Course summary

Do you love learning languages and studying other cultures? Put together your ideal combination with our flexible degree. Our Modern Languages BA lets you choose one or two from Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese, with the option of taking a further language as a minor subject – including, Catalan, Chinese (Mandarin), Modern Arabic or Japanese. No prior knowledge of any languages is required, we stream many of our language classes, from beginner to native speaker, so you’ll be taught at the right level. You’ll combine practical classes in written and spoken language with understanding the wider context – the history and society of the nations that speak your chosen languages, their literatures and their roles around the world. You’ll expand your horizons with modules that go beyond the obvious: students of French can study Mauritian creole, or the quirks of Belgian culture; students of Portuguese can learn about Brazilian cinema; students of Russian may perform a play in the language even in their first year; options in Spanish range from modern Cuban poetry to colonialism; and students of German are immersed in Austrian and Swiss cultures, too. You’ll spend your third year studying or working overseas, an exceptional opportunity to put your languages to the test and develop your intercultural competence.