Interested in studying BSc Language, Culture and Society at LSE? Hi! I’m Emma, a 2nd-year student enrolled in the programme. In this blog, I’ll be sharing everything, from the structure of the degree itself to my own experience, so you can decide if this is the right fit for you.
What do you study?
The BSc Language Culture and Society is a joint honors degree combining courses from the well-established Department of Sociology with the LSE Language Centre. During my time here, I’ve gotten the chance to explore the different facets of contemporary society and the languages through which we both understand and construct it. In my case, I’ve always loved studying language and had always taken delight in the ways in which understanding what people say and how they say it can offer a glimpse into understanding who they are, so, naturally, the course felt like a great fit.
When you first begin your programme, you’ll have the choice of studying one of five languages to fluency, whether it’s Mandarin, French, German, Russian or Spanish. Then, based on the language you choose, you’ll be studying abroad for your third year at one of LSE’s partner universities. Since I study Mandarin, that means I’ll be spending my next academic year in Fudan University, Shanghai.
Previous study
Needless to say, any previous study in sociology and/or modern languages would be a big help in starting out in the programme, but they aren’t necessarily imperative.
Sociology
During your first year, most of the lessons you learn are foundational. If like me you’ve never had any prior background in sociology, this will be your grand introduction to the discipline. Even though there are plenty of students with sociology backgrounds, I’ve never been too worried since I’ve always felt my initial sociology courses did a good job at accommodating students of varying expertise.
Language
You aren’t required to have previously studied your chosen language to have the option of studying it. There are different classes to accommodate students with varying levels of familiarity with the language, usually from beginner (Level 1) to proficiency (Level 4). Personally, since I have learnt Mandarin before, I was placed in a more advanced class. That being said, I have loads of coursemates who start their learning journey from beginner, only to work their way up to complete fluency.
Course Structure
As a BSc Language Culture and Society student, you’ll have the opportunity to explore two different, yet very interrelated, fields. Half of your courses will be from the Language Centre and the other half from the Department of Sociology. Outside of those, one of the perks of being a Language Centre student is the option of learning an optional and additional language for free. To give you a better picture, I’ll share my courses for the current academic year.
Sociology courses
Language courses
All in all, I take 4 units worth of compulsory classes and one additional language class. Although we don’t study courses from other departments, I think there is enough flexibility in our course selections to allow us to pursue our own particular interests. For instance, I could choose my sociology options according to my current interests from a range of other sociology courses. I also had the choice of studying literature courses instead of linguistics. Although, since I already took a literature course in my first year, I thought it would be interesting to broaden my areas of study.
Why I chose Language, Culture and Society
There’s no such thing as a one-programme-fits-all university degree, but I can personally say I’m really enjoying my time studying the BSc in Language, Culture and Society at LSE. With the stress of studies and change, university life can have its ups and downs, so by no means am I suggesting everything is sunshine and roses! However, despite that, because I genuinely enjoy what I study, I can confidently say I’m excited for what I get to learn next.
Learn more about the BSc in Language, Culture and Society at LSE
