Learning and assessment
Information on coursework and assessment in the Language Centre.
Including the Language Centre position on the use of AI in course assessment and Departmental Turnitin Statement and Student Agreement.
On each Moodle course page there is also specific information on coursework and assessment and the Student Services Centre has information on examination procedures.
The School has a wide range of policies surrounding assessment and exams. From LSE Student Services Centre (SSC) you can find out about policies on extensions, appeals, references etc, plus exams and assessment guides.
WIthin the Language Centre please remember you can always speak to your Course teacher or Academic mentor.
The contact address for Language Centre Undergraduate Examinations is Language.Centre.Ug.Examinations@lse.ac.uk. You can send queries about use of AI, Turnitin, academic misconduct or plagiarism to this email.
Please remember if you have any questions speak to your Course teacher or Academic mentor.
Our policies and guidance for you
Using generative AI at LSE
Guidance for modern language degree courses (French, German Mandarin, Russian and Spanish)
Generative AI tools can analyse data, create writing, computer code, and / or images using minimal human prompting. Over the last year, generative AI tools have proliferated and are now embedded in everyday software and services.
As a student taking language degree courses it’s important that you understand how you can use Generative AI in your assessments, so that you can do your best in your studies.
As a pedagogically diverse School with different disciplines, there is no one approach to the use of generative AI across LSE. Instead, there are three positions to know about:
- Position 1: No authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 2: Limited authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 3: Full authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
On our language degree courses, we follow Position 1: No authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
Position 1
This means that generative AI tools cannot be used for your formative or summative assessments and using generative AI in your assessments will be considered academic misconduct.
The purpose and method of the assessments you will do on language degree courses means that it is inappropriate for AI tools to be used. Our assessments focus on how students can creatively and critically engage with the target language. The use of generative AI interferes with the authenticity of individual expression. Moreover, flawless, error-free work is not expected until a high level of proficiency, and our marking reflects this principle. Errors serve as learning tools when their causes are understood, therefore deepening the student’s grasp of linguistic structures.
If you wish to use AI tools as part of your language learning (not for formative or summative assessments) please consult your teachers for guidance and be aware that overreliance on generative AI can have very negative effects in the development of cognitive skills which are necessary in academic and professional lives.
Important note for academic year 2025-2026
Our courses LN210 and LN220 are running projects piloting the use of LLMs in assessment. The AI policy in these courses is aligned with LSE’s position on generative AI, following position 2: “Limited authorised use of generative AI in assessment.” Students participating in pilot projects will receive separate, detailed guidance on permitted AI use.
Generative AI at LSE: resources and tools
Before you use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, you should familiarise yourself with the School's guidance and policies and develop your understanding of generative AI tools. You should read LSE's guidance on the use of Generative AI, complete the ‘AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations’ Moodle course and consider developing your AI literacy further by taking up relevant offerings from the Digital Skills Lab, LSE LIFE and LSE Library.
If you want to use a generative AI tool for permitted purposes, LSE recommends the use of Microsoft Copilot or Claude for Education. As an LSE student, you have access to Microsoft’s generative AI tool, Copilot (Copilot with Commercial Data Protection), and Anthropic’s Claude for Education free of charge. Further information about these AI tools is available from LSE’s digital skills lab under these links: (i) Copilot and (ii) Claude for Education.
Using generative AI at LSE
Guidance for linguistics degree courses (LN115, LN270, LN370)
Generative AI tools can analyse data, create writing, computer code, and / or images using minimal human prompting. Over the last year, generative AI tools have proliferated and are now embedded in everyday software and services.
As a student taking linguistics degree courses (LN115, LN270, LN370) it’s important that you understand how you can use Generative AI in your assessments, so that you can do your best in your studies.
As a pedagogically diverse School with different disciplines, there is no one approach to the use of generative AI across LSE. Instead, there are three positions to know about:
- Position 1: No authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 2: Limited authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 3: Full authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
On our linguistics degree courses (LN115, LN270, LN370), we follow Position 2: Limited use of generative AI in assessment.
Position 2
This means that generative AI tools can be used in specific ways for assessments in linguistics courses.
This policy is based on the consideration that formative and summative assignments in the LSE LC linguistics degree courses aim to assess your ability to find, understand and analyse information, and to demonstrate your understanding of course content by writing persuasively about it. Generative AI tools may support your learning and your work, but these tools must not replace your own ideas and perspectives.
Texts produced by AI tools are not valid academic sources. Such texts may reproduce biases inherent in the training data, they do not reliably state their sources, and information produced by AI has been found to be unreliable and misleading. For these reasons, all information obtained from AI tools must be cross-checked and verified. It is vital that you use academic and discipline specific texts and resources when developing your own work.
You will need to carefully read through the permitted use of generative AI tools. Other courses you are taking may have different policies on generative AI usage: this applies only to LN115, LN270 and LN370.
The ways in which generative AI tools are permitted, as well as where you cannot use them in LN115, LN270 and LN370 are outlined below:
| Policy in LN115, LN270, and LN370 | |
| Use of text produced by generative AI tools(e.g., but not limited to ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot) | You may notcopy text produced by generative AI tools into any submitted piece of work or use such text in an oral presentation.You may notuse text produced by generative AI tools as the basis for your own writing, including but not limited to modifying or paraphrasing AI-generated text.You may notquote or use text produced by generative AI to support statements and arguments made in your own texts. |
| Citing text produced by generative AI tools for limited purposes | You maycite text produced by a generative AI tool for the purpose of discussing or commenting on the output and functionality of that AI tool. For example, when research on the functionality and limitations of generative AI is part of the assessment.If you include a verbatim quotation from a text produced by a generative AI tool in your own submitted text, you must acknowledge this and use the referencing system of your choice for the citation. Read and follow the LSE library guidance on citing and referencing generative AI tools on this webpage: https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/using-the-library/library-resources-guide/citing-and-referencing. |
| Text editing and proofreading | You mayuse generative AI tools for the purposes of correcting or improving the spelling, grammar or style of your own written work (e.g., Grammarly or the re-writing function in MS Word).You must declare such use of AI in the coversheet of your work. |
| AI-assisted searches and research | You mayuse generative AI tools to find relevant academic literatureand to decide whether a source will be useful to read for your own research.You mayuse generative AI tools to let them explain concepts or ideas as part of your learning process, but you should be aware that there is a risk of "hallucination" or misinformation.You must notupload or copy any course materials (including assessment guidance, lecture or presentation slides, readings etc.) to any generative AI tool. This will violate copyright rules.You may notcopy AI-generated summaries or overviews of sources into your work.You mustdeclare AI use for research purposes in the coversheet of your work. |
| Bibliography and referencing | You mayuse bibliographic software such as EndNote, and you may use generative AI tools to identify academic sources.You may notuse generative AI tools to create the bibliography/reference list for any submitted assessment. |
| Text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools | You mayuse text-to-speech or speech-to-text software in the context of assessments, e.g. to transcribe interviews you have conducted as part of your research or to transcribe audio or video sources. You must verify the accuracy of any outputs of these tools.If you include a verbatim quotation from a transcript produced by a generative AI tool you mustacknowledge this and use the referencing system of your choice for the citation.You mustdeclare this use of AI in the coversheet of your work. |
| Interlingual machine translation (e.g., Google Translate, DeepL, or Large Language Models) | You mayuse machine translation software to translate texts into English or other languages.You must verify the accuracy of the translation before using any translated text in your submitted work. If you quote or refer to any text which has been machine-translated, you must state the original source and the method of translation. Use the referencing system of your choice for the citation.Do not upload or copy course materials to machine translation tools for translation into other languages – doing so may violate copyright rules. |
| Image and visuals generated by AI | You mayuse generative AI tools to generate or modify supporting images for your work or to generate or modify charts, graphs, diagrams and other visuals.If you include such AI generated material in your submitted work, you have to acknowledge this. Use the referencing system of your choice for the reference. |
| Code generation for the purposes of creating non-text material (e.g., GitHub Copilot) | You mayuse any assistive AI tools you wish to help you in generating code to produce non-text components of your work. For example, you may use GitHub Copilot in writing Python code to produce a graph or chart from data and include this in your submitted work.You mustdeclare this use of AI in the coversheet of your work. |
If you have any questions about the use of generative AI tools for course work, please speak with your course teacher.
In all submissions where you can use generative AI, you must cite its usage. Failing to cite the use of generative AI is a form of academic misconduct. In all other aspects of your work, where the use of generative AI is not permitted, using AI tools will be considered academic misconduct.
Generative AI at LSE: resources and tools
Before you use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, you should familiarise yourself with the School's guidance and policies and develop your understanding of generative AI tools. You should read LSE's guidance on the use of Generative AI, complete the ‘AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations’ Moodle course and consider developing your AI literacy further by taking up relevant offerings from the Digital Skills Lab, LSE LIFE and LSE Library.
If you want to use a generative AI tool for permitted purposes, LSE recommends the use of Microsoft Copilot or Claude for Education. As an LSE student, you have access to Microsoft’s generative AI tool, Copilot (Copilot with Commercial Data Protection), and Anthropic’s Claude for Education free of charge. Further information about these AI tools is available from LSE’s digital skills lab under these links: (i) Copilot and (ii) Claude for Education.
Using generative AI at LSE
Guidance for literature degree courses (LN250, LN251, LN252, LN253 and LN254)
Generative AI tools can analyse data, create writing, computer code, and / or images using minimal human prompting. Over the last year, generative AI tools have proliferated and are now embedded in everyday software and services.
As a student taking literature degree courses it’s important that you understand how you can use Generative AI in your assessments, so that you can do your best in your studies.
As a pedagogically diverse School with different disciplines, there is no one approach to the use of generative AI across LSE. Instead, there are three positions to know about:
- Position 1: No authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 2: Limited authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
- Position 3: Full authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
On our literature degree courses, we follow Position 1: No authorised use of generative AI in assessment.
Position 1
This means that generative AI tools cannot be used for your formative or summative assessments.The purpose and method of the assessments you will do on literature degree courses means that it is inappropriate for AI tools to be used and using generative AI in your assessments will be considered academic misconduct.
Generative AI at LSE: resources and tools
Before you use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, you should familiarise yourself with the School's guidance and policies and develop your understanding of generative AI tools. You should read LSE's guidance on the use of Generative AI, complete the ‘AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations’ Moodle course and consider developing your AI literacy further by taking up relevant offerings from the Digital Skills Lab, LSE LIFE and LSE Library.
If you want to use a generative AI tool for permitted purposes, LSE recommends the use of Microsoft Copilot or Claude for Education. As an LSE student, you have access to Microsoft’s generative AI tool, Copilot (Copilot with Commercial Data Protection), and Anthropic’s Claude for Education free of charge. Further information about these AI tools is available from LSE’s digital skills lab under these links: (i) Copilot and (ii) Claude for Education.
- On our modern language degree programmes, we cannot replace speaking assessments with non-speaking assessments because speaking is a core competence.
- Competence in speaking involves both the "ability to maintain a lengthy production or conversation" and "ease and spontaneity of expression" (Common European Framework of Reference for Language: Companion Volume (2020), page 142). We assess this through a combination of presentations and discussions.
- As presentations and discussions assess different aspects of speaking, one cannot replace the other.
- It is not appropriate for students to record their presentations rather than deliver them 'live' because we need to assess "ease and spontaneity of expression" and ensure that students do not read from a script.
- While our 'oral exams' can be deferred (provided deferral conditions are met), it is not appropriate to defer presentations that are part of continuous assessment - in such cases, we are flexible with deadlines.
For any students whose My Adjustments require 'alternative strategies for presentations' who are undertaking a presentation that forms part of continuous assessment, we will:
- Give students the choice to do the presentation during an office hour rather than in the classroom.
- Permit reasonable deadline extensions where possible taking into consideration other deadlines and course requirements. An extension beyond two weeks would not normally be possible.
- Allow more time to deliver the presentation, including breaks if necessary.
The following statement sets out how Turnitin is to be used within the Language Centre and the terms by which students agree to use Turnitin.
Students agree to ensuring they have read and understood both:
- the School’s Regulations on Assessment Offences and
- the Language Centre local guidance relating to academic writing, including referencing, citation and paraphrasing (see below).
The Language Centre agrees to use Turnitin as a student academic writing development tool by providing students access to their Turnitin similarity report and score (%) for at least one of their formative essay-based assessments for every year of their studies in our literature and/or linguistics courses. These are: LN115 Intercultural Communication, LN250 English Literature and Society, LN251 Comparative Literature and 20th Century Political History, LN252 Contemporary Literature and Global Society, LN253 European Literature and Philosophy, LN254 Literature and Aspects of Ethics, LN270 Society and Language: Linguistics for Social Scientists, and LN370 Discourse and Communication.
We will use Turnitin as a student academic writing development tool in all our degree courses that are taught and assessed in English. We will also use Turnitin as a student academic writing development tool in our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Writing Courses (LN991-LN994). We will not use Turnitin in our language degree courses (French, German, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish) because the emphasis in these courses is on use of language.
The Language Centre agrees to provide its students with support and training in the use of Turnitin through centrally offered support and training provided by LSE LIFE. LSE LIFE provides a three-tier approach to training (Online/self-access materials, Workshops and One-to-one support). Please contact lselife@lse.ac.uk for details on training in the use of Turnitin.
Students agree to use Turnitin on the basis prescribed by the Department in this statement.
Students should be aware that where Turnitin is used within the Department, it is applied universally (i.e. to all submissions within a specific assessment or not at all - blanket use).
Students need to be aware that academic judgement is the first indicator of academic misconduct and that either a high or low percentage score (%) can be equally investigated. Therefore, there is no similarity score (%) threshold (whether low or high) within the Department that excludes them from an initial investigation.
As stated in the Conditions of Registration:
"Copies of all papers submitted to the software will be retained as source documents in the iParadigms reference database (held in the US) solely for the purpose of text matching against future submissions. Use of the Turnitin UK service shall be subject to such Terms and Conditions of Use as may be agreed between iParadigms and LSE from time to time and posted on the Turnitin UK website."