Hello everyone!
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We are five students enrolled in an undergraduate degree in Bilingual/Bicultural or English language, literature and civilisation (a degree called "LLCER" in France), at the University of Lorraine, and more precisely on the Lettres et Sciences Humaines campus in Nancy.
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As part of our last year as undergraduates, we have to work on a final-year project ​which highlights the skills we have acquired during our three years at university – that is the reason why we created this website entitled "A Guide for Language Students."
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Our aim is to make future students discover our ​program of study so that they can begin this degree without any apprehension.
What is the LLCER degree?
Firstly, the “LLCER” acronym corresponds, in French, to Langues, Littératures et Civilisations Étrangères et Régionales, which we could translate as Foreign and Regional Languages, Literatures and Civilizations. The LLCER degree addresses people who are passioned about one language in particular, and who would like to be specialists of this language. The core curriculum of LLCER degrees is composed of linguistics, literature and civilization, which enables students to acquire in-depth knowledge in linguistics, literature and civilization, as well as developing their skills in foreign languages, be it by the reading and analysis of literary works, by translation works, by academic research, or even by the mastering of the aforesaid foreign language.
The LLCER degree at the University of Lorraine
The LLCER degree is available in several configurations, depending on which language the students want to study. On the Lettres et Sciences Humaines Campus of Nancy, a variety of languages is offered to students, who can then head for a German degree, an English degree, an Arabic degree, a Spanish degree, an Italian degree or even a Russian degree, whereas on the Saulcy Campus of Metz, only two languages are offered to students: English and German. Moreover, the campus of Nancy offers an alternative to students who would like to study two languages as well as a third one at a beginner or advanced level: the Bilingual/Bicultural degree.
From the second semester of the second year onwards, LLCER students are asked to choose a specialization pathway among those offered by the university, and on which you will find information by clicking here.
During the third year of the LLCER degree, students are asked to realize a twenty-hour-long observation internship linked to their specialization, which enables them to confirm or overturn their professional aspiration. Students also have the possibility to travel abroad thanks to partnerships with foreign universities, or even as language assistants in foreign universities or schools.
Job openings after a LLCER degree
At the end of their degree, students can continue their studies by doing a master’s degree (which corresponds to five years of studies after the French baccalauréat), can enroll in another undergraduate degree, or even choose to enter the labour market.
Degrees in modern languages offer a huge variety of possibilities for students to carry out their studies in fields such as education, tourism, translation, communication, journalism, or even international relations.
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To have more information on job openings after a LLCER degree, please click here.
How to get ready for a LLCER degree?
LLCER students must expect having to practice their specialization language frequently. They will have to read books as well as write pieces of work in the aforementioned foreign language, so they are likely to have a fairly high level in this language, but do not panic – the first year of the LLCER degree works as an introductory year which is aimed at making students acquire some common knowledge which will be useful for them throughout their degree.
In order to get ready for the first year of their degree, we advise students to try reading press or literary works in their target language, to take an active interest in the news of the foreign country and, if you would like to follow an English degree, we advise you to revise English irregular verbs!
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To have more information on the LLCER first year, please click here.
Two students bearing witness of their LLCER degree
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"Regarding the positive aspects of the English degree, I really appreciated the teachers’ goodwill. I know it is the most obvious, but it is also the most important for students. Teachers, and above all Barbara (the head of our degree, editor’s note), really do everything they can in order for each student to feel accepted and heard, without any judgment. I also appreciated the cohesion between classes. Since teachers are really committed to their work, we can clearly see that they want classes to be coherent, be it between the classes which are part of teaching units, or between the different teaching units. There are logical links between classes, which enables students to locate themselves more easily and to understand classes in a clear and coherent way. Moreover, the courses’ leaflets are very detailed and clear. They are really a good basis, especially for new students who think they have weaknesses in grammar. It enables them to work on their weaknesses in order to improve their level very quickly. The very fact of having a lot of classes (as compared to lectures, editor’s note) also enables students to work on the English language in a more practical way. Finally, the fact of being able to choose one’s schedule is really a huge positive aspect. It enables students to deal with several activities apart from their studies more easily.
As for the negative aspects, I did not appreciate the “minor” teaching units which we were forced to choose during our first year. I know it enables a lot of students to change their area of studies quickly – and so in a way it is still a positive aspect –, but the major issue revolves around the huge discrepancies between the different “minor” teaching units in terms of exams. Indeed, for some teaching units, the exam was a multiple-choice questionnaire (in Educational Sciences, for instance), whereas for others (as in History of Art), we had a 5-page-long dossier full of questions which spanned a period of several centuries… So, the difficulty of teaching units was not balanced at all. Moreover, the “digital” aspect of some teaching units bothered me. I am notably thinking of NUMOC courses, during the first year, which, in all honesty, did not provide me with anything in terms of knowledge. It also seems to me that the e-portfolio is a little bit useless from a professional point of view. I am not sure our future employers will be interested in this digital portfolio, but maybe I am wrong.
Overall, I am extremely happy to have pursued this degree. Teachers are caring, but still call for a certain quantity of work, which leads students to surpass themselves. The themes addressed in class are varied and interesting, it seems to me that the overall atmosphere of the degree is rather pleasant, and we are quickly faced with various choices in terms of educational and career options, which helps us to concretise our professional project."
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– Léa, 3rd-year student in English
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"After having graduated from high school with a literary school leaving certificate in 2018, I decided to continue my studies in the field of languages, and more particularly in English, with the English LLCER degree. I did not face great difficulties during my first year, I have rather properly managed to cope with my studies while having free time for me, and thus discovering student life. As for the two last years, they have been tougher since the work requested is far more demanding. The COVID-19 epidemic also has an influence on that. The classes' content is far denser but, at the same time, very interesting. But do not worry, if you work seriously, on a regular basis and methodically, you can succeed without any problem!
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My favourite classes are literature and the "History of Genres and of Representations" class of my "Secondary education" specialization, during which we talk about literature but, this time, in its historical context.
Even though I plan at enrolling in another degree next year in another field of studies, I keep good memories of this degree, which enabled me to have a better level in English, but also – and above all – to have a greater knowledge about the English-speaking worlds."
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– Anouk, 3rd-year student in English