Portuguese and Beginners' Czech

Portuguese and Czech with Slovak is a degree that combines two language families, the Romance tradition through Portuguese, with its global reach across Brazil, Portugal, Africa and Asia, and the Slavic tradition through Czech and Slovak, languages of Central Europe with rich literary and cultural histories. Studying both together develops exceptional linguistic versatility and a very broad cultural perspective, from the Lusophone world across four continents to the heart of Central Europe.

Oxford's four-year full-time programme in Portuguese and Beginners' Czech (with Slovak) is designed for students who bring some prior knowledge of Portuguese, whether from school or from exposure to Spanish or another Romance language, alongside an interest in beginning Czech from scratch. Czech and Slovak are closely related, and studying them together develops a deeper understanding of both. The programme develops genuine linguistic proficiency in both languages, taking your Portuguese to a high academic level and building Czech and Slovak from the foundations to advanced reading and communicative competence.

Alongside language acquisition you will engage with the literatures, histories and cultures associated with both traditions, understanding Portuguese in its global and post-colonial dimensions and Czech and Slovak in their Central European and twentieth-century political contexts. Oxford's tutorial system means your linguistic and critical abilities are developed through intensive discussion and close supervision.

The degree develops an extraordinary breadth of linguistic capability, deep cultural knowledge across very different traditions, and the analytical and research skills that serious language study demands. These are rare and valued capabilities.

Graduates work in diplomacy, international organisations, translation and interpreting, journalism, academia, international business, the cultural sector and NGOs. The unusual combination of Lusophone and Central European expertise is a distinctive and sought-after qualification in a range of international professional contexts.