The BA Modern Languages programme involves the study of either two or three modern languages in various weightings, each being either one third, one half, or two thirds of your total programme. These weightings may vary from year to year. You have considerable flexibility in choosing modules from this range of languages to make up the total of 120 credits required in each year of study.

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

First year

Pathway 1: You study two languages of equal weight (60:60 credit split). Combinations available are:

• French Studies and German Studies
• French Studies and Hispanic Studies
• French Studies and Italian Studies
• French Studies and Russian Studies
• German Studies and Hispanic Studies
• German Studies and Italian Studies
• German Studies and Russian Studies
• Hispanic Studies and Italian Studies
• Italian Studies and Russian Studies

Pathway 2: You study two languages in a Major/Minor combination (80:40 credit split). Combinations available are:

• All combinations listed in Pathway 1. Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Catalan and English Language are also available as a 40-credit minor.

Pathway 3: You study three languages, all as Minor subjects (40:40:40 credit split). Combinations available are:

• Any three languages from French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Catalan and English Language, subject to the conditions outlined below.

Please note:

• Each pathway allows you to study just one language from beginners’ level (except French and English, which are only available from post-A level or equivalent).
• In Pathway 2, an A level in the language is normally required in the subject proposed as the 80-credit Major. Italian and Russian are the exceptions and can be taken ab initio.
• If you choose to study three languages, you are expected to have followed two of them to A level standard.
• Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Catalan and English Language are available only as a 40-credit Minor in Pathways 2 and 3.
• Timetable constraints mean that it is not possible to combine Italian with Portuguese, Italian with Mandarin Chinese, German with English Language (from 2014), or Portuguese with Mandarin in any of the pathways. It is now possible to study Russian from beginners combined with Spanish post A-level (but not vice versa). 
• The English Language Minor is not normally taken as a second language. It consists of advanced linguistics and requires the linguistic competence of a native speaker of English; non-English native speakers will only be considered if they have this level of competence.
• The languages of the Iberian Peninsula (Basque, Catalan, Galician and Portuguese) are available at 20 credits in year one if you choose a Spanish post A-level pathway, and in year two if you choose a Spanish Beginners pathway.

Second year

You'll simply continue along the pathway chosen in your first year, our programme allows you to change emphasis at this point in order to devote a different proportion of your time to the study of one or two languages. Thus you may:

• Choose to remain on the same pathway
• Move from Pathway 1 to Pathway 2 or vice versa
• Move from Pathway 3 to either Pathway 1 or 2

The only change not permitted is from Pathways 1 or 2 to Pathway 3. 

Year abroad

You'll spend your third year abroad, normally either studying at a university or teaching in the countries of two of your languages. Where two languages are studied, you can split the year abroad between two countries or spend the bulk of the year in one country followed by a vacation placement in the other. If you’re studying three languages, it’s possible to follow a vacation course in the third language. For your beginner language, you are required to spend at least a semester (or equivalent work period) in a country where that language is spoken. The year abroad is one of the most exciting aspects of the programme and many graduates remember it as one of the best years of their life.

Fourth year

In the final year, you will normally follow the same pathway as in Years 2 and 3. You will choose from an exciting range of modules, such as Francophone Caribbean Literature and Film, Investigating Iberia, From the Stasi to the Sandmännchen, or Translation Theory and Practice. In addition, there will be an Independent Study Module, for which you will be required to complete a dissertation on a subject of your choice.

Other ways to study Modern Languages

You can study Modern Languages in a wide range of other degree programmes and in combination with many other subjects. Please see the Modern Languages course list for all available courses.

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.