Modern Languages with a Year Abroad

Modern Languages

Learning another language opens all kinds of doors, from travel and career opportunities to enriching cultural experiences. Choose Modern Languages BA at Kent and develop advanced skills in one or more languages and learn about the societies they're rooted in.

You'll study one or two languages — choosing from Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish — and begin at a suitable level to make rapid progress and be able to live and work in a globalised world.

You’ll be taught by expert staff who will help you build fluency on a flexible and engaging course. You’ll also have the option to take an additional year in a third language or spend a year studying or working abroad.

Your year abroad is a great opportunity to show future employers that you can adapt to a new environment. As well as developing your language skills, you’ll graduate with a greater cultural, social and political understanding of the nations that speak them. Our teaching style ensures you’ll be ready to step into limitless career opportunities across many parts of the world.

Your future

The ability to speak more than one language is a key asset in the global employment market, and one that employers seek out. This means you can flexibly work across many fields and industries, and of course, across different countries.

Beyond your language skills, you will graduate equipped with skills such as, communication, mediation, analysis and leadership. These give you confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges, and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion. These are skills that make employers take notice, and you will be able to make change happen in the places you want to see it.

Our graduates are proof of this, going into fields as varied as: international banking, diplomacy, publishing, journalism, interpreting and translating, media, marketing and language teaching. Wherever your passions and future lie, through studying Modern Languages at Kent, you will have the tools needed to get there.

Location

Our city, your time.
It has never been a better time to study in Canterbury. Our high student population creates a vibrant, diverse and student-friendly atmosphere.
We are a hub of exciting new ideas emerging from a stunning historic city - join us and get involved!

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

Stage 1:

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

Introduction to Cultural Analysis;
Politics and Societies;
Global Cultures of Business;
Studying Languages;
Languages Lab Project 1;
Languages Lab Project 2.

Stage 2:

You'll choose 60 credits from a list of language modules. If you do not have prior knowledge of a foreign language, these will be modules in a language of your choice starting from beginners' level in Autumn Term. If you do have some prior knowledge in a foreign language, you choose 20 credits from a list of modules in Linguistics, Comparative Literature and other relevant subject areas in Autumn Term. For the remaining 40 credits you can choose either intermediate (level 5) and advanced (level 6) language modules in Spring and Summer Term or the Modern Languages Cultural Project module in the Summer term.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

Cultures, Media and Technology;
Language, Culture and Environment;
Culture and Heritage.

Optional modules may include the following:

French Beginners;
French Intermediate;
French Advanced;
German Intermediate;
German Advanced;
Spanish Beginners;
Spanish Intermediate;
Spanish Advanced;
Italian Beginners;
Italian Intermediate;
Italian Advanced;
Mandarin Chinese Beginners;
Mandarin Chinese Intermediate;
Mandarin Chinese Advanced;
Japanese Beginners;
Japanese Intermediate;
Japanese Advanced;
Arabic Beginners;
Arabic Intermediate;
Arabic Advanced;
Modern Languages Cultural Project.

Stage 3:

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

Language Teachers at Work;
Modern Languages Big Project;
Intercultural Communication 1;
Intercultural Communication 2.

Optional modules may include the following:

French Beginners;
French Intermediate;
French Advanced;
German Intermediate;
German Advanced;
Spanish Beginners;
Spanish Intermediate;
Spanish Advanced;
Italian Beginners;
Italian Intermediate;
Italian Advanced;
Mandarin Chinese Beginners;
Mandarin Chinese Intermediate;
Mandarin Chinese Advanced;
Japanese Beginners;
Japanese Intermediate;
Japanese Advanced;
Arabic Beginners;
Arabic Intermediate;
Arabic Advanced;
Modern Languages Cultural Project.