Language Studies
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: R903 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
We also accept other combinations equivalent to 112-120 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A levels.
112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 46-50.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
112-120 Tariff points.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications
T Level
UCAS Tariff
112-120 points.
About this course
**Overview**
Would you like a qualification that gives you proficiency in a language while immersing you in its related cultures?
This BA (Hons) Language Studies degree course immerses you in the study of a foreign language and its related cultures, giving you the expertise and skill to work and communicate effectively in the international community.
You can tailor the course to your needs, ambitions and current level of proficiency. You'll study 1 language in depth, from a choice including Spanish, French or German, and have the option to study a second language through our Institution-wide Language Programme (IWLP). And you'll immerse yourself in the culture surrounding these languages, from literature and TV to broader cultural ideas.
Your linguistic competence will grow alongside your intercultural awareness. When you complete this course, you'll be well prepared for work in teaching, media, tourism, business and finance.
**What you'll experience**
On this BA (Hons) Language Studies degree course you'll:
- Study French, German or Spanish to a proficient level – C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) – either as a beginner or from prior knowledge
- Use the language laboratories to manipulate sound, video and text for subtitling and publishing
- Develop the IT skills you can use in related careers, including using desktop publishing, subtitling and podcast recording software
- Customise the content of the course to better suit your ambitions – you can focus on English language, literature and film or communication and discourse
- Improve your transferable skills, such as interpersonal communication skills, presentation skills, organisational skills, and independent and critical thinking skills
You'll also have the opportunity to:
- Study a second language through the Institution Wide Language Programme – choose from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish
- Enhance your degree with an internationally recognised qualification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
- Study or work abroad during 1 semester, improving your linguistic knowledge while boosting your confidence and experiencing another culture
- Do Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in Modern Foreign Languages, which entitles you to a bursary of £9,000 in the final year of your degree
**Careers and opportunities**
What can you do with a Language Studies degree?
Having the ability to communicate effectively with people from different cultures in different contexts can lead to a rewarding career in areas such as tourism, teaching, journalism and marketing.
The language skills, intercultural awareness and proficiency in communication you gain from studying this course are especially sought after by businesses and organisations that operate across national borders and cultures.
What jobs can you do with a Language Studies degree?
You'll graduate with the skills and understanding to take up roles in many fields, related and unrelated to linguistics, including:
- Teacher – modern foreign languages or English as a foreign language
- Journalist
- Editor
- Publishing assistant
- Tourist guide
- Bilingual consultant
- Market analyst
You could also continue your studies at postgraduate level with a Master's in a subject such as Translation Studies or Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
Whatever comes next after your studies, our Careers and Employability service will give you support and advice for up to 5 years after you graduate.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules – post-A level route
- French/German/Spanish General Language Grade 3
- French/German/Spanish Language Project
- Language, Learning and Teaching
- Language, Society and Mind
- Researching Language and Professional Practice
Core modules – ab initio route
- French/German/Spanish Grade 1 & 2 – General Language
- French/German/Spanish Grade 1 & 2 – Language in Use
- Language, Learning and Teaching
- Language, Society and Mind
- Researching Language and Professional Practice
Year 2
Core modules – post-A level route
- French/German/Spanish General Language Grade 4
- Language for Professional Communication 1 (French/German/Spanish)
Core modules – ab initio route
- French/German/Spanish General Language Grade 3 and 4 – part 1
- French/German/Spanish General Language Grade 3 and 4 – part 2
- French/German/Spanish Language Project
ITT pathway
If you do the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) pathway, these modules are also core in year 2:
- Learning from Experience Teaching Placement
- Modern Foreign Language via the Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP)
Optional modules
- Analysing Media Discourse
- Intercultural Perspectives on Communication
- Introduction to Teaching
- Introduction to Translation
- Learning from Experience (LiFE)
- Managing Across Cultures
- Modern Foreign Language via the Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP)
- Second Language Acquisition
- TESOL (Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages)
- The Language of Literature
- Trinity Certificate Teaching Practice
Placement year (optional)
On this course, you can do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. Possible placement destinations include:
- Translation agencies
- Local schools
- Charities/NGOs (such as Red Cross and Friends Without Borders)
- Museums (such as Museum of the Royal Navy)
- Royal Navy
- Portsmouth City Council
You'll also have the option to work as a research assistant, copy editor or teaching assistant or start your own business in your placement year.
We’ll help you secure a placement that fits your career goals. You'll get support from our Placements Office with applications, interviews and assessment days. You’ll also get mentoring and support to make the most out of your placement year, including visits from lecturers.
Year 3
Core modules
- Dissertation, Major Project, or Professional Practice in MFL Teaching & Research Project
- Exploring Language and Culture 1 (French/German/Spanish) – you won't take this module if you spend a semester abroad
- Exploring Language and Culture 2 (French/German/Spanish)
- Professional Practice in MFL Teaching and Research Project (ITT pathway only)
Optional modules
- Communication Theory
- Creative Activities in the Language Classroom
- English in the World
- Gender, Language and Sexuality
- Introduction to Teaching
- Language and Social Media
- Learning from Experience (LiFE)
- Modern Foreign Language
- Professional Development: Recruiters and Candidates
- Researching English Vocabulary
- Workplace Discourse
- Writing to Persuade
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- oral presentations
- essays
- written work, including reports, articles, case studies, book or film reviews
group and individual projects
- translations and commentaries
- interviews
- examinations
- use of software (desktop publishing, podcasts, vlogs)
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Others in language and area studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Iberian studies
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
German and scandinavian studies
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
French studies
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Others in language and area studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
This is a broad subject for a variety of European languages. No matter which you take, the general theme is that some graduates go to that country to work, often as English language teachers, some go into further study, often to train as teachers or translators, but most get jobs in the UK in education - most often as language tutors, unsurprisingly, or translators. Modern language grads can also be in demand in business roles where communication and language skills are particularly useful, such as marketing and PR, and in finance or law. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
Iberian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Languages and area studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Languages and area studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£24k
£27k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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