6.5 Policy on language correction for undergraduate and taught/research postgraduate students
- Audience: This policy is for the attention of:- Heads of Schools, Directors of Teaching, Module Co-ordinators, Directors of Postgraduate Studies; Student Services; All students.
- Scope: This policy applies to all undergraduate, taught and research postgraduate students in the University.
- Responsibilities: Policy author: Vice-Principal (Proctor); In-sessional Language Support Coordinator (ELT). Responsibility for the implementation of the policy lies with the Heads of Schools.
- Relationship with existing policies: -
- Contact details: For advice and support on any aspect of this policy please contact the Proctor's office.
- Policy on Language Correction (Undergraduate and Taught/Research Postgraduate Students)
- Authors: Vice-Principal (Proctor) and In-sessional Language Support Coordinator (ELT)
- Considered by: TLAC, 1 September 2010
- Approved: Academic Council, 22 September 2010
- Amendments: Policy extended to include PGR students (TLAC approved 15 December 2010)
- Implementation date: Start session 2010/2011
- Last amended: December 2010
- Review date: November 2011
Introduction
‘Language correction’ is the use of pre-submission assistance from another person, to improve the accuracy of the language in which an assessment is written. Such assistance must be limited to sentence-level adjustments in grammar, style, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation. Such assistance should seek to enhance the candidate’s learning in relation to the accurate use of language.
Language correction does not refer to (1) ghost-writing, in which the candidate does not produce an original written text, but seeks assistance from another person to formulate a text; or (2) adjustments in ideas, citation and referencing, and structure.
Policy
It is the University’s policy that students should be assessed on their skills and abilities, including skill in using written language. Students will be provided with education and training appropriate for the development of such skills. Nevertheless, students may obtain assistance from another person, whether paid for or not, for the correction of the written language of their formative and summative assessments, under the following conditions:
- Where it is not forbidden to do so by their School as stipulated in the School Handbook or in the assessment description; and
- Where it is explicitly acknowledged.
Acknowledgement
Any language correction assistance must be explicitly acknowledged in the following signed declaration at the front of the submitted work:
‘I, [INSERT MATRICULATION NUMBER], received particular assistance in the writing of this work in respect of matters of grammar, style, vocabulary, spelling or punctuation.
The assistance was provided by (delete as appropriate):
- A member of the Academic Staff
- A non-academic member of Staff
- A fellow Student
- Other Source (please specify)
Exceptions
Students who are registered with Student Services as having a disability or learning difficulty for which proof-reading or language correction is recommended are not required to acknowledge this assistance but may wish to do so.
Infringements
Suspected use of non-permissible types of adjustment will be treated as plagiarism and will be dealt with according to the University’s Academic Misconduct Policy.
Useful weblink for students
The University of Bristol website gives very practical interactive exercises with feedback on language correction: www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm