Does the Certificate in Modern Language Studies teach a specific language?

No. The course is a comparative and applied introduction to the field. To learn a specific language, look at our language-specific Certificates (French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Dutch).

How is the Certificate in Modern Language Studies different from the Certificate in Global Languages?

Global Languages is structural and geographical — language families, typology, world distribution. Modern Language Studies is interdisciplinary and applied — culture, employability, professions. They complement each other.

Will the Certificate in Modern Language Studies help me choose a language to study?

Yes — that's one of its primary aims. The applied and comparative modules give you informed grounds for choosing which specific language would best reward your committed study.

Can I take the Certificate in Modern Language Studies fully online?

Yes. Live tutored seminars, recorded foundational lectures and structured written-work feedback all adapt naturally to remote delivery.

Is the Certificate in Modern Language Studies academically demanding?

Yes, despite its breadth. Expect substantial reading across multiple linguistic and cultural traditions and three structured analytical assignments.

Certificate in Modern Language Studies | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Modern Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a short, interdisciplinary UK introduction to modern languages as an academic and applied field. Across three to six months you will study comparative modern-language landscapes, language and culture relationships, applied modern-language work (translation, interpretation, language teaching, area studies) and the contemporary place of modern languages in UK and international higher education.

This Certificate is for adults considering modern languages study at degree level, or working professionals wanting structured grounding in the field before committing to a specific language Diploma or BA.

Key Features

Comparative survey module — major modern languages of contemporary importance.
Language and culture module — how language carries culture and how cultures shape language.
Applied modern languages module — translation, interpretation, language teaching as career fields.
Area studies introduction — language as gateway to area-studies work.
Three short written assignments with structured tutor feedback.
Three study modes — on-campus, fully online, or distance learning.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Modern Language Studies is built around the interdisciplinary literacy needed to think about modern languages as a connected academic and applied field.

The modern-languages landscape — which languages, where, why they matter.
Language and culture — comparative perspectives.
Applied modern languages — translation, interpretation, language teaching as professions.
Area studies as language-rooted scholarship.
Contemporary debates in modern-languages higher education.
The contemporary politics of language learning in the UK.
Modern languages and employability — honest market analysis.
Choosing a language to commit to — guided reflection.

Who This Course Is For

Adults considering modern languages study at degree level.
Working professionals wanting structured grounding in the modern-languages landscape.
Career-changers exploring modern languages as a field.
Heritage speakers wanting to formalise modern-languages study with academic grounding.

Career Pathways

The Certificate in Modern Language Studies is foundational and exploratory. Typical applications include:

Continued Study (Diploma or BA in a specific language or area studies)
Junior Communications roles (international organisations)
Diplomatic Service exploration (with language-fieldwork-aware applications)
Junior Translator-Coordinator (with comparative language grounding)
EFL Teacher (with structured modern-languages background)
Continued Study at a partner UK university

The Certificate articulates into the Diploma in Modern Language Studies at LSJHML and adjacent language-specific Diplomas.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior modern-languages study required.

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.