Within the School of Languages and Cultures, we offer two degree programmes:
The BA Modern Languages and Cultures and the Dual Degrees with Languages and Cultures.
This video covers the first programme.
For our Dual Programmes, please check the Dual degrees page on our website.
So how does this degree work?
First, let’s look at the languages we offer at Sheffield.
We offer 10 languages in the School of Languages and Cultures:
French, German, Spanish, Russian, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Czech and Luxembourgish.
You can study all these languages as a beginner, and French, German, Spanish and Russian
as a post A-Level student.
So, plenty to choose from, but which language do you choose and how many?
In the first Year, most of our languages are offered in neat packages.
A package consists of a language component (generally 3 or 4 classes per week)
and a cultural studies module (generally 1 or 2 contact hours per week).
You don’t have to take both, but most students do.
Each full package accounts for one third of your timetable.
You can choose to study a modern languages degree with one, two or three of these packages.
Let’s assume you are mad about languages and you want to definitely study three.
Or, you are not sure if you want to study three languages over four years,
but since this is a First Year and you can afford to experiment:
You’re going to go for it.
Give me three!
Most of our students split their three languages equally in their first year,
so three equal packages of language and culture classes; one for each language.
You are free to choose two languages from scratch.
We don’t recommend taking more than two beginners’ languages in your first year.
Also, there is a degree of variation here, you can shift the weighting about a bit,
but generally you will have about 16-18 contact hours per week.
After your first year, you can stick with three languages, swap one of your languages,
or drop to two or even one language – in which case,
you will study more topics in your specific languages.
We will discuss your options with you at the end of your First Year.
Another popular choice!
You can combine any of our 10 languages, but there are some restrictions:
Italian offers language only and those keen to start with Luxembourgish,
will have to wait until your second year.
Check our website to make sure your preferred combination is available.
When you’ve picked your two language packages,
you fill the rest of your timetable with optional modules.
These can be more modules in your chosen languages – so more French or more Spanish courses.
But you can also choose a school-wide module,
which examines a topic across languages and cultures, such as European cinema.
In your second and final year there is flexibility too:
you can choose to prioritise one of your languages or keep an equal split.
You will normally split your Year Abroad over two language areas.
If you want to fully specialise in one language, it will have to be one of these four:
French, Spanish, German or Russian.
We offer these languages as a post A-level or beginners’ course.
In your first year you select one language package.
This is the compulsory element, so you are free to choose courses that you are interested
in for the remaining two-thirds of your timetable.
This will involve a combination of more modules specific to your particular language
and some courses outside of your chosen language.
The university is a place with many options,
and studying one language gives you a lot of freedom of choice.
Check our language pages to see what modules are available for each year of study
since the options available can differ from language to language.
And finally...
If you are not sure, just ask us.
Drop us an email and arrange to speak to a tutor or a student.