Course summary

Our BA Linguistics and Culture with Foundation Year allows you to study linguistics together with a language - you can choose from French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish - along with the associated culture of that language. In the linguistics component of the course, you will learn about the structure and functions of language, and how people use language to communicate information and meaning about themselves and their identity. You will learn how to construct and evaluate linguistic arguments and how to compare and evaluate different ways of analysing data. You will also explore the nature and limitations of various theoretical frameworks. By studying linguistics, you can develop a scientific, critical approach to understanding how language works and how it functions within society. A unique feature of the course is that you will learn how to apply linguistic methods and models to real-world problems and contexts. At the same time, you will gain advanced knowledge of the culture of your chosen language, including literature, thought and cinema, and you can also choose to explore cross-cultural elements. Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year, you can automatically progress on to our three-year, full-time, evening study BA Linguistics and Culture. We also offer part-time Foundation Year degrees which allow you to spread out your Foundation Year studies over two years. As the 'Foundation Year' is made up of 120 credits, as a part-time student you can take 60 credits in each of your first and second years before starting the main four-year BA Linguistics and Culture. This means that you can take six years to complete the part-time degree with Foundation Year. HIGHLIGHTS

• Our Foundation Year programmes will fully prepare you for undergraduate study and are ideal if you returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

• You will be taught by world-leading scholars with international research reputations, which will allow you to acquire mastery of your chosen language and a thorough knowledge of contemporary linguistic ideas.

• Our Department of Applied Linguistics and Communication is the oldest applied linguistics department in the country, celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2020. We remain on the cutting edge of the field. Read what our students have to say about studying with us.

• In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF), Modern Languages and Linguistics achieved 100% for a research environment conducive to producing research of the highest quality, while 73% of our research was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent.

• The School of Arts is an official partner of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. Opportunities for students have included a year’s free membership of the ICA, private views, discounts on all talks and events, free members' screenings and £3 cinema tickets on Tuesdays, up to 25% off ICA Artists' Editions and a monthly e-newsletter.

Course details