Polish and Portuguese

Polish and Portuguese brings together two languages with very different geographical and cultural reaches, and in doing so develops an unusual and valuable set of capabilities. Polish is the largest Slavic language in the European Union, the language of a nation with a complex and important twentieth-century history, a rich literary tradition and a growing economic significance within Europe. Portuguese has one of the widest geographical spreads of any language in the world, serving as the primary language of Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola and several other nations across three continents, and carrying with it an enormous range of literary and cultural traditions.

University College London's four-year full-time programme in Polish and Portuguese develops genuine proficiency in both languages alongside a serious engagement with their associated literatures, histories and cultures. UCL has one of the UK's strongest language departments, and the combination of Slavic and Lusophone studies reflects its exceptionally broad provision. You will develop advanced communicative competence in both languages, alongside the cultural knowledge, literary understanding and analytical skills that a serious language degree requires.

The combination asks you to work across two quite different linguistic families, one Slavic and one Romance, which develops exceptional linguistic flexibility and the capacity to learn new languages more easily in future.

The degree trains linguistic precision, deep cultural understanding across very different traditions, research skills and the ability to construct careful analytical arguments about literary and cultural material. These are rare and genuinely valuable capabilities in an increasingly interconnected world.

Graduates work in translation and interpreting, diplomacy, international organisations, journalism, academia, the cultural sector, international business and a range of other fields where rare language combinations command particular value. Postgraduate study in either language, in comparative literature, in translation and interpreting or in European or Latin American studies is a natural progression.