3-Term Pathway - International Foundation Year in Social Sciences and Humanities - Continue to Bachelor of Arts - English Language and Literature (Study Abroad)

This program will prepare students for entry to Year 1 of an undergraduate degree in a wide range of subjects, including many based at the £10m LICA building. Popular subjects include law, film studies, sociology, linguistics and politics.

Lancaster’s joint Chinese Studies and Film degree is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures in conjunction with Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA).

This Chinese Studies programme enables students to acquire high-level Chinese language skills while gaining a thorough understanding of China's historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. Chinese may be studied at either beginner or advanced level.

In Film, students will examine cinema’s aesthetic, social and political importance in the context of an increasingly visual and media-orientated global culture, tracing the development of film from its origins as a technical novelty in the late 19th century through to its emergence as one of the most influential art forms of the 20th and early 21st century. Students will study cinema history and the social significance of films and will develop a detailed understanding of the techniques of film production. Alongside this investigation of the theory and history of cinema, students have the opportunity to make their own digital film in all three years of the course either individually or as part of a group, drawing on our excellent technical resources and dedicated technician support.

The first year comprises an exploration of the Chinese language and its cultural context as well as an introduction to Film Studies. Alongside this, students will study a minor subject from a list of subjects provided to them.

Building on language skills in Year 2, students will study one Chinese Oral Skills module and one Chinese Written Skills module at the same level of proficiency. In addition, they will study the culture, of the Chinese-speaking world in more depth as well as select a module which is international in scope and which promotes a comparative understanding at a global level. They will combine these with Film modules.

Spending the third year - the International Placement Year - abroad in a Chinese-speaking country makes a major contribution to students command of the language, while deepening their intercultural sensitivity. They can study at a partner institution and practise their language skills in a real-world context. Staff members within the department will work with students to ensure that they are fully prepared before embarking on their placement in a Chinese-speaking country.

In the final year, students will consolidate their Chinese language skills and study language-specific or specialist culture and comparative modules. Students will select from Film modules and will also have opportunities to combine their interests in both subjects in longer, supervised projects.