This programme allows you to study one or two modern languages and to develop a detailed knowledge of European and North American film. The languages available are French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.

The programme is housed within the Department of Modern Languages, which brings together the language subjects of French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian and Russian at Birmingham.

In the Film Studies element of your degree, you will learn to analyse films, to study their production and reception in a range of social, political and economic contexts, and to apply theories of film analysis. We offer a very broad range of modules looking at European and north American film.

The Film Studies element of the programme is delivered by specialists teaching within the language departments and by other specialists on film in the Department of American and Canadian Studies and the Department of Music.

•  Modern Languages degree planner [pdf, 1MB] - comprehensive overview of options and module descriptions
•  Modern Languages second year modules [pdf, 756KB]

Pathway 1: two languages and Film Studies (R9P3)

In this pathway, you will divide your time equally between three subjects: two languages and Film Studies. In the language(s) you have studied to A level you will take one practical language module and one optional module in the politics, literature, culture or history of that country. If you are taking a language ab initio, you will take two modules of concentrated language work in the first year.

Pathway 2: one language combined equally with Film Studies (RP83)

This pathway enables you to divide your time equally between one modern language and Film Studies. If you have studied your chosen language to A level standard, you will take one practical language module and two optional modules in the politics, literature, culture or history of that country. If you are taking German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or Russian ab initio, you will normally take two modules of concentrated language in the first year plus an additional module in the politics, literature, culture or history of that country.

Please note that Portuguese is not available in this pathway.

Pathway 3: Major in one language plus a Minor in Film Studies

This pathway allows you to spend two-thirds of your time focusing on a single modern language, and the remaining third on Film Studies. If you have studied the language to A level standard, you will take one practical language module and three optional modules in the politics, literature, culture or history of that country. If you are taking Italian or Russian ab initio, you will normally take two modules of concentrated language in the first year plus an additional two modules in the politics, literature, culture or history of that country. Please note that those wishing to study French, German or Spanish within this pathway will need an A level or equivalent in the language.

Please note that Portuguese is not available in this pathway.

First Year

You will study one or two modern languages alongside Film Studies. Film Studies modules in the first year offer an introduction to the subject and the chance to study some landmark films. The precise structure of your programme will depend on whether you are studying one or two languages.

Second year

You will continue your study of one or two languages at advanced level. If you took two languages in the first year, you can continue to study two modern languages equally or, if you want to specialise, there is the option of specialising in one language. You will also study European national cinemas, and you will be able to choose from a range of modules focusing on North American film, and other topics within European film.

Year abroad

The third year is spent abroad. You attend centres of learning in the country or countries of your language(s) of study. You may also, if you are going to a French or German-speaking country, spend the year as a teaching assistant. Work placements are available for some language combinations.

Fourth year

In the fourth year you can continue to study two languages or elect to specialise in one. You will continue to study at least one language module in your chosen language(s) and select specialist options in Film Studies and the politics, literature, culture and history of the language(s) studied.

Teaching and assessment

We will use a variety of methods to help you improve your practical language skills, including small group conversation classes with native speakers, language labs, grammar workshops, language lectures and computer-based assessments. Non-language modules (including Film Studies) will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. Regular film screenings will also be offered. Assessment will generally be via a mixture of essays submitted throughout the year, continuous language assessment and end-of-year examinations.

Career opportunities

During the course you will have the opportunity to acquire linguistic expertise and inter-cultural skills. The course aims to help you develop a range of highly prized transferable skills, including the ability to analyse complex and demanding material, to work independently and to communicate your findings effectively in spoken and written form. The enhanced sensitivity to linguistic and visual communication that the programme aims to develop is highly valued within the media and communications industries.

Modern Languages Graduates 2012

•  video transcript

How will I be taught?

As a Birmingham student, you are joining the academic elite and have the privilege of learning from world-leading experts in their fields. Throughout your studies, you’ll be encouraged to become an independent and self-motivated learner, thriving on challenge and opportunities to think for yourself. At first, you may find these new ways of working and learning a challenge, but we’ll help you to make the transition and you’ll soon be benefiting from some of the most highly regarded teaching in this subject in the country.

Support

Personal Tutor From the outset, you will be assigned your own Personal Tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies, providing academic and welfare advice, encouraging you and offering assistance in any areas you may feel you need extra support to make the most of your potential and your time here at Birmingham.

Student Mentors and Buddy Scheme Our enthusiastic established students act as mentors to our new Modern Languages students.  This provides you with a friendly face to help you settle in.  Languages students may also be offered a Language Buddy – English speaking Language students are paired with an Erasmus or International exchange student who is a native speaker of a language they are studying, in turn the Language student helps the exchange student with English language and settling into Birmingham.

Academic Writing Advisory Service The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) will provide you with individual support from an academic writing advisor and postgraduate subject-specialist writing tutors; You'll receive guidance on writing essays and dissertations at University-level which can be quite different from your previous experiences of writing.  Support is given in a variety of ways, such as small-group workshops, online activities, feedback through email and tutorials.

Contact hours

Your contact hours will be made up of a variety of different learning activities, which you’ll see described in more detail below. But personal reading and research is also a crucial part of your studies. As you progress through your studies, we encourage you to learn more independently, culminating in your personal research project in the Final Year for your Dissertation.

Learning settings

Lectures explore a particular text, topic or context, often involving brief factual descriptions and outlining major questions and interpretations. Their main purpose is to challenge and stimulate, encouraging you to come to your own conclusions based on further reading and seminar debates.

Language laboratory sessions allow you to practise your listening and spoken skills and are an essential part of all our language programmes.

Discussion-based seminars run alongside the lecture course, addressing any individual problems you may have and allowing you to consolidate lecture material, engage in constructive debate and expand your understanding.

Personal reading and research are a crucial part of your studies. As you progress through your degree, we encourage you to learn more independently, culminating in your personal research project in the final year for your dissertation.

The Guide to Effective Learning website aims to help you develop the skills you need to successfully complete your studies, and includes material on Strategies for Learning; Personal Development; Reading; Writing; Working with others; Revision and Examinations.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an excellent tool for supporting our academic modules, giving you access to extensive resources and information, and allowing you to share thoughts on assignments with other students via the discussion group facilities, and even submit your work electronically.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) means that learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors. This places you, the student, at the centre of your own degree: you learn through involvement and ownership, not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you.  We believe that this is the best way of learning while you’re at Birmingham as it’s very effective in enabling you to acquire the key skills and attributes that are valued by employers: creative and independent thinking, self-motivation, self-organisation, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving. 

Modern Languages graduates have a range of skills that are highly prized by graduate employers: oral and written communication in one or more foreign languages, critical thinking,  intercultural awareness and understanding. You’ll also develop leadership, teamwork and organisational skills through activities such as group projects and your year abroad.

Ninety per cent of our Modern Language graduates go into work or study within six months of graduation. Modern Language graduates from Birmingham have a higher than average starting salary of £18,000.  50% of vacancies advertised for new and recent graduates don’t specify a degree subject, and our graduates enter a wide range of careers similar to other arts and humanities graduates but with much greater scope in international settings. This includes business, government, journalism, the creative arts, teaching and law. Some go abroad to develop their language skills while working as TEFL teachers and university language tutors.

Modern Languages graduates from the University of Birmingham have excellent prospects after graduation. An impressive 75% of our graduates go into professional or managerial jobs within six months of graduation.  Our graduates have started careers with employers including British Airways, Deloitte, HSBC, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the British Council, NATO, BP, central and local government, and universities in the UK and abroad.

Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal. This is a unique careers guidance service tailored to your academic subject area, offering a specialised team who can give you expert advice. This includes individual careers advice and talks and events, including ‘Careers with Languages’, to provide insight into careers of interest to our students. Many languages students will also find our events about careers such as teaching, law, marketing, journalism and advertising of interest.

We work hard to help students identify how the year abroad may help their future career. We also encourage all our students to apply their skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer; the work experience bursary scheme enables students to apply for funding for those career areas where placements are often unpaid. You can even apply for our ‘Global Challenge’ to work overseas on an expenses paid placement during your summer vacation.

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you will need to think about engaging in some extra-curricular activities while you're at university to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. This can include the many societies at the Guild of Students and also the many voluntary opportunities offered with local arts organisations. Our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Our College of Arts and Law undergraduate research scholarship scheme enables interested students to work on a current academic research project being run by one of the College's academic researchers. Undergraduate research scholars gain work experience over the summer after their first or second year and have the chance to develop skills in both collaborative and independent research.

Cultural Internships

Our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships are a unique opportunity to learn fundamental, transferable business and interpersonal skills, through experience of real work in an established cultural institution. Our current partners include Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham Royal Ballet, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust and the Library of Birmingham. We have plans to expand the scheme to include our own major cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This scheme will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market.