Philosophy & Modern Languages (French, German, Portuguese or Spanish) with a year abroad BA at Kings College London

Overview

Our Philosophy and Modern Languages BA offers you an exceptionally wide range of modules in both Philosophy and Modern Languages, covering literature, language, film, history, philosophical thought, political and social theory, as well as philosophy of mind, science and ancient philosophy.

You will find that our Department of Philosophy has particular strengths in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and ancient philosophy. We are also able to offer an extremely wide range of modules, including subjects like Indian philosophy and medieval philosophy, which are offered by very few other universities in the UK.

Within the modern languages part of your degree,  you can choose to study either French, German, Spanish or Portuguese. Our language modules support all levels of language competence and conform to the internationally recognised Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).  You will attain a high level of proficiency in speaking, writing and reading the language of your degree, whilst developing your knowledge and critical understanding of its culture and society. Our cultural curriculum is innovative and diverse, covering a range of modules in literature, culture, film studies and history, from the medieval period to the contemporary.

Students can take this course either with an A-level (or equivalent) in the degree language, or as a beginner, following a specially-designed ab initio language course.

Philosophy

•    One of the largest and most distinguished Philosophy departments in the country.

•    The Department is ranked as one of the top- three UK Philosophy departments in the 2014 Research Excellence framework for both the quality of our research and research power.

•    Our National Student Survey (NSS) satisfaction results are consistently excellent. In the most recent NSS (2016), 95% of students report being satisfied with our teaching.

•    King’s offers an exceptionally wide range of optional modules, covering all areas of the history of philosophy and contemporary philosophy.

•    Our emphasis on small-group teaching ensures students acquire and hone the skills of critical thinking.

Modern Languages

• French, German and Spanish have been taught at King’s since 1831 and Portuguese since the 1860s, making us one of the oldest modern languages programmes in the country.
• Our language departments are consistently voted among the best in the UK and offer our graduates excellent career prospects.
• Broad range of specialist modules in French, German, Portuguese and Hispanic Studies, from medieval to contemporary literature as well as politics, history, cultural studies, and film.
• You can study French, German, Spanish or Portuguese language either post A-level (or equivalent) or with no previous knowledge of the language (ab initio).
• Based in the heart of London, King’s location offers access to a variety of galleries, theatres, specialist libraries and resources, including the Goethe-Institut and Austrian Cultural Forum., the Institut Français, Canning House, Camoes Centre for Portuguese Language and Culture, and the Instituto Cervantes, as well as events organised by embassies and other related cultural institutions.

Description

Teaching

Modules are taught by leading academics through a combination of lectures, small seminars or tutorials, and expert one-to-one supervision. Language classes involve in-depth work with different kinds of media, literary and academic texts. Teaching is in both English and the language studied, according to the subject area. Our teaching style is interactive; you will participate informally in small group discussions, in seminars or online discussion platforms, and formally through seminar presentations and oral assessments.

Career prospects

By encouraging critical reflection on both the past and the present contexts of the French, German, Portuguese or Spanish -speaking worlds, the programme broadens students’ knowledge base and strengthens their interdisciplinary profile, challenging narrow, monocultural assumptions, thus preparing students for the challenges of multicultural and global realities.

Studies of graduate employability repeatedly stress the career value of language degrees, which provide graduates with international experience and enhancing cultural awareness, helping them to develop flexibility, resilience and resourcefulness. Employers value foreign language ability, not just as a specialist skill, but as a personal quality that develops relationship-building, teamwork, and the capacity to move easily in international contexts. Typical destinations of KCL Modern Languages graduates include international business, the press and media, IT and technology, marketing and public relations, public administration, international development, law, finance, teaching and lecturing, interpreting, translating and others.