Quiz: Which language degree is right for you?

If you're thinking of studying languages at university, you might be unsure which degree to choose.

There are many undergraduate language degrees to choose from and ways to study them, including as a stand-alone subject, in combination with other subjects, or with a particular focus, such as on communication theory or linguistics. Each language degree can help you develop your knowledge in different areas, giving you tailored skills you can take forward into your career.

We offer three undergraduate language degrees:

• BA (Hons) Modern Languages
• BA (Hons) Language Studies
• BA (Hons) Applied Languages

Each one offers a distinct way to learn and improve new language abilities, as well as the chance to customise your studies for one of four key language-related career paths.

Which language degree should I study?

Maybe you see yourself studying or working abroad as part of your degree, boosting your new language skills through real life experience? Or maybe you want to master more than one language while you study, ready for a multilingual career. 

Whatever you want from a language degree, or even if you're still to decide, we've created the following quiz to help you narrow down which of our language degrees could be the best fit for you.

Why study a language degree?

Studying languages at university can open up the world to you. It not only allows you to learn one or more languages to fluency, it's an opportunity to immerse yourself in other cultures in ways that can take your career international.

As you work towards becoming bilingual or multilingual, you'll also explore aspects of life in the countries and regions where your chosen language(s) are spoken, such as identity, history and culture. You can make your degree your own by choosing topics that spark your imagination and give your language studies richer context, such as literature, cinema, politics, gender or sexuality.

Some language degrees also offer the opportunity to travel overseas to use new language skills for real, alongside native speakers. Many of our students describe their time spent studying and/or working abroad as truly unforgettable, with experiences, memories and friendships to last a lifetime. 

Alongside a new language and new adventures, you'll build a set of transferable skills in high demand with all kinds of employers. Studying a language degree helps you improve in areas including critical thinking, problem-solving, open-mindedness and communication - all valuable attributes in today's global working world. 

Finally, choosing a language degree could even give you a healthier brain. Learning a new language has been proven to boost the brain's grey matter, in turn enhancing memory and general intelligence, and reducing the rate of brain ageing.