English & Modern Languages (French, German, Portuguese or Spanish) with a year abroad King's College London

Overview

The Department of English prides itself not only on the range and diversity of the modules we offer – from medieval literature to modern poetry and women’s writing – but also on the diversity of our approaches, from contemporary literary theory to close textual examination and historical scholarship.

Our English & Modern Languages (French, German, Portuguese or Spanish) with a year abroad  at King's College London can draw on unparalleled print, audio-visual and online resources, including the King’s Maughan Library and Senate House Library, the Institute of Modern Languages Research, the British Film Institute and the British Library. All are within easy walking distance of the Strand Building. The Goethe-Institut, Austrian Cultural Forum, Institut français, Camoes Centre , Instituto Cervantes and Canning House also have extensive media and library holdings, and run lively courses including films, readings, seminars and exhibitions which complement our Departments’ internal film screenings, open seminars, exhibitions, and annual departmental play.

London is also a city of music and arts. You will have easy access to London’s endless live music performances at the South Bank arts complex, at the Barbican Centre, at London opera houses. West End Theatres, Cinemas, Art Galleries are all a short walk away.

Key benefits

• One of the oldest English departments in the country, with an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research. 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.

• Central location offers access to Shakespeare's Globe, the British Library, and countless other sites and buildings with literary associations.

• Our language departments are consistently voted among the best in the UK and offer our graduates excellent career prospects. (Complete University Guide 2021)

• Broad range of specialist modules in both English & Modern languages (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.

• The Year abroad in a French, German, Portuguese or Spanish-speaking country offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in culture and society and attain language fluency. We have exchanges with several partner universities in Europe, as well as North and South America.

Career destinations

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.