Russian Studies and English Literature, MA (Hons)

Course summary

For centuries, alongside English-speaking cultures, Russophone (Russian-speaking) countries have had a profound international influence on literature. This joint honours programme aims to develop your critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills by engaging with a broad range of texts in both English and Russian, and a variety of approaches to reading.Through intensive language study, you will also have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, listening and translating skills in Russian.Our Year 1 courses are streamed according to how much Russian you already know, so it does not matter if you are a complete beginner. RussianAround 150 million people in the world speak Russian. It is the official language of four countries, is commonly understood throughout Eastern Europe, and in the last thirty years has seen transnational mobility on an unprecedented scale. For example, there are large communities of Russian-speakers in:

• China

• Central Asia

• The United States

• Western Europe

In addition to language learning on this four-year programme, you will explore Russian and Russophone literature and culture in international political and historical contexts.You can opt to focus on 19th or 20th century Russian literature, take a comparative approach, or balance your literary studies with courses on other aspects of culture and language in its social context. English LiteratureBased in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, you will study in the oldest department of English Literature in the UK, one of the longest established in the world. You will gain the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of poetry, drama and prose and explore the cultural contexts of writing in English from the late Middle Ages to the present. At honours level, you will select courses on the basis of your own interests in specific topics, periods or literary genres. Combining literature with a language shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace.

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