Open University

Diploma de Estudios Superiores de Derecho e Idiomas

Knowledge and understanding

You’ll be able to demonstrate:

• The concepts values, rules and principles of the legal system in England and Wales, and some awareness of the powers exercised by the devolved legislatures in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
• A range of areas of substantive English law and their impact on individuals and society.
• The social, political, economic, historical and ethical dimensions of law.
• The ability to communicate fluently and appropriately with competent speakers of at least two languages in a broad variety of oral and written contexts, including academic ones, maintaining a good degree of grammatical accuracy and appropriate style.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of aspects of the societies of the countries where each language is spoken (including aspects such as literature, cultures, linguistic contexts, politics, geography, and social and economic structures).
• Solid intercultural communicative competence, including a reasoned awareness and critical understanding of the cultures and societies associated with each language and the ability to describe and evaluate the similarities and dissimilarities between cultures and societies with your own.

Cognitive skills

You’ll be able to demonstrate your ability to:

• Ask and answer appropriate questions about law and legal systems, identifying gaps in your own knowledge.
• Combine and criticise various sources of legal authority, identify their merits and shortcomings, and make a reasoned choice between them.
• Apply legal principles and authority to develop reasoned answers to questions.
• Make use of a wide variety of written, spoken and multimodal texts for different audiences in your chosen modern language and/or English, employing appropriate reading and listening strategies.
• Write texts of different types in your chosen modern language and/or English, following appropriate structures and conventions, including academic language, selecting and making critical use of written and spoken sources.
• Make spoken presentations on particular topics, using appropriate styles and techniques, and take part in a wide variety of spoken interactions in your chosen modern language, using appropriate discourse strategies.
• Interpret and critically evaluate evidence in the light of alternative explanations, arguments and theories.

Practical and/or professional skills

You’ll be able to demonstrate your ability to:

• Conduct independent legal research.
• Identify, retrieve and evaluate legal information from a range of electronic and other sources.
• Acknowledge the sources of information that you have used, in a style appropriate to the task.
• Gather and process information from a variety of paper, audio-visual and electronic sources, in English and your chosen language.

Key skills

You’ll be able to:

• Communicate relevant ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, and work with a range of textual, numerical and statistical data.
• Reflect on your own learning and development, making effective use of feedback, and demonstrating a willingness to acknowledge and correct errors.
• Demonstrate the ability to independently find, critically evaluate and use a wide range of information, data or tools accurately in complex contexts.
• Recognise and use effective learning strategies.

This diploma has two stages, each comprising 120 credits:

• In Stage 1, you’ll study a 60-credit introductory law module. You’ll choose your language and study two 30-credit language modules.
• Next, in Stage 2, you’ll study two 30-credit law modules and a 60-credit language module in your chosen language.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

French

You'll choose one from:

• Exploring languages and cultures (L161)
• Introduction to French studies (beginners) (L102)

You'll choose one from:

• Criminal law and the courts (W111)
• Civil justice and tort law (W112)

You'll study the following:

• Estudios Franceses 1 (intermedio) (L112)

German

You'll choose one from:

• Exploring languages and cultures (L161)
• Introduction to German studies (beginners) (L103)

You'll choose one from:

• Criminal law and the courts (W111)
• Civil justice and tort law (W112)

You'll study the following:

• Estudios Alemanes 1 (intermedio) (L113)

Spanish

You'll choose one from:

• Exploring languages and cultures (L161)
• Introduction to Spanish studies (beginners) (L106)

You'll choose one from:

• Criminal law and the courts (W111)
• Civil justice and tort law (W112)

You'll study the following:

• Spanish Studies 1 (intermediate) (L116)

Stage 2 (120 credits)

French

You'll study both of the following:

• Public law (W211)
• Estudios franceses 2: lengua y cultura del mundo francófono (L222)

You'll choose one from:

• Family law (W230)
• Business and employment law (W240)
• Evidence law (W250)
• Derecho internacional, ambiental y espacial (W260)

German

You'll study both of the following:

• Public law (W211)
• German studies 2: language and culture of the German-speaking world (L223)

You'll choose one from:

• Family law (W230)
• Business and employment law (W240)
• Evidence law (W250)
• Derecho internacional, ambiental y espacial (W260)

Spanish

You'll study both of the following:

• Public law (W211)
• Spanish studies 2: language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world (L226)

Elegirás uno entre:

• Family law (W230)
• Business and employment law (W240)
• Evidence law (W250)
• International, environmental and space law (W260)

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

• Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

• You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
• They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
• Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

• The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
• Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

• Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
• You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
• Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or an alternative location.
• If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Habilidades para el desarrollo profesional

Desarrollará un amplio conjunto de habilidades de empleabilidad, incluida la capacidad de:

• Comprender los temas fundamentales del derecho y el sistema jurídico de Inglaterra y Gales.
• Aplicar principios legales para resolver problemas.
• Presentar y elegir razonadamente entre diferentes opiniones y soluciones.
• Leer y discutir materiales legales complejos y técnicos.
• Comunicarse de manera efectiva, clara y precisa con los demás.
• Utilizar eficazmente las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC).
• Gestionar el tiempo y trabajar de forma independiente y como parte de un equipo.
• Asume la responsabilidad de tu propio desarrollo personal, establece objetivos realistas y alcanza tus propias metas.
• Gestiona y motívate.
• Planifica, organiza y prioriza tu trabajo, evalúalo y reflexiona sobre él.

Relevancia profesional

Estudiar derecho junto con un idioma moderno abre muchas opciones profesionales en campos relacionados con el derecho, negocios y finanzas u organizaciones internacionales. Tu conocimiento de otro idioma y de las culturas que lo utilizan es un activo muy valorado por los empleadores y que ampliará tus oportunidades en el mercado internacional. Una calificación en derecho y un idioma puede generar oportunidades en una amplia gama de áreas, tales como:

• Negocios y Finanzas.
• Servicio Civil.
• Recursos humanos.
• Profesiones paralegales.
• Periodismo.
• Investigación.
• Traducción e interpretación.
• Edición y publicación.

Con nuestro enfoque único de aprendizaje a distancia, puedes estudiar desde casa, el trabajo o mientras viajas.

Tendrás algunas fechas límite de evaluación que cumplir, pero por lo demás, serás libre de estudiar en los momentos que te convengan, adaptando tu aprendizaje al trabajo, la familia y la vida social.

Para cada uno de sus módulos, utilizará solo recursos en línea o una combinación de materiales en línea e impresos.

Cada módulo que estudies tendrá un sitio web del módulo con

• Un planificador de estudios semana a semana que te ofrece una guía paso a paso a través de tus estudios.
• Materiales del curso como lecturas, vídeos, grabaciones y actividades de autoevaluación.
• Foros de módulos para debates y actividades colaborativas con otros estudiantes
• Detalles de cada tarea y sus fechas de entrega
• Un sistema de reserva de tutorías, salas de tutorías en línea y los datos de contacto de su tutor.
• Versiones en línea de algunos materiales y recursos del módulo impreso.