BA Romanian and Yiddish
About this course
Romanian and Yiddish is a degree of unusual linguistic and cultural range, bringing together two languages that carry within them the histories of some of Europe's most distinctive and, in the case of Yiddish, most tragically diminished communities. Romanian is the official language of Romania and Moldova, a Romance language with deep roots in the Roman Empire that has developed in a Slavic-influenced context, associated with a rich literary and cultural tradition. Yiddish is the historical vernacular of the Ashkenazi Jewish diaspora across Central and Eastern Europe, a language of extraordinary cultural vitality expressed in literature, theatre, music, and humour that flourished for centuries before being devastated by the Holocaust. At University College London, this four-year, full-time BA is split equally between the two languages. You will take modules not only in language, covering speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation, but also in cultural topics including literature, history, film, linguistics, and politics designed to complement your language learning. The third year is a year abroad, split between two countries where your target languages are spoken, which is central to developing genuine linguistic and cultural depth in both. The wide variety of modules available allows you to tailor your degree to your areas of interest within each tradition. Graduates with this unusual combination of linguistic and cultural expertise are well placed for careers in academic research, translation, journalism, cultural heritage, Jewish studies, Eastern European studies, and organisations working with Romanian and Jewish cultural traditions. The analytical and linguistic skills developed also transfer to a wide range of professional contexts where deep cross-cultural understanding is valued. Postgraduate study in Romanian, Yiddish, Jewish studies, or East European languages provides routes to further specialisation.
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