Description
The Master’s programme in Foreign and Regional Languages, Literatures and Civilisations (LLCER) with a subject pathway in Slavonic Studies, offered by Université Bordeaux Montaigne, is aimed at students who wish to add further value to their knowledge of a so-called ‘uncommon’ language, such as Russian or even a second Slavonic language.
Objectives
Programme objectives
The Master’s in Foreign and Regional Languages, Literatures and Civilisations aims to introduce students to research on the languages, cultures and societies of Slavonic countries, and to prepare them for professional activity with regard to Russia, Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. The specialists who emerge from this programme will be apt stakeholders in those economic and cultural spheres that use French and Russian as their working languages.
The programme includes theory-based and methodology-based course units, which draw on research activity and applied teaching combined with experience of the professional context.
Training content
Two years of study: Master 1 (M1) and Master 2 (M2)
The Master’s in Slavonic Studies is organised into four semesters, each worth 30 ECTS credits. The course units become progressively specialised in accordance with students’ research and/or professional aspirations.
Master 1: First year of two-year Master’s programme
The content of the common core curriculum really constitutes the framework of this programme of study (covering modes of thought and cultural life in Russia, history of the performance arts and Russian and Slavonic literature).
Optional course units are offered in close relation to students’ chosen research subjects (covering linguistics, literature, the arts and contemporary civilisation).
Cross-disciplinary course units provide students with further tools to assist their learning (including practical Russian language, dissertation methodology and preparation for entering employment).
Master 2: Second year of two-year Master’s programme
- There are compulsory research seminar units on Slavonic studies.
- There are practical workshops for textual translation and the translation of audiovisual media.
- There are three optional modules, which are:
- a module entitled ‘Research’, offering seminar units from within other disciplines;
- a module entitled ‘Publishing and Translation’, offering specialised classes on the history and theory of translation, the book market, French stylistics and a writing workshop;
- a module entitled ‘E-Learning’, offering training in language teaching via online platforms (Russian, French as a foreign language, a second Slavonic language).
Dissertation
The dissertation is carried out under the supervision of a university lecturer-researcher. It is a research-based dissertation of approximately 100 pages, which seeks to develop students’ capacity for autonomous critical reflection on a new and previously unpublished subject in one of the fields of study within Slavonic studies. It can also take the form of applied research within a professional context.
Knowledge and skills
Trainings
Internships
Although by no means compulsory, students are actively encouraged to undertake internships linked to their studies. This may take the form of a year spent as a language teaching assistant within a Russian university: www.institutfrancais.ru/fr/russie/enseigner-francais/lecteurs-francais-en-russie.
Students also participate in the organisation of research events. They may be offered the opportunity to undertake translation assignments within the framework of publishing or pedagogical projects.
Further studies
Entering employment
The natural progression from this joint programme would be to pursue research into Slavonic societies. But students can also aspire to employment opportunities in the following areas:
- literary translation and/or translation of audiovisual media
- professions related to publishing
- language teaching (particularly in the online-learning sector, which is currently experiencing high growth)
- professions related to libraries, documentation and archiving (additional training needed)
- tourism, communications within institutions etc.
