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Linguistics with French BA Honours

  • UCAS code: Q1R1
  • Full time
  • 4 years

Explore how language works and how it’s structured, alongside the study of French.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year: 2025


Next start date:

  • September 2025

Fees (per year)

  • Home: Not set
  • International: £23800

Entry requirements and offers

  • A-Level: ABB
  • IB: 32 points

UCAS Institution name and code:

  • NEWC / N21

Course overview

This four-year Linguistics with French degree concentrates on developing your understanding of how languages function, how we communicate, and the growth of language in the mind.

You'll explore linguistics in the context of English and French. You'll build a firm foundation of skills and knowledge to pursue many potential career paths.

You will build your fluency in French alongside your study of linguistics. This will give you a unique perspective on the language. You’ll study French at an intermediate or advanced level depending on your previous experience.

In your third year, you'll immerse yourself in Francophone culture as you spend the year in a French-speaking country. You will improve your language skills and confidence, and gain a first-hand appreciation for the language in context.

Our cutting-edge programme is shaped by the research specialisms of our world-leading researchers. This ensures, that your studies explore the latest ideas and most exciting areas of linguistics, such as:

  • first and second language acquisition
  • language evolution and computational modelling
  • language variation and change
  • psycholinguistics
  • theoretical linguistics

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions  
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation and recognition

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions

You'll study the same linguistics modules as students on the single honours Linguistics degree.

Your stage 1 modules will lay the foundation for in-depth analysis and description of language. They focus on topics such as the:

  • structure of words and sentences (morphology and syntax)
  • sounds and sound systems of language (phonetics and phonology)
  • language variation and change
  • language acquisition and psycholinguistics

Your language covers speaking, reading, writing and listening skills.

You'll have a weekly grammar lesson, complemented by classes aimed at helping you understand the culture and society of the countries where French is spoken.

Modules

Compulsory Modules Credits
Level B (HE Intermediate) French 20
The Nature of Language 20
Introduction to the Structure of Language 1: Phonetics, Phonology & Morphology 20
Introduction to Language Structure 2: Syntax, semantics and pragmatics 20
Dealing with Data 20
Optional Modules Credits
France and the Francophone World 20
Introduction to Linguistics 20
Academic Study and Research Skills 0

Through your compulsory modules you’ll develop your knowledge of:

  • core aspects of grammar and sound patterns
  • how these apply to a range of languages

You'll broaden your understanding of language by exploring the social context in which languages are learned, used and how they change over time.

In your French modules in the School of Modern Languages, you’ll develop your:

  • reading, listening, writing and speaking skills
  • understanding of the culture and society of French-speaking countries. This is in preparation for your year abroad

Modules

Compulsory Modules Credits
Level C (HE Advanced) French 20
Phonological Theory 20
Syntactic Theory 20
Year Abroad Preparation 0
Optional Modules Credits
Sociolinguistics 20
Early English: Texts, Patterns and Varieties 20
Monsters, Misery & Miracles: Heroic Life in Old English Poetry 20
Experimental Methods in Linguistics 20
Multilingualism 20
Pragmatic Theory 20
CHiLD: Current Hypotheses in Language Development 20
It's not what you say, it's how you say it: Prosody and intonation 20
Introduction to Second Language Acquisition 20

You will spend your third year studying or working (or a combination of both) in a French-speaking country.

Modules

Compulsory Modules Credits
Year Abroad Tutor Posts 100
Optional Modules
You take one of the following optional modules:

You'll continue to study advanced language modules in French, reflecting the fluency you will have gained during your year abroad.

You will also undertake an independent project, leading your own research in close collaboration with a faculty supervisor.

You can select your remaining modules from an array of choices, each of which is closely linked to your lecturers’ active research specialisms. These currently include syntactic and phonological theory; low-educated second language and literacy acquisition; language origins and evolution; child language acquisition and language change.

Modules

You must take one of the following modules (shown in the list below):

Level D (HE Further Advanced) French: Language for Professional & Academic Purposes (20 credits)

OR
 
 
You must also take one of the following modules (shown in the list below):
 
OR
OR
 
Optional Modules Credits
Level D (HE Further Advanced): French for Professional and Academic Purposes 20
Level D (HE Further Advanced): French Translation and Interpreting 20
Sociolinguistics 20
Early English: Texts, Patterns and Varieties 20
Monsters, Misery & Miracles: Heroic Life in Old English Poetry 20
Experimental Methods in Linguistics 20
Multilingualism 20
Pragmatic Theory 20
CHiLD: Current Hypotheses in Language Development 20
It's not what you say, it's how you say it: Prosody and intonation 20
Introduction to Second Language Acquisition 20
Origins and Evolution of Language 20
Language in the City 20
Short-form Dissertation 1: English Language and Linguistics 20
Short-form Dissertation 2: English Language and Linguistics 20
The History of Linguistic Ideas 20
Language and Ageing 20
Advanced Second Language Acquisition 20
Laboratory Phonology 20
From Input to Output: The Blackbox of Child Language Acquisition 20
Medieval and Early Modern Meaning: English Historical Semantics 20
Dissertation/T&I Project 20

 

 

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

You can normally expect to spend around 10 hours per week attending lectures, seminars, workshops and film screenings, plus weekly study groups.

You also spend around 25 hours per week on class preparation, reading, writing, and other kinds of independent research recommended by your tutor.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

  • Assignments – written or fieldwork

  • Coursework

  • Dissertation or research project

  • Essays

  • Examinations – practical or online

  • Group work

  • Presentations

Skills and experience

Practical experience

Studying Linguistics at Newcastle means you will benefit from access to our state-of-the-art Linguistics Laboratory. The LingLab hosts collections of language data for analysis of linguistic variation and change. It also hosts a range of equipment for advanced articulatory, phonetic and psycholinguistic research. Activities are supported by a dedicated lab manager.

You'll also have access to the award-winning Language Resource Centre in the School of Modern Languages. These facilities support your language learning, and encourage cross-cultural communication.

Research skills

As part of your degree, you will complete an independent research project in your final year. You will collaborate with a faculty member to investigate a novel topic that you are passionate about. You will also be offered a range of opportunities to participate in staff research projects.

Opportunities

You will spend the third year of your degree in a French-speaking country, where you can:

  • study at one of our partner institutions
  • teach English as a foreign language under the British Council assistantship programme
  • take a work placement
  • combine study with work placement

Our current partner institutions, in France and Belgium, include:

  • Haute École EPHEC
  • Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • ISIT Paris
  • Université Catholique de l'Ouest
  • Université d'Angers
  • Université de Lorraine
  • Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
  • Université de Tours
  • Université Grenoble Alps

Facilities and environment

Facilities

You'll be based in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. The School is located in the Percy Building, which is at the heart of our city-centre campus. You'll join a lively community of students, academics, writers, and professionals.

You'll have access to:

  • A library of 1.4 million books and 54,000 journals on 26km of shelving
  • The Percy Building’s student common rooms, study areas and café
  • Northern Stage, Great North Museum & the Hatton Gallery for events and exhibitions
  • The Students' Union for shops, societies and gigs
  • A digital media lab for developing documentaries and film-making

Our literature and creative writing teaching is linked to the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA) programme. This will give you regular contact with leading creative artists.

Find out more about the NCLA programme

You'll also have access to a diverse programme of events, including spoken-word events and creative writing courses.

Find out more about the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics

 




 

Support

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a Personal Tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues affecting your academic progress.

Peer Mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer questions you may have when starting university.

Your future

English Language and Linguistics students acquire a range of valuable skills which equip them to pursue diverse career paths.

Your training can be used in:

  • teaching English as a foreign language
  • publishing
  • journalism
  • advertising, branding and marketing
  • information services and data science

You will gain skills such as critical reasoning and problem solving, project and data management, oral and written communication, collaboration and independent research.

Our degrees provide excellent preparation for a wide number of professions. With further training, our graduates have also become:

  • lexicographers
  • translators and interpreters
  • speech and language therapists
  • social researchers
  • legal sector workers (including forensic linguists)

Employability

Employability and the engagement with the wider world go hand-in-hand in this degree.

Many of our modules, particularly in your final year, model their assessments on the kind of tasks you might be employed to do:

  • constructing marketing briefs
  • drafting website copy
  • curating exhibitions
  • designing experiments
  • coding websites
  • analysing data
  • writing a clear and persuasive argument.

Beyond our modules, there are plenty of extracurricular opportunities. These range from freelance work for Newcastle’s student newspaper to paid internships in the department. In particular, the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts hires students to work on everything from event management to app design.

Make a difference

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Careers support

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements and offers below apply to 2025 entry. 

A-Level
International Baccalaureate

Other UK and the Republic of Ireland qualifications

Contextual Offers

Through one of our contextual routes, you could receive an offer of up to three grades lower than the typical requirements.

What is a contextual offer? Find out more and if you’re eligible for this or our PARTNERS Programme supported entry route.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Entrance courses (INTO)

International Pathway Courses are specialist programmes designed for international students who want to study in the UK. We provide a range of study options for international students in partnership with INTO. 

Find out more about International Pathway Courses

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

The 2025 home fees have not yet been confirmed (see ‘Home Fee Students’ information below).

Qualification: BA Honours

Home students

full time 4 years

Tuition fees (per year)

Not set

International students

full time 4 years

Tuition fees (per year)

23800

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Scholarships

Find out more about:

Open days and events

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

  • the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
  • the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
  • the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages

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