Languages and Cultures

COVID-19 update

Find out how we’re adapting during COVID-19.

There’s more to studying a language at the University of Reading than just learning grammar and vocabulary. It’s an opportunity for you to truly immerse yourself in another culture and develop your language ability to a near-native level.

You'll learn the language in the political, social, historical and cultural contexts of the countries in which it is spoken, giving you the excellent grounding required to achieve fluency. Our small language classes, which are led by native speakers, provide you with direct access to expert staff, ensuring you develop your written and spoken skills to the best of your ability. 89% of our students say that staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2021 Department Level NSS).

We offer a wide range of courses, meaning you can study a single language, two languages or a language alongside a completely different subject. Each of our courses provides you with plenty of choice in terms of optional modules, enabling you to tailor your degree to your own interests.

An increasingly connected world demands language skills, and well-qualified linguists are in short supply in the UK, so there has never been a better time to study a modern language.