Course summary

Foundation year: The foundation year provides students with non-standard entry qualifications with a thorough and supportive academic preparation for successful degree level study in the School of Modern Languages. It is carefully designed to build confidence in your abilities, develop essential academic and study skills, and provide the subject specific knowledge essential for success. This year is taught within the Department for Lifelong Learning, where we have nearly forty years’ experience working with adult learners, helping them to unlock their potential to succeed through offering accessible foundation courses that can lead to full and part-time degree level study. You will be learning alongside other students who are studying for a number of different degrees, typically in small classes, supporting one another to develop and succeed. Modern Languages and Cultures: In this flexible language degree you tailor your language choice to suit your own interests. You can choose to study one, two or three languages from the 10 we offer: Catalan, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Luxembourgish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. If you study just one language, it will be one of French, German, Russian or Spanish. You don't need to have studied a modern foreign language at A Level, although we look for aptitude and commitment to language study. You can take any language from beginner's level, and you can take French, German, Russian or Spanish post-A Level (or equivalent). You'll develop your communication skills in your chosen language or languages to a high level. Optional modules include linguistics, literature, society and politics, history, philosophy and film studies. We have recommended pathways through the languages and modules to enable you to create combinations that work well together. However, our flexible approach means you are not constrained by those pathways and we'll help you make the choices that are best for you. You'll spend the fourth year of your course abroad, speaking the language and living the culture of either one or two of your chosen languages. We have a wide range of destinations on offer, both within Europe and beyond. You can choose to study at a leading university, carry out an approved work placement, or in some cases take part in exciting volunteering opportunities. When you return to Sheffield for your fourth year, you'll be ready to build on your experience with more advanced language classes and academic modules. A modern languages and cultures degree at Sheffield is a confident step into the wider world and you'll be graduating with skills that are highly valued by employers. You'll learn to communicate fluently and effectively in one, two or three modern languages. You'll also develop a sophisticated understanding of the countries where those languages are spoken.