Modern Languages

Modern languages is one of the most genuinely global degree programmes available, giving you the ability to engage with other cultures in their own terms rather than through the filter of translation. Whether you study one language or two, you develop not just linguistic competence but a cultural and historical understanding of the societies that use those languages, and the personal confidence that comes from living and communicating in another tongue.

At the University of Portsmouth, this four-year full-time programme allows you to study one or two languages at degree level, immersing yourself in the cultures and identities of the communities that speak them. The year abroad is an integral part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to live and study in a country where your chosen language is spoken, which transforms your linguistic fluency and your understanding of the culture in ways that classroom learning alone cannot replicate. You will study language and linguistics alongside literature, film, history, and cultural studies in your chosen language or languages, developing both precise linguistic analysis and the broader cultural literacy that the humanities value.

Graduates from modern languages programmes are among the most versatile in the graduate market. Careers in international business, diplomacy, translation, interpreting, journalism, education, the civil service, law, marketing, and cultural organisations are all natural destinations. The combination of linguistic skill and cultural knowledge is valued in virtually any sector that operates internationally.

Further study options include postgraduate degrees in translation, interpreting, linguistics, specific literatures, and international relations.