Modern Languages and Arabic

Modern languages combined with Arabic gives you access to one of the world's most widely spoken and historically significant languages alongside the cultural depth that modern languages study provides in European or other traditions. Arabic is spoken across twenty countries and by over three hundred million people as a first language, and it is the language of the Quran, of a classical literary tradition of extraordinary richness, and of some of the most significant contemporary political and cultural developments in the Middle East and North Africa. Studying it alongside another modern language develops a genuinely distinctive combination of linguistic capability and cultural awareness.

At the University of Exeter, you will study modern languages and Arabic over four years full-time, developing high-level proficiency in your chosen languages while also engaging with the literatures, histories, and cultures associated with them. The modern languages strand offers a rich and varied curriculum that goes well beyond grammar and conversation to develop your knowledge of the culture, history, and society of your chosen language communities. The Arabic strand develops both Modern Standard Arabic and exposure to spoken dialects, alongside the study of Arabic culture, politics, and literature.

The four-year programme includes a year abroad, which is central to achieving genuine linguistic fluency and to experiencing the culture of your target language from the inside. The typical entry tariff is 152 UCAS points.

Graduates with Arabic alongside another modern language are in particular demand in diplomacy, international development, journalism, the civil service, international law, and business roles with a Middle East focus. Translation and interpreting, academic research in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, and work with international organisations and humanitarian NGOs are also common paths. The linguistic and cultural breadth the degree provides is a genuine professional asset.