Modern Languages

Studying three languages at university is one of the most intellectually rewarding and professionally valuable paths available in modern humanities. Languages unlock cultures, literatures, histories and ways of thinking that are inaccessible in translation, and the cognitive and analytical benefits of working across multiple linguistic systems, attending closely to structure, idiom, register and meaning in three different contexts simultaneously, are significant. The ability to communicate professionally in three languages is a rare and marketable capability in a world where international business, diplomacy, culture and education increasingly depend on people who can operate across national and linguistic boundaries.

At the University of Southampton, this four-year full-time programme allows you to study three languages from a choice that includes Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, developing your skills in each while also broadening your understanding of the societies and cultures where those languages are spoken. You will develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in each language alongside study of the history, literature, politics and cultural life of the relevant regions. The four-year structure gives you the time to reach a level of genuine competence in all three languages, and the programme develops the disciplined attention to linguistic detail and cultural context that advanced language study demands.

A typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the aptitude and prior preparation the programme expects.

Graduates with proficiency in three languages are in strong demand across diplomacy, international business, translation and interpreting, international law, global media, the civil service, international organisations such as the United Nations and European Union, and higher education. The combination of French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese represents strong coverage of the major economic and diplomatic languages of the contemporary world. Postgraduate study in languages, area studies, translation, international relations or European studies is a natural progression for those who wish to deepen their expertise or pursue research.