Program Overview

Bring countries and cultures together as you perfect two languages (choosing from French, Spanish and Japanese) while developing professional expertise in translation and interpreting.  

As you learn to speak, understand and write with precision, variety, and accuracy, you’ll develop the skills for engaging in debates and supporting your opinions. By the end of your degree, you’ll be able to demonstrate critical thinking, sophisticated expression, and independence in your chosen languages. Alongside your language studies, you’ll also discover new perspectives by choosing from a range of specialist modules in translation, interpreting, culture, communication and other applied language studies.

In your third year, you'll enhance your studies by living in one or more countries where your degree languages are spoken. During this year, you’ll deepen your experience of the languages and cultures by either studying at a local university (all languages), or taking up a teaching assistantship or suitable work placement (French and Spanish only). Through this opportunity, you will enhance your language skills, while also developing your intercultural awareness, resourcefulness and flexibility. It’s also a great way to demonstrate your resilience, confidence, and ability to thrive in an international setting to future employers.  

We have exchange links with many universities in France and Spain, as well as links with universities in Japan, Canada and Latin America. If you are studying Japanese, you will attend one of our partner universities in Japan.

If you are studying two languages from A Level (or equivalent), you will normally split your year abroad equally between two countries where your two languages are spoken. If you are taking one of your languages from below A-Level (or equivalent), you will normally spend your entire year abroad in a country where your weaker language is spoken, although you are strongly recommended to follow some modules in your university placement in the stronger language and/or spend the summer working or studying in the country of your stronger language. We can provide support and advice on this.

On this course, you’ll devote around two thirds of your time to your language studies, aiming at equal competence in both by the end of your degree.  

Your language learning will involve reading and listening comprehension, translation from and to English, précis and paraphrase work, the study of different styles and registers, lexical exercises, and oral work. In all of these activities, you’ll use contemporary rather than literary or historical materials. You'll put theory into practice on your year abroad as you push your language and communication skills to the next level, before choosing from advanced language modules in your final year.  

You may have the opportunity to take a third language as a non-credit module with certification. Depending on availability you can choose from Arabic, British Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Russian and Advanced English.

Alongside developing your language competence, you’ll be introduced to a range of specialist translation skills, as well as learning about translation issues across the media to help you understand how translation is practiced in a range of contexts. You’ll benefit from practical experience in interpreting in both public service and conference modes, which will give you more insights into the professional world.