4
Places available per year
10
Minute walk to the Faculty

European and Middle Eastern Languages (EMEL)

Why Pembroke?

  • In this course, you’ll study one European Modern Language and one Middle Eastern Language: ideal for linguists who want an opportunity to study new languages and literatures. At Pembroke we have a very strong focus on joint honours degrees, and our tutors of different linguistic backgrounds work closely together to ensure you receive the academic guidance and support you need throughout your degree.
  • Pembroke is one of the larger language colleges in terms of tutors and students, offering an unusually wide variety of languages. Our key tutors in European Languages are Dr Tim Farrant, Tutorial Fellow in French and Professor Guido Bonsaver, Tutorial Fellow in Italian. In Middle Eastern Languages, our Tutorial Fellows are Professor Christopher Melchert and Professor Nicolai Sinai, who are both tutors in Arabic and are also responsible also for Persian, Turkish and Hebrew.
  • Students on this course will usually spend their second year in the Middle East. For most students it will be strongly advisable to spend the bulk of this year following an approved formal course of language instruction in a Middle Eastern country appropriate to their language of study. Vacations can be spent improving your European language, within Europe or further afield.
  • The Pembroke tutors can give advice on planning this year away, and there are some particular exchange programmes available here. 
  • Modern Languages has a number of dedicated subject reps who organise events throughout the year, giving you plenty of opportunity to meet and socialise with students across multiple linguistic disciplines. These subject reps also act as an academic and pastoral interface for students, within both European and Middle Eastern Languages.
  • Students must have a keen interest in and motivation for discovering other languages, literatures and cultures. Prior knowledge of your chosen European language is essential, but we anticipate that students will not have prior knowledge of their chosen Middle Eastern languages. A natural flair for languages is also essential.

 

Looking for single honours courses?

If you're looking to take this course as a single honours degree, this course can be taken as Modern Languages or Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages

Interested in other joint honours courses?

We also offer these disciplines as part of other joint honours courses, such as English and Modern Languages, History and Modern Languages, Modern Languages and Linguistics and Religion and Oriental Studies.

What our students say

Image
student in Oxford
Iona Neill (2020, German & Arabic)

The terms are so short and there is so much to do that time really does fly, and you are often left with a feeling of wanting to do more – to find out more about your subject, to explore the city more, to meet more people.

European and Middle Eastern Languages (EMEL)

4
Places available per year
10
Minute walk to the Faculty

Why Pembroke?

  • In this course, you’ll study one European Modern Language and one Middle Eastern Language: ideal for linguists who want an opportunity to study new languages and literatures. At Pembroke we have a very strong focus on joint honours degrees, and our tutors of different linguistic backgrounds work closely together to ensure you receive the academic guidance and support you need throughout your degree.
  • Pembroke is one of the larger language colleges in terms of tutors and students, offering an unusually wide variety of languages. Our key tutors in European Languages are Dr Tim Farrant, Tutorial Fellow in French and Professor Guido Bonsaver, Tutorial Fellow in Italian. In Middle Eastern Languages, our Tutorial Fellows are Professor Christopher Melchert and Professor Nicolai Sinai, who are both tutors in Arabic and are also responsible also for Persian, Turkish and Hebrew.
  • Students on this course will usually spend their second year in the Middle East. For most students it will be strongly advisable to spend the bulk of this year following an approved formal course of language instruction in a Middle Eastern country appropriate to their language of study. Vacations can be spent improving your European language, within Europe or further afield.
  • The Pembroke tutors can give advice on planning this year away, and there are some particular exchange programmes available here. 
  • Modern Languages has a number of dedicated subject reps who organise events throughout the year, giving you plenty of opportunity to meet and socialise with students across multiple linguistic disciplines. These subject reps also act as an academic and pastoral interface for students, within both European and Middle Eastern Languages.
  • Students must have a keen interest in and motivation for discovering other languages, literatures and cultures. Prior knowledge of your chosen European language is essential, but we anticipate that students will not have prior knowledge of their chosen Middle Eastern languages. A natural flair for languages is also essential.

 

Looking for single honours courses?

If you're looking to take this course as a single honours degree, this course can be taken as Modern Languages or Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages

Interested in other joint honours courses?

We also offer these disciplines as part of other joint honours courses, such as English and Modern Languages, History and Modern Languages, Modern Languages and Linguistics and Religion and Oriental Studies.

What our students say

Image
student in Oxford
Iona Neill (2020, German & Arabic)

The terms are so short and there is so much to do that time really does fly, and you are often left with a feeling of wanting to do more – to find out more about your subject, to explore the city more, to meet more people.