Undergraduate courses Applied Foreign Languages
This programme is taught in French.
field(s) of training :
Arts, Literature, Languages
diploma level :
Bachelor's degree (three-year degree)
duration of the program :
3 years
Course overview
You're interested in languages? You wish to work in multicultural environments? The bachelor’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages teaches you how to use your linguistic skills in various fields, within companies, associations, or public services.
With this degree, you will:
- Acquire multilingual skills in translation and communication
- Discover the different cultures, economic and political institutions related to the countries you study
This three-year full-time programme is multidisciplinary. Through practical courses, you will acquire general knowledge and know-how about the professional environment, allowing you to build your professional experience!
Welcoming international students
Since 2019, the University of Caen Normandy has been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label by Campus France, highlighting the quality of the university's welcome for international students.
Application requirements
Entry requirements
To enter this bachelor’s, you should have completed secondary education, and obtained a high school diploma equivalent to the French baccalaureate.
Language proficiency requirements
Minimum French proficiency level required: B2
Minimum English proficiency level required: B1
Specific conditions
Within the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the Applied Foreign Languages and the Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations bachelor’s degrees belong to the same department. As such, if you are registered in one of these programmes, you can change programme any time during the year to attend another bachelor’s of the same department.
Apply and register
The registration process takes place in 3 steps:
Application process
Admission and registration requirements may vary depending on your nationality, country of residence, foreign secondary school leaving certificate, and the nature of your programme of study. Discover how to apply to the University of Caen Normandy.
Course structure
Courses
- Take place on site in Campus 1 (Caen), within the Faculty of Foreign Languages.
- Amount to 500 hours a year, around 20 hours a week
- Are completed by one compulsory internship abroad
Course units
Language proficiency is essential to the Applied Foreign Languages bachelor’s degree. When you apply, you must decide in which language combination you want to study.
- French is considered to be the native language of most students (B2 level)
- English is compulsory (B1 level)
- Other languages are available
- B1 level: German and Spanish
- For beginners: Italian, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese
You will attend linguistic courses related to the languages you’ve chosen:
- Grammar, translation, comprehension, written and oral expressions, professional communication and language
- Contemporary world, companies and institutions: linguistic and cultural aspects
As well as courses to gain general knowledge and skills in various fields of application:
- Law: contract law, business law, European Union law
- Economics: economic principles, international economy, statistics applied to management and economy
- Management: corporate management and marketing
- Expression and communication techniques
- Applied computer science: word processor, spreadsheet, database management, web technologies
Finally, you will go abroad for a compulsory internship in Year 3, in order to put your skills and knowledge into practice!
Internships and placements
The master’s programme includes two compulsory internships, in a company or a laboratory, in France and abroad:
- Optional internship anytime in your bachelor’s degree (at least 1 month)
- Compulsory internship in Year 3, in a foreign company, between 6 and 8 weeks (between 210 and 280 hours). This internship will be evaluated through detailed written report and an oral presentation of this report. Depending on your situation, you can also benefit from internship grants (thanks to external structures such as le CROUS or le Carré International) to support your time abroad.
Coursework and assessment
The course lasts 3 years and is divided in 6 semesters. Courses are gathered in skills to be acquired, which make up course units. Course units are gathered in 2 skills units, a disciplinary skills unit and a transferrable skills unit.
Each course is graded through coursework only, from 0 to 20, 20 being the best grade: assessments can take place either in class, during the 12 weeks of training, or at the end of these weeks, during the 2 weeks dedicated to exams, or both. There are no final exams at the end of the semester or of the year, and you cannot retake an exam.
Grade compensation is organised without eliminatory marks and on the basis of the general average obtained in every course unit:
- For the courses of a same course unit and a same skill unit
- Over each semester
- Over the 2 semesters of a same year
The year do not compensate each other.
To successfully complete a semester, you must have an average mark of at least 10 points out of 20. If you have not completed your semester, you can retake the courses units you failed; you do not have to retake the courses in which you have obtained at least 10 points out of 20.
Language
French
English
Between 35 and 65% of the courses (depending on the languages) will be taught in the foreign languages you choose (German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese)
Study abroad
You wish to practice the languages you study in full-immersion? Discover the world and benefit from multicultural exchanges? Internship mobility and study mobility are in the DNA of the bachelor’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages! Besides, an experience abroad is more than welcome during any linguistic studies and on your CV.
In addition to the compulsory internship in Year 3, the Department of Applied Foreign Languages offers to travel all around the world thanks to:
- Erasmus+ European exchange programme: up to 35 travel destinations in 18 different countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Latvia, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Switzerland, Turkey)
- University exchanges through networks and programmes such as the Quebec student exchange programme (BCI), the ISEP and Asia Exchange, allowing you to travel in various destinations: Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, Canada, United States of America, Europe, United Kingdom… You can’t speak Thai, Korean or Norwegian? Don’t worry: many universities offer courses in English.
For German-speaking students who are interested in the Balkan area and wish to learn Macedonian, you can also spend a year in the University of Skopje in North Macedonia to obtain a joint degree.
Do I need to speak the language of the country? No, many universities offer courses in English.
Is going abroad expensive? It may be, depending on the destinations. You can go abroad for less than 500 euros, and you can benefit from cumulative financial supports (including scholarships).
When can I go abroad? For the Applied Foreign Languages bachelor’s degree, most students travel in Year 3; however German-speaking students can travel to the Ruhr-University Bochum in Year 2.
You want to learn more about financial supports or discover other ways to go abroad? Read more on the dedicated pages of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Service for the international mobility programmes, which co-organises study exchanges and international placements. Students who enjoyed their stays also share their experiences!
Learning outcome
By the end of this course, you will be able to
- Master English and two other languages: grammar, translation, written and oral comprehension and expression, writing and communication skills adapted to the professional environment
- Master civilisational and societal contexts as well as linguistic and cultural aspects of the companies and organisations in languages you study
- Master skills in fields of application linked to professional outcomes: law, economy, management, marketing, communication, computer sciences
- Work in autonomy and in team, improve awareness related to ethical, deontological and environmental issues, use transferrable skills
Further study
Once you’ve obtained your bachelor’s degree, you can pursue studies in:
- Professional bachelor’s degree in International Trade Positions
- Master’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages, such as:
- European Projects Manager
- Sustainable development: Consultation and Communication Strategies
- Start a Business Abroad
Careers
The bachelor’s degree is the first step to pursue careers in applied foreign languages. According to our last surveys, 8 out of 10 students went further with their studies after graduating from their bachelor’s degree. Hence your career will depend on your specialisation and the diploma you pursue after your bachelor’s.
Once you have specialised in applied foreign languages, you can work in the following fields:
- International project management
- International business
- International administrative services
- Communication
- Tourism
- Logistics, transports, imports and exports
- Associations
- Culture
- Interpretation and translation
Address
Université de Caen Normandie
UFR LVE · Langues vivantes étrangères
Département des Langues étrangères appliquées
MLI · Maison des langues et de l’international
Esplanade de la Paix · CS 14032 · 14032 CAEN cedex 5
France
Course leader
formation : Marcin Stawiarski · marcin.stawiarski@unicaen.fr
formation : Sebastien Peron · sebastien.peron@unicaen.fr