Italian and Linguistics

Italian and linguistics is a combination that brings together the learning of a major European language with the scientific study of language itself. Italian is the language of one of Europe's richest cultural traditions, spoken natively across Italy and in parts of Switzerland and beyond, and it is the language of art, music, opera, literature, and design that has shaped European culture for centuries. Linguistics examines language from a more theoretical and analytical angle, investigating how all human languages are structured, how they change over time, how children acquire them, and what they reveal about human cognition and society.

At the University of York this four-year full-time programme develops your Italian to a high level of proficiency from beginner level, with teaching conducted in the language itself, guided by staff many of whom are native speakers. You will progress rapidly in fluency and cultural knowledge, studying Italian society, politics, and culture alongside language acquisition. The linguistics component develops your analytical understanding of language structure, phonology, morphology, syntax, and sociolinguistics.

The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a work placement component, giving you professional experience abroad or in related fields before you graduate. The typical entry tariff of 136 points reflects the standard expected.

You will develop high-level language skills alongside the analytical and research abilities that linguistics provides, a combination particularly valuable for careers involving cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communication.

Graduates go on to careers in translation and interpreting, language teaching, publishing, journalism, international organisations, speech technology, the civil service, and international business. Postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, Italian studies, or translation is a well-established next step.