BA French and Irish
About this course
French and Irish is a combination that places two languages with very different geographies and cultural histories alongside each other, creating a degree that is as much about identity, politics, and the complexity of linguistic communities as it is about literature and language skills. French is one of the world's great international languages, spoken across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, and beyond, and it carries with it a literary and intellectual tradition that has shaped modernity in profound ways. Irish connects you to one of Europe's oldest surviving linguistic traditions and to the complex histories and contemporary debates about culture, politics, and identity that surround it. At Queen's University Belfast, this four-year full-time degree develops proficiency in both French and Irish, with the emphasis in each on modern language and culture. Questions of language and identity are at the core of the joint programme, reflecting Queen's position in a city where these questions have particular salience. In French, you will gain insight into the language and society of metropolitan France and the wider Francophone world, with the option to begin from beginner level. In Irish, you will develop a broad understanding of Irish culture and society through cinema, the short story, the novel, and modern poetry, as well as developing your language skills. Graduates from French and Irish programmes pursue careers in education, translation, broadcasting, journalism, cultural policy, the civil service, heritage, and community development across Ireland and the Francophone world. The combination of French and Irish is particularly distinctive in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, where knowledge of Irish has specific professional value in broadcasting, government, and the cultural sector. Postgraduate study in translation, linguistics, Irish studies, or French and Francophone studies is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.
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