Course summary

Our BA English Language and Chinese course will enable you to investigate the sounds, words and grammar of the English language, and discover the origin of English, its development and variation across the UK and beyond, and how it is used in different situations. You will acquire the skills required for analytical language study alongside the means to apply those skills to the study of historical and present-day English. In addition, you will practise key transferable skills, such as essay writing and how to give a presentation. The course allows students to achieve near-native proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and to study the language within its cultural and historical context. You can start either as an absolute beginner or with up to A-level standard Chinese and go through to an advanced level over four years. Language study offers much more than just language fluency. You'll explore diverse aspects of the culture, society, history, politics and literature of the countries in which Chinese is spoken, helping you to develop intercultural awareness and communication skills - both highly valued by employers. You'll benefit from excellent teaching, student support and cutting-edge study facilities, as well as from the vibrancy and cultural diversity of Manchester itself, Western Europe's most multilingual city. With placement options available at partner universities and in professional environments in a Chinese-speaking country, a compulsory third year abroad gives our undergraduate students unforgettable and invaluable personal and professional experience.