Four streams to choose from
When you take a BA in International Languages and Cultures, you choose a single stream.
International Languages and Cultures
International Languages and Cultures at Waikato offers four specialisations - Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish. With advanced language skills, you'll meet the world's need for multilingual and culturally sensitive speakers, enhancing your business and social skills and preparing you for success in a multicultural work environment.
From 2023, four papers in the Korean language will be offered to students as electives. These are KOREA131 and KOREA232 in Trimester A, and KOREA231 and KOREA331 in Trimester B..
We offer many possibilities to study languages and enable you to use multimedia applications to make international communication easier. You'll significantly increase your marketability and open doors for adventurous overseas job opportunities. Our languages programme is QS-rated in the top 250 subjects in the world.
We offer a range of options for studying languages with papers in Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish. You can choose to major in International Languages and Cultures, specialise in one language whilst completing a minor in another. Or you can major in International Languages and Cultures and take a range of cultural communication papers. You can add a major, or a minor in International Languages and Cultures to any other subject such as business, management, law or science, to further enhance your preparation for the workforce.
Students also benefit from travelling abroad to study their language through immersive learning opportunities. Chinese students, for instance, travel to China to gain first-hand language skills and cultural understanding.
Waikato gives you the space to become versatile to deal with texts in a variety of media formats to meet communication and translation needs. The International Languages and Cultures programme at Waikato is highly reputed and increases employability for those seeking job opportunities in other cultures and with different people groups.
Key information
| Study Location: | Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Area of Study: |
Study International Languages and Cultures in these qualifications
Study International Languages and Cultures as a specialisation of
Career opportunities
- Diplomat
- Hospitality Operator
- International Lawyer
- Tour Guide
- Translator or Interpreter
- Travel Agent
Papers
Available International Languages and Cultures papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHINE131 | Chinese for Beginners | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces you to the Chinese writing system, pinyin, and tones. You will also learn the basics of greetings and self-introductions in Chinese. The paper is for complete beginners only. | |||
| FRNCH131 | French for Beginners | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Learn the basics of written and spoken French including greetings, family, city life and daily routines. No previous knowledge of French is needed. | |||
| INTLC101 | International Languages and Cultures | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23G (Online) |
| This paper introduces students to major world cultures and their languages in a comparative context. Students will gain a critical understanding of culture and diversity through examining the languages and cultures of China, France, Japan, Korea, Spain and Latin America. | |||
| INTLC102 | Communicating Across Cultures | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces core elements of communication across major world cultures, and enables you to acquire basic language skills for everyday situations in Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. | |||
| JAPAN131 | Japanese for Beginners | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper assumes no previous knowledge of Japanese. It takes an integrated approach to the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. | |||
| KOREA131 | Korean Language for Beginners 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23A (Online) |
| This language acquisition paper is designed for absolute beginners. Students will acquire basic written and spoken communication skills in Korean. | |||
| SPNSH131 | Spanish for Beginners | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Learn the basics of written and spoken Spanish including greetings, family, city life and daily routines. No previous knowledge of Spanish is needed. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHINE231 | Intermediate Chinese 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will extend students' communication skills in Chinese across a range of everyday situations, including celebrations, seeking medical advice, arranging rental accommodation and shopping as a tourist. | |||
| CHINE232 | Intermediate Chinese 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will enable you to improve your Chinese communication skills across a range of everyday situations by expanding your understanding of more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. | |||
| FRNCH231 | Intermediate French 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| Take your written and spoken French to the next level. This paper focuses on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing the French language at an intermediate level. | |||
| FRNCH232 | Intermediate French 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper is the continuation of FRNCH231. | |||
| INTLC200 | Spanish & Latin American Business Culture: Intercultural Competence 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Online) |
| In this intermediate paper, students will acquire knowledge of Spanish in a practical and professional context related to business and tourism. Additionally, students will acquire geographic literacy and cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world and basic linguistic competence in Spanish. | |||
| INTLC221 | Understanding East Asia | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper offers a critical examination of historical traditions and contemporary life in East Asia within a global context. This paper is taught in English and is open to all students, including those who have no prior knowledge of Chinese, Japanese or Korean. | |||
| INTLC222 | Food Practices & Cultural Journeys | 15.0 | 23A (Online) |
| Cooking and food is linked intrinsically to history: migration, immigration and colonisation and have all played a part in shaping national and regional identities. Using different media: art, painting, photography and film, we will explore the gastronomical changes and discoveries that have shaped nations. | |||
| JAPAN231 | Basic Japanese 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This language acquisition paper is designed as a continuation from JAPAN131, a paper designed for absolute beginners. Students will acquire further basic written and spoken communication skills in Japanese language. | |||
| JAPAN232 | Basic Japanese 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This language acquisition paper follows JAPAN231, a paper designed for learners with a rudimentary knowledge of Japanese. Students will acquire further basic written and spoken communication skills in Japanese language. | |||
| KOREA231 | Korean Language 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23B (Online) |
| This language acquisition paper is designed as a continuation from KOREA131. Students will acquire further basic written and spoken communication skills in the Korean language. | |||
| KOREA232 | Intermediate Korean Language 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23A (Online) |
| The purpose of this paper is to help students build linguistic skills in Korean at a lower intermediate level and acquire cultural perspectives through their language learning. | |||
| LINGS203 | Language, Society and Culture | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores the relationship between language and culture, particularly in the context of changing Pacific cultures, and relates topics to the main themes of modern linguistics and anthropology. | |||
| SPNSH231 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| Extend your previous knowledge of Spanish to express past and future situations. Topics will include shopping, local places of interest, and employment. | |||
| SPNSH232 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Students will extend their language skills, and cover toipcs such as travelling, eating out and wellbeing. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHINE306 | Reading and Translation Skills: Chinese | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper is designed primarily for native speakers of Chinese. It is taught bilingually and aims to improve students' bilingual reading skills and develop students' ability to translate from and into Chinese and English. | |||
| CHINE331 | Advanced Chinese 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper focuses on advanced Chinese language learning and is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 2. | |||
| CHINE332 | Advanced Chinese 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper focuses on advanced Chinese language learning and is a continuation of Advanced Chinese 1. | |||
| FRNCH331 | Advanced French 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| Use your French in practical contexts. This paper covers work, CV-writing, presentations, travel, accommodation and everyday life in France. | |||
| FRNCH332 | Advanced French 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| Extend your written and spoken French skills through creative writing and discussion of current affairs in France. | |||
| INTLC301 | Research Methods in International Languages and Cultures | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) & 23B (Hamilton) |
| After workshops covering intercultural contexts in research, bibliography, literature reviews, ethics, data collection and report writing, students will prepare a research project involving the Chinese-, French-, Japanese- or Spanish-speaking worlds. | |||
| INTLC303 | Visual Cultures of East Asia | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper critically examines key forms of East Asian visual culture, with a focus on film and art, and within a comparative context. | |||
| INTLC304 | Cultural Identities in the Age of Globalisation | 15.0 | 23A (Online) |
| This paper explores the formation of cultural identities and the challenges they face in the age of globalisation through case studies from the Hispanic, French, Japanese and Chinese speaking worlds. | |||
| INTLC312 | Visual Cultures of the Hispanic World: Negotiated Autonomies | 15.0 | 23B (Online) |
| This paper, conducted in English, offers both a historical and contemporary approach to regional and national identity construction in the Hispanic world. Through a selection of cultural readings and viewings, the paper aims to provide students with an understanding of the interface of culture and visual culture in relation to iden... | |||
| INTLC317 | French Culture from Versailles to the Revolution | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| A study of France's literary, social, and historical movements from the Golden Age of Versailles through to the Enlightenment and the Revolution it inspired. | |||
| INTLC380 | Study Abroad 1 | 15.0 | 23G (Block), 23I (Block) & 23X (Block) |
| This paper will enable students to undertake appropriate individual study abroad programmes as part of their undergraduate degree. Each study programme should have a significant component of time spent offshore, with a series of assessments being agreed in advance with the paper convenor. | |||
| JAPAN331 | Advanced Japanese 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper focuses on advanced Japanese language learning and is a continuation of JAPAN232. | |||
| JAPAN332 | Advanced Japanese 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper is the continuation of JAPAN331. | |||
| KOREA331 | Intermediate Korean Language 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) & 23B (Online) |
| The purpose of this paper is to help students build linguistic skills in Korean at an upper intermediate level for everyday communication with native Korean speakers. | |||
| SPNSH331 | Advanced Spanish 1 | 15.0 | 23A (Hamilton) |
| This paper is designed to enhance proficiency in Spanish at an advanced level. It will focus on contemporary cultural issues, and historical themes related to pre-Hispanic indigenous civilizations. | |||
| SPNSH332 | Advanced Spanish 2 | 15.0 | 23B (Hamilton) |
| This paper focuses on advanced Spanish language learning and is a continuation of Advanced Spanish 1. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information.
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone:
Note: Students with prior knowledge of the language they wish to specialise in must consult the Programme Convenor before enrolling in language acquisition papers.
Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.
Contacts
School of Arts
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4932
Email Enquiries: [email protected]