What you’ll learn
Only 32% of young people in the UK can read and write in another language, compared with 90% of their peers in Germany, according to a 2020 EU-wide survey. Most UK adults regret losing the language skills they learned in school. Meanwhile, with Brexit, globalisation and pressing world issues such as the coronavirus pandemic to contend with, language specialists in the UK are needed now more than ever.
On a language degree you’ll learn more than the grammar and syntax of a language – you’ll also gain insight into a country’s history, culture, literature and politics.
There are still plenty of institutions offering courses in the modern classics – French, Spanish, German, Italian – as well as those once considered niche in the UK: Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese and some of the African languages, such as Swahili. And, of course, there are courses in Welsh and Gaelic.
As the number of students taking languages at school has fallen, more universities have begun offering courses that teach the likes of French and German from scratch.
Courses can be studied as a single honours degree or as a joint subject with, for example, history, politics or even chemistry, if you want to keep your options open.
You could also choose to combine two languages, perhaps French and Spanish.
How you’ll learn
Expect to be taught in lectures, seminars and tutorials. To fully immerse yourself in a language you need to head overseas and have conversations with locals; many courses will incorporate a year abroad into the schedule. For a lot of students, this experience is the highlight of their studies.
You’ll be assessed regularly – through coursework, grammar quizzes, presentations, translations and so on – which will keep you on top of the vast amount of learning and consolidating you’ll need to do.
Entry requirements
These vary. Having an A-level (or equivalent) in your chosen language(s) is helpful but not always essential. Another foreign language A-level, English literature, history and politics could all boost your application.
What job can you get?
Fluency in another language will make you highly desirable among employers, as well as giving you an invaluable skill which will enhance your travel and social experiences for life. Obvious career routes would be translating, interpreting and teaching roles. You will probably be snapped up if you are fluent in Mandarin or Arabic to meet a growing demand.
Other options include working in the diplomatic service or the civil service, maybe in the Foreign Office. Language graduates have got research jobs or development work in the European Union or the United Nations, where knowledge of at least two foreign languages is often required.
Graduates will be favoured in business and legal institutions, and any company that trades or offers services internationally – in sectors as varied as tourism and engineering.