Italian and Yiddish

Italian and Yiddish is a degree that brings together two languages with intertwined and profoundly significant histories. Italian is a major Romance language associated with one of Europe's richest artistic and intellectual traditions, from Dante and the Renaissance through the twentieth century and into contemporary Italian cinema, literature, and culture. Yiddish is the historical vernacular of the Ashkenazi Jewish diaspora, a language of remarkable cultural vitality expressed in literature, theatre, music, and everyday life across Central and Eastern Europe, which was devastated by the Holocaust but continues to be spoken and studied as a living heritage language.

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 in both Italian and Yiddish, 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 the areas of each tradition that interest you most.

Graduates with this combination of Italian and Yiddish expertise are well placed for careers in academic research, cultural heritage, translation, Jewish studies, Italian studies, journalism, education, and organisations working to preserve and transmit the cultural legacy of Yiddish. The analytical and linguistic skills the degree develops also transfer to many other professional contexts. Postgraduate study in Italian, Yiddish, Jewish studies, or European cultural history provides routes to further specialisation.