France

French - BA (Hons)

This is an archived course for 2021 entry
2023 courses

French is one of the most beautiful and widely spoken Romance languages. Outside of France, it is spoken as far afield as Canada, the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mali. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations, and an important language within the institutions of the EU.

Overview

Studying French at Kent, you'll develop advanced linguistic skills in a major international language, as well as a deep understanding of the cultures, histories and structures of French-speaking nations worldwide.

As a student of French at Kent, you work in lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials with staff who are specialists in French art, literature, film, women’s studies, philosophy, critical theory and linguistics, as well as with our team of language lectors who are native speakers.

The University of Kent is an ideal location to study French. Canterbury is the closest British university city to mainland Europe, and our proximity to the Channel ports and Eurostar stations at Ashford and Ebbsfleet means you can be in Paris, Lille or Brussels in just a couple of hours. There is a large community of French-speaking students on campus, so you have a better chance to immerse yourself in the French language than at any other university in the country.

You are required to spend a year working or studying abroad between your second and final year of study. In previous years, students have studied at our partner institutions in a country appropriate to their programme of study, and we have a wide range of links with French, Canadian, Belgian and Swiss universities. You’ll develop your language skills, grow in self-confidence, gain a new academic perspective, and enhance your employability.

During your year abroad, you could begin to study for a French qualification (Licence), or alternatively you can gain work experience by becoming a language assistant in a French school or pursuing other career paths. Our link with the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris also gives any student at Kent the opportunity to sit for the internationally recognised diplomas offered by that body.

Dr David Hornsby, Senior Lecturer in French and Linguistics, talks about the life-changing experience of his year abroad and discovering sociolinguistics.

It was a fantastic year, being immersed in a different culture. And my French-speaking skills improved in leaps and bounds.

Lucy Skinner - French

Entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

  • medal-empty

    A level

    BBB

  • medal-empty GCSE

    Grade B or 6 in a second language

  • medal-empty Access to HE Diploma

    The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

    If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

  • medal-empty BTEC Nationals

    The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DDM.

  • medal-empty International Baccalaureate

    34 points overall or 15 points at HL including 4 at HL or 5 at SL in a second language

  • medal-empty International Foundation Programme

    N/A

International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.

Course structure

Duration: 4 years full-time

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Year abroad

Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally.  You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability. 

All French BA students are required to spend a Year Abroad between Stages 2 and 3. You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stage 2 to proceed to the Year Abroad. If the requirement is not met, you may have to postpone your Year Abroad.

The Year Abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. You spend the year working as an English language assistant or in approved employment, or studying at one of our partner universities. For a full list of our partner universities, please visit Go Abroad.

Fees

The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:

  • Home full-time TBC
  • International full-time TBC

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Fees for Year in Industry

Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.

Fees for Year Abroad

Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.

Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status. 

Additional costs

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. 

The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

Teaching and assessment

Compulsory language modules typically involve three to four hours of classes per week, including one hour of small group work with a native speaker. We also make extensive use of computer-assisted language learning packages and audio and video materials. Culture and literature modules typically involve a weekly two-hour seminar plus essay supervision. We employ six French language lectors to help students improve their fluency.

At all stages, assessment is based 100% on coursework (essays, oral presentations) in the first half of the year, and a combination of coursework and examination in the second half of the year. Credits from your year abroad count towards your final degree.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

  • provide a sound grounding in the French language in all its aspects, through extensive reading in French and through the use of French as a spoken and written medium.
  • Develop a critical awareness of the broad canon of French-speaking cultures and societies from the 17th century to the 21st century.
  • Develop specialist knowledge of a range of areas within the broad canon of French Studies.
  • Train students in the field of translation from and into French.
  • Provide a gateway to related thematic studies comprising various bodies of knowledge and methodological approaches.
  • Provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and which requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge.
  • Provide a means of access to intercultural awareness and understanding.
  • Contribute to widening participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of entry routes.
  • Meet the lifelong needs of a diversity of students
  • Provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in industry and in the public sector.
  • Develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills which can be applied in a wide range of situations.
  • Facilitate students’ ability to cope independently in French.
  • Build on close ties within Europe and elsewhere (notably in French-speaking countries and regions), reflecting Kent’s position as the UK’s European University.
  • produce graduates of value to the region, nationally and internationally, in possession of key knowledge and skills.
  • prepare students for employment or further study.
  • provide learning opportunities that are enjoyable experiences, involve realistic workloads, based within a research-led framework and offer appropriate support for students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
  • provide high quality teaching in supportive environments with appropriately qualified and trained staff.
  • Provide students with the opportunity to spend a full academic year in a French-speaking country. They may attend one of the partner universities in France, Switzerland, Belgium or Canada, work as a language assistant in a school through the British Council, or arrange suitable employment (which must be verified by the University of Kent).
  • Provide students with the opportunity to improve their spoken and written language skills in educational, professional and social contexts.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • French Language
  • French and Francophone Literature and cultures from the 17th to the 21st centuries 
  • French and Francophone History
  • French and Francophone Critical Theory
  • French and Francophone Cultural Theory
  • French and Francophone civilisation and contemporary society, through first-hand experience

Intellectual skills

You gain intellectual skills in:

  • Apply the skills needed for academic study and enquiry
  • Evaluate information critically 
  • Synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of the subject
  • Utilise communication skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) for the coherent expression and transfer of knowledge
  • Analyse, evaluate and interpret a variety of texts and other cultural products in a critical manner
  • Study and reach conclusions independently
  • Organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument 
  • Utilise problem-solving skills related to everyday and academic or professional life in a French-speaking country

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills to:

  • Communicate effectively in French for a range of purposes and audiences 
  • Develop language skills in reception (listening and reading); production (speaking and writing); and mediation between at least two languages (translation and interpreting) 
  • Demonstrate detailed knowledge and effective understanding of the various structures and registers of French
  • Translate accurately and efficiently into and from the target language 
  •  Analyse critically a variety of texts be they journalistic, historical, visual or literary 
  • Gain intercultural awareness and competence, and an appreciation of cultural diversity 
  • Ability to mediate and display qualities of empathy in an intercultural context
  •  Acquire intercultural awareness through everyday experience of and interaction with French-speaking communities

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in:

  • Communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals using a variety of means
  • Evaluate one’s own academic performance
  • Problem-solving skills in a variety of theoretical and practical situations
  • Accurate and effective note-taking and summarising skills 
  • Library and bibliographical research skills 
  • Take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development
  • Manage time and prioritise workloads, think and perform under pressure
  • Capacity for teamwork 
  • Leadership abilities 
  • Work creatively and flexibly
  • Deploy a range of Information Technology skills effectively, such as word processing text with footnotes, basic formatting, using e-mail, searching databases and text-files, navigating the Web 
  • Develop independence and self-reliance while accommodating to and living in a French-speaking country

Independent rankings

Of final-year French students who completed the National Student Survey 2021, 91% were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course. 

French at Kent was ranked 10th for student satisfaction in The Complete University Guide 2022.

Careers

The ability to speak a European language other than English is a key asset in the global employment market, and many employers view a graduate with overseas experience as more employable. Through your studies, you also acquire many of the transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include the ability to work independently and as part of a team, the confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges, and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion.

Our students go into areas such as international banking, diplomacy, publishing, journalism, international product management, interpreting and translating, European media, law or accountancy, and language teaching. Some go on to postgraduate study in fields as varied as international journalism, visual studies and translation.

Apply for French - BA (Hons)

This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.

Contact us

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United Kingdom/EU enquiries

T: +44 (0)1227 768896

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk

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