Student stories

A Professional Training placement is a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience of what you're learning. It also enhances many personal skills and qualities which will be very valuable when you graduate.

There's a lot to like about my course, from the actual subjects to the wonderful people I've met. All throughout my degree, my lecturers have made every effort to not only help me succeed but to really get to know me.

Modules focus on improving natural and professional communication and involve tasks which really push you to look deeper, reading between the lines of what you are studying linguistically and culturally.

The course focuses less on literature and more on immersing yourself in the culture and language itself, teaching the lessons you need for the real world of work.

The modules focus on practical language learning, covering topics such as language skills and language for different purposes, plus lots of translation opportunities".

Having our very own floor of the library building for the School, as well as extensive material in the library itself and a dedicated study room, make the facilities at Surrey unique.

My placement year really helped me to grow as an engineer and become more confident in my ability to solve engineering problems in industry. I’ve also gained invaluable teamworking experience and greatly improved my communication and time management skills.

My time at Surrey has improved my chances of employability immensely. The beauty about Surrey is that they prioritise both academic and professional development, as most courses offer some sort of placement year, and really set you up for professional life once you graduate.

We’re so lucky to have such incredible teaching staff and lecturers in the language department and due to the smaller cohort sizes, they really get to know every individual they teach.