Year Abroad and UK Careers Placement
Discover your Year Abroad and UK placement options as an undergraduate student in the School of Modern Languages.
Your Year Abroad for undergraduate students in the School of Modern Languages
Study languages and embrace the opportunity to live abroad; improve your language skills and increase your confidence. The experience will broaden your outlook and give you a new perspective on the world.
When will you go?
Our Year Abroad is now optional, meaning you can choose to go abroad in your third year (making your degree four years long) or you can opt out (which will make your degree three years long). You don’t have to spend a full year abroad, but could do one semester of study or a work placement of 24 weeks.
You don't have to choose right away and you will get plenty of guidance and support before you decide in Stage 2.
What can you do abroad?
If you choose the optional Year Abroad, how you spend it is up to you! You could:
- study at a partner university
- undertake an approved work placement
- work as a British Council teaching assistant in a school (UK nationals only)
You can study at a partner university during one semester and undertake a work placement in another. Or you can split your year between two partner universities, or two work placements.
Please note: If you are studying Chinese or Japanese, you must spend a semester studying at a partner university. Work placements are not permitted in these countries.
I have such fond memories of my time in China and experiences I will carry for a lifetime!
Year Abroad support
You'll receive plenty of support when preparing for your Year Abroad, including:
- briefings covering practicalities, like studying, work placements, country-specific information, and student safety and wellbeing
- advice on finding a work placement
- opportunities in the Language Resource Centre for Peer-Assisted Learning and E-Tandem Partnerships, to practise conversation in your chosen foreign language
You'll also receive support from individuals and communities:
Year Abroad Officer
Your Year Abroad Officer is your main point of contact for all matters relating to your Year Abroad. They provide support when you're arranging your placement.
They are able to review and sign off your learning agreements and work placement contracts (where applicable). Your Year Abroad Officer is also a great source of advice and support, especially if you're dealing with difficulties during your Year Abroad.
Year Abroad team
Within the School of Modern Languages (SML), we have a dedicated Year Abroad team to help you when planning for, and on, your Year Abroad.
The team is here to advise and support you with your preparation and to help you with any difficulties you may come across during your placements. They can help to produce documentation to support your applications.
The team is also responsible for allocating you to a partner university, if you are studying abroad.
If you have a question, feel free to email the team directly at year.abroad@ncl.ac.uk. We can help with all manner of general queries.
Year Abroad Canvas
The Year Abroad Canvas community is an extensive resource that provides assistance before and during your Year Abroad.
The Canvas community features a range of information, including:
- an outline of the academic requirements you must meet
- information on individual partner universities
- guidance on preparing for a work placement or British Council assistantship
- general information on student finance, Turing funding, insurance and visas
Year Abroad (YA) Teams Interaction Group
The YA Teams Interaction Group is a fantastic opportunity for students to contact other students who have already been on their YA for advice about all aspects of a year abroad.
Where can you travel to?
Your Year Abroad is highly flexible. You can choose to spend it in one country or divide it between multiple countries where your languages are spoken!
Year Abroad photos from students
To give you a glimpse of what the Year Abroad can look like, here are some photos shared by students during their time in countries across the world. These photos capture just a few of the unforgettable experiences they had.
UK careers placement year
Work experience can enhance your career prospects beyond university. If you don't take a Year Abroad, you can undertake a languages careers placement year in the UK.
Your placement will occur during the third year of your studies, making your degree four years long in total.
With a languages careers placement year, you can choose to complete:
- one placement lasting 9-12 months
- two placements, each lasting at least four-and-a-half months