Study Modern Languages, why & how to study

CONTENTS

1. What’s Modern Languages?

2. What Modern Languages degrees can you study?

3. What do you need to get onto a Modern Languages degree?

4. What topics does a Modern Languages degree cover?

5. How will you be assessed?

6. Why study Modern Languages?

7. Are scholarships and bursaries available to students studying a Modern Languages degree?

8. What do Modern Languages graduates earn?

9. What jobs can you get as a Modern Languages graduate?

10. What are the postgraduate opportunities?

11. Similar subjects to Modern Languages

12. Have any questions?

What’s Modern Languages?

Modern Languages is the study of two or more languages and their histories, societies, politics and cultures. You'll develop your speaking, reading, listening and writing skills and may even have the chance to learn something new like Arabic or Mandarin at beginner level.

Learning foreign languages opens the doors to many different careers including an international career in a translating or interpreting-related field.  

What Modern Languages degrees can you study?

Modern Languages can be studied as a single degree or in combination with another subject. There are numerous language combinations to choose from depending on your interests so it’s worth doing some research. Examples of undergraduate courses on offer in the UK include:

Modern Languages BA

Have a passion for language learning, looking to study multiple languages within a flexible degree structure? A Modern Languages degree enables you to study two or more languages and cultures. You would usually spend a year studying or working abroad, boosting your skills and employability.

Search for Modern Languages Courses.

Modern Languages and English BA

Engage in literary study while developing your language skills in a cultural context and explore innovations in literature in their historical and national circumstances. Learn important analytical techniques that will be useful across a range of subjects and research tasks.

Explore Modern Languages and English courses.

Modern Languages and Culture BA

This course offers you the opportunity to combine the development of high-level language skills with in-depth critical engagement with other cultures through studying literature, art, film, history and politics.

Find Modern Languages and Culture courses with additional option here.

Modern and Medieval Languages BA

This Cambridge course is hugely flexible and offers a broad and multifaceted approach to the study of language and culture. You can pursue your interests in many areas – from Italian Renaissance art to contemporary Brazilian cinema and medieval German folk tales to socialist realism in Stalin’s Russia.

See more details of this Cambridge course.

Other options

Most courses include a year abroad as part of the programme of study. There are also integrated foundation and master’s opportunities to consider.  

What do you need to get onto a Modern Languages degree?

Must have

Most undergraduate Modern Languages courses ask for around 104–152 UCAS points. This could include the qualifications below: 

• A Levels: ABB–BCC
• BTECs: DDM–DMM
• Scottish Highers: AABB–BBBB
• International Baccalaureate: 33–28
• Universities will usually ask that you have studied French, German or Spanish

Good to have

• Studied any foreign language, English, history, politics or sociology at A Level or equivalent  
• Volunteering, work experience or time spent in a country that speaks the language you’re learning
• Shadowing or work experience at a translation company
• Membership of a language club or society

What topics does a Modern Languages degree cover?

Typical modules for courses in this subject include:

• French studies
• German studies
• Russian studies
• Spanish studies
• Written and oral skills
• History, politics, culture and society
• Intercultural communication

How will you be assessed?

Depending on your modules, you could be assessed through:

• Written exams
• Oral exams
• Essays
• Coursework
• Commentaries
• Dissertations
• Portfolios

Why study Modern Languages?

Career-specific skills: 

• Communication in a foreign language
• Cultural sensitivity
• Gathering and interpreting information

Transferable skills:

• Written and oral communication
• Time management
• Independent working
• Flexibility
• Problem-solving
• Memory
• Critical thinking
• Presentation
• Attention to detail

Professional accreditations:

• Chartered Institute of Linguists

Are scholarships and bursaries available to students studying a Modern Languages degree?

Some universities offer students specific scholarships, bursaries, or grants. It’s worth checking if you are eligible, how to apply and what it covers such as materials, tuition fees and/or living costs.  

What do Modern Languages graduates earn?

Graduates of a Modern Languages degree may have an entry-level salary between £22,000–£30,000.

A range of future careers beckon. In England, if you teach a language in secondary school, you could earn £32,900–£45,300, depending on your experience. Join the diplomatic service fast stream, and you'll be paid £31,000 while you train. On completion, you could earn from £45,000–£55,000. Outside of these roles, careers in sales and marketing could beckon. Senior sales or marketing roles may have a base income of £30,000–£50,000, which may increase with bonuses.

Read more about what graduates do and earn.

What jobs can you get as a Modern Languages graduate?

Modern Languages graduates go into professional jobs in fields like media, finance, government, commerce and education in companies all over the world, such as PwC, Sony and ASOS. Examples of roles that graduates go into:

• Translator
• Interpreter
• Teacher
• Researcher
• Journalist
• Human resources manager
• Travel agent
• Editor
• Hotel manager

What are the postgraduate opportunities?

Examples of postgraduate courses available at universities in the UK:

• Modern Languages MPhil
• Modern Languages MRes
• Modern Languages and Cultures MA
• Modern Languages and Translation Studies PhD

Similar subjects to Modern Languages

Other subject areas that might appeal to you include:

• Communication & Media Studies
• English
• French
• German
• Iberian Languages
• Italian
• Linguistics
• Russian & Eastern European Languages

Search undergraduate Modern Languages courses now!

Have any questions?

Get in touch with our experts by emailing ask@thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. We’ll be happy to hear from you!