Our BA Modern Languages and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (including foundation year) is open to Home and EU students. It will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills.
This five-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further four years of study. During your Year Zero, you study four academic subjects relevant to your chosen course as well as a compulsory academic skills module.
You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK.
After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with the Department of Department of Language and Linguistics. Our course is ideal if you want to teach English to non-native speakers, but the knowledge and skills you develop will also prepare you for a range of other possible careers in the media, in administration, in business and in education; in fact, any job where the ability to apply critical thinking to problems, to conduct independent research and to communicate the results of your work to others are required.
You study topics which give you a thorough grounding in English Language, and teaching English Language to others, including:
- Linguistics and sociolinguistics
- The structure of the English language
- Second language learning
- Practical training in TEFL methods
You also study up to two of the languages offered at Essex: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese, completing at least one language to Mastery level. Each of these languages is widely used in the business world, and can take you to a level of near-fluency, and so many of our graduates go on to develop successful global careers with international firms looking for language specialists.
We also offer a month-long summer course with fees paid for by us if you start a language from scratch via the intensive route.
We are a place where talented students become part of an academic community in which the majority of research is rated ‘world-leading' or ‘internationally excellent'. We are 1st in UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021) and top 25 in the UK for linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome to Essex.