Italian and Spanish

Learn Italian and Spanish at Birmingham to open the door to a rich array of academic, professional, and cultural opportunities.

Mastering these two Romance languages gives you access to a wealth of literary, artistic, and historical traditions from southern Europe and Latin America and unlocks careers in international business, cultural industries, arts and education.

On this course, you’ll gain fluency in two of the world’s most renowned languages, celebrated for their literary traditions and artistic achievements. During your Year Abroad you will immerse yourself in these distinct yet related cultures, deepening your language skills through real-world practice. Choose to study, work or teach at our partner institutions to gain fundamental skills for your future career across diverse sectors, particularly in Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

Choose from a selection of exciting optional modules, which may include:
- Digital Media and Spanish Youth Culture

- Spanish Exile Culture

- Mexican and Chicano Art in the Twentieth Century: Revolution and Beyond

- Visions of Italy: Modern Italy in the Making

- Icons of Italy

- Dante: Word, Music and Image

And cross-departmental modules such as:
- Constructions of gender, sexuality and race

- Cross-cultural Cinema: Migration and Displacement

- Thinking Otherwise: Decolonial approaches to contemporary thought and culture

- Introduction to Linguistics

- From Text to Tech: Digital Approaches to Languages and Cultures

- The Romance languages: structure, variation and change

There's an extensive range of language combinations available to you within our Modern Languages department.

Why study this course?
- Experience a new approach to language learning with our CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) teaching method - study topics of cultural significance in your target language, designed and delivered by expert researchers.

- Teach, study or complete a work placement abroad, immersing yourself in Italian and Spanish.

- Enjoy focused academic contact – We pride ourselves on competitive contact hours. These take place in small groups, encouraging active language learning through engagement with cultural material.

- Learn in a vibrant city that is culturally, ethnically and religiously diverse. Join our language and culture-based societies to further enhance your skills and contribute to the student-led Linguist Magazine.

11th for Italian in the Complete University Guide by subject (2024)

16th for Iberian Languages in the Complete University Guide by subject (2024)