I have been teaching at Swansea University since 2001, and I currently teach Beginners French modules, final year and Masters level specialist Interpreting modules, and I contribute lectures to literary, cultural, and professional language modules.
My research interests include various art forms from the turn of the twentieth century, and modern French poetry in particular.
I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
A broad knowledge and understanding of culture is an important part of the study of the language. This module aims to introduce students to the cultural background of the different linguistic traditions they study, covering different cultural artefacts and historical periods. It examines important examples of texts against the historical background in which they were produced. We shall study different cultural forms, such as poetry, novels, film, painting, drama and more. Students will be given guidance in writing essays about culture and doing close textual readings through commentary writing. The module provides students with the analytical skills and knowledge which they need to pursue further cultural and historical modules in more detail.
With Hollywood continuing to dominate global cinematic production and consumption, this module will introduce students to a selection of films belonging to the concept generally categorised as "World Cinema". Lectures will explore both the thematic and technical elements of a selection of seven films, situating each one in its political, historical and global context. As such, the module offers insight into key cinematic forms, movements and moments. These range from the Third Cinema of Latin America, via the emergence of postcolonial cinema in Africa and feminist cinema in South Asia, to cult film in East Asia, period drama in Australasia and dance film in the Middle East. Through this introduction to a diverse range of cinemas, movements, styles and cultures, students will gain not only an understanding of the specifics of each individual film studied, but also a heightened understanding of the impact of World Cinema on western cinematic production.
With Hollywood continuing to dominate global cinematic production and consumption, this module will introduce students to a selection of films belonging to the concept generally categorised as "World Cinema". Lectures will explore both the thematic and technical elements of a selection of seven films, situating each one in its political, historical and global context. As such, the module offers insight into key cinematic forms, movements and moments. These range from the Third Cinema of Latin America, via the emergence of postcolonial cinema in Africa and feminist cinema in South Asia, to cult film in East Asia, period drama in Australasia and dance film in the Middle East. Through this introduction to a diverse range of cinemas, movements, styles and cultures, students will gain not only an understanding of the specifics of each individual film studied, but also a heightened understanding of the impact of World Cinema on western cinematic production.
This module introduces you to the practice of research and dissertation writing in the field of Modern Languages and will guide you in the first part of your dissertation preparation. Areas covered include: selecting a relevant topic, asking relevant research questions, preparing and writing up a literature review, preparing and writing up a research proposal, research methods and library research tools, making use of foreign-language sources, structuring your dissertation, analysis and argumentation, compiling a bibliography. In addition to lectures and seminars, you will have three meetings with your supervisor. By the end of the module you will have developed your dissertation topic, know what methodology you will use and have acquired knowledge of how to organise and lay out your dissertation. Assessment for the module consists of a literature review, a research proposal and a presentation.
This module provides students with the opportunity to research one aspect of French, German, Italian or Hispanic culture in detail, and to present the findings of their research in a dissertation of 8000 words. The module will be taught by means of four practical seminars on research and writing skills, and through three formal supervision sessions with a dissertation supervisor. Your supervisor will help you to find a topic, suggest research strategies, agree a suitable title, discuss the structure of your dissertation, and will read closely and comment on one draft chapter. The topic may relate to a module you are doing at Level 3, provided that this does not involve a duplication of material and is agreed with the module coordinator in advance. The dissertations may be written in English, in your target language, or in Welsh (where Welsh-medium provision is available).
The capital city of France is renowned as the capital of the nineteenth century, the arts and modernity. This module will introduce you to the unique cultural environment of Paris, and you will analyse its evolution from the nineteenth century to the present day. The main focus of the module will be the images of the city as mediated in fiction, art and iconography, architecture, music and film. The module explores the changing urban environment in Paris and its adjacent suburbs, from Baron Haussmann's controversial infrastructure projects in the nineteenth century, to the post-war construction of the HLM in the banlieues, to the twentieth-first century. The module will also examine the reputation of Paris as the capital of romance and its contemporary status as a multicultural metropolis.
This module, which builds on the introduction to Interpreting provided in Year 1 by MLT100 Concepts in Translation and Interpreting, will develop practical strategies and techniques for performing Dialogue Interpreting between parties who do not speak each other's language, as well as oral translation of relevant documents at sight. There will typically be a mixture of short lectures on relevant aspects of Interpreting Theory (especially professional ethics), live bilingual and multilingual scenarios, and language laboratory practical sessions in preparation for assessment. The assessment will be two Sight Translations, one in each direction (40%) and one Dialogue Practical Class Test (both directions) in the Lab (60%). A wide range of materials will be available on Blackboard to practice sight translation and interpreting in your own time.
This module will develop strategies and techniques to perform sight translation and dialogue (or bilateral consecutive) interpreting in the context of Local Government, covering a selection of topics in the areas of council services, social services, environmental health, and education. There will be lectures/workshops on voice confidence, note-taking, and ethics, and practical sessions (live sessions and language laboratory sessions using the latest technology) to enhance your learning. A range of materials will be made available on Canvas to practice the different modes of interpreting in your own time. This module will also prepare you for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, examined by the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL). This is optional and takes place in June every year (registration by February; CIoL fee applies).
In this module you will develop strategies and techniques to perform Simultaneous Whispering Interpreting (SI/WI) and Dialogue Interpreting (DI) (including some Telephone Interpreting (TI), plus an opportunity to try Sight Translation (ST)). The module covers a selection of topics from the following areas: the structure of the NHS and the equivalent national health services in the countries where the languages you study are spoken; various conditions and diseases (eg. of the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and urinary systems) - their symptoms, diagnosis and prognosis; mental health. There will be a mixture of interactive lectures on interpreting theory, ethics, and practice, plus live sessions, and language laboratory practical sessions. The assessment is an in-class test in the language laboratory (100%). A wide range of materials will be available on Canvas to aid practice of the different modes of interpreting in your own time. This module will also help prepare you for the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Health), examined by the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL). This is optional and takes place in June / November (registration by April / October, CIoL fee applies).
This module is only available to students who have successfully completed Year 1 of the Extended MA Professional Translation / Translation & Interpreting- Grenoble 2-year Programme. This module, which is taken alongside the TB2 equivalent, is made up of approved modules totalling 30 ECTS (approx.) selected from the portfolio offered by the host institution, the Department of Foreign Languages at Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA), France. This partner is responsible for all teaching and assessment. Module marks are returned to Swansea, converted, weighted proportionally to credit and combined into a single composite mark for this Swansea 'wrapper' module.
This module is only available to students who have successfully completed Year 1 of the Extended MA Professional Translation / Translation & Interpreting- Grenoble 2-year Programme. This module, which is taken alongside the TB1 equivalent, is made up of approved modules totalling 25 ECTS (approx.) selected from the portfolio offered by the host institution, the Department of Foreign Languages at Université Grenoble-Alpes (UGA), France. This partner is responsible for all teaching and assessment. Module marks are returned to Swansea, converted, weighted proportionally to credit and combined into a single composite mark for this Swansea 'wrapper' module.
