Year Abroad
The Third Year Abroad is one of the most valued aspects of a degree from the School of Languages and Cultures. All students studying a language with us will spend their third year either studying and/or working abroad.
During the Year Abroad you immerse yourself in the language, culture and society of the language or languages you study. It is a great opportunity to achieve the linguistic and cultural fluency you are after. Our SLC Year Abroad requirement is that you spend a minimum of thirty weeks in one or two places.
We want you to take ownership of your Year Abroad. During the first few weeks of your second year we will start our preparations. You will start thinking about, research and discuss what would be the right activity for you. Giving you that choice ensures your maximum engagement with this exciting year of your degree.
As our languages are spoken both in Europe and worldwide, you have the opportunity to choose destinations in Europe and beyond. You can choose between one or two destinations and one or two activities.
Your Year Abroad is not only about language, culture, and knowledge. It is also about you as a person, about your ability to deal with yourself and others and about your employability: you will be more attractive for future employers with a Year Abroad experience under your belt. That is a big job and it requires you to think carefully about what type of activity would be best for you: university, placement/volunteering, or teaching? Or perhaps a mixture?
Your Year Abroad Options
- Study
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1. Study at one of our partner universities
Studying abroad at a university allows you to experience the familiarity of student life with the excitement of living in another country. University life varies enormously across the world, however wherever they go, our students develop international networks and life-long friendships. Courses at international universities expose our students to new ways of studying, learning, and interpreting the world.
Find out about our partner institutions:
- Teach
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Teaching English
The British Council is an international government institution designed to promote British culture around the world. With the British Council, students will teach English to a variety of age groups in their host country. This allows students to have in-depth engagement with locals, as well as experience the world of international work.
In addition to our collaboration with the British Council, we have a number of additional teaching placements on our books. Liticia was an English Language Tutor at the University of Valencia.
- Work
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Gain work experience
Work placements provide you with the opportunity of gaining employment experience as both a professional and an internationally competent graduate. Types of work experience may vary hugely, from translation to consultancy and everything in-between. Work experience may be paid or voluntary, depending on type of work, organisation and location.
We will talk you through all your options at the start of your second year. Work placements need some extra planning, but they can be very rewarding. Annie worked in a hotel in France and did a British Council placement in Germany.
