BA Italian and Arabic
About this course
Italian and Arabic at the University of Oxford brings together the language of Dante and the Renaissance with one of the world's most widely spoken and historically significant Semitic languages. Italian opens access to one of the great literary traditions of Western Europe, to a country of enormous cultural importance, and to a language spoken by millions across Italy and the Italian diaspora. Arabic is spoken by more than 300 million people across North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, and it is the liturgical language of Islam and the medium of an extraordinarily rich literary and intellectual tradition stretching back more than a millennium. This four-year full-time programme at Oxford is one of the most academically demanding language programmes available. Oxford's approach to modern languages and Arabic is distinguished by the seriousness with which it treats the literary, cultural, and linguistic dimensions of each language, and the tutorial system ensures that students are challenged to think and write at the highest level from the beginning of their studies. You will develop proficiency in both languages, reading major texts in the original, engaging with the history and culture of Italy and the Arabic-speaking world, and developing the critical and analytical vocabulary to discuss these materials with precision. Time abroad in Italian-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries is central to reaching the level of fluency the programme demands. Graduates from this programme pursue careers in diplomacy and international relations, international business, translation and interpretation, journalism, academia, the law, and intelligence and security work where Arabic and Italian expertise is valued. Oxford's reputation amplifies the standing of the degree, and the combination of Arabic with another European language is unusual and distinctive. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in Arabic studies, Italian, Middle Eastern politics, or comparative literature, and the research skills and linguistic depth developed at Oxford provide excellent preparation for doctoral work.
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