Do I need prior Mandarin to start the BA Chinese Language Studies?

No. The BA Chinese Language Studies is designed for genuine beginners and near-beginners. Students with prior Mandarin take a placement assessment in week one so the team can confirm the appropriate entry stream and adjust the first-term workload.

Is there a year abroad on the BA Chinese Language Studies?

Yes — a year abroad in a Chinese-speaking destination is an option in year three, with structured study and language partner arrangements. Students who cannot take a full year abroad have a short residency option instead, agreed with their tutor.

What specialism can I choose for the BA Chinese Language Studies final year?

Translation, business Chinese, media Chinese or cultural studies. Each specialism shapes your final-year modules, your translation practice texts and your dissertation. You confirm your choice at the start of year two so the curriculum can be tailored.

Can I take the BA Chinese Language Studies online or by distance learning?

Yes. Online routes run live tutorials and conversation classes at scheduled times; distance learning combines structured deadlines with asynchronous study and regular tutor contact. Both routes require commitment to daily practice.

Is the BA Chinese Language Studies recognised by UK employers?

Yes. The BA Chinese Language Studies is a UK honours degree mapped to Chartered Institute of Linguists and Confucius Institute benchmarks. UK and international employers recognise the credential, and the portfolio and language test results you graduate with carry it into application processes.

BA Chinese Language Studies in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Chinese Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree designed to take students from genuine beginner — or near-beginner — Mandarin to professional working competence by graduation. You will work intensively on listening, speaking, reading and writing across the three years, and develop specialist depth in either translation, business, media or cultural studies in your final year.

This BA assumes seriousness, not prior knowledge. The BA Chinese Language Studies is structured around what working translators and analysts actually need, with sustained tutor contact and a curriculum that rewards consistent daily practice rather than last-minute revision.

Key Features

UK honours degree in Chinese, three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Intensive Mandarin tuition — listening, speaking, reading and writing across all three years.
Year abroad option in a Chinese-speaking destination with structured study and language partnerships.
Final-year specialism — translation, business Chinese, media Chinese or cultural studies.
Cultural and historical strand — modern Chinese history, contemporary society, regional variation, classical literacy.
Industry-aligned outcomes mapped to Chartered Institute of Linguists standards and Confucius Institute language benchmarks.

What You Will Learn

The BA Chinese Language Studies is structured to build a complete, professional-grade language profile across three years. You graduate able to translate news and policy documents, hold a fluent professional conversation, write structured Chinese for work purposes, and read across the registers a working Chinese-speaking professional encounters.

Foundations of Mandarin — pronunciation, tones, basic character literacy.
Reading — graded readers in year one, full press and policy texts by year three.
Listening — broadcast news, panel discussion, regional variation awareness.
Writing — character handwriting, structured paragraphs, formal letters and reports.
Translation — Chinese to English and English to Chinese, multiple registers.
Modern Chinese history and society — Republican era, Cultural Revolution, post-1978 reform, contemporary debate.
Classical literacy — selected texts as background for advanced reading.
Final-year specialism — translation, business, media or cultural studies.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers committed to learning Mandarin to professional standard and willing to put in the daily work.
International students seeking a UK degree in Chinese taught in central London.
Heritage speakers wanting structured, credentialed study of standard Mandarin and academic skills.
Mature applicants in their twenties or thirties moving into China-facing work and ready for sustained language study.

Career Pathways

The BA Chinese Language Studies opens careers in translation, business analysis, regional coordination, education and diplomacy. Graduates compete strongly for roles where Mandarin is required as a working language. Typical first roles include:

Chinese (Mandarin) Translator (commercial agency, NGO, news wire)
China Markets Analyst (financial services, consultancy, government)
Bilingual Account Manager (UK business with China-facing operations)
Foreign Service Officer specialising in China
Mandarin Teacher (independent school, community education)
Bilingual Journalist (regional or specialist title)

Graduates progress to a Master's degree (MA Chinese Language Studies, MA Translation, MA East Asian Studies) at LSJHML or a partner university.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; prior Chinese is welcome but not required.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.