English and Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish),BA (Hons)

If you are passionate about literature, culture, ideas and writing, our BA English and Language is a varied and flexible course that allows you to combine studying English literature with a modern language: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean or Spanish, and its associated culture.

Why choose this course?

• The study of languages allows you to better understand other people, cultures and the worlds in which we live, while building highly valued, advanced communication skills and intercultural awareness.
• You will be taught by internationally renowned academics, researchers and writers in a School which prides itself on multidisciplinary excellence. Our prestigious research supports a vibrant teaching environment and a stimulating and welcoming learning environment.
• Our comparative culture and language-specific modules are open to everyone regardless of their language level, so you will be able to develop your intellectual interest and follow your passion for languages.
• An exciting and varied curriculum on this course gives you the opportunity to choose modules that match your interests, so you can build your own comparative pathway.

What you will learn

On this course you will be supported to be the best thinker, reader and writer you can be. We focus on three main approaches to studying English: storytelling, making stories and understanding texts. This allows you to learn how stories are communicated, how they are created and how texts produce meaning in the world.

You will have the opportunity to explore ground-breaking texts that span the medieval to contemporary periods and include fiction, non-fiction, autobiography, biography, literary criticism, essays, poetry and plays. You will study these texts in interdisciplinary contexts to understand how they shape, and are shaped by, our current cultural climate as well as legacies of the past.

The languages component of this course will give you the chance to reach a high level of competence in a modern language of your choice, opening a window onto other cultures through literature, history, film and thought associated with each language, and comparative perspectives across all of these. You will also master transferable skills such as essay writing, oral presentations, written reports, critical thinking and translating.

You can choose French, German, Italian, Japanese or Spanish starting at the level of language that suits you, whether you are a complete beginner or a native speaker. Korean is offered starting from beginner level. If you choose this language, your final degree award will be a ‘with’ degree, so for example BA English with Korean, because we currently offer this language up to intermediate level only.

How you will learn

You will be taught via lectures that introduce you to broad topics and ideas, as well as seminars and workshops that allow you to discuss texts in depth and practise your skills.

Language teaching takes place in small-group seminars, so you have plenty of opportunity to participate actively with other students and an expert tutor. Teaching is also delivered in the target language, allowing you full immersion in your chosen linguistic area.

This course is available to study full- or part-time and follows an evening timetable.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Find out everything you need to know about Foundation Years.