Study Languages and Culture.

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Why study Languages and Culture at Flinders?

Broaden your horizons.

Study Languages and Culture to explore how culture and the ways we communicate enable us to express ourselves, create new things, make sense of our surroundings, and connect with each other. Start with a foundational Bachelor of Languages and add a major in Applied Linguistics, French, Italian, Modern Greek, Spanish, or Indonesian.

When you study at Flinders, you'll gain transferable skills in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving, guided by our teaching team who are leaders in language education. You'll build your confidence with placement opportunities with our range of industry partners, including film festivals, government, radio stations and other community organisations, allowing you to put your learning into action.

Join our community of Flinders graduates who have successful careers in areas such as Tourism, foreign language teaching, international trade, finance and commerce, translating services, and diplomatic and defence agencies.

Follow your passions Flinders University. Explore your study options across Bedford Park and online.

Courses available in Languages and Culture

New course Available online

Undergraduate

Majors

Honours

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 1 year

Postgraduate

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Higher degree by research

Flinders’ new city campus
Where potential meets possibility.

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No.1 in SA
in Communications for overall educational experience, skills development, student support and teaching quality.

(The Good Universities Guide 2023 (undergraduate), public SA-founded universities only)

What can you study?

Major in Applied Linguistics

Major in French

Major in Indonesian

Major in Italian

Major in Modern Greek

Major in Spanish

Postgraduate in TESOL

Broaden your horizons.

Watch a webinar to explore your career in languages and culture and learn more about study options, topics, placement opportunities and more.

Follow your passions by studying a language at Flinders.

View our webinars

What does a career in Languages look like?

Learning a language will help you kick-start a global career.

The ability to speak another language will open huge career opportunities for you. You’ll stand out compared to other job applicants and you’ll have an appreciation and understanding for other cultures.

Careers in Languages

Add a language to your degree

Here are some of the ways you can learn a language at Flinders:

Diploma in Language

The Diploma in Language consists of 3 years of part-time study and can be undertaken as a standalone course or concurrently with most bachelor degrees at Flinders.

Diploma in Language

Language major/minor

Develop strong language skills combined with a sound cultural understanding by studying a three-year sequence as part of a dedicated Bachelor degree.

Language elective

Study a language as an elective as part of most undergraduate degree offered at Flinders if you’re interested in travel or pursuing a career overseas.

Culture elective

Immerse yourself in the culture of your interest, with or without previous knowledge of the language, with a culture elective as part of most undergraduate degree at Flinders. Culture options include Greek Mythology, Italian Mafia, French Gastronomy, Indonesian Politics and Hispanic Art.

Master of TESOL

The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) postgraduate program is aimed at developing understanding and skills in the area of TESOL.

The courses are also designed to help you develop disciplinary knowledge in the area of second language acquisition, as well as specific knowledge in the area of teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Master of TESOL

Bachelor of Arts

An Arts degree is a flexible and varied way to explore your passions and design your dream degree.

A Bachelor of Arts will give you the skills you need to respond to social, cultural and economic issues in a rapidly evolving workplace.

Bachelor of Arts

Hear from our students

Arundhati Banerjee

“
I believe what excited me to take up a language as one of my topics was to use it in my HASS degree as an add-on, that would benefit my learning in my chosen field. I chose French as I was always interested in learning the language and it is a widely spoken language that can be used in numerous fields. I took beginner French as I was a novice to the language and found it a good stepping stone to learning the language and the culture of the country. The classes were an immersive experience of learning the grammar and culture that were provided by the capable French professors in our language department. My few tips on learning a new language are note taking, memorization, and being present in your classes as it helped me get a good understanding and grasp of the language as well as achieve the grades I wanted.

Arundhati Banerjee
Bachelor of Arts (French) graduate

Georgia Cosercas

“
I loved getting to travel on our international study tour to Malaysia and going on exchange to Manchester. Both of these opportunities allowed me to gain international perspectives on our industry outside of the classroom.

Georgia Cosercas
Bachelor of Tourism and Events graduate

Follow the Languages blog

Gain real-world experience

Flinders’ Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement program allows you to improve your employability by gaining valuable practical experience in a workplace setting, directly related to your study.

You’ll gain industry-specific, practical experience while earning credit towards your degree in a real workplace. WIL helps you to develop the skills employers want, build your networks, learn what it's like to work in a professional environment and get an edge in the job market.

Learn more

Get inspired

So you want to study a language?

Find out more about studying a language at Flinders and all of the career opportunities in this field.

Frequently asked questions

Is a degree in languages worth it?

Yes, it is worth it to study a language! The ability to speak another language will open huge career opportunities for you. You’ll stand out compared to other job applicants and you’ll have an appreciation and understanding for other cultures.

You’ll travel to other countries like a local, rather than a tourist and could work locally or internationally as an interpreter, foreign correspondent, foreign language intelligence analyst or international trade officer.

How long does it take to get a language degree?

The Bachelor of Languages and the Bachelor of Arts (majoring in a Language) are 3 years of full-time study, with the option to add an extra Honours year upon completion of the Bachelor degree.

Do I need to be skilled in French, Indonesian, Italian, Modern Greek or Spanish before I study it at Flinders?

No. Our language degrees are available from beginner to advanced levels. This means that no matter what level you’re at in your language study, we can cater to you.

What career can I get with a Language degree?

The answer is... almost anything! With the internationalisation of the job market, graduates with a qualification in a foreign language have greater employment opportunities both in Australia and overseas than ever before. Potential areas of employment include tourism agencies, foreign language teaching, international trade, finance and commerce, diplomatic and defence agencies, translating services, and international development.

Do I need to study the Bachelor of Languages to study a language?

No. You can add a language to almost any degree. On the major pages, you’ll find a list of common degrees that combine language study, or if you have a specific degree that you would like to add a language too, we’d love to chat through your options with you. Adding a language to your degree is one of the best ways you can prepare yourself for a global career.

Our course advisors are on hand to discuss your options with you, get in touch today.

Am I able to study overseas?

Yes! We partner with more than 70 institutions all over the world to allow you to study your Flinders degree, anywhere. You could choose to do one or two semesters, or a short term study program – it’s up to you. Why wait until you graduate to see the world? An outbound exchange is one of the best things you can do to broaden your horizons. More information is available here.

Why choose Flinders?

You’ll meet incredible minds to stimulate and inspire you – teachers of international repute armed with up-to-the-minute knowledge, drawing on research that not only meets the world standard, but exceeds it.

Our teaching is designed to take you from learning to earning. You’ll be plugged into industry trends, and take part in professional placement opportunities and practical experiences that make you work-ready upon graduation.

You’ll take this journey in stimulating learning spaces, sharing your ideas with like-minded individuals who challenge and inspire you to achieve more. It’s the perfect environment in which to become the best you can be.