shorter teaching training programme (30 EC instead of 60 EC).

For more information on the various master’s programmes and the application procedure, see: mastersinleiden.nl.