Our aim at the School of Modern Languages is to develop and educate our students to become ‘global citizens’. In addition to developing high-level language skills, our BA Chinese and French programme allows you to gain an in-depth intercultural understanding that encompasses a specific knowledge of Chinese and French culture. You will develop high-level communication and critical-thinking skills, and foster resilience and independence through time spent in immersive foreign language contexts. France is a major actor on the European and world stage, possessing rich and sophisticated cultures. French is one of the official working languages of the European Union and of the United NationsChina is founded on a rich and fascinating cultural history that stretches back thousands of years. It remains a major economic power as well as an innovator in the fast-moving automotive and electronic industries. By studying Chinese, you will gain a wealth of transferable skills and knowledge beneficial to the world of employment, making you competitive and attractive in an increasingly global workforce and opening the doors to a variety of career paths.We offer French language for advanced students and beginners and Mandarin Chinese language for beginners only. In terms of language acquisition, this course will enable you to develop your writing, oral and aural skills through a range of learning activities and audio-visual materials. In your first year, in addition to your language tuition, an introduction to French and Chinese history and culture seeks to provide a solid foundation for more specialised studies as you progress through your course.Your understanding of the language will be further developed and refined during your year abroad, when you will experience life in a French-speaking and a Mandarin Chinese-speaking country at first hand. In the final year, you have the opportunity to write a dissertation, which stimulates initiative and can serve as a useful preparation for postgraduate study. It is important to remember that studying languages is not just about the language itself, it involves exploring many aspects of a country, and we aspire to offer a genuinely broad course that offers challenging and stimulating modules. On completion of this four-year programme, you will have a high level of proficiency in the both French and Mandarin Chinese language, as well as a critical understanding of key aspects of French and Chinese history, culture, literature, politics and contemporary society. Distinctive Features of the Programme• 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.• A vibrant programme of extra-curricular activities to support your language learning and immersion into French and Chinese culture, including extra optional conversation classes with Erasmus students, events at l’Alliance Française and the students’ French Society, Chinese studies programme seminars, wherein Chinese studies scholars and experts from all over the world are invited to lecture their own research.• A curriculum with a clear learning arc, drawing on the latest research and providing a thorough understanding of Chinese and French 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 Mandarin Chinese.• An exciting range of opportunities beyond your formal studies to engage with local schools and communities in promoting langu