BA (Hons) Modern Languages

This degree gives you the opportunity to study three languages. We offer French, German or Spanish as major subjects, and Italian and Chinese as minor subjects and includes an international placement year where you will study abroad.

In your first year, you will study two languages at advanced level, and one at beginners or advanced level. You will focus on developing fluency and understanding as well as learning about the cultural contexts of your chosen languages.

Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will also study the cultural, political and historical context of your languages in more depth.

Spending your third year abroad makes a major contribution to your language ability, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You will spend time in the two countries where your major languages are spoken. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

We also encourage you to spend some vacation time in the country of your third language, and the department may be able to offer opportunities to apply for funding to support this..

Back at Lancaster in the fourth year, you will consolidate your multiple language skills alongside language-specific cultural modules such as ‘Chinese Culture and Society’ or ‘Latin America and Spain on Film: Violence and Masculinities’. You can also take comparative courses which allow you to see the languages and cultures you're studying in a global context.

Careers

As well as language and subject related skills, a degree in languages gives you the opportunity to develop rich interpersonal, intercultural, cognitive and transferable skills that can be utilised across a variety of careers. Our graduates have found work in a wide variety of areas such as accountancy, IT, business development, civil service, events management, finance, journalism, publishing, research and sales, as well as teaching and translating both in the UK and beyond.