National Student Survey reveals the strengths of Language and Linguistic Science at York

Posted on 15 August 2023

The results of a nationwide survey have revealed that the Department of Language and Linguistic Science is home to some of the happiest English language, linguistics and Italian studies students in the UK.

1st in the Russell Group for academic support and learning resources in the National Student Survey

We placed 1st for both academic support and learning resources among the Russell Group universities included for Italian studies in the 2023 National Student Survey (NSS), with a score of 100% across every question in both categories.

For ‘academic support’, this included Q15. How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to? And Q16. How well have teaching staff supported your learning? For ‘learning support’, students were asked Q19. How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?, Q20. How well have the library resources (e.g. books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning? And Q21. How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g. equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?

We also ranked highly within the Russell Group in the following areas:

3rd for learning resources in linguistics

Including:

Q19. How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning? 90 per cent.
Q20. How well have the library resources (e.g. books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning? 97 per cent.
Q21. How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g. equipment, facilities, software) when you need them? 93 per cent.

3rd for learning opportunities in English language

Including:

Q5. To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth? 90 per cent.
Q6. How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned? 93 per cent.
Q7. To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics? 90 per cent.
Q8. To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study? 77 per cent.
Q9. How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future? 84 per cent.

Monika S. Schmid, the Head of Department, said “This year’s NSS cohort have faced unprecedented challenges. Their studies were disrupted very early on, when teaching had to be moved online at very short notice due to the pandemic. I am delighted to see that the huge amount of effort the department invested in making this a success has been so appreciated by the students. In particular, it is wonderful to see the high scores given to my colleagues who teach in the languages, as this was particularly hard due to the interactive and communicative nature of such courses. It is a pleasure to work with colleagues and students who are so dedicated to excellence.”

What is the National Student Survey

The NSS is a nationwide survey of final-year students in higher and further education. They answer questions on a variety of aspects of their university experience, including their department and course.

Over 339,000 took part in the 2023 survey, helping prospective students to compare courses and make informed decisions about where to study. The survey empowers those taking part to shape the future of their course, giving universities honest feedback on what they are doing well and where they can improve.

York's overall position

York performed strongly in this year’s National Student Survey, featuring in the top 10 for multiple categories among Russell Group universities.

The University as a whole placed 5th in the Russell Group for Learning Resources, 6th for Academic Support and 6th for Organisation and Management.

Ten subjects featured in the top three in the Russell Group for Academic Support, while a further eleven were placed in the top three for Teaching On My Course.

Read more about York’s excellent NSS results.