Russian Studies and English Language - MA (Hons)

The University of Edinburgh

Around 150 million people in the world speak Russian, which is widely used in global cultural and political contexts. It is the official language of four countries and is commonly understood throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. There are also large communities of Russian-speakers in China, the United States, Israel and Western Europe.This flexible joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study Russian in its cultural context while exploring how the English language has changed over time. These changes can be traced through written materials ranging from medieval manuscripts to text messages, and more recently, recordings of spoken English.Combining the linguistic and cultural study of languages demonstrates that you are a good communicator, a resilient problem solver, and someone open to other cultures and new ideas.When you graduate, you will have the combination of broad cultural education and specialist knowledge valued by employers worldwide.**Russian Studies**On this joint honours programme, you have the opportunity to develop advanced speaking, writing, reading, listening and translating skills in Russian.Our Year 1 Russian courses are streamed according to how much of the language you already know, so it does not matter if you are a complete beginner.You will explore Russian and Russian-speaking (Russophone) literature and culture, past and present. You will also develop an awareness of Russia's international political and historical contexts.**English Language**Using techniques from modern linguistics, you will analyse the structure of written and spoken English and explore how the language has changed throughout its history.As well as the study of change in English, we have a strong tradition of investigating variations of the language, including:* Scots* distinct dialects of English* international variationsYou will study modern-day English and Scots and identify the similarities and differences between English and other languages.**How long it takes to complete this degree programme**This programme is studied over 4 years, including a Year Abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond.Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 studying abroad, gaining lived experience of Russophone culture. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Russian Studies and language sciences. You will also further develop your Russian language and translation skills and write a dissertation.**Programme benefits*** Take the oldest programme of its kind in Scotland.* Study over four years, including one abroad.* Become fluent in a language.* Try out different subjects in your first two years.* Join societies related to what you are studying.* Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures