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CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2022/23
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Subjects A-B

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BA Modern Languages and English Literature

  • UCAS code
    R9Q3
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Study a modern language, and explore a variety of writers from across the globe, with our BA Modern Languages and English Literature degree.

This highly flexible degree enables you to study a modern language – choosing from our core languages of French, German, Italian and Spanish – alongside your studies in English literature.

You'll be taught by experts from the Department of Languages and Cultures and the Department of English Literature, both of which prioritise learning in small seminar groups. This enables you to interact directly with your teachers and fellow students, and to add your own voice to discussions.

Learn a language

At the University of Reading, you’ll join a lively, multilingual community and study alongside students from all over the world.

Learn from internationally recognised researchers whose wide-ranging expertise includes migration, literature, history, cinema, linguistics, publishing, and translation. 100% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Modern Languages and Linguistics).

Choose to study one of our four core languages:

  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Spanish

These languages are offered at beginner’s, intermediate or advanced level, depending on your experience.

Our flexible, supportive teaching style will enable you to become confident and highly skilled in your chosen core language. You will master the fundamentals of the language – both written and spoken – graduating with near-native command.

Direct access to our staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures [1].

The study of language includes cultural modules that develop your understanding of the cultures of the countries in which the language is spoken, from their literary and cinematic traditions to their history, politics and linguistics. As well as complementing your joint studies, this enables you to develop as a specialist with an international, comparative approach.

Optional modules also include introductory study of one of the following languages (subject to approval and availability):

  • Arabic
  • British Sign Language
  • Chinese (Mandarin)
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Modern Greek
  • Japanese

[1] National Student Survey 2022

Overview

Study a modern language, and explore a variety of writers from across the globe, with our BA Modern Languages and English Literature degree.

This highly flexible degree enables you to study a modern language – choosing from our core languages of French, German, Italian and Spanish – alongside your studies in English literature.

You'll be taught by experts from the Department of Languages and Cultures and the Department of English Literature, both of which prioritise learning in small seminar groups. This enables you to interact directly with your teachers and fellow students, and to add your own voice to discussions.

Learn a language

At the University of Reading, you’ll join a lively, multilingual community and study alongside students from all over the world.

Learn from internationally recognised researchers whose wide-ranging expertise includes migration, literature, history, cinema, linguistics, publishing, and translation. 100% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Modern Languages and Linguistics).

Choose to study one of our four core languages:

  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Spanish

These languages are offered at beginner’s, intermediate or advanced level, depending on your experience.

Our flexible, supportive teaching style will enable you to become confident and highly skilled in your chosen core language. You will master the fundamentals of the language – both written and spoken – graduating with near-native command.

Direct access to our staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability. 90% of our students agreed that staff are good at explaining things in the Department of Languages and Cultures [1].

The study of language includes cultural modules that develop your understanding of the cultures of the countries in which the language is spoken, from their literary and cinematic traditions to their history, politics and linguistics. As well as complementing your joint studies, this enables you to develop as a specialist with an international, comparative approach.

Optional modules also include introductory study of one of the following languages (subject to approval and availability):

  • Arabic
  • British Sign Language
  • Chinese (Mandarin)
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Modern Greek
  • Japanese

[1] National Student Survey 2022

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Typical offer

BBB, including English Literature or a related subject (English Language, English Language and Literature, Drama & Theatre Studies, and Creative Writing)

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM, with comparable subject modules

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Genre and Context

Code:

EN1GC

Convenor:

DR Chloe Houston

Summary:

This module is designed to provide knowledge and understanding of two formative pairings of historical moment and genre: the Renaissance stage and the Victorian novel. In the first term, students will study four Renaissance plays, with an emphasis on drama as a distinct genre with its own particular conventions, and with attention to key aspects of the Renaissance stage, from playing spaces to the use of stage props. In the second term students will study three major Victorian novels, engaging with contextual issues of urbanisation, gender, sexuality and identity. In both cases, students will be encouraged to analyse literature in relation to genre and context and will gain an understanding of their intersections at particular historical moments.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Poetry in English

Code:

EN1PE

Convenor:

PROF Steven Matthews

Summary:

This module provides students with training in skills of close reading that are foundational to the study of English Literature, as well as an overview of the history of poetry in English. Students will be introduced to major movements and ideas in key periods from the early Renaissance up to the present; and to a range of genres including love poetry, political poetry, pastoral, elegy, satire, the sonnet, the ode, and the dramatic monologue. Poems studied later in the course will be drawn from the wider English-speaking world, including Ireland, the Caribbean and North America, and will include a diversity of voices.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Research and Criticism

Code:

EN1RC

Convenor:

DR Nicola Abram

Summary:

This module provides a secure foundation in both the practical skills and theoretical literacy needed for the degree-level study of literature. It combines advanced training in reading, research, and academic writing with an introduction to debates around the core concepts of ‘reader’, ‘author’, and ‘text’. The set texts – a selection of short stories and literary essays from across the world – invite students to reflect on the complexities of these critical terms and to become more independent and more questioning as readers. A series of online screencasts equip students with subject-specific skills such as writing a critical precis and plot summary as well as general academic good practice like referencing and incorporating quotations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
EN1GC Genre and Context DR Chloe Houston
EN1PE Poetry in English PROF Steven Matthews
EN1RC Research and Criticism DR Nicola Abram

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to French Culture

Code:

FR1IFC

Convenor:

DR Veronica Heath

Summary:

The aim of this module is to introduce students to a range of aspects of French culture through the study and analysis of key literary genres and visual art forms, mainly drawn from the late nineteenth to twenty first century period, including the novel and prose fiction, drama, film, poetry and music. The texts studied reflect the diversity of contemporary French society.
This module provides an excellent foundation for further study of literature and culture in more specialised modules in Part 2 and Part 3 of the French programme. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Beginners French Language

Code:

FR1L1

Convenor:

DR Marine Orain

Summary:

This module aims to introduce students with no previous knowledge of French to the study of French language and culture.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of French. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in French comparable to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate French Language

Code:

FR1L2

Convenor:

DR Marine Orain

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved AS Level in French or equivalent, as well as of students with an excellent GSCE Level qualification in French or equivalent.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of French to Honours degree level.  Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in French comparable to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced French Language I

Code:

FR1L3

Convenor:

MRS Celine Biart

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved Advanced Level or equivalent in French. Students with an excellent AS Level qualification in French may also be considered for this module.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of French to Honours degree level, but will also be an effective study and career tool for students who are not intending to continue with French after Part 1. 

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in French comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

The Making of Modern France

Code:

FR1MMF

Convenor:

DR Marjorie Gehrhardt

Summary:

The aim of this module is to examine events that shaped modern French society, ideas and institutions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Icons of Modern Germany

Code:

GM1IMG

Convenor:

DR Ute Wolfel

Summary:

An introduction to aspects of the culture and history of post-1945 Germany.

Assessment Method:

Exam 60%, Assignment 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Beginners German Language

Code:

GM1L1

Convenor:

MS Regine Klimpfinger

Summary:

This module aims to introduce students with no previous knowledge of German to the study of German language and culture.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of German. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in German comparable to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate German Language

Code:

GM1L2

Convenor:

DR Claire Ross

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved AS Level in German or equivalent, as well as of students with an excellent GSCE Level qualification in German or equivalent.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of German to Honours degree level.  Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in German comparable to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced German Language I

Code:

GM1L3

Convenor:

DR Alice Christensen

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved Advanced Level or equivalent in German . Students with an excellent AS Level qualification in German may also be considered for this module.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of German to Honours degree level, but will also be an effective study and career tool for students who are not intending to continue with German after Part 1. 

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in German comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

German Texts and Genres

Code:

GM1TG

Convenor:

DR Ellen Pilsworth

Summary:

In this module students develop their textual analysis skills by exploring a range of literary texts from different genres including short stories, novels, and poetry. Our readings of these texts will focus on questions about identity: How do we define ourselves? And what makes us who we are? How are we affected by others?

The course introduces students to some ‘classics’ of German literature, e.g. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Bertolt Brecht, Heinrich Heine, and Anna Seghers, and contemporary authors with hybrid German identities, such as Emine Sevgi Özdamar, and Saša Stanišic. Through these texts, students gain insights into German culture from the eighteenth-century to the present day, and can reflect on the questions of how literature shapes who we are, both as individuals and as national collectives.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Making Italians: A Journey in the History and Culture of Modern Italy

Code:

IT10MI

Convenor:

PROF Daniela La Penna

Summary:

This module introduces students to the history and culture of modern Italy from the struggle for Unification (achieved in 1861-1870) to the present day. Through a series of lectures and seminars students will learn about the factors and people that contributed to the birth of Italy as a nation and how these continued to shape the political debate in the fascist regime and in the Republic. Students will also learn how the narrative of national identity was used in the subsequent years after the Unification in literature and film.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Linguistics

Code:

IT1IL

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with principles in general linguistics, and to give students an overall picture of what a language is, how it works, and what its main structures are, with a particular focus on Italian. It will also provide useful meta-linguistic competence which can be applied to the study of any other language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Beginners Italian Language

Code:

IT1L1

Convenor:

MS Rita Balestrini

Summary:

This module aims to introduce students with no previous knowledge of Italian to the study of Italian language and culture.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Italian. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Italian comparable to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate Italian Language

Code:

IT1L2

Convenor:

MRS Enza Siciliano Verruccio

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved AS Level in Italian or equivalent, as well as of students with an excellent GSCE Level qualification in Italian or equivalent.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Italian to Honours degree level.  Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Italian comparable to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Italian Language I

Code:

IT1L3

Convenor:

DR Chiara Ciarlo

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved Advanced Level or equivalent in Italian . Students with an excellent AS Level qualification in Italian may also be considered for this module.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Italian to Honours degree level, but will also be an effective study and career tool for students who are not intending to continue with Italian after Part 1. 

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Italian comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

What is Comparative Literature?

Code:

ML1COMP

Convenor:

DR John McKeane

Summary:

This module will introduce students to some of the major critical and theoretical issues in the study of Comparative Literature, as well as to important methodologies for studying literature in a comparative context. Approaching a cluster of texts from different cultural and historical traditions, students will be encouraged to reflect on the practices and consequences of reading transnationally. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Greats of European Cinema

Code:

ML1GEC

Convenor:

PROF Julia Waters

Summary:

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the ways in which European Cinema – and the various national cinemas that comprise it – reflects the changing political, social and cultural climate of the twentieth century. The course is designed to introduce students to key features of film analysis and to develop their ability to apply these to the films studied.

Assessment Method:

Exam 55%, Set exercise 45%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Linguistics

Code:

ML1IL

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with principles in general linguistics, and to give students an overall picture of what a language is, how it works, and what its main structures are, with a particular focus on French, German, Italian and Spanish. It will also provide useful meta-linguistic competence which can be applied to the study of any other language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Thinking Translation: History and Theory

Code:

ML1TRANS

Convenor:

DR Claire Ross

Summary:

This module introduces students to the history of translation as a literary practice, as well as to the main theoretical approaches to it and the influential concepts that have been used to reflect on translation practice.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Icons of Spain and Latin America: From conquest to independence; from revolution to globalisation

Code:

SP1I1

Convenor:

DR Cherilyn Elston

Summary:

This module introduces students of Spanish to the historical trajectory that forms the roots of modern-day Spain and Latin America, through the guided analysis of written and visual texts that span over five centuries. Through a series of lectures and seminars, in the Autumn Term, students will learn about the factors that contributed to the development of both Spain and Latin America, from Columbus’s voyage in 1492 to the decline of the Spanish Empire, and the push for independence in Latin America that characterised the nineteenth century. In the Spring Term, students will learn about the factors that contributed to the more recent development of both Spain and Latin America, from the Mexican Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, immigration, and the growing presence of the US across the continent, to contemporary debates about globalisation.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Report 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Beginners Spanish Language

Code:

SP1L1

Convenor:

DR Denisse Lazo-Gonzalez

Summary:

This module aims to introduce students with no previous knowledge of Spanish to the study of Spanish language and culture.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish. Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intermediate Spanish Language

Code:

SP1L2

Convenor:

MR Oscar Garcia Garcia

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved AS Level in Spanish or equivalent, as well as of students with an excellent GSCE Level qualification in Spanish or equivalent.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish to Honours degree level.  Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Advanced Spanish Language 1

Code:

SP1L3

Convenor:

MS Angela Mira Conejero

Summary:

This module aims to develop the language skills of students who have already achieved Advanced Level or equivalent in Spanish . Students with an excellent AS Level qualification in Spanish may also be considered for this module.

The course will provide the necessary basis for the study of Spanish to Honours degree level, but will also be an effective study and career tool for students who are not intending to continue with Spanish after Part 1. 

Students who successfully complete this module will have achieved a level of competence in Spanish comparable to level B1/B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

Assessment Method:

Practical 65%, Oral 25%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture

Code:

SP1SLAC

Convenor:

DR Maria Reyes Baztan

Summary:

The aim of this module is to introduce students to Spanish and Latin American culture through the study and analysis of key literary and visual art forms, including short stories, poetry, documentaries and feature films, fine art and popular music. Key authors may include Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende, Pío Baroja, Juan Rulfo, Ariel Dorfman, Julio Medem, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, José Luis Guerín, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Iciar Bollain, Fernando Trueba, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Fernando Pérez, and others. Texts will be read in the original language if the student is taking that language to degree level, but translations will be available.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
FR1IFC Introduction to French Culture DR Veronica Heath
FR1L1 Beginners French Language DR Marine Orain
FR1L2 Intermediate French Language DR Marine Orain
FR1L3 Advanced French Language I MRS Celine Biart
FR1MMF The Making of Modern France DR Marjorie Gehrhardt
GM1IMG Icons of Modern Germany DR Ute Wolfel
GM1L1 Beginners German Language MS Regine Klimpfinger
GM1L2 Intermediate German Language DR Claire Ross
GM1L3 Advanced German Language I DR Alice Christensen
GM1TG German Texts and Genres DR Ellen Pilsworth
IT10MI Making Italians: A Journey in the History and Culture of Modern Italy PROF Daniela La Penna
IT1IL Introduction to Linguistics MR Federico Faloppa
IT1L1 Beginners Italian Language MS Rita Balestrini
IT1L2 Intermediate Italian Language MRS Enza Siciliano Verruccio
IT1L3 Advanced Italian Language I DR Chiara Ciarlo
ML1COMP What is Comparative Literature? DR John McKeane
ML1GEC Greats of European Cinema PROF Julia Waters
ML1IL Introduction to Linguistics MR Federico Faloppa
ML1TRANS Thinking Translation: History and Theory DR Claire Ross
SP1I1 Icons of Spain and Latin America: From conquest to independence; from revolution to globalisation DR Cherilyn Elston
SP1L1 Beginners Spanish Language DR Denisse Lazo-Gonzalez
SP1L2 Intermediate Spanish Language MR Oscar Garcia Garcia
SP1L3 Advanced Spanish Language 1 MS Angela Mira Conejero
SP1SLAC Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Culture DR Maria Reyes Baztan

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Core modules include:

  • Language modules in French, German, Italian or Spanish (depending on your chosen core language)

Optional modules may include:

  • Lyric Voices
  • Renaissance Texts and Cultures
  • Early Modern Theatre Practice
  • Writing, Gender, Identity
  • Victorian Literature
  • Modernism in Poetry and Fiction
  • Writing and Revising
  • Introduction to Old English
  • Chaucer and Medieval Narrative
  • Restoration to Revolution
  • The Romantic Period
  • Critical Issues
  • Contemporary Fiction
  • Writing America
  • Shakespeare
  • Writing, Genre and the Market
  • The Business of Books
  • Literature, Language and Media
  • Literature, Language and Education
  • Communications at Work
  • Society, Thought and Art in Modern Europe
  • Unity, Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe
  • Science, Perversion and Dream in Global Fantastic Literature

At least one cultural module focusing on the countries where your core language is spoken, for instance:

  • Global French Life-Stories (if studying French as a core language)
  • Glorification, Denial and Contempt; reconstructing Austria’s Past (if studying German as a core language)
  • Italian Cinema (if studying Italian as a core language)
  • Culture and Revolution in Modern Latin America (if studying Spanish as a core language).

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Year abroad.

We offer a range of destinations that currently includes:
  • If you are taking French as a core language: Montpellier, Paris, Geneva, Toulouse, La Réunion
  • If you are taking German as a core language: Augsburg, Regensburg, Vienna, Potsdam, Graz, Tübingen
  • If you are taking Italian as a core language: Florence, Siena, Naples, Padua, Bologna, Pisa, Rome
  • If you are taking Spanish as a core language: Havana, Madrid, Sevilla, Oviedo, Mexico (Puebla), Salamanca

Core modules include:

  • Language modules in French, German, Italian or Spanish (depending on your chosen core language)

Optional modules include:

  • American Graphic Novel
  • Family Romances: Genealogy, Identity and Imposture in the Nineteenth-century Novel
  • Holocaust Testimony: Memory, Trauma and Representation
  • Restoration Literary Culture: Drama and Poetry, 1660-1700
  • 'Eyes on the prize': Literature of the US Civil Rights Movement
  • American Poetry: Bishop to Dove
  • Black British Fiction
  • Children's Literature
  • City of Death and Desire: Henry James and Venice
  • Class Matters
  • Classical and Renaissance Tragedy
  • Colonial Explorations
  • Contemporary American Fiction
  • Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1890s
  • Dickens
  • Digital Text: Literature and the New Technologies
  • Editing the Renaissance
  • Fiction and Ethnicity in post-war Britain and America
  • Hitchcock
  • Holocaust Fiction
  • Introduction to Language Teaching
  • Irish Poetry after Yeats
  • James Joyce
  • John Milton: Poet of the English Republic
  • Language in Politics
  • Literature and the Railway
  • Margaret Atwood
  • Mobility and the Metropolis: Berlin in German literature
  • Modern Epic
  • Modern Scottish Fiction: from Jean Brodie to Trainspotting
  • Modern and Contemporary British Poetry
  • Modernism and Politics
  • Nigerian Prose Literature: from Achebe to Adichie
  • Nineteenth-century American fiction
  • Packaging Literature
  • Psychoanalysis and Text
  • Samuel Beckett
  • Science in Culture
  • Shakespeare and Gender
  • Shakespeare on Film
  • The African-American Short Story
  • The Eighteenth-century Novel: Sex and Sensibility
  • The Writer's Workshop: Studying Manuscripts
  • Utopia
  • Victorian and Edwardian Children's Fantasy
  • Victorian Literature and Medicine
  • Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury
  • Writing Global Justice
  • Writing Women: Nineteenth-century Poetry

    At least one cultural module focusing on the countries where your core language is spoken, for instance:

    • French Popular Music and Society
    • Migration in Germany
    • Crisis, Change, Opportunity: Italy from 1968 to the Present
    • Writers and Publishers in Spain

    You may choose to take one or more of our ‘comparative’ modules, which enable you to study the literature, cinema or history of not one but several countries in a comparative fashion, for example:

    • Cinemas of the World
    • Language and Power

    Please note that all modules are subject to change.



    Fees

    New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*

    New international students: £20,300

    *UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

    UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

    EU student fees

    With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

    Year abroad fees

    If you spend a full year abroad, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact studyabroad@reading.ac.uk.

    Additional Costs

    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 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.

    Careers

    In the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019-20, overall, 88% of graduates from Languages and Cultures, and 89% of graduates from English Literature, are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating*. 

    Recent modern languages graduates have found careers in translation, teaching, business and finance, the arts, and marketing. Recent employers include:

    • Sony Europe
    • Civil Service
    • Oxford University Press
    • BNP Paribas
    • Dow Jones
    • Vodafone
    • PwC.

    Past English literature graduates have gone on to work for employers such:

    • the BBC
    • The Telegraph
    • Oxford University Press
    • Waterstones
    • Cisco Systems
    • Royal Mint
    • local authorities and schools.

    *Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20; includes all Languages and Cultures responders and first degree English Literature responders.



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    • French
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