Full Time: 4 Years
This 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 Modern Languages and European Studies, 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.
We provide accelerated learning in Italian, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not studied the language before, or at intermediate level if you have only learnt it up to GCSE or AS level. Regardless of which level you join the course at, all students achieve the same standard of written and spoken Italian by the final year. Please check the entry requirements for more details on entry points.
Quick look entry requirements A Level BBB/ABC | IB 30 pts overall
What will you study?
How much will it cost?
How much will it cost?
New UK/EU students: £9250* per year
New international students: £16070 per year
* 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.
Information on this page is based on 2018/19 figures and is likely to change slightly for 2019/20 entry. We will publish up-to-date information about 2019/20 entry as soon as it becomes available.
For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.
What are the fees for a placement year?
For Home/EU and International students entering in 2017/18, your placement year will be in 2019/20 and your fees will be 15% of full fee (subject to changes in the University’s Fees Policy).
If your study abroad is covered by the Erasmus scheme, please contact the Erasmus/Study Abroad team by emailing studyabroad@reading.ac.uk or this link.
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?
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.
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.