MRes Modern Languages

Are you interested in how modern languages shape our understanding and experiences in the world? Do you have a particular intercultural topic you want to research? We offer expert supervision in a variety of subjects, allowing you to focus on an area of your choice in your discipline. Once agreed by your main supervisor and co-supervisor, you will work closely with them on your research topic through a series of supervisions that will help you develop your project and build your research skills.

As a Modern Languages MRes student, you will join a lively research community, and have access to your own dedicated study space shared with other students from related courses. You will be an active participant in our departmental research seminars and special lectures and host your own work in progress seminar. You will also be asked to contribute to the end-of-year Postgraduate Forum with a mini-presentation of your own.

"We have a very active and dynamic research community where students and academics work on projects across many disciplines. This interdisciplinary environment offers students the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas which can be very inspiring." Jean-Xavier Ridon, Director of Postgraduate Studies - read full conversation

Find out more about research expertise in Modern Languages and Cultures

The heart of the MRes is your thesis. It'll be approximately 25,000 words and counts two thirds (120 credits) towards your degree. You'll agree the subject and focus with your supervisor before you start your degree and it will be marked by both an internal and an external examiner with the possibility of a viva to confirm the award.

The remaining one third (60 credits) of your MRes studies is made up from modules you select. They will be agreed with your course leader and are chosen from taught modules at the appropriate level, from the Research Academy Research Training Programme or other university-wide modules. All module choices should support your research topic.

Some relevant modules available from the School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies include:

This module will allow you to use the short story and other forms of short fiction to explore intercultural relationships. You will discover the discipline of comparative literature using short fiction written in the languages of three of Europe's Empire nations (France, Spain and Portugal), the Arabic tradition and twentieth-century China.

All the texts will be available in English but if you can read any of them in the original languages you are encouraged to do so.

Build a critical and reflective approach to your translation practice by understanding the varying theories that have been prominent in the Western world. You will study the history of translation, potentially including comparative literature, and different translation and transfer models across a range of genres.

You’ll have the opportunity to examine a number of case studies for each theory of translation, in a variety of different languages. But don’t worry, proficiency in these languages is not a prerequisite, as we will focus on translation dynamics.

This module will provide you with an introduction to current theoretical approaches and research methods in linguistics, with particular emphasis on the study of language in its historical and social contexts.

Initially, you will be introduced to current topics and methods in sociolinguistics, including:

We’ll then consider historical sociolinguistics and discover how social factors have interacted with language choices and language change in the past.

Finally we’ll examine corpus linguistic approaches to investigating historic and contemporary language which will include web and social media.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to try out techniques in research design and data collection due to the module’s practical orientation.

This module will consist of a programme of reading to be agreed with the module director in a field of study within the area of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.

This module will consist of a programme of reading to be agreed with the module director in a field of study within the area of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.

This module introduces you to the wide range of interdisciplinary research happening in the Faculty of Arts. We invite you to ‘think outside the box’ in relation to your own research, while learning key research techniques and methods. The module aims to:

You will build on your existing research skills gained from your university career to date. Furthermore, you will develop a more nuanced understanding of your own research practice, inspiring you to explore different approaches questions. In addition, you will develop an understanding of professional practice in areas such as:

This module is worth 20 credits.

Explore the ways cultures interact, exchange ideas, arts and commodities. You'll be introduced to relevant theories contextualized with case studies ranging from the early modern period to the present day. You'll be encouraged to take a cross-disciplinary approach to postgraduate study and research in Modern Languages across the areas of linguistics, history, politics, critical theory, literature, film, the visual arts, and culture and media studies.

You'll study a range of key areas central to intercultural studies in Modern Languages: languages and transcultural experience, empires and the (post) colonial world, nation and immigration, cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism and globalisation, and gender and ethnicity.

You'll also develop practical research skills, such as: presentational skills, academic writing skills, and career planning.

We offer research students:

The University provides a range of support and information to enhance your student experience.

You will have access to:

Our Centre for English Language Education offers presessional English courses to help develop your English and study skills.

The centre is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK, so you can be sure that the teaching and facilities are high-quality. You can also access free English language support alongside your academic course.

University of Nottingham Students’ Union represents all students. You can join the Postgraduate Students’ Network or speak to the dedicated Postgraduate Officer.

There are also a range of support networks, including groups for:

SU Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on issues such as accommodation, financial and academic difficulties.

The Graduate School training and development programme empowers postgraduate students and early career research staff to develop the skills required in their research and future careers.