English and German

English and German is a combination with a particularly rich intellectual tradition. The English-speaking and German-speaking literary and cultural worlds have been in close conversation for centuries, from the influence of German Romanticism on English poetry to the major German contributions to modern philosophy, psychoanalysis and critical theory that have shaped how English-language scholars think about literature and culture. Studying the two together allows you to read across both traditions and to develop a comparative perspective that reveals connections and contrasts invisible to those working in only one language.

At the University of Warwick, this four-year full-time programme takes a distinctively comparative literary approach, treating the two language traditions not as parallel tracks but as interacting and mutually illuminating fields of study. You will develop your German language skills across all registers, from everyday spoken communication to the analysis of literary and cultural texts, while also engaging with English literature across its historical range. The programme explores the interconnections between the two traditions: shared themes, mutual influences, translation and adaptation, and the different ways that English and German writers and thinkers have responded to the great questions of modernity.

A sandwich year placement and a work placement are built into the programme, and the year spent living and studying in a German-speaking country or context provides the kind of immersive linguistic and cultural development that is essential for serious language study.

Research, close reading, essay writing and critical argument are developed throughout, and you will be expected to produce sustained analytical work in both English and German.

Graduates move into careers in publishing, education, translation, journalism, international business, law, diplomacy, the cultural sector, and postgraduate study in literature, languages, or European studies.