Say no to essays for language units!

A new requirement for postgraduate students taking a language unit this year is that they have to write an essay worth 30% of the unit. This essay is either based on the 'Language Acquisition Seminars' or a translation project in the language you are taking.

The Language Acquisition seminar series was not clearly added to the timetabling of the course units at and before enrolment, therefore not all students can attend the seminars. In theory this means that those who cannot attend the seminars are restricted to doing the translation.

 As you may be aware, almost all the students taking these language units have started from scratch, which technically means that an in depth translation is out of the question also. This leaves students with no option but to be forced to write an essay on a subject that they not only have no information about but that is irrelevant to the assessment of course itself. Is it fair that instead of being entirely assessed on the language you chose to study you are being assessed on a hardly relevant essay you have to write on for example the 'use of language in law'? Is an essay a fair way to assess learning a language?

If you are in favour of removing the essay component from the assessment of your language unit I urge you to sign this petition.

Say no to essays for language units.

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