In 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. In the history component you will have the opportunity to discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas on offer at the University of Reading, including Britain, Europe, Russia, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia. Your first year acts as an introduction and helps you identify your particular areas of interest. You will explore people, politics and revolution and we will teach you the skills you need to study and research history.  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, clear and critical thinking, presenting and group working, which will prove useful in a wide range of careers.