As well as broadening your education and skill set this may enable you to change the focus of your programme in Years 3 and 4 your honours years.
Year 1
German
If you have not studied German before you will take German 1A an intensive language course.
If your entry qualification for German is a Scottish Higher A level or equivalent you will take German 1B. This course covers language as well as literature and culture from 1770 to the present day.
As part of German 1B you will interview a German native speaker working in Edinburgh or Glasgow. This will give you the opportunity to:
practise professional communication
discover the value of languages in the workplace
gain insights into possible career options
English Literature
You will take two Literary Studies courses. These will introduce you to the essential skills needed for the critical close reading of the core literary genres of:
poetry
drama
prose
You will read works of literature written in English from around the world and encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study.
Option courses
You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University of Edinburgh.
You can for example opt to study another language. We offer one of the widest range of languages of any UK university - the majority are suitable for complete beginners.
Other options include but are not limited to courses in:
linguistics and language sciences
business economics and informatics
politics social policy and social anthropology
art and architectural history
history classics and archaeology
Celtic and Scottish ethnology
philosophy divinity and law
Year 2
German
In Year 2 you will develop your oral language skills further. You will also practise translation grammar and writing different types of texts in German.
You will continue to study German-language literature and culture choosing at least two courses from a range of options. These are likely to include:
Researching Disability in German Literature and Society
Culture Modernity and the City in the Weimar Republic
Reading Antisemitism in Modern German Literature
The Contemporary Short Story in German
Sexualities on the German Screen (title to be confirmed)
Migration in German-Language Discourse
German Colonialism: History Memory Controversy
English Literature
You will be introduced to the study of English literature in its cultural and historical contexts focusing on a selection of major periods.
These courses will explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national international and imperial cultures.
Option courses
As in Year 1 you will also choose from a range of option courses offered by the University.
These include a great selection in European languages and cultures allowing you to study literature film and theatre in themed and comparative contexts.
Current options include but are not limited to courses in:
Cultural Responses to War
Migration Exile Diaspora
Crime and Detection in Literature
Gender and Culture
The Coming-of-Age Narrative
Introduction to European Cinema
Dynamics of Language and Power
Languages Beyond University
Year 3
If international travel restrictions allow you will spend Year 3 in a German-speaking country usually Germany or Austria. This will help you to turn classroom learning into living engagement with German-language culture.
You will either study or do a work placement such as working as a teaching assistant in a school.
We currently have exchange places with universities in:
Berlin
Augsburg
Hamburg
Heidelberg
Tübingen
Freiburg
Leipzig
Mainz
Vienna
Whether studying or working our graduates have told us how much the year abroad has benefited their broader life experience and skills as well as their understanding of German-language culture.
During your year abroad we will aim to ensure your experience is as beneficial as possible to your final year as well as to your wider language learning cultural awareness and skills development.
You will complete prescribed work in both English Literature and German. For example for German you will take an e-learning language course which will count as part of your Year 3 mark and prepare you for your Year 4 language courses.
If international travel is not possible you will be offered an alternative means of engaging with your subjects enabling you to meet your learning outcomes and preparing you for your final year.
Year 4
You will develop advanced language skills in spoken and written German.
You will also choose from a wide range of specialist courses in both German and English Literature. For German these include courses in German-language:
literature
film
theatre
society
Dissertation
You will complete your dissertation or long essay.
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