About this program
French/Spanish (4 years)
Our aim at the School of Modern Languages is to enable our students to become ‘global citizens’. Our graduates are highly skilled linguists with a comprehensive skillset which prepares them to work in a host of careers and professions nationally and internationally.
Our BA French and Spanish programme (which has beginner and post A-level entry points) allows you to develop very high-level language skills and to gain an in-depth understanding of French, Francophone and Hispanic culture. A year abroad spent working, studying or teaching in the French- and Spanish-speaking world hones your language, your intercultural awareness and builds a valuable skill set for your CV in a job market thirsty for graduates with strong foreign languages.
French and Spanish are major languages on the European and world stage, possessing rich and sophisticated cultures. French and Spanish are official working languages of the European Union and of the United Nations. By studying French combined with Spanish you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge beneficial to the world of employment, making you competitive and attractive in an increasingly international workforce and opening the doors to a variety of career paths.
On completion of this four-year programme, you will have a high level of proficiency in both the French and Spanish language, as well as a critical understanding of key aspects of French, Francophone and Hispanic history, culture, literature, politics and contemporary society, depending on your area of specialisation.
Distinctive features
- High-quality language teaching delivered by native speakers, with blended learning and digital technologies embedded in the teaching and assessments designed to feed forward into future learning and careers.
- A vibrant programme of extra-curricular activities to support your language learning and immersion into French and Spanish culture, including extra optional conversation classes with Erasmus students and student language societies.
- A curriculum with a clear learning arc, drawing on the latest research and providing a thorough understanding of French and Spanish culture.
- A structured skills programme which embeds academic, transferable and employability skills into learning from the very beginning.
- The option of taking a credit-bearing work placement.
- The opportunity to spend your third year either studying or working in a country that predominantly operates in French or Spanish.
- An exciting range of opportunities beyond your formal studies to engage with local schools and communities in promoting language learning and develop your own skills and profile.
- Benefit from links with the Spanish Embassy which has a satellite office at our School.
Admission requirements
Typical A level offer
ABB-BBB. If you have grade B in the relevant language A-level you will have access to the languages advanced pathways.
Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.
English language requirements
GCSE
Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.
TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with minimum scores of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading and 20 for speaking.
PTE Academic
At least 62 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.
Trinity ISE II/III
II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits. III: at least a Pass in all components.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website
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Program content
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2022/23 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2022.
Year one
Core modules
- Understanding Hispanidad in a Global Context
- National and Global Perspectives on France
Optional modules
- Advanced Spanish Language Year 1
- Beginners Spanish Language Year 1
- Advanced French Language Year 1
- Beginners French Language Year 1
Year two
Optional modules
- Ex-Advanced Language Year 2 Spanish
- Ex-Beginners Language Year 2 Spanish
- Ex-Beginners Language Year 2 French
- Ex-Advanced Language Year 2 French
- The World & Language of Business (Spanish Ex-Beginners)
- Introduction to Catalan Language & Culture
- Cultures in Context (Spanish)
- The World & Language of Business (Spanish)
- Introduction to Specialised Translation
- The World & Language of Business (French Ex-Beginners)
- Cultures in Context (French)
- The World & Language of Business (French)
Year three: Sandwich year
Optional modules
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Study Abroad (Spanish, Spring)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Work Placement (Spanish, Spring)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Work Placement
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Study Abroad
- Sandwich Year Project (Autumn Semester)
- Sandwich Year Project (Spring Semester)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Semester Work Placement Abroad (French, Spring)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Study Abroad (French, Spring)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Semester Work Placement Abroad (French)
- Intercalary Semester Abroad: Study Abroad (French)
Year four
Core modules
- High-Level Proficiency in Spanish Language
- High-Level Proficiency in French Language
Optional modules
- Final Year Dissertation - Spanish (in Spanish)
- Final Year Dissertation - Spanish (in English/Welsh)
- Catalan Language & Society
- Hispanic Cultures at the Margins
- Crime and Punishment in Latin American History and Culture
- Culture, Political Protest & Dissent in the 1960s
- European Cinema: Thinking the Real of Fiction
- Slavery, Abolitionism and the Black Atlantic: A Transnational Perspective
- Final Year Dissertation - French (in English/Welsh)
- Final Year Dissertation - French (in French)
- France and Africa: Power, Scandal, Genocide
Scholarships & funding
For more information about scholarships, please visit the university website.
Tuition
Tuition fees for UK and Ireland Students
- Year one £9,000
- Year two £9,000
- Year three £9,000
- Year four £9,00
Tuition fees for International Students
- Year one £19,450
- Year two £19,450
- Year three £19,450
- Year four £19,450
For more information about tuition fee, please visit the university website.
Qualification
What skills will I practise and develop?
Knowledge & Understanding
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- The ability to speak, write, and understand one or more foreign languages to a high level of competency.
- An in-depth intercultural understanding including specific knowledge of other cultures, allied to the ability to navigate and mediate between more than one culture.
Intellectual Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- The ability to communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in writing and speech, in English, French and Spanish.
- Applying a range of strategies to initiate and undertake analysis of information.
- Reaching conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of views and arguments, justifying these with sound reasoning and detailed interpretations of source material.
- Relevant and effective research techniques to plan and write an academic essay, using the correct referencing conventions.
- Critical evaluation of ideas and arguments, through the coherent presentation of information and ideas using a plethora of written and oral skills.
Professional Practical Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- Using a range of IT programmes and digital media, where appropriate.
- Resilience and independence through time spent in immersive foreign language contexts.
- Communication and critical-thinking skills.
- Working to deadlines and priorities, managing a range of tasks at the same time.
Transferable/Key Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:
- The ability to grasp complex issues with confidence.
- The ability to analyse complex texts.
- The ability to interpret and apply relevant data.
- Practical research skills.
- Imaginative solutions of your own that are rooted in evidence.
- Learning from constructive criticism and incorporate its insights.
- Enhanced linguistic skills, as well as a broad appreciation of the culture and literature of France and Spain.
- Taking responsibility for your own learning programme and professional development.
- Critical skills (reasoning, evaluating evidence, problem-solving, relating theory to practice).
- Creativity and innovative thinking.
- Leadership, teamwork and self-management skills.
- Identifying, recording and communicating your relevant career attainments.
Career paths
In 2016/17, 95% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduation.
Many graduates enjoy their year overseas so much that after graduation they take time out to continue travelling or they go abroad to work.
Our graduates flourish in the job market as our employment statistics underline. Their language degrees lead them into a diverse and exciting range of careers which have included finance, international sport liaison roles, business consultancy, education, health, the media, politics, diplomacy, interpreting, translation, law and teaching.
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Cardiff University
Cardiff University is among the top 25 universities in the UK and is ranked 166th in the world. Founded in 1883, Cardiff University combines a prestigious heritage with impressive modern facilities, on one of the most beautiful campuses in the UK....
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Cardiff University
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