UCAS code | Typical offer | Length |
---|---|---|
RQ21 | AAB (See full entry requirements) | 4 years full-time |
Play with the building blocks of language while gaining practical German language skills. Through linguistics you'll gain an understanding of what language is, how it works and how it shapes our lives. Our immersive approach to German language teaching uses authentic materials to give you the skills and cultural knowledge to function as a high-level communicator. Cement your learning by spending a year in a German-speaking country, whether you're developing your A level German or learning from scratch on our ab initio route.
Language is a window to the human mind. On our BA in German and Linguistics, you will learn to understand what you see through it, by combining practical study of German language with the scientific study of what makes language work.
Our focus is on developing effective communication skills. You will be taught mainly in German, in groups of no more than 15 students, and we aim to encourage not only fluency but also the ability to discuss complex ideas in a coherent manner. Modules explore the society and culture of the German-speaking world, in order to equip you with the background knowledge to function as a high-level German communicator. The third year of this four-year programme is a year abroad in a German-speaking country, during which you will gain valuable experience and considerably enhance your language skills.
We offer intensive German ab initio (i.e., from scratch, or with a qualification below A-level) on this programme, as well as study designed for those who have A-level German.
At the same time as acquiring practical German skills, you will study language from a scientific standpoint. The programme offers unparalleled coverage of the field of linguistics, with modules taught by world-leading academics in the core areas of syntax, phonetics and phonology, semantics, and sociolinguistics. and in sub-fields including forensic phonetics, historical linguistics, child language, second language acquisition, and morphology. Our challenging combination of theory and practice is designed to stimulate your critical thinking skills, foster your originality, and enable you to become a uniquely skilled analytical thinker and problem-solver.
We are a leading centre for research in linguistics, and the strength and diversity of our research is reflected in our teaching. We have been rated 2nd in the UK for ‘world-leading’ research (Times Higher Education's ranking of the most recent Research Excellence Framework 2014).
You will study German and Linguistics side by side throughout the degree, with opportunities to customise your course from the second year onwards—once you've learnt the basics. Your knowledge of German will inform your study of linguistics, and vice versa.
Note that there are two routes for the first-year: the A-level route and the Ab initio route.
Your year abroad is spent in a German-speaking country, at a university, on an English teaching assistantship, or on a work placement in industry.
A wide range of final-year German and linguistics modules is offered, including Translation Methodology and Practice, Phonetics of German, Modern German Language, Psycholinguistics, Language as Action, Formal Syntactic Theory, Bilingualism and Neurolinguistics. See our current final-year offerings for a typical full range. (Note that module offerings vary from year to year. Not every module is offered every year.)
*An elective is a module from another department. All electives are offered subject to departmental approval and timetable availability.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module. This covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
In both German and Linguistics, we aim to equip you to be an effective independent learner. The programme of study includes a variety of modes of teaching and dissemination, designed to allow you to develop the skills and autonomy to direct your own learning.
Our focus at York is on effective communication in German. That is why:
Our communicative and culture-oriented approach to teaching, combined with your application and study, will allow you to develop integrity as a skilled user of advanced German.
Linguistics is a new subject for everyone, so the focus in the first year is on learning the tools of linguistic study. We facilitate this through large lectures (some with over 100 students), accompanied by regular back-up sessions in smaller groups (15–20 students), in which you put your new skills into practice.
Second year linguistics modules typically have more interactive classroom activities, such as group presentations or practical sessions, in addition to lectures. Regular seminars provide a forum for discussion of core knowledge and its application beyond the specific classroom topic. Advance preparation for seminar discussion is essential.
In final-year modules, most teaching takes place in smaller groups. Depending on the module, your work may focus on library-based study using primary research papers, lab-based analysis of linguistic corpora, or lectures and seminars in one the advanced areas of specialism of our staff. Students who opt to write a dissertation will receive individual supervision on their dissertation project.
All of our modules have associated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) sites where all crucial materials—reading lists, handouts, discussion boards—are always accessible via the internet. Most first-year modules provide additional self-study practice exercises on the VLE.
We have our own departmental e-Lab, accessible 24-hours a day, for the teaching and study time of our students.
Throughout the degree, you will typically spend 12 hours per teaching week in the classroom (including both German and linguistics). You should expect to devote at least 30 additional hours a week to independent study, which will include completing exercises, reading and digesting assigned papers, researching projects, writing and revising coursework, and preparing for assessments. Twice a year, in the middle of the autumn and spring terms, we have a reading week, which is devoted to independent study. You will receive guidance on your goals for each reading week.
As a guide, students on this course typically spend their time as follows:
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lectures and seminars | 228 hours | 192 hours | 0 hours | 168 hours |
Placement | 0 hours | 0 hours | 1200 hours | 0 hours |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
The rest of your time on the course will be spent on independent study. This may include preparation for lectures and seminars, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours will vary from person to person. In UK higher education the expectation is that full-time students will spend 1200 hours a year learning.
The main assessment types are exams and coursework. Within these two broad types you will encounter many variations customised to the content of each module. Types of coursework range from short sets of exercises, to 5,000-word essays, to oral presentations, to group projects in which you work in a team to research and present a topic. You will present work for language modules in the target language (French, German or Spanish). In most modules, the final mark is made up of the marks from more than one type of assessment.
At York, assessments that count towards your final mark are called 'summative' assessments, but all modules also include 'formative' work — work that will help you to practice or develop skills for the summative assessment. Some modules (particularly in the first year) include a formative exam midway through the year. Other modules include formative exercises, a formative essay, or some opportunity to get feedback on the development and progress of a piece of summative work.
Instructors provide feedback in a variety of forms, according to the needs of the specific module. It may consist of written feedback on work that you have handed in, in-class discussion of common problems on a particular assignment, model answers, one-on-one discussion of research projects, or online responses to questions posted on the module discussion board.
Yes, in the sense that you must satisfactorily complete the following in order to graduate with a degree that has 'with a year abroad' in the title:
However, your marks on the year abroad assessments do not contribute towards your overall degree mark.
We can make reasonable adjustments to assessment procedures for students with disabilities. However, please note that, for students with dyslexia, it is not possible to make adjustments in the marking of work written in a closed language exam (French, German, Italian or Spanish). This is because accurate spelling is one of the assessment objectives in language exams. Note, though, that closed exams make up only a proportion of the assessment types used for languages; other assessment types such as coursework and oral presentations are also used. Students with dyslexia could apply for extra time in closed exams, if this would be of assistance. See the University's disability support pages for further details relating to all disabilities.
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Written exams | 50% | 65% | 0% | 49% |
Coursework | 42% | 27% | 100% | 43% |
Practical exams | 8% | 8% | 0% | 8% |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
Effective communication, critical thinking and project management skills are central to most careers. The study of language and linguistics at York equips you with these skills and others, which translate readily into any work context.
Our graduates have an excellent record of pursuing fulfilling paths after graduation.
Apart from their language skills and their knowledge of linguistics, our alumni have the confidence that comes from successfully completing a demanding course and participating fully in university life.
There are specialist careers that lead directly from a language and linguistics degree, after additional postgraduate training, including:
Our graduates are not limited to these specialist paths, however. Ongoing contact with our alumni well after graduation shows that they are equipped to pursue rewarding careers across a broad range of professional fields, including:
Find out more about how we can help make you more employable
All applications must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Prospective applicants should also read through the university's Undergraduate Prospectus. You can choose to view the prospectus online, download a PDF copy, or request a printed version.
We run a series of Open Days and Visit Days throughout the year, which will provide you with an opportunity to visit the University and the Department and talk to staff about the courses and your interests. We also have an undergraduate admissions tutor who is happy to answer any questions you may have.
Our French, German, Italian and Spanish programmes are designed to develop fluency in the languages. For this reason we do not normally offer places to native or near-native speakers of French, German, Italian or Spanish who wish to study their own language.
GCSE or AS-level Spanish or German may be appropriate qualifications for entry onto the ab initio Spanish or German programmes. However, even if you do not have one of these qualifications, but you can demonstrate an aptitude for languages through other experience (e.g., successful study of a different foreign language), you may be eligible for this programme.
Some students who do not have an A-level in one of the languages they wish to study may nonetheless already have A-level-standard knowledge of the language (e.g., a student who took GCSE and then spent time in a country where the target language is spoken, before university). At the time of application, we will conduct a placement interview and task, to determine which route would be most appropriate for students who do not have an A-level in a language they wish to study.
We welcome applications from international applicants, who wish to join the growing body of international students in our Department.
Our typical offer is AAB, but some ABB offers will be made (see our typical offers page). We do not require any specific subject choices at A Level, and include all subjects in our standard offer.
35/34 points
AAAAB
H2,H2,H2,H2,H3,H3
BTEC National Diploma or QCF BTEC Extended Diploma with DDD.
80% overall average
Pre-U: D3,D3,M2
Access to HE: Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher
Other qualifications are accepted by the University, please contact Undergraduate Admissions.
See also the University's information page for English language requirements.
We also offer German on a variety of other courses:
And we offer linguistics on the following:
The BA in Linguistics course allows you to try a completely new language in your first year, from scratch, from the range of languages offered by Languages for All.
Feel free to contact our admissions tutors:
Dr Tamar Keren-Portnoy,
Dr Dominic Watt
More about York
The staff in the Language and Linguistics department are incredible (and I’m not even biased)... It’s obvious how much they prioritise their students in their busy schedules.
Beccy, second year Linguistics student. Read more on Beccy's blog.