Beginners' Italian and Czech

Beginners' Italian and Czech with Slovak at Oxford is a degree for students who have no prior knowledge of Italian or Czech and who want to develop fluency in both languages alongside a serious engagement with the literatures and cultures they carry. Italian is the language of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, of the Renaissance, and of one of Europe's most vibrant modern literary and cultural scenes. Czech, the official language of the Czech Republic and closely related to Slovak, is the language of Kafka and Kundera, of Central European modernism and one of the twentieth century's most distinctive literary cultures.

Studying them together gives you access to two very different European traditions, from Mediterranean to Central European, that illuminate each other by contrast.

The four-year full-time programme at the University of Oxford provides both practical training in written and spoken language and an extensive introduction to the literature and thought written in both languages. You will learn to write and speak Italian and Czech fluently, developing your proficiency from scratch through rigorous and intensive language teaching. Alongside language work, you can study a broad range of literature, or focus on any period from the medieval to the present day, and a wide range of options allow you to explore subjects including linguistics, philology, film, or gender studies.

Oxford's approach to modern languages is scholarly and ambitious, and the tutorial system means you receive detailed individual feedback on your work throughout.

With a typical entry tariff of 184 points, the programme is demanding and attracts students with genuine linguistic ambition and the intellectual confidence to start two new languages at university. Graduates pursue careers in translation, publishing, journalism, academia, diplomacy, international organisations, education, and the arts, as well as in business and professional roles where the rare combination of Italian and Czech proficiency is a genuine advantage.