Program Overview

Proficiency in modern languages can help you to gain a competitive edge in the global jobs market. In both the private and public sectors there is demand for professionals with strong language skills who can work in culturally diverse environments.

More than 75 million people speak French as their native language. French is also one of the official languages in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland and is spoken widely across the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. On this degree you will be absorbed into the everyday use of foreign languages as our multi-cultural community includes academics from all over the world, British, exchange and international students, and foreign language assistants. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is a practical branch of applied linguistics and our focus is on helping you put the skills you learn to practical use in the world of work. Our TESOL experts will help you understand language learning and teaching approaches, as well as the English language itself. You will develop a new understanding of different types of communication and other cultures.

As part of your degree you will have the opportunity to take the internationally recognised Trinity Cert TESOL teaching qualification, one of only two globally recognised TESOL qualifications. Combining this qualification with the skills you’ll develop throughout your degree will prepare you for the world of work, equipping you to follow in the footsteps of our graduates, many of whom who work around the world.

Staff across the department are nationally, and in many cases internationally, recognised experts in their field. With extensive experience in both private and public sector roles, our languages team offer a range of expertise in working across disciplines such as professional interpreting and translating, language teaching, and global consultancy. With such strong local, national, and global links, our Languages team are continuously recognised in the field for their innovation. Initiatives include the globally recognised FLAME project integrating film, language, and media in education.

Our French studies students are required to spend a year abroad in France. The experience of being immersed in another culture for several months is one our students find both beneficial and rewarding. They return having made new friends, experienced new places and having grown in confidence.

Placement options

If you take French as a major or equal subject you will have the opportunity to spend your third year in France and we will assist you in choosing from a wide choice of partner universities or other approved organisations where you can study or work. The experience of being immersed in another culture for several months is one our students find both beneficial and rewarding. They return having made new friends, experienced new places and having grown in confidence. After this, you will return to Manchester Met for your final year.