BA Modern Languages and English

This Joint Honours module will deepen your understanding of English literature and give you the opportunity to gain fluency in the language of your choice: French, German, Italian or Spanish.

In the language side of your degree, whether you start at beginners’, advanced or native-speaker level, you will study the core language components for the language you have chosen, gaining skills in writing, reading, speaking and listening. All our teaching is led by native speakers.

The remainder of your modern languages study will give you an opportunity to explore the literature, art, culture and history of the language area you are studying, from seventeenth-century French theatre to representations of childhood and youth in German culture, and from Italian fashion and design to visual arts from all the corners of the Spanish-speaking world. As a modern linguist, you will develop excellent communication and research skills, and combine linguistic proficiency with cross-cultural perspectives.

In your third year you will have the opportunity to spend a year working, teaching or studying abroad, where you will immerse yourself in another language and culture, truly broadening your horizons in the process.

In the English side of your degree, you will have the opportunity to study the full historical range of literature in English—from Beowulf to the Booker Prize--as well as the latest developments in the field. You can also pursue your own creative writing.

You can discover the earliest works in English, deepen your knowledge of Shakespeare, find out what is great about Renaissance literature, darken your view of the 18th century, and unpack the Victorians. The module's structure allows you to develop a sound understanding of key periods, genres, authors, and ideas as well as choosing from a huge range of options. You can study Modernism, Postmodernism and American literature, explore literary criticism, develop your own creative writing, and analyse the latest developments in global literatures in English.

Regarding funding: Royal Holloway has been successful in applications to the Turing Scheme so far. We will continue to request funding in each cycle to support student mobility.