Modern Languages

Studying two modern languages simultaneously is one of the most demanding and rewarding things a student can do at university. It requires you to manage two complex linguistic systems in parallel, to engage with two different cultural traditions and their literatures and histories, and to develop the cognitive flexibility that comes from moving constantly between different ways of encoding the world. The combination of two languages in one degree also makes you unusually employable: relatively few graduates are genuinely confident in more than one foreign language, and those who are attract strong interest from international employers.

At the University of Southampton, the two modern languages programme offers combinations drawn from a range of European languages, allowing you to choose the pair that best matches your background and ambitions. You will study both languages to an advanced level, developing linguistic accuracy and fluency in speaking, writing and reading alongside engagement with the literatures, cultures and histories of the societies in which those languages are spoken. The linguistics component sharpens your analytical thinking about how languages are formed and acquired and how they evolve through use.

The programme runs over four years in full-time mode, with a year abroad built in by which you can immerse yourself in one or both of your language environments. Typical entry is around 136 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates with two modern languages go on to careers in diplomacy, international organisations, translation and interpreting, journalism, international business, law, finance, education, cultural organisations and the civil service. The combination of linguistic competence, cultural awareness and analytical thinking developed through the degree transfers to almost any professional context where working across national or cultural boundaries is required. Further study in modern languages, translation, European studies, international relations or linguistic research is available for those who want to develop specialist expertise.