A degree in English begins with reading - reading the oldest and the newest, the most passionate and the most profound writing. But an English degree also encourages you to read in new ways. By studying English at Queen Mary you will become a thoughtful, thorough, and active reader who thinks intelligently both about what people have written (and are still writing), and about what it means to read and interpret their work. You will be introduced to a wide range of critical and theoretical approaches to literary and non-literary texts, and you'll discover how history, philosophy, psychology, and a range of other disciplines can inform our understanding of literary works. Studying modern languages is about more than vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation: you will also immerse yourself in culture, may spend time working or studying abroad, and will learn to understand the subtleties of communication. Students with little or no knowledge of Russian follow a special two-year ab initio track taking them beyond A-level standard. You then progress to the year abroad in Year 3, returning for a final year and finishing in four years.