30 September 2024

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Develop an in-depth knowledge of French language and culture and a multifaceted, international understanding of the study of history with our BA in French and History.

You will graduate as a highly qualified linguist and specialist historian, with advanced intercultural skills and a sophisticated understanding of key concepts and debates in two Arts disciplines. The specialist communication, research, critical and evaluative skills you will gain are all highly sought after by employers.

New:

Develop an in-depth knowledge of French language and culture and a multifaceted, international understanding of the study of history with our BA in French and History. French can be taken from Beginner or Advanced level.

You will graduate as a highly qualified linguist and specialist historian, with advanced intercultural skills and a sophisticated understanding of key concepts and debates in two Arts disciplines. The specialist communication, research, critical and evaluative skills you will gain are all highly sought after by employers.

Course overview

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On this course you will develop an in-depth knowledge of French language and culture, and a multifaceted understanding of the study of history.

French at Warwick enables you to collaborate with academic specialists to develop your language skills and intercultural competence. Together, we will examine the historical, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which French is spoken across the world. The flexible course covers cultural topics such as philosophy, literature, politics, history, linguistics, media and film. Core language modules develop an in-depth understanding of the French language and its links to the cultural contexts where it is spoken, and you can then choose optional modules to develop your academic interests.

History at Warwick asks you to look critically at the motivations, context and characters behind the events that define world history from the Renaissance to the present day. Our far-reaching approach allows you to explore historical topics in depth from around the globe. The department’s expertise spans the British Isles, continental Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin and North America.

A French and History degree will allow you to combine two specialisms. Firstly, you will be able to develop and refine your skills as a linguist through a programme of modules exploring the French language and the culture, history and politics of France and the Francophone world. Alongside this, you will pursue your interests in history, with core and optional modules on topics including the history of the Renaissance, the modern history of Britain, France and Russia, and the history of the non-European world.

You will normally spend your second or third year abroad, consolidating and enhancing your learning.

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French and History is a joint degree, equally weighted between both disciplines and studied in both departments. You will graduate from this course as both a specialist historian and a highly qualified linguist with advanced intercultural skills. You will also have a deep understanding of the past and present in French-speaking cultures, and a multifaceted knowledge of the study of history.

A French and History degree will allow you to combine two specialisms. Firstly, you will be able to develop and refine your skills as a linguist through a programme of modules exploring the French language and the culture, history and politics of France and the Francophone world. Alongside this, you will pursue your interests in history, with core and optional modules on topics including the history of the Renaissance, the modern history of Britain, France and Russia, and the history of the non-European world.

French at Warwick enables you to collaborate with academic specialists to develop your language skills and intercultural competence. Together, we will examine the historical, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which French is spoken across the world. The flexible course covers cultural topics such as philosophy, literature, politics, history, linguistics, media and film. Core language modules develop an in-depth understanding of the French language and its links to the cultural contexts where it is spoken, and you can then choose optional modules to develop your academic interests.

History at Warwick asks you to look critically at the motivations, context and characters behind the events that define world history from the Renaissance to the present day. Our far-reaching approach allows you to explore historical topics in depth from around the globe. The department’s expertise spans the British Isles, continental Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin and North America.

Your second or third year is normally spent abroad, either as a language assistant, working, or studying at one of our partner universities. This is an invaluable opportunity to immerse yourself in the linguistic and cultural contexts where French is spoken, enhance your language skills and build international connections.

You will have access to outstanding facilities and resources. This includes flexible collaborative and individual learning spaces, as well as a vast selection of print, digital and multimedia learning materials.

You will finish your degree as a proficient, internationally mobile linguist with a deep understanding of key issues and developments in the past and present of Francophone cultures, and an advanced knowledge of global histories.

Core modules

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In your first year, you will take language classes to develop your knowledge and understanding of written and spoken French. You will also study the core module, ‘The Story of Modern France’. This module examines primary sources from major periods and events in French history, literature, and contemporary politics, as well as introducing key critical approaches to enrich your analysis. You will take a core History module called ‘Making of the Modern World’, which contextualises later modern history by providing a framework in which major historical processes of the later modern era are studied on a world-wide scale. Alongside this, you will be able to choose one optional module in History.

Having acquired fundamental skills in your first year, you will go on to develop your linguistic and cultural expertise through French Studies and History modules in the intermediate and final years. Alongside core modules, you will be able to develop your own interests. Our modules reflect the research specialisms of academics in the French and History departments and cover a broad range of subjects in culture, society, literature, politics, philosophy, film and history.

Year One

Modern French Language 1

You will deepen your understanding of French grammar and syntax with the help of tutors experienced in facilitating the transition from A Level to university-level competence. You will learn appropriate technical vocabulary and handle complex structures. You will develop the skills required to produce authentic and accurate translations of written texts in both English and French. Writing in formal French introduces you to the structures and methods used to debate ideas on contemporary issues. You will increase your reading and comprehension skills and develop your ability to exploit texts for vocabulary, idioms, syntax and grammatical structures. Working with a native speaker in a small group, you will discuss aspects of contemporary French and Francophone culture and society, using audio, video and written resources.

Read more about Modern French Language 1Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

or

Modern French Language for Beginners

As a beginner learner of the French language, you will cover the main linguistic skills in speaking, listening, writing and reading. You will focus on gaining grammatical accuracy as well as communicative fluency and competence. By the end of the year, you will be expected to be able to sustain everyday conversations in French, read authentic texts such as newspaper articles, follow the gist of TV/video extracts and be able to write different types of texts in French. You will also work on basic translations to and from French, as a means of consolidating your knowledge.

Read more about Modern French Language for BeginnersLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

History modules:

Making of the Modern World

We live in the here and now. But what got us here? This module studies the string of major social, political, and cultural developments that established our modern world. Radical (and not so radical) ideas from the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution’s structural transformations of how we work, build and buy things, and the struggles and stumbles of imperialism, capitalism and globalisation have gone far to set terms of life in the twenty-first century. The module will also help you develop your critical voice as a historian while asking comparative questions about historical difference across the world.

Read more about the Making of the Modern World moduleLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

Plus one optional module in History (30 credits)

A French cultural module:

The Story of Modern France

Why is modern France so deeply invested in the past? What are the milestones in the creation of modern France? How have notions of France and Frenchness been shaped through the stories told about them? These are some of the questions you will explore through close reading of primary sources from major periods and events in French history. You will explore a range of written, visual, and audio-visual materials, from the student posters of May 1968 to prints dating back to the French Revolution, and from stories of Charlemagne to films and texts reflecting France’s ongoing preoccupation with its (often controversial) recent past. Engaging with this varied range of cultural sources will equip you to study further aspects of French and Francophone culture in the later stages of your degree.

Read more about The Story of Modern FranceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

Intermediate Year

Modern French Language 2

You will consolidate and develop the language skills acquired in your first year. By the end of the module, you should have the knowledge of vocabulary and syntactic and grammatical structures to produce written French in two prescribed genres. You will develop your skills in translation to and from French, with a focus on specific translation challenges. In spoken French, you will improve your ability to understand and use structured spoken French on a range of topics related to contemporary cultures and in simulated real-life contexts.

Read more about Modern French Language 2Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

or

Modern French Language 2 (Post-beginners)

You will increase the range of your general and specialised vocabulary in French, improve your speaking, listening and comprehension skills, and develop your ability to translate from French, including through a sound knowledge of grammar, register, semantic nuances and style. There will be opportunities to write in French and to work on materials applicable to real-life situations.

Read more about Modern French Language 2 (Post-beginners)Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

A selection of optional modules in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (30 credits) and in History (60 credits)

Final Year

Modern French Language 3

You will consolidate and develop your ability to write and speak confidently and at a level of intellectual sophistication in French. By the end of the course, you should be able to produce a structured written argument on a given topic, in French that is grammatically correct, idiomatic, varied in vocabulary and grammatical structure, and in an appropriate register. You should be able to translate accurately from French to English and English to French, using your detailed knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and idiom, and employing an appropriate register. You will strengthen your skills in pronunciation and intonation skills and demonstrate these through fluent oral presentation and discussion of an intellectually demanding topic.

Read more about Modern French Language 3Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

A selection of optional modules in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (30 credits) and in History (60 credits)

New:

In your first year, you will take language classes to develop your knowledge and understanding of written and spoken French. You will also study the core module, ‘The Story of Modern France’. This module examines primary sources from major periods and events in French history, literature, and contemporary politics, as well as introducing key critical approaches to enrich your analysis. You will take a core History module called ‘Making of the Modern World’, which contextualises later modern history by providing a framework in which major historical processes of the later modern era are studied on a world-wide scale. Alongside this, you will be able to choose one optional module in History.

Having acquired fundamental skills in your first year, you will go on to develop your linguistic and cultural expertise through French Studies and History modules in the intermediate and final years. Alongside core modules, you will be able to develop your own interests. Our modules reflect the research specialisms of academics in the French and History departments and cover a broad range of subjects in culture, society, literature, politics, philosophy, film and history.

Year One

Modern French Language 1

You will deepen your understanding of French grammar and syntax with the help of tutors experienced in facilitating the transition from A Level to university-level competence. You will learn appropriate technical vocabulary and handle complex structures. You will develop the skills required to produce authentic and accurate translations of written texts in both English and French. Writing in formal French introduces you to the structures and methods used to debate ideas on contemporary issues. You will increase your reading and comprehension skills and develop your ability to exploit texts for vocabulary, idioms, syntax and grammatical structures. Working with a native speaker in a small group, you will discuss aspects of contemporary French and Francophone culture and society, using audio, video and written resources.

Read more about Modern French Language 1Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

or

Modern French Language for Beginners

As a beginner learner of the French language, you will cover the main linguistic skills in speaking, listening, writing and reading. You will focus on gaining grammatical accuracy as well as communicative fluency and competence. By the end of the year, you will be expected to be able to sustain everyday conversations in French, read authentic texts such as newspaper articles, follow the gist of TV/video extracts and be able to write different types of texts in French. You will also work on basic translations to and from French, as a means of consolidating your knowledge.

Read more about Modern French Language for BeginnersLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

History modules:

Making of the Modern World

We live in the here and now. But what got us here? This module studies the string of major social, political, and cultural developments that established our modern world. Radical (and not so radical) ideas from the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution’s structural transformations of how we work, build and buy things, and the struggles and stumbles of imperialism, capitalism and globalisation have gone far to set terms of life in the twenty-first century. The module will also help you develop your critical voice as a historian while asking comparative questions about historical difference across the world.

Read more about the Making of the Modern World moduleLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

Plus one optional module in History (30 credits)

A French cultural module:

The Story of Modern France

Why is modern France so deeply invested in the past? What are the milestones in the creation of modern France? How have notions of France and Frenchness been shaped through the stories told about them? These are some of the questions you will explore through close reading of primary sources from major periods and events in French history. You will explore a range of written, visual, and audio-visual materials, from the student posters of May 1968 to prints dating back to the French Revolution, and from stories of Charlemagne to films and texts reflecting France’s ongoing preoccupation with its (often controversial) recent past. Engaging with this varied range of cultural sources will equip you to study further aspects of French and Francophone culture in the later stages of your degree.

Read more about The Story of Modern FranceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

Intermediate Year

Modern French Language 2

You will consolidate and develop the language skills acquired in your first year. By the end of the module, you should have the knowledge of vocabulary and syntactic and grammatical structures to produce written French in two prescribed genres. You will develop your skills in translation to and from French, with a focus on specific translation challenges. In spoken French, you will improve your ability to understand and use structured spoken French on a range of topics related to contemporary cultures and in simulated real-life contexts.

Read more about Modern French Language 2Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

or

Modern French Language 2 (Post-beginners)

You will increase the range of your general and specialised vocabulary in French, improve your speaking, listening and comprehension skills, and develop your ability to translate from French, including through a sound knowledge of grammar, register, semantic nuances and style. There will be opportunities to write in French and to work on materials applicable to real-life situations.

Read more about Modern French Language 2 (Post-beginners)Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).

A selection of optional modules in French Studies and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, including translation and cross-School thematic modules (30 credits).

Optional modules in History must include at least 30 credits of Early Modern (pre-1800) material (60 credits).

Final Year

Modern French Language 3

You will consolidate and develop your ability to write and speak confidently and at a level of intellectual sophistication in French. By the end of the course, you should be able to produce a structured written argument on a given topic, in French that is grammatically correct, idiomatic, varied in vocabulary and grammatical structure, and in an appropriate register. You should be able to translate accurately from French to English and English to French, using your detailed knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and idiom, and employing an appropriate register. You will strengthen your skills in pronunciation and intonation skills and demonstrate these through fluent oral presentation and discussion of an intellectually demanding topic.

Read more about Modern French Language 3Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2024/25 year of study).