- UCAS course code
- RT21
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
BA German and Chinese provides a comprehensive grounding in the German language, and the opportunity to explore German culture, linguistics, history and literature. You will be equipped with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in a German-speaking environment.
You will also develop a firm grounding in Mandarin Chinese and contemporary Chinese culture, society, economy and politics, as well as China's changing relations with the West.
German
- Our core German language courses (at post A-Level or beginners' level) are complemented by a variety of other subject areas, including linguistics, and a wide range of cultural and historical units that use German-language sources to improve your core language competence, as well as your wider knowledge of German-speaking countries.
- Specialisms in German include historical and contemporary linguistics, literary studies, screen studies, gender and sexuality, modern cultural history, minority cultures and Holocaust studies.
- The third year includes a period spent in a German-speaking country. You can choose a work placement, teach English in schools as part of the British Council's assistantship scheme, or study at our prestigious partner institutions in Berlin, Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Basel and Innsbruck.
- Our teaching, praised in the Teaching Quality Assessment and by external examiners, is backed up by an innovative Independent Language Learning Programme, enabling you to take control of your own learning experience.
- Enjoy strong links with the Goethe Institute and the Austrian Cultural Forum, which sponsor a varied programme of cultural events.
Chinese
- You will study Mandarin Chinese throughout the course, enabling you to develop various linguistic skills such as speaking and writing accurately, understanding and analysing audio, video and written material, using different registers, speaking to a group with confidence, and translating with appropriate sensitivity.
- At the same time, you can choose China-related topics in literature, film, cultural studies, politics, history, linguistics, economics, development studies, and business, drawing on the wide range of research expertise in Chinese Studies across the Faculty of Humanities.
- You will benefit from our close links with the Confucius Institute, which fosters interaction between Manchester's large community of Chinese native speakers, our University students and representatives of the wider Chinese-speaking world.
Aims
- Provide you with a comprehensive grounding in the German language, and the opportunity to explore German culture, linguistics, history and literature. You will be equipped with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in a German-speaking environment.
- Give you a firm grounding in Mandarin Chinese and contemporary Chinese culture, society, economy and politics, as well as China's changing relations with the West.
Special features
Residence abroad
You can study and/or work for up to a year in a country or countries relevant to your chosen language(s) to improve your communicative language skills in a native-speaker environment.
Collaborations and partnerships
The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:
- Instituto Cervantes - a centre for Spanish culture;
- HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film;
- Manchester China Institute - promoting mutual understanding in UK-China relations through research, teaching, and activities;
- Alliance Française - home of French language and culture.
Societies
The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences.
Teaching and learning
You'll learn through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.
For every hour of university study, you will be expected to complete a further 2-3 hours of independent study.
You will also need to study during the holiday periods.
The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed in various ways, including:
- written and oral examinations;
- presentations;
- coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research);
- in your final year, a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.
Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.
Course content for year 1
You will study 60 credits from each discipline.
German
- The first year equips you with a range of important skills: linguistic expertise; the ability to read and analyse material; and skills in presentation, group work and independent language learning. You are trained in modern spoken and written German through a core language course in which you work with German texts, write short essays and engage in discussions in German (this language instruction takes place in German and is taught principally by native speakers). At the same time, you reinforce your grammar and vocabulary through monitored self-study.
- You are given a detailed introduction to the German-speaking countries: their geography, politics, culture and society. You also get to explore a variety of important issues within these countries, such as the challenges faced by multicultural German society following Germany's reunification.
- In addition, you take a set of other broad-based courses designed to give you an essential grounding in key areas of German culture, history and linguistics. Most of the teaching on these courses is in English, so that you can focus fully on the new concepts introduced to you. In this way we hone not only your German language skills, but also your expression and accuracy in English: key transferable skills for the workplace following graduation.
Chinese
- The first year equips you with a range of important skills: linguistic expertise; the ability to read and analyse material; and skills in presentation, group work and independent language learning. You will study the core course unit plus Chinese language.
- In addition, you take a set of other broad-based courses designed to give you an essential grounding in key areas of Chinese culture, history and linguistics.
You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Introduction to Chinese Studies | CHIN10050 | 20 | Mandatory |
Visual Cultures in China and East Asia | CHIN12522 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 1 | CHIN51011 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 2 | CHIN51022 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 3 | CHIN51031 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 4 | CHIN51042 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 5 | CHIN51050 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to German Linguistics | GERM10040 | 20 | Optional |
Revolution and Reaction in German Culture | GERM10350 | 20 | Optional |
German Language 1 | GERM51011 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
You may choose to study up to two thirds from either discipline or maintain equal weighting.
German
- In the second year of your course, you build on the grounding already established in year one. This year's core language course develops that of the previous year and prepares you for the linguistic challenges of your year abroad. Within it you can continue with a study of culture and society in Germany and Austria or take a course in business German (Wirtschaftsdeutsch). You also continue your course of monitored self-study to complement your language classes.
- The other courses available in your second year are more numerous and more specialised than in the first year, allowing you to explore a diverse range of areas including history, Weimar culture, post-1945 German and Austrian culture, post-1990 German literature and film, and German-Turkish and German-Jewish relations.
Chinese
- In the second year of your course, you build on the grounding already established in year one. This year's core language course develops that of the previous year and prepares you for the linguistic challenges of your year abroad.
- In addition to continuing your study in Chinese language you may choose to develop your knowledge of China via a choice of courses in areas across the Humanities faculty such as literature, film, history, religion, society, culture, economics, anthropology and business, as well as begin to prepare for residence abroad.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Gender and Power in Chinese Culture | CHIN20071 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to Classical Chinese | CHIN28572 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 3 | CHIN51031 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 4 | CHIN51042 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 5 | CHIN51050 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 6 | CHIN51060 | 20 | Optional |
Weimar Culture? Art, Film and Politics in Germany, 1918-33 | GERM20261 | 20 | Optional |
German Long Essay | GERM20802 | 20 | Optional |
Spectres of Fascism: Literature, Film and Visual Arts in Germany and Austria since 1945 | GERM20902 | 20 | Optional |
German Language 3 | GERM51030 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Your third year of study is spent abroad under approved conditions.
Course content for year 4
You may choose to divide your studies equally between both languages or study up to two thirds from either language.
German
- In your final year you resume your studies in Manchester with a core language course and choose from a wide range of specialised courses. Language study is centred on translation into and out of German, essay writing, and oral work involving discussion of texts, debates and presentations.
- Also available in this year are course units that cover topics closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff, covering a broad range of linguistic, literary, historical and cultural topics.
Chinese
- The language teaching programme continues to develop skills such as reading and writing Chinese and includes work on interpreting and on translation as practical skills.
- As part of your final-year work, you can write a dissertation on a theme of your choice related to one of your courses, which students find an especially rewarding experience.
Course units for year 4
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
German Language 5 | GERM51050 | 20 | Mandatory |
Socialism in China | CHIN32012 | 20 | Optional |
Mass Media in Modern China | CHIN35221 | 20 | Optional |
Business Chinese | CHIN38682 | 20 | Optional |
Chinese Language 6 | CHIN51060 | 20 | Optional |
Languages-Based Project 1 | CHIN51071 | 10 | Optional |
Language-Based Project 2 | CHIN51072 | 10 | Optional |
German Dialects | GERM30341 | 20 | Optional |
Screening the Holocaust | GERM30482 | 20 | Optional |
Culture and Society in Germany 1871-1918 | GERM30722 | 20 | Optional |
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Facilities
The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.
The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.
Learn more at facilities