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BA ITALIAN STUDIES AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE QR3H
Full Time: 4 Years
This BA Italian and English Language joint honours degree provides you with a solid grounding in the core mechanics and usage of language, and will enable you to write and speak fluently in Italian.
Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Languages and Cultures, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning which allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.
Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Italian. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We’re proud of our small language classes, led by native speakers. Direct access to expert staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability.
Optional modules in Italian politics, culture, history, literature and cinema enhance your learning, and provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the country. You will gain a broad understanding of the most important features of the culture and history of Italy, from the Middle Ages to today. You will have the opportunity to study with leading academics on topics including Dante, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, fascism, the history of the language, the resistance, Fellini and contemporary culture.
The course enables you to pursue your own interests beyond the language you're learning through comparative modules. For example, if you really enjoy film, then you can take a module in Italian cinema together with comparative modules in European and world cinema. It's a great way to broaden your knowledge and get even more enjoyment from the course.
In English language, you will analyse language, its use in different social contexts and settings, on and off line, and how it is acquired and used by children and adults. During the degree you will develop your knowledge of grammar and phonetics in order to become a highly skilled user and analyst of the English language. Our method of applying the theory you learn to real-life situations will help you to understand that theory – and also show how the subject is directly relevant to many key issues in 21st-century society and the workplace. Our Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics has been a leader in the field for 50 years.
An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in Italy, studying at a partner institution through the Erasmus+ programme, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It allows you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and considerably develop your knowledge of Italian at the same time. The core language module in the second year will prepare you for your time abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture.
Typical offer A Level BBB | IB 30 pts overall
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9,250* per year
New international students: £16,890 per year
* UK and EU fee changes
UK undergraduate fees are regulated by the government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK and EU** students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
From 2020, the UK government may link tuition fees to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
**EU students
For more information on fees, loans and grants for EU students, see fees and funding for home/EU students.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
* UK and EU Fee Changes
Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.
The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.
For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.
Additional costs
These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
What career can you have?
By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak fluently in Italian – an immensely useful skill to have given that there is currently a great shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. The experience of studying or working abroad also distinguishes you from non-language graduates, providing evidence of self-reliance, adaptability and enterprise. You will also develop transferable skills in analysis of language data, problem solving, team working and presentation skills. You will be suitably equipped for a wide range of career paths in areas such as teaching, publishing, marketing, advertising, media and law.
Your in-depth knowledge of Italy will make you highly attractive to many employers as previous graduates prove, with 94% of graduates from the Department of Modern Languages and European Studies in work or further study six months after graduating (DLHE survey, 2016/2017 (includes Italian, French and German Studies).
Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment or progressing to further study. Many go on to put their linguistic skills to practical use by working for companies with a German connection. However, prospects extend well beyond translating and interpreting. Recent Reading graduates have been recruited by employers such as Sony Europe, the Civil Service, Oxford University Press, Dow Jones and PwC, all of whom clearly value the technical and intellectual training of a degree in modern languages.