This course immerses you in the rich culture and history of Italy, and acquires a high level of expertise in the Italian language. Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Italian. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. Direct access to expert staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability. An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in Italy, studying at a partner institution through the Erasmus+ programme, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It allows you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and greatly improve your knowledge of Italian at the same time. By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak fluently in Italian – an immensely useful skill to have, given that there is currently a great shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. The experience of studying or working abroad also distinguishes you from non-language graduates, providing evidence of self-reliance, adaptability and enterprise. The course also provides you with numerous transferable skills in research, analysis, presenting and group working, which will prove useful in a wide range of careers.