Modern Languages

Description

Why study modern languages when the entire world speaks English? Well, English, as you know, is not enough. Languages open doors to other cultures and they constitute an invaluable personal and professional asset. Our four-year BA Modern Languages enables you to study between two and four languages (out of French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.). It has a flexible syllabus designed to allow you to choose what interests you most and reach mastery level in at least one language.

In each language, we offer core modules at all six different levels recognised in the Common European Framework and also, for each language, a range of thematic modules on contemporary cinema, culture, society, art, or history designed to increase your cultural awareness, as well as modules designed to develop professional skills.

You do not have to have studied a language at school in order to study it to Proficiency or Mastery level at Essex: our intensive modules (in German, Italian and Spanish), combined with a summer vacation course in the country you are studying the language of, enable you to reach level B2 (advanced) level in a year. Portuguese can also be studied from scratch (via a conversion module) for those of you with A-level Spanish or equivalent knowledge. All five languages can be studied from scratch as minor languages.

Your third year is spent abroad during which time you experience, engage with and integrate into another culture, either by a period of study at a partner institution offering the opportunity to operate in a different academic, linguistic and cultural environment, or by working as a language assistant and thereby acquiring valuable vocational experience of working abroad.

The focus of our course is to equip you with a range of transferable cognitive, practical and key skills, and a foundation for further study, employment and lifelong learning. You also develop an appropriate level of fluency and accuracy in using the languages as a medium of understanding, expression and communication (both oral and written), with awareness of stylistic and sociolinguistic variation, and (where relevant higher-level courses are taken) developing a corresponding level of proficiency in translation, interpreting, and creative writing.

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 11950 Year (Non-EEA)

• English

Course Content

The special characteristics of our course are flexibility and choice. In your first, second and final years all your modules are optional, three are language modules and one you choose from across our faculty. You spend your third year abroad. There is a great deal of choice for these optional modules due to the extensive range of modules offered by our departments.
With a small number of exceptions, if you successfully complete the first year of your BA, then you are qualified to enter the second year of that course and a range of other courses: for example, if you take economics, politics, philosophy and sociology, then you have a choice of at least nine possible single or joint honours courses at the end of your first year. This means you can change your course, providing you have taken the appropriate pre-requisites and places are available.
We operate a credit framework for our awards, which is based on principles widely used across the UK university sector. Each module has a credit rating attached and our standard three-year course consists of 360 credits (120 credits in your first year, and 240 credits across your second and final years).
Please note that module information on our course finder provides a guide to course content and may be subject to review on an annual basis.

Year 1

Three language options; and
one language or social science option

Year 2

Three language options; and
one language or social science option

Year 3

Year abroad

Year 4

Three language options; and
one language or social science option

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

• A-levels: ABB-BBB
• GCSE English: C
• IB: 32-30 points (we consider IB certificates at the Higher Level on a case-by-case basis)
• Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 6 level three credits at distinction and the remainder at merit (or above) or achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 45 level three credits at merit (or above).
• If French or Portuguese is taken as the major language, A-level French or Portuguese/Spanish (or equivalent) is required. German, Italian and Spanish can be studied as the major language either from scratch, via our intensive route, or via our post A-level route. All languages can be studied from scratch as the minor language.
• If you are interested in studying a language for which you consider yourself to be a native speaker, please contact our Undergraduate Admissions Office.

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent). Different requirements apply for second year entry.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Essex.

Funding

For up-to-date information on funding opportunities at Essex, please visit: www.essex.ac.uk/studentfinance.