International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response and Modern Languages

You will critically explore contemporary and historical issues within the broader fields of international disaster management, peace and conflict studies, and humanitarian response. Teaching is research-led and draws on contemporary and historical case sites from across the world. Most of these cases are in countries where English is not the principal language. For example, students will explore issues such as resilience, peacebuilding, relief aid, maternal mortality, and refugees in diverse contexts including Puerto Rico, China, Haiti, Venezuela, Mexico, Iraq, Japan, and Cameroon.

The thematic focus of humanitarian response significantly overlaps with that of languages. For example, the investigation of environment, gender, migration, cultural norms and behaviours, power, politics, and popular culture. As such, students will be able to apply their theoretical understanding of these broader ideas and contextualise them in different disciplinary and empirical areas.

Language learning

You can choose to study Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish. The language you choose will be reflected in your degree title. For example BA (Hons) International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response and Modern Languages (Arabic).

You will join one of the language learning pathways:

• The beginner pathway is for students, who do not have any foundation in the language. Some students are complete beginners. Some students may have undertaken some language learning. For example, a UK student who studied a language in Years 7 and 8 at secondary school.

• The intermediate pathway is for students, who have a good foundation in the language, and have the equivalent of an A-level in their chosen language.

French and Spanish have beginner and intermediate pathways. Arabic has a beginner pathway only. Chinese has beginner, intermediate and advanced pathways.

The language learning course units are designed to develop your skills of reception (reading and listening), production (speaking and writing), and translation. Class sizes are small and led by academics, who are a mix of native speakers, and English speakers who are fluent in the language. Using your language throughout the week really accelerates your learning and we encourage you to use it socially. For example, by joining student societies that enable you to meet students from different countries and following social media influencers and media channels for your chosen language.

World cultures

Alongside your language learning, you’ll also attend lectures and seminars that explore the history, literature, politics, and current affairs of your chosen country. Our students find that this part of their degree really broadens their understanding of where different languages are spoken and their cultural resonance.

Timetable

Each year you take 120 credits of course units. In Year 1, these credits are divided between your chosen language (Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish) and International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response. In Years 2 and 4, you can include 20 credits, per year, as a ‘free choice’. This free choice can be a course unit from another subject area in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures or the University College of Interdisciplinary Learning.

• Year 1: Languages (60 credits); International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response (60 credits)

• Year 2: Languages (40 or 60 credits); International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response (40, 60 or 80 credits); Free choice unit (0 or 20 credits)

• Year 3: Residence Abroad. You will spend a year living in a country where your chosen language is spoken.

• Year 4: Languages (40 or 60 credits); International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response (40, 60 or 80 credits); Free choice unit (0 or 20 credits)

http://manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2027/21902/bsc-international-disaster-management-and-humanitarian-response-and-modern-languages/