Modern Languages with International Experience
Modern languages opens a window onto the values, cultures, and histories of other societies in a way that no other discipline quite matches. Learning a language to a high level is not just a technical achievement; it changes how you see the world and how you can engage with it, giving you access to literature, film, journalism, professional life, and personal relationships that remain closed to those who can only read and speak in one tongue. Modern languages with international experience takes this further, building international academic and professional exposure into the degree itself.
At Birkbeck College, this four-year full-time BA gives you the opportunity to specialise in one or two languages chosen from French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese. Alongside language study, covering speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation, you will engage with the literature, history, film, thought, and visual culture associated with the languages you choose, developing a rounded cultural competence rather than narrowly technical language skill. The international experience dimension of the degree gives you opportunities to deepen your engagement with the language communities you are studying, going beyond the classroom to encounter other academic traditions, professional environments, and ways of life.
Birkbeck's London setting provides an exceptional context for language study, with the city's multicultural character, world-class cultural institutions, and concentration of international organisations making the languages you study live and present in daily life.
Graduates go on to careers in translation and interpreting, international business, diplomacy, journalism, teaching, publishing, cultural institutions, and the civil service. The combination of linguistic depth and cultural knowledge developed on this degree is valued across any sector with an international dimension. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, translation, area studies, or a specific language and culture, building specialist expertise for research or professional roles.