Key facts and background
The Year Abroad (YA) for Language students is an academic year spent studying, teaching or gaining work experience in a country where the target language is spoken. The year abroad is an integral part of the four year BA language degree, taking place in the third year. Students must achieve an average mark of at least 40% for their year abroad in order to progress to their final year at Sussex.
The University of Sussex has been running year abroad programmes for over forty years. Currently between eighty and ninety students depart annually on a language year abroad, going to Austria, Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Spain or Switzerland to perfect their language skills. Sussex has student exchange partnerships with over fifty higher education institutions across this range of countries and many of our students spend their year abroad enrolled at one of these institutions, taking courses alongside local students and participating in local student life.
Students can choose between four types of programme, with the approval of their Department:
- Full-year study at a partner institution: Under this option students are registered at a partner university abroad, taking a full complement of courses and assessments alongside local students and bringing back their grades to Sussex to be converted into Sussex percentage marks.
- Half-year study and half-year dissertation: Students take a half-load of courses at a partner university abroad and also research and write a 6000-word Dissertation, on a topic of their choice, in the target language. The dissertation is supervised and marked at Sussex.
- Half-year study and half-year work placement: Students take a half-load of courses at a partner university abroad and also spend between three and six months as a work placement student at a company or organisation abroad. Their work placement is assessed by a 6000-word Work Report, written in the target language, which is supervised and marked at Sussex.
- Language Assistantship: Students work as an assistant teacher in a primary or secondary school abroad, or sometimes an institute of higher education. The scheme is administered by the British Council, who work with their partner agencies abroad to select and place students. More about the scheme: www.languageassistant.co.uk
For all options above, a single average mark is calculated for the year abroad. This mark counts for 20% of the student’s final degree classification.
Detailed information about the year abroad options is given in the Year Abroad Handbook, available to registered students on the sussexabroad page of Study Direct. A hard copy can also be requested from the International and Study Abroad Office.
Applying and deadlines
Students begin planning for their year abroad at the start of their second year. In October all students are invited to attend a Year Abroad Afternoon where they can meet fourth year students returning from the various destinations and discuss their programme options with academic staff.
Students wishing to study abroad at a partner institution may express three institution preferences, with the outcome announced shortly before the end of the autumn term. Decisions are based primarily on the suitability of the institution to the student's degree (some of the institutional links are department-specific). The International and Study Abroad Office and year abroad academic staff work together closely to give students their first choice wherever possible.
During the autumn term, the International and Study Abroad Office also helps students apply for the Language Assistantship scheme (deadline 1 December each year). The final outcomes of these applications (destination, school type) are not usually known until April or May.
Students interested in doing a work placement on their year abroad must state this when they select their study programme, and obtain their Department’s permission at that point. However, students can then take the rest of their second year to research and secure the placement itself.
Language Assistants
The main role of the Language Assistant is to help improve school pupils' English language skills, particularly listening and speaking, and to present aspects of Anglophone culture to the class. Language Assistants usually work with the main class teacher in the classroom or sometimes on their own with smaller groups. Students who take this year abroad option tend to stress how much confidence they have gained, as well as teaching skills that can be applied to many different types of work, even if the student does not intend to follow a teaching career. Language Assistants are likely to have a very rewarding and unique year abroad in terms of integration into the local community, as opposed to the local student community.
Language assistantships are available in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Central and South America, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Typically assistants will teach 12 hours a week and are paid a fixed salary.
For further information, refer to the British Council website
Support and Guidance
Throughout the year abroad students retain their full Sussex student status and are supported by the University. Academic staff stay in touch to answer questions about academic work, while the Sussex Abroad staff in the International and Study Abroad Office advise on practical matters such as housing and healthcare abroad. Students abroad also have access to other Sussex services such as the Student Life Centre. These groups of staff are well acquainted with the different aspects of the student experience of studying abroad and are on hand by email and phone to give help and advice where needed.