Course summary

Our Chinese and English Literature BA will equip you with the skills you need to become a competent linguist ready to enter graduate employment. Our course places particular emphasis on employability and the contemporary cultural context of language learning, offering high-quality teaching in all language skills and a thorough knowledge of the way language is used in real-life situations. The course will develop your Mandarin Chinese reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in a culturally-aware style, giving you the ability to thrive linguistically in diverse cultural situations. You'll study an integrated curriculum with a focus on applied language skills and cultural studies, supported by a rigorous development of your foreign language skills in all areas. In English Literature you'll have the opportunity to examine literary and non-literary works of all periods, from Shakespeare to the present day, taking in a wide range of authors and themes, with a full and balanced coverage of dramatic, poetic and prose works. You'll consider the wider historical and political contexts in which cultural and literary works have been produced and received, and relate the works both to intellectual history and to work in other arts and media, such as architecture and the visual arts. You'll also have the opportunity to consider the theoretical tools of textual, cultural and literary analysis in detail. You'll have the opportunity to spend a full academic year abroad at a partner institution and/or, depending on your language level, an approved form of employment in a country where Chinese is the official language. A year abroad will not only improve your language skills but also contribute to your employability, encourage intercultural awareness, and build confidence. Our Chinese courses are only available to beginner or intermediate entrants – intermediate entrants are students who have obtained or might be studying for an A level in Chinese, or who might have achieved the equivalent of HSK Chinese Proficiency Test Level 3. Please note that we may need to test you to determine your entry point.