BA Modern Languages (Spanish and Mandarin)
About this course
Spanish and Mandarin together represent access to an extraordinary range of the world's population, economies, and cultures. Spanish is spoken by around 500 million people across more than twenty countries, while Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world by native speakers and is central to understanding China's role in global trade, politics, and culture. Studying both at degree level gives you a genuinely rare combination of linguistic capabilities and cross-cultural insight. This four-year full-time programme at the University of Bath develops high-level proficiency in both Spanish and Mandarin, taking you from your current starting point in each language through structured progression in grammar, vocabulary, spoken fluency, and written expression. The programme includes a sandwich year, which means you will spend time in a professional placement environment, gaining real-world experience of how these languages function in a working context. The programme also includes a work placement, adding further practical grounding. With a typical tariff of 152 points, this is a selective programme that expects commitment and academic ability across two very different linguistic systems. Bath's strong track record in modern languages and its close connections with employers across business, government, and the international sector make it a particularly well-supported environment for language study with a professional dimension. You will develop not only linguistic skill but also cultural awareness, analytical reading, and the ability to communicate precisely across different registers and contexts, all of which are qualities that employers across sectors value highly. Graduates from Spanish and Mandarin programmes are exceptionally well placed in a job market where those language combinations are rare. Career paths include roles in international business, diplomacy, translation and interpreting, journalism, the civil service, non-governmental organisations, education, and consultancy. Latin American and Chinese markets are both significant areas of commercial and political interest for UK employers, and graduates who can operate in those markets in the relevant language have a real advantage. Postgraduate study in linguistics, area studies, or international relations is another option for those who want to specialise further.
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