This course provides students with a firm grounding in Mandarin Chinese and in contemporary Chinese culture, society, economy and politics as well as China's changing relations with the West as well as a firm grounding in the Japanese language along with understandings of Japan in historical, cultural social and global contexts. Chinese - Students will study Mandarin Chinese throughout the course. The core language teaching in Mandarin Chinese enables you to develop various linguistic skills: 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, students 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. In this way, you will be able to tailor the course in keeping with the development of your interests. Japanese - Students will be studying Japanese throughout the course. The core language teaching enables students to develop various linguistic skills: speaking and writing accurately; understanding and analysing audio, video and written materials; using different registers; speaking to a group with confidence; and translating with appropriate sensitivity. Students follow a Japanese Studies curriculum through which they will learn about Japan-related topics in historical, linguistic, cultural, religious and other contexts, drawing on the wide range of research carried out by staff in Japanese Studies. The course centres around a core framework in year 1 but some choice of modules from year 2 onwards will enable students to focus on particular areas of interest in the study of Japan and East Asia. Our programmes are assessed in various ways: examinations, oral examinations (where language study is part of your degree), presentations and coursework. Coursework may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research. Many courses are assessed through a mixture of techniques. In your final year, you can choose to write a dissertation.