French and Linguistics
French and linguistics is a programme that pairs the richness of a world language with the science of how language itself works. French gives you access to one of Europe's major literary, political and philosophical traditions, as well as to francophone cultures across Africa, the Caribbean and beyond. Linguistics, meanwhile, invites you to examine language as a system, asking how sounds are organised, how meaning is constructed, how languages change over time and how they shape the way we think.
Together, the two subjects give you a depth of understanding that neither could offer alone.
At Manchester Metropolitan University, this four-year full-time programme develops high-level proficiency in French alongside a rigorous grounding in linguistic theory. You will study grammar, phonology, semantics, sociolinguistics and the history of language, while also engaging with French literature, culture and contemporary society. The linguistic training sharpens your analytical thinking and your understanding of how language functions across social and cultural contexts, skills that complement the communicative and interpretive abilities you develop through the French component.
The typical entry tariff is 104 UCAS points. Proficiency in a modern language gives you a competitive advantage in the global jobs market, where both private and public sector employers value professionals who can operate in culturally diverse environments.
Graduates from French and linguistics programmes are well prepared for careers in translation and interpreting, language education, publishing, journalism, international business and the civil service. The analytical skills developed through linguistic study are also valued in areas such as speech and language therapy, computational linguistics, human-computer interaction and natural language processing. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, translation studies or French, and some pursue teaching qualifications in modern languages.
The combination of a world language and a rigorous analytical discipline makes for a degree that travels well across sectors and borders.