Program Overview

Modern Languages BA

Overview

Study two languages. Studying languages is both fascinating and challenging. They break down barriers, allowing us to connect globally and share experiences. In an ever more complex world, language skills are more relevant than ever.

During this degree, you will have the opportunity to hone these skills by spending a year abroad immersing yourself into both your chosen languages and cultures. Many of our students say the year abroad is their course highlight and find that they return more independent and confident with experiences and skills which make them stand out to future employers.

You may choose two languages from: Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish (all post-A Level or from beginners' level); and Serbian/Croatian and Portuguese (from beginners' level only). If you would like to study three languages, please see our Modern Language Studies BA.

Course Structure

• Year 1: Core modules for the language pathways, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, and Mandarin Chinese.
• Year 2: Core modules for the language pathways, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, and Mandarin Chinese.
• Year 3: Year abroad, where you will divide your time between countries where your chosen language(s) are spoken.
• Year 4: Core modules for the language pathways, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, and Mandarin Chinese.

Entry Requirements

• Qualification: BA Hons
• Entry Requirements: ABB - including B in one of Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Russian or Spanish
• Start Date: September 2025
• UCAS code: R900
• Duration: 4 years full-time
• Fees: £9,535

Additional Costs

• Books: £100 per year
• Year Abroad: Reduced fees, travel, accommodation, subsistence, and insurance costs

Scholarships and Bursaries

• Faculty of Arts Alumni Scholarships: Funding opportunities gifted by some of our alumni who want to help support the next generation through higher education.
• International students: We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Key Information

• Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

Modules

• Year 1:
  • French 1: Beginners
  • French 1
  • Introduction to French and Francophone Studies
  • German 1: Beginners
  • German 1
  • Introduction to German Studies
  • Spanish 1: Beginners
  • Spanish 1
  • Literature in Spanish
  • Portuguese 1: Beginners
  • Culture and Society in Brazil, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa
  • Russian 1: Beginners
  • Russian 1
  • Serbian / Croatian 1: Beginners
  • The Clash of Empires: History of the Balkans from Alexander the Great to Napoleon
  • From Tsarism to Communism: Introduction to Russian History and Culture
  • The Soviet Experiment
  • Mandarin Chinese for Beginners
  • Culture and Society of Contemporary China
• Year 2:
  • French 2 - Beginners
  • French 2
  • Introduction to French Literature: Landmarks in Narrative
  • Introduction to French and Francophone Studies
  • La France en guerre: Memoires de la Premiere Guerre Mondiale
  • Enlightenment Literature: An Introduction
  • Gender and Language in French
  • Varieties of French
  • Nineteenth Century French Narrative
  • Introduction to Contemporary Science Fiction
  • Huit Tableaux: Art and Politics in Nineteenth-Century France
  • French Cinema: The New Wave
  • Contemporary Francophone Cinema and Social Issues
  • On Location: Cinematic Explorations of Contemporary France
  • Literature and Politics in Modern France
  • German 2 - Beginners
  • German 2
  • Leben und Arbeiten in Deutschland: Introduction to Contemporary Germany
  • Reason and its Rivals from Kant to Freud
  • From Dictatorship to Democracy
  • Hitler and the Third Reich
  • History of German language from early beginnings to the present day
  • Life and Demise of the GDR
  • Investigating the German Language
  • Exploring the German Archive: Ideology and State in Newspaper Cuttings and Family Papers
  • From Democracy to Volksgemeinschaft
  • Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages
  • Contemporary Translation Studies
  • The Language of German Media - Linguistic and Journalistic Perspectives
  • Introduction to Literary Translation
  • Spanish 2: Beginners
  • Spanish 2
  • Portuguese 2: Beginners
  • Nation Building and National Identities in the Lusophone World
  • New World(s): Contacts, Conquests and Conflict in Early Modern Hispanic History and Culture
  • Modern Spanish and Spanish American Literature and Film
  • Luso-Hispanic Cinemas
  • Teaching English as a Foreign Language
  • Russian 2 - Beginners
  • Russian 2
  • Serbian / Croatian 2
  • Media in Russia
  • The History and Culture of Early Rus' c.
  • Gulag Archipelago: Stalin’s Prison Camps
  • Yugoslavia from Creation to Collapse
  • Mandarin Chinese for Intermediate Level
  • Mandarin Chinese for the Advanced Level
  • Mandarin Chinese for Proficiency Level
  • Mandarin Chinese for Research
  • China Beyond the Headlines
  • Arts Work Placement Module
• Year 3: Year abroad
• Year 4:
  • French 3
  • Translation into French
  • Dissertation in French Studies
  • Subtitling and Dubbing from French into English
  • Difficult Women:
  • Contemporary Francophone Cinema: The Personal and The Political
  • Communicating and Teaching Languages for Undergraduate Ambassadors
  • Citizenship, Ethnicity and National Identity in Post-War France
  • Contemporary Representations of Travel
  • French Documentary Cinema
  • Translation from French
  • Language Attitudes and French
  • People and Propaganda: Representing the French Revolution
  • The Everyday in Contemporary Literature and Thought
  • German 3
  • Exploring the German archive: ideology and state in newspaper cuttings and family papers
  • Widerstand und Opposition in der DDR
  • Mythology in German Literature
  • Language and Social Media in Germany and Beyond
  • German Studies Dissertation
  • Russian 3
  • Serbian / Croatian 3
  • Russian Interpreting
  • The World of Orthodox Sainthood
  • Russian Popular Music in the 20th and 21st Centuries
  • Dissertation in Russian and Slavonic Studies
  • Language Project in Russian and Slavonic Studies
  • Spanish 3
  • Portuguese 3
  • Dissertation in Hispanic Studies
  • Brazilian Slave Society
  • Business and Society in Spain
  • Making the Cuban Revolution: Ideology, Culture and Identity in Cuba since 1959
  • Spanish American Narrative and Film
  • Politics and Literature in Contemporary Spain
  • Memory and the Future in Iberian and Latin American Culture and Politics
  • Literature and Film under Franco
  • Translation, Power and Gender in the Spanish-speaking World
  • Mandarin Chinese for the Advanced Level
  • Mandarin Chinese for Proficiency Level
  • Mandarin Chinese for Research
  • China in the Media: A Clash of Narratives

Teaching and Assessment

• Teaching methods:
  • Lectures
  • Oral classes
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops
• Assessment methods:
  • Commentary
  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • In-class test
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Presentation
  • Written exam
  • Oral exam

Careers

• Job prospects:
  • Average starting salary: £23,974
  • 78.8% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation.
• Careers advice:
  • The University of Nottingham provides careers advice and support to help students achieve their career goals.

Contact

• Help and support:
  • The University of Nottingham provides help and support to students, including academic support, health and wellbeing services, and careers advice.