Course description
BA Arabic and German is a four-year degree with a year of study abroad divided between a Middle Eastern country and German-speaking country.
The course combines compulsory language elements on both sides, delivered by native-speaker staff and with the possibility of pathways in business language, translation and interpreting.
Alongside this, you will study the culture, politics, history, literature, popular culture, linguistics and religion of the areas in question.You will become proficient enough to live and work effectively in both environments.
Arabic
- You have the opportunity to achieve near-native proficiency in modern Arabic while studying the language within its cultural and historical context.
- You will also look more widely at Arab culture and literature from the medieval period to the present day, and be introduced to social and cultural trends in the Arab Middle East and beyond.
- The range of culture units offered across all years of the programme combine the study of the history, politics, literary, and visual culture of the Arab world and are taught by a range of specialists within these fields.
- The course is carefully structured so you can measure your progress step by step. Learning modern Arabic also opens the door to the vast literature of classical Arabic, including religious and secular texts, and provides a perfect platform from which to learn one or more of the colloquial dialects.
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.
- Enjoy strong links with the Goethe Institute and the Austrian Cultural Forum, which sponsor a varied programme of cultural events.
The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It Is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.
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.
Read about Dylan's time studying abroad in Germany in his blog post.
Collaborations and partnerships
The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:
- HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film
Societies
The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences, including the German Society.
Engage in cultural activities
Manchester is a multicultural city that provides excellent general opportunities for contact with speakers of Arabic and the pursuit of Arabic and Islamic interests outside of the University (eg public lectures, societies, cultural events).
Teaching and learning
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 .
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.
Coursework and assessment
- 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
First year study will concentrate on intensive language learning. It also features a core course unit on the contemporary Middle East and fosters the development of study and IT skills.
Arabic
- In Year 1, you learn Arab language from complete beginner level - or `ab initio'. Ab initio students have seven contact hours per week with their nominated mother-tongue teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills.
- The Arab culture units offer a range of courses from the filmic and literary to the historic and religious, all of which reflect academic staff research interests.
German
- You are trained in modern spoken and written German through a core language course unit 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 course units designed to give you an essential grounding in key areas of German culture, history and linguistics.
- Most of the teaching on these course units 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.
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 German Linguistics | GERM10040 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Revolution and Reaction in German Culture | GERM10350 | 20 | Mandatory |
| History and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa | MEST10711 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Arabic Language 1 | MEST51011 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Arabic Language 2 | MEST51022 | 20 | Mandatory |
| German Language 1 | GERM51011 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 2 | GERM51022 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 3 | GERM51030 | 20 | Optional |
| The History and Sociopolitics of Palestine/Israel (1882-1967) | MEST10042 | 20 | Optional |
| Cultural Anthropology of the Middle East and North Africa | MEST10092 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 2
Arabic
- In Year 2, the language component of the course includes three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.
- Various options are available ranging from Arabic literature, Middle Eastern cinema, gender and cultural studies to the anthropology of Modern Islam as well as history and politics of the Arab World. The units are largely assessed by coursework.
German
- Year 2 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 course units 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, culture and power in 20th century Germany, post-1990 German literature and the German language today.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic Language 3 | MEST51031 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Arabic Language 4 | MEST51042 | 20 | Mandatory |
| 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 |
| German Language 4 | GERM51040 | 20 | Optional |
| Introduction to Post Colonial Arabic Literature | MEST20001 | 20 | Optional |
| Themes in the Histories of Arab and Jewish Nationalisms | MEST20272 | 20 | Optional |
| The Politics of Women and Gender in the Middle East and North Africa | MEST20352 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Course units for year 3
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 |
| Media and Business Arabic | MEST30182 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Arabic Language 5 | MEST51050 | 20 | Mandatory |
| German Dialects | GERM30341 | 20 | Optional |
| Screening the Holocaust | GERM30482 | 20 | Optional |
| Culture and Society in Germany 1871-1918 | GERM30722 | 20 | Optional |
| Dissertation in Modern Languages and Cultures | LALC30000 | 40 | Optional |
| Contemporary Debates in Islam | MEST30032 | 20 | Optional |
| Nature, the Environment and Politics in Modern Arabic Literature | MEST30121 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 4
Also available 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.
As part of your final-year work, you can write a dissertation on a theme of your choice related to one of your course units.
Arabic
- You will complete your Arabic language studies at a high level. There is also the opportunity to study Business Arabic as well as to choose from a variety of specialised final year course units covering the Arab world.
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.
Scholarships and bursaries
Residence Abroad Support
We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income. You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.
Awards will be made according to a sliding scale, benefitting those who have achieved the highest marks relative to backgrounds. You will be automatically assessed for this after you have registered on your degree programme. You simply need to make sure you allow The University access to your records when applying for your Student Loan (we cannot otherwise assess your eligibility).
What our students say
BA (Hons) English Literature and German Student
Facilities
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.
Enjoy strong links with the Goethe Institute and the Austrian Cultural Forum, which sponsor a varied programme of cultural events.
Learn more on the Facilities page.