If you obtain an A at A-level or its equivalent in the language, you have the option of taking your Modern Languages degree in three years instead of four. In place of the year abroad, you spend a semester (the second semester in your second year) at a university in the country where the foreign language is spoken. Your work there is assessed and counts towards your degree. This option is popular with mature students who value the opportunity to extend their language competence beyond A-level in classes taught mostly in the relevant language in combination with the study of language related/cultural topics taught in English. Such students who have family commitments need to be clear that the semester abroad is a compulsory element.
