Luxembourg Studies

Luxembourg sits at the heart of Western Europe: Luxembourg City is one of the three capitals of the EU and the vast majority of people are multilingual, with many speaking Luxembourgish, French and German in addition to many other languages.

Luxembourg city skyline with St Michael church. Credit Davide Seddio

To understand Luxembourg is to understand a little about Europe itself, and the country's tumultuous history and varied culture make for fascinating fields of academic study.

Outside of Luxembourg itself, Sheffield is the international centre for Luxembourg Studies. We are the only university outside of Luxembourg where you can incorporate Luxembourg Studies as part of your degree programme. Our teaching programme is made up of two key areas: Language and society in Luxembourg, and multilingualism. Students gain direct knowledge and understanding of Luxembourg Studies by taking part in diverse activities and events together with partners in Luxembourg.

More on the Luxembourgish community at Sheffield


Undergraduate degree combinations

To see how our degrees can be structured and combined, please visit the following:

BA Modern Languages & Cultures (BAMLC) - this course allows you to choose between one and three languages to study.

Dual degrees with a non-language - these options allow you to take a language (or two, in some cases) alongside a non-language subject.


Why Luxembourg Studies at Sheffield?

We asked some of our students why they chose Luxembourg Studies at Sheffield:


Course

Luxembourg Studies in Cultural, Social and Multilingual Context

You can opt to include Luxembourg Studies as part of your BA Modern Languages degree or as free credits on other Sheffield degree programmes. This is the opportunity to apply your multilingual skills to a range of real-world issues and also, to explore the particularism of small languages in social context.

We offer a specialist course on contemporary society and culture in Luxembourg in relation to its bordering European countries, in addition to a course that offers comparative study of Luxembourg on a more global scale. Our emphasis on original project work means that you have real influence on your course, which is further complemented by our diverse programme of speakers and cultural activities to complement your learning experience.


Modules

You can explore Luxembourg Studies from Year 2.

Title

Credits

Core/Optional

Language and Society in Luxembourg and the French Borderlands 

This module introduces key issues in the field of sociolinguistics, which examines the status and function of language in relation to its speakers and to speakers of other languages. We apply key theoretical insights to practical issues concerning the multilingual country of Luxembourg, in addition to the bordering countries of Belgium, France and Switzerland. In this way, we investigate how language becomes the target of struggles and debates that are embedded in broader socio-political issues. More broadly, this module underlines the importance of exploring linguistic diversity by taking Luxembourg as a prime case study.

20 Core

Optional school-wide modules:

Language at Work

This course provides the basis for understanding communication and communicating in multilingual (work) settings. After completing this module, students will - know the basic properties of language and communication and their relation to culture; - be able to characterise the relationship between English and their other languages; - be able to describe the difference between everyday language use and institutional language use; - be able to describe the differences between communication in monolingual and multilingual (intercultural) settings; - be able to differentiate between characteristics of communication involving native speakers of a language and communication involving non-native/foreign language speakers of a language; - use systematic methods to carry out simple investigations of language, communication and culture (and their implications for foreign language learning); - use digital technology to communicate academic work to non-specialist audiences.

20 Optional

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it is up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research, funding changes, professional accreditation requirements, student or employer feedback, outcomes of reviews, and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

Information last updated:


Four students laughing while sat at a bench, outside the Students' Union

International Merit Scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international students including 75 undergraduate scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee and 125 postgraduate taught scholarships worth £5,000 towards the tuition fee. Applications are now open for existing offer holders.