UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
Programme Specification
This Programme Specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the
programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be
expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning
opportunities that are provided.
Sources of information on the programme can be found in Section 17
1. Awarding Institution / Body
2. Teaching Institution and
Location of Delivery
3. University Department/Centre
4. External Accreditation
5. Title of Final Award
6. Modes of Attendance offered
7. UCAS Code
University of Central Lancashire
Indira Gandhi National Open University, new Delhi
Journalism, Language and communication
NA
BA (Hons) Applied Sign Language Studies
Full-time, Part-time
NA
8. Relevant Subject
Benchmarking Group(s)
Linguistics
9. Other external influences
NA
10. Date of production/revision of
this form
01 June 2010
26/06/12
June 2013
11. Aims of the Programme

To produce sign language teachers, teacher trainers and literacy support teacher,
project workers in the specialist area of sign languages and deaf communities.

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To produce graduates with an excellent understanding of the different approaches and
methodologies used in language acquisition, language teaching and learning.
To create practitioners with a thorough understanding of relevant sub fields of sign
language linguistics with special reference to applied dimensions of sign language
studies.
To develop in the graduates a high level of literacy and other academic skills.
To create learning opportunities in the field of applied sign language studies, widen the
scope of professional practice in this field, and promote further relevant research.
12. Learning Outcomes, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
A. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the course, students will have understanding of
e.g.
A1. sign language linguistics and applied sign linguistics with related sub-fields of applied
sign language studies, e.g Language acquisition, language teaching and learning and
bilingualism.
A2. issues in applied linguistics in the context of sign languages and deaf communities,
and related research methods.
A3. deaf communities, deaf culture, the sociolinguistics of sign languages, policy and
practice related to sign languages
A4. pedagogical practice and related professional requirements in a classroom where sign
language is used.
Teaching and Learning Methods
A number of teaching and learning strategies including lectures, seminars, group
discussion; self guided reading, IT training on research tools, external placements; and
resource based learning.
Assessment methods
Core assessment methods are: Essay, in class assessment, oral test, and participation in
discussion forum, portfolio of activities, working with a set of data, critical commentary and
web search reports.
B. Subject-specific skills
by the end of the course, students will be able to:
e.g.
B1. meet and resolve the challenges involved in teaching a first or second language in a
classroom where sign language is used.
B2. demonstrate basic research skill in analysing language data and language learning
contexts
B3. reflect upon their own experience in teaching and learning as well as relate the
learned theories to appropriate professional practice.
B4. demonstrate knowledge of academic needs and opportunities in higher level of study
in the relevant area.
Teaching and Learning Methods
The core teaching methods applied to achieve the subject specific skills are lectures,
seminars, individual and group work, individual or group presentation, mock teaching; lab
training on use of data, resources, archives etc.
Assessment methods
Portfolio of activities, essay, presentation (individual or group), web search report, mock
teaching with peer observation; design of short curriculum and teaching materials
C. Thinking Skills
by the end of the course, students will be able to:
e.g.
C1. apply critical reflection and cognitive skills in order to identify, analyse and solve
problematic issues
C2. find and use a range of complex relevant information and derive appropriate
conclusions
C3. construct lines of argumentation, defend a point of view, and develop sound judgment.
C4. establish logical links between different subject areas and to extend current
knowledge to new issues.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Lectures, seminars, group discussion, guided reading, lab based workshop on using IT for
research purpose, will form the core part of the teaching and learning methods.
Assessment methods
Essay, critical research review, presentation, analyse a set of data, portfolio of activities,
web search report, critical commentary, reflective log, problem solving task.
D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development
by the end of the course, students will be able to:
e.g.
D1. demonstrate English language and literacy skills necessary to function in teaching
and learning contexts.
D2. develop appropriate awareness of professional ethics and be able to function
confidently in a teaching, learning or management role either alone or together with
others as a team.
D3. demonstrate IT skills in the areas of multimedia, materials development and
communication technologies.
D4. analyse one’s own knowledge and skills in order to devise strategies for personal
development planning.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Lectures and seminars, group discussion, team work, workshops on relevant area of
study.
Assessment methods
Essay, presentation, discussion forum participation, development of teaching materials, IT
lab project
13. Programme Structures*
Level
Module
Code
IK 3003
IK 3991
IK 3990
Current issues in Applied Sign
linguistics
Sign language Policy and planning:
An international perspective
Dissertation: double (year long)
Dissertation: single (year long)
IK 3005
IK 3006
IK3007
Structure of foreign sign languages
Student initiated module
Work placement
Level 5
Level 6
IK 3004
Level 4
Module Title
14. Awards and Credits*
Credit
rating
20
20
40
20
20
20
20
IK3008 Peer mentoring
20
Students will take one of the following two compulsory
modules:
IK2001 Bilingualism and Literacy in Deaf
20
education
IK2011 Bilingualism and Literacy in Deaf
40
education with Project Work
And:
IK2002 Second Language Acquisition
20
IK2007 First Language Acquisition
20
IK2003 Models of Teaching and Learning
20
in Language and Literacy
IK2004 Sociolinguistics of deaf
20
communities
IK2005 Advanced sign linguistics
20
IK2006 Applied Linguistics Research and
20
Development
IK2008 Sign language interpreting: theory
20
and practice
IK2009 Work placement
20
IK2010 Student Initiated Module
20
IK1001 Introduction to Language & Sign
20
Language
IK1002 Foundations of teaching and
20
training Theory and application
IK1003 Deaf community & Culture
20
IK1004
Student Experiential Module
20
IK1005
Meta-linguistic prerequisites for
sign language teaching
Foundations in the practice of sign
language teaching
Introduction to Applied Sign
Linguistics
Student Initiated Module
20
IK1009
IK1010
IK1008
20
20
20
Bachelor Honors Degree
Requires 360 credits
including a minimum of 220
at Level 5 or above and 100
at Level 6
to include either IK3990 or
IK3991
Bachelor Degree
Requires 320 credits
including a minimum of 180
at Level 5 or above and 60 at
Level 6
HE Diploma
Requires 240 credits
including a minimum of 100
at Level 5 or above.
HE Certificate
Requires 120 credits at Level
4 or above
= Compulsory modules
15. Personal Development Planning
Personal Development Planning (PDP) is managed through a number of inter-linked measures to
support the development of academic, personal and professional skills in students:
1. The department student tutoring system is designed to monitor the students’ PDP; students’
personal tutors are contacted by students at regular intervals for individual meetings on PDP.
2. A peer mentoring system matches up senior with junior students; senior students assist in PDP
planning in coordination with department tutors.
3. PDP tools are made available to students, which include self-assessment forms, supervision
logs, and written records of PDP planning and progress.
4. Joint activities are arranged for students and alumni for the purpose of networking and PDP
advice to students.
16. Admissions criteria
Programme Specifications include minimum entry requirements, including academic qualifications, together
with appropriate experience and skills required for entry to study. These criteria may be expressed as a
range rather than a specific grade. Amendments to entry requirements may have been made after these
documents were published and you should consult the University’s website for the most up to date
information.
Students will be informed of their personal minimum entry criteria in their offer letter.
For admission to the programme, students must:
Either have successfully completed the Certificate of Achievement in Applied Sign Language
Studies (Foundation Entry)
Or fulfil the following requirements:
1. Academic qualifications:
Students will be able to attend without prior experience of Higher Education, and with UCLan
undergraduate entry requirements as per applicant’s home country, except English language
requirements. Equivalence of non-standard qualifications and experience will be considered
during a mandatory interview.
2. Sign language skills
Students must have a high degree of fluency in any sign language and must be able to cope with
an international signing environment sufficiently. An indicative minimum level would be sign
language level 4 in the UK, but certified level 4 signers are not guaranteed to meet the required
standards because an ability to cope with a certain degree of international signing is expected,
and courses teaching a national sign language do not usually include international signing even
at the highest level. Conversely, it is not necessary to provide proof of certified learning, and Deaf
users of sign languages, in particular those for whom a sign language is the first and/or preferred
language, can have their signing skills assessed during the interview. This is appropriate because
the certified learning of sign language is virtually always directed at hearing learners acquiring the
sign language as a second language (e.g. with the aim of becoming sign language interpreters).
Certified learning for Deaf native sign language users is very rare, as no systems exist in sign
language teaching for this target group. Therefore, it is quite rare for even the most fluent Deaf
signers to have a certified level of sign language skills.
3. English literacy skills
Students must have sufficient English literacy to be able to cope with the course content. As all
assignments can be produced in sign language, it is not necessary to demonstrate writing skills.
However, students need to have reading comprehension skills at an intermediate level (roughly
equivalent to IELTS 4.5). This is an indicative level, and it is not necessary to provide evidence of
IELTS test scores because these tests are unsuitable for deaf students. The acquisition of
English literacy by deaf students is very different from the literacy of hearing students, and
therefore, literacy should be assessed by course tutors, who are familiar with these issues.
Moreover, the ability to cope with the specific course content in terms of the necessary reading
comprehension skills cannot be simply equated with IELTS scores, as reading comprehension is
a complex interplay of skills that are not limited to the level of English language only. In the case
of deaf students, sign language skills substitute some of the English skills that are usually
required of students, in particular with respect to text production during assessment.
4. Successful personal interview
All students will be individually assessed by the course tutors in a mandatory interview for the
above criteria. The above rationale justifies compulsory interview for all students by course tutors.
The criteria constitute reasonable adjustment to the needs of deaf students as endorsed by
specialists in the subject area and policy advice from concerned bodies.
17. Key sources of information about the programme

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Departmental website www.uclan.ac.uk/islands
Fact sheets (also available online)
Student handbook (also available online)
iSLanDS centre flyer
18. Curriculum Skills Map
Please tick in the relevant boxes where individual Programme Learning Outcomes are being assessed
Programme Learning Outcomes
Core (C),
Compulsor
y (COMP)
Module
or Option
Knowledge and
Thinking
Level Code Module Title
(O)
understanding
Subject-specific Skills
Skills
IK3003
LEVEL 6
IK3004
IK3991
IK3990
IK3005
IK3006
LEVEL 5
IK3007
IK3008
IK2001
IK2002
IK2003
IK2004
IK2005
Current issues in applied sign
linguistics
(COMP)
Sign language policy and
planning: An international
perspective
(COMP)
Dissertation: double (year
long)
(O)
Dissertation: single (year long)
(COMP)
Structure of foreign sign
languages
(O)
Student initiated module
(O)
Work placement
(O)
Peer mentoring
(O)
Bilingualism and Literacy in
Deaf education
(COMP)
Second language acquisition
(COMP)
Models of teaching and
learning in language and
literacy
(O)
Sociolinguistics of Deaf
communities
(O)
Advanced sign linguistics
(O)
A1 A2
A3
A4
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B1
B2
B3
Other skills
relevant to
employability and
personal
development
B4
C1
C2
C3
C4
D1
D2
D3
D4
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IK2006
IK2007
IK2008
IK2009
IK2010
IK2011
LEVEL 4
IK1001
IK1002
IK1003
IK1004
IK1005
IK1009
IK1010
IK1008
Applied linguistics research
and development
(O)

First language acquisition
(COMP)
Sign language interpreting:
theory and practice
(O)

Work placement
(O)
Student Initiated module
(O)
Bilingualism and Literacy in
Deaf education with Project
Work
(COMP) 
Introduction to language & sign
language
(COMP) 
Foundations of teaching and
training: theory and application (O)
Deaf community & culture
(COMP)
Student experiential module
(O)
Meta-linguistic prerequisites for
sign language teaching
(O)

Foundations in the practice of
sign language teaching
(O)

Introduction to applied sign
linguistics
(COMP) 
Student lnitiated module
(O)
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Note: Mapping to other external frameworks, e.g. professional/statutory bodies, will be included within Student Course Handbooks