Expertise in modern languages has never been more important as the United Kingdom forges a new relationship with its European partners and seeks to develop its trading and cultural ties throughout the world. The University of Bristol is a major centre for the study of modern languages, with high-quality teaching and research.

This course will give you a high level of proficiency in one of Europe's most important and beautiful languages. In addition, you will gain a thorough understanding of Italy's remarkable contribution to Western culture.

If you are a beginner in Italian, you will spend much of your first year developing your language skills. You will also learn about modern Italian culture and history.

Post A-level students consolidate and enhance their existing knowledge of Italian in the first year. As well as learning about modern Italy, they will also be introduced to the art, literature and history of medieval and renaissance Italy.

For the rest of the degree all students follow the same language course and choose from a wide range of culture options, ranging from Dante to contemporary cinema. All these are taught by experts in their fields of Italian culture.

Language is taught by native speakers who use a range of approaches and excellent multimedia facilities to develop your fluency and accuracy.

The third year abroad offers an invaluable opportunity to develop your Italian further and acquire added transferable skills. During this period you can either study at a partner university in Italy, gain experience as a teaching assistant, or undertake a work placement.