Music and a Modern Language

Our BA Music and a Modern Language programme is a 4-year degree, combining language, creative and practical skills, that will open doors to a variety of career paths.

Our aim at the School of Music and the School of Modern Languages is for you to become a ‘global citizen’ who thinks critically and creatively, understands and appreciates cultural diversity, and has a wealth of transferable skills.

You’ll develop high-level communication and critical-thinking skills, and foster resilience and independence through time spent in immersive foreign language contexts. You also have the opportunity to participate in creative and practical musicianship studies.

On the languages side of the programme, you can choose to study one of the three different languages we offer. These are Chinese, French, and Spanish.

We run two language pathways. Those with an A level or equivalent competence in a modern language will take an Upper Elementary pathway. Those with limited or no knowledge of a modern language take our Elementary pathway.

You’ll explore the language you’re studying and its social, political, historical and cultural contexts from a global perspective. Through a variety of language learning resources and materials, and range of student-centred learning activities, you’ll develop your reading, writing, oral, listening and mediation skills.

Home to the arts, Cardiff is a great location for the study of music. The city has a professional opera company, Welsh National Opera, and a professional symphony orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The School of Music enjoys a fruitful relationship with both organisations that allows, for instance, our students to attend dress rehearsals and buy cut-price tickets for concerts. Cardiff is also home to a range of music and performance venues and a vibrant creative community.

As well as studying a range of academic modules, you’ll also be encouraged to take full advantage of school-led core ensembles, representing a wide range of musical repertoires and traditions, such as the Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Symphony Orchestra, Gamelan Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Lanyi (West African Ensemble), Symphony Chorus and the Pop Collective.

An integral part of this programme is the opportunity to spend time working or living abroad to experience life in the culture of the language(s) you are studying. You’ll have the choice of either studying at a partner university or completing a work placement in each semester.

It’s important to remember that studying languages is not just about the language itself, it involves the integrated study of language, culture and society. As a BA Music and a Modern Language student, you’ll find that often there are complementary issues and perspectives that link these subjects.
 
Distinctive Features of the Programme

A dynamic experience
Learn from native and near-native speakers, with blended learning and digital technologies embedded in teaching and learning activities.

Extra-curricular activities
A vibrant programme of events – such as language cafes and student societies - supports your language learning and immersion into the culture.

Employability focus
Choose an optional of credit-bearing work placement and gain professional experience by working with active music professionals.

The world is your classroom
Spend your third year studying or working in the countries of your chosen language.

Musical development
Options for fully funded instrumental (or vocal) tuition on your principal study instrument.

Music industry insights
Opportunities to work with active music professionals through composition workshops, performance masterclasses, concert series and careers talks.