International Development and Languages BA (Hons)

The module introduces candidates to the interesting challenges that ICT presents today and covers many anchor points that may serve as a bridge to their interests and lifestyles.

It also means you understand the value of scholarships, allowing you to move on to postgraduate programs at the University of Portsmouth.

You'll develop academic writing skills and critically analyse texts and images.

Present your analysis to deepen self-awareness and understand diverse perspectives in a global context.

The module will explore the judiciary and other legal practitioners, including judgments, law reporting, and sentencing, as well as barristers and solicitors. You'll gain an understanding of local courts such as magistrates, county, and crown courts, and delve into legal research techniques focusing on the language and discourse of statute and common law.

You'll explore theories of international relations, the nature of the international system, and factors like conflict, globalisation, and international organisations. You'll also dive into key global issues such as climate change, gender, and human rights.

You'll appreciate how these fields intersect and impact each other, gaining insights into the connections between people, their environment, and societal practices. Additionally, you'll be introduced to technological innovations and examine how they are applied in society from a sociological perspective.

This module will help you appreciate the inter-disciplinary connection between people and their environment.

It also develops an understanding of how people, politics, and place are interconnected, including an introduction to criminology and the sociological analysis of urban crime.

You'll gain an overview of the history of legal scholarship. By the end of the module, you'll have a solid understanding and the ability to apply essential legal knowledge and skills. This will prepare you to progress onto degree level study at the University of Portsmouth.

You'll learn to conduct research using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. You'll also enhance your ability to understand and construct arguments, evaluate the rationale and evidence behind claims, assess the credibility of sources, and deliver well-structured, critically reasoned arguments and opinions both verbally and in writing.

You'll study the changing relationships between the different organisations involved in international aid and development, including multilateral and bilateral development organisations and nongovernmental actors.

You'll also look at trends in development thinking and place development within the wider context of global capitalism.

You'll begin to explore key themes, such as the making of the modern world, war and peace, security, diplomacy, sovereignty, climate change and development, as well as the various ways to conceptualise and analyse these issues.

By the end of the module, you'll have developed a critical understanding of International Relations, gained insights into the historical foundations of the modern world, and engaged with a range of contemporary global issues.

This comprehensive introduction prepares you for further studies and encourages you to question and analyse the complex dynamics of world politics.

You'll develop essential skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and communication. You will also identify global challenges by exploring issues from multiple perspectives, and apply fundamental research skills to gather and evaluate relevant real-world problems.

Through seminars on authentic texts, you'll develop skills for comprehending written and spoken French on diverse topics. Building grammar, vocabulary, and fluency, you'll discuss current events, share opinions, and present ideas - all in French.

Engaging with specialist academic texts boosts your academic literacy, and by reading complex materials, writing accurately, and expressing yourself orally with nuance, you'll gain practical French abilities.

Supported by independent study and a series of language seminars, you'll develop a journalist article in French.

You’ll use diverse French source material for your project, from written to audio-visual, and take part in individual and group presentations on French cultural, social or current affairs.

You'll take part in focused seminars on vocabulary building, presentation skills, and writing, alongside independent language tasks.

The module also helps you develop key graduate skills, including communication, teamwork, and self-directed learning.

You will mainly focus on grammar activities, writing, reading and listening comprehension,

Through seminars on authentic texts, you'll develop skills for comprehending written and spoken Spanish on diverse topics. Building grammar, vocabulary, and fluency, you'll discuss current events, share opinions, and present ideas - all in Spanish.

Engaging with specialist academic texts boosts your academic literacy, and by reading complex materials, writing accurately, and expressing yourself orally with nuance, you'll gain practical Spanish abilities.
 

You’ll examine how nations promote or suppress languages, and how identity is expressed through symbols and film.

In the second half, you'll be introduced to professional language services like subtitling, dubbing, post-editing, and interpreting—gaining hands-on experience while reflecting on the skills needed for work in the language industry.

You'll mainly focus on grammar activities, writing, reading and listening comprehension.

You’ll focus on speaking and writing for tourism, travel and business, and learn through films, songs, conversations and cultural tips.

You’ll build language accuracy and confidence by presenting information and ideas, helping you become an independent and collaborative language learner.

You will mainly focus on grammar activities, writing, reading, and listening comprehension.

You’ll focus on speaking and writing for tourism, travel and business, and learn through films, songs, conversations and cultural tips.

You’ll build language accuracy and confidence by presenting information and ideas, helping you become an independent and collaborative language learner.

You will focus on grammar, writing, reading and listening comprehension.

You’ll focus on speaking and writing for tourism, travel and business, and learn through films, songs, conversations and cultural tips.

You’ll build language accuracy and confidence by presenting information and ideas, helping you become an independent and collaborative language learner.

You'll learn to apply political theories like intergovernmentalism and supranationalism to real-world issues such as EU enlargement and global influence.

Through case studies and analysis of primary sources, you'll gain the tools to critically assess the EU's evolving role in both European and global politics.

You’ll explore real-world questions—like is there a link between fake news and the outcome of elections? Or how far does aid help in establishing 'safe' and 'secure' societies and liberal democratic norms?

This will help you develop the tools to critically assess evidence, and then carry out your own independent research.

Moving beyond everyday French, you'll analyse complex texts from media, literature, and academia and with class discussions in French on specialist topics related to living abroad you’ll hone your verbal fluency.

Building on your existing abilities, you'll communicate confidently, express opinions, and present ideas. This module provides the advanced language abilities, critical thinking, and intercultural competence to thrive in diverse French-speaking contexts.

You will develop an awareness of business cultures and practices in the target countries and a range of communication and intercultural skills applied to different workplace contexts.

This will help you when seeking employment and when living and working abroad.

You will also engage in job interview activities and learn how to work as a team to produce business reports with a marketing element.

You'll learn how to discuss specialist topics in a variety of subject areas by analysing a range of authentic written, audio and visual media and expand your verbal fluency.

By learning to write confidently in formal and informal styles, you'll build your understanding of complex Spanish across diverse contexts and sharpen your ability to express yourself confidently.

Seminars on grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking provide a toolkit to thrive in Spanish-speaking communities.

You'll learn diverse perspectives on formulating and presenting policy, taking into account key variables like leadership, security, and global dynamics.

You'll deploy theories to critically analyse major decisions and their outcomes, strengthening your understanding through case studies of milestone events.

You'll also debate and discuss how policy intersects with national interests and global security, and build skills to explain and evaluate policies coherently.

You’ll begin by exploring how countries like Argentina, Chile and Brazil transitioned from military dictatorships to democracies towards the end of the 20th century.

You’ll also learn about the dramatic public protests and negotiations that eventually toppled these dictatorships in the late 20th century as part of the "Third Wave" of democratisation.

However, installing democratic systems has not been easy - you’ll also analyse the political, economic and social challenges that societies across the region are grappling with in the 21st century. To what extent have the region's new democracies been able to challenge deep seated inequalities in class, gender and race/ethnicity? And what do ordinary people think about development and democracy across the region?

You’ll explore ideas around modernisation, colonialism and nationalism and how they shape education, gender roles, ethnicity, class, sexuality and everyday life in this part of the world.

By comparing the experiences of different countries when it comes to industrialisation, democratisation and conflict, you’ll learn how to appreciate complex regional dynamics.

On this module, you’ll get an introduction to translation skills to open new worlds.

You’ll learn practical techniques while translating authentic texts, explore different genres and languages and discuss real-world translation challenges. You’ll develop professional skills for potential careers in this field.

The learning objectives of this module are to be confirmed.

Through films, news reports and texts from across the Francophone world, discuss engaging topics from travel adventures to current affairs.

You’ll learn to communicate naturally in academic, professional and social situations while appreciating linguistic nuances. You’ll also deepen your understanding of diverse French-speaking societies through lively classes and seminars.

Through films, news reports and texts from across the Mandarin-speaking world, discuss engaging topics from travel adventures to current affairs.

You’ll learn to communicate naturally in academic, professional and social situations while appreciating linguistic nuances. You’ll also deepen your understanding of diverse Mandarin-speaking societies through lively classes and seminars.

Through films, news reports and texts from across the Spanish-speaking world, discuss engaging topics from travel adventures to current affairs.

You’ll learn to communicate naturally in academic, professional and social situations while appreciating linguistic nuances. You’ll also deepen your understanding of diverse Spanish-speaking societies through lively classes and seminars.

You'll engage with key theories and tackle major issues like global inequality, climate change, and shifting power dynamics between regions.

By examining who governs the global economy and in whose interests, you’ll gain the critical tools to understand and analyse today’s most pressing economic and political challenges.

You'll assess the strategic control of space and resources alongside economic competition, and examine Africa's rich potential alongside its enduring struggles, from human security to gender equity and beyond.

You'll develop a nuanced understanding of the continent as a crucial nexus of cooperation and conflict between foreign interests.

You’ll analyse diverse transitional justice approaches balancing community healing and judicial accountability after mass atrocities.

Comparing mechanisms like war crimes tribunals, truth commissions and reparations programmes, you’ll evaluate effectiveness in restoring dignity and preventing recurrence.

With case studies from Europe to Africa, from Latin America to Asia, you'll examine tensions between western models and local cultural perspectives, assessing what ‘justice’ means to vulnerable peoples.

Throughout, you'll trace incremental human rights legislation advances, assessing global institutions’ roles protecting civilians from authoritarian regimes and wartime abuses.

Through interactive lectures with academics, speakers and professionals, you'll discuss, debate and complete practical exercises exploring wildlife crime alongside your classmates.

You'll spend time examining wildlife crimes and the factors behind them, as well as environmental justice and sustainability.

You’ll hone your French speaking through debates, presentations and interviews, and refine your formal and informal writing across diverse genres.

You’ll also deepen your cultural understanding through exposure to sociolinguistic nuances and conventions, ready to communicate effectively in French-speaking communities worldwide.

You’ll hone your Mandarin speaking through debates, presentations and interviews, and refine your formal and informal writing across diverse genres.

You’ll also deepen your cultural understanding through exposure to sociolinguistic nuances and conventions, ready to communicate effectively in Mandarin-speaking communities worldwide.

You’ll hone your Spanish speaking through debates, presentations and interviews, and refine your formal and informal writing across diverse genres.

You’ll also deepen your cultural understanding through exposure to sociolinguistic nuances and conventions, ready to communicate effectively in Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.

Living and learning in your chosen country where your language of study is spoken, you'll improve your language skills and develop your cross-cultural understanding.

With international experience, you'll develop your subject knowledge, analytical abilities and self-confidence.

Fresh perspectives and a global outlook will mean you'll return home prepared for the next steps in your degree and your career.

You'll learn how to analyse various genres of source texts, apply translation techniques and translation theory in a way that helps you to achieve clear meaning, and produce commercially acceptable translations.

Working with your fellow students, you’ll simulate real-world translation agency environments and learn how to produce translations as a team.

You'll also work on your skills in written and verbal communication, critical analysis and intercultural awareness, all of which are essential for a career in the language services sector.

You'll develop a research project which can take many forms, depending on the aims and focus of the dissertation. As an extended project requiring significant levels of critical engagement with subject knowledge, independent research and initiative, ethical research practice, and project management, this module enhances many key areas of knowledge and critical skills.

This real-world, project-based module lets you address an identified need or gap by designing an innovative product, service or resource.

With support from university staff and external partners, you'll demonstrate critical thinking, ethical awareness and project management abilities.

Your final project and presentation will showcase your employability and capacity for high-impact solutions.

By understanding authentic texts and media in diverse tones and registers, you'll gain broad exposure to regional variations.

Through dynamic discussions and academic presentations in advanced French, you'll build your verbal fluency on current issues and hone your writing skills across formal and informal styles, as your express nuanced ideas with accuracy.

Graduate with the advanced French proficiency, analytical abilities, and cross-cultural competence to communicate effectively across your degree and career.

By understanding authentic texts and media in diverse tones and registers, you'll gain broad exposure to regional variations.

Through dynamic discussions and academic presentations in advanced Mandarin, you'll build your verbal fluency on current issues and hone your writing skills across formal and informal styles, as your express nuanced ideas with accuracy.

Graduate with the advanced Mandarin proficiency, analytical abilities, and cross-cultural competence to communicate effectively across your degree and career.

 

By understanding authentic texts and media in diverse tones and registers, you'll gain broad exposure to regional variations.

Through dynamic discussions and academic presentations in advanced Spanish, you'll build your verbal fluency on current issues and hone your writing skills across formal and informal styles, as your express nuanced ideas with accuracy.

Graduate with the advanced Spanish proficiency, analytical abilities, and cross-cultural competence to communicate effectively across your degree and career.

You'll tackle questions such as, what is capitalism and in whose interests does it work? Do some models of capitalism work better than others? Can we reconcile capitalist modes of production and consumption with protecting our environment?

Examine relevant political economy theory and open up debates about power, multinational capital, gender, identity and climate crisis.

Working in groups with other taking your language combination (French/English, German/English, Mandarin/English or Spanish/English), you’ll complete exercises and tasks aimed at developing and improving your skills in public speaking, speech analysis and synthesis, memory and note-taking techniques, vocabulary reactivation, speech reformulation and communication.

You’ll also create and maintain a blog to review your own practice, your peers' practice and how theory underpins practice.

You'll investigate grassroots campaigners alongside major international NGOs - evaluating their tactics, contributions and accountability.

By probing the relationships between volunteer networks, businesses and government, you'll develop new ideas on what can and cannot be achieved by public advocacy. Do civil society organisations challenge or reinforce the prevailing world order?

You'll critically examine the concepts of ethnicity, race and culture historically and theoretically, using regional case studies from Latin America, Africa and those of indigenous peoples.

You'll consider these regional case studies alongside recent developments at the international level regarding cultural and indigenous rights and struggles around racial inequality and violence.

You'll complete the module with a major project on a region of the world of your choice.

You’ll design a website for a company, charity or NGO in your chosen language, giving you real-world experience in web design, marketing and using your language skills in an international workplace.

You’ll also design a viable project proposal, research the latest information in your field, analyse data to reach conclusions, reflect on your learning, and communicate your findings to a professional audience.

You’ll demonstrate intellectual and transferable skills appropriate for your field, and do independent research. You’ll design a viable project proposal using existing studies in your field, and critically discuss assumptions, arguments and data to make judgements, pose questions and identify solutions.

Finally, you'll write up your project tailored to a specified academic or workplace audience.

You'll explore France's foreign policies, defence strategies and power dynamics within Europe and beyond.

Spend time thinking critically about its international influence and motivations, and learn how other regions of the world view its actions, from 'special' ties with former colonies to controversial stances on key issues.

This module will help you develop the skills to unpack complex geopolitical questions. You'll gain a deeper understanding of France's bid to remain an influential force in our rapidly changing world.

Using feminist and intersectional theories, you'll examine how gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, and disability to affect access to rights and opportunities.

You'll analyse inequality across sectors like politics, education, and healthcare, and consider how change happens through activism, policy, and law.

You’ll work again in groups separated by language combination to undertake interpreting training supported by speech analysis and delivery, memory and note-taking, vocabulary, reformulation and communication exercises.

Specifically, you'll demonstrate actively listening to general and specialised speech and show well-developed, real-life communication skills.

You'll learn about the job application process from the perspective of both candidates and recruiters, thinking about what employers look for in graduates and how you can optimise your own professional profile.

Through mock interviews and assessments, you'll hone your skills and learn how to communicate your achievements and career goals, ready to take the next step after you graduate.

You'll evaluate diverse cases of religion intertwining with critical issues like nationalism, peacebuilding, violence and more.

Discussing the perspectives of policymakers to extremists, you'll tackle intriguing questions head on.

How do religious ideas still drive political agendas worldwide? How does faith unite communities yet fuel divisions? And could rediscovering religion's role in human life hold keys to solving global problems?