Overview

The BA Japanese (Combined Honours) degree provides students with the highest level of competence in all aspects of the written and spoken language, as well as an introduction to both classical and modern Japanese culture - from the study of pre-modern Japanese literature and history, to contemporary cinema and TV. SOAS is the home to the largest concentration of Japanese specialists in Europe and our BA Japanese is suitable for both absolute beginners as well as those with some knowledge of the Japanese language.

Students will spend the third year of study in Japan furthering language proficiency and understanding of the local business practices and culture.

The BA Linguistics combined degree at SOAS gives students the tools to understand how the world’s languages differ and how they are similar, how they relate historically and interact today, and above all how they are structured. Linguistics takes you beyond merely speaking a language, and helps you see how languages, in all their diversity, actually function.

Modern linguistics is the scientific study of all aspects of the world’s languages from their sound systems and grammatical structure through to the interaction of language with culture, the study of meaning in language, and the use of language in modern technology.

Linguistics at SOAS is all about appreciating the diversity of cultures beyond Europe and the English-speaking world. Anyone who has a particular interest in the languages of a country or region in Asia, Africa or the Middle East will feel very much at home on this programme. More generally, Linguistics is the ideal subject for those who are interested in human culture and psychology, but who enjoy approaching questions about our world within in a systematic, precise, logical intellectual framework.

Employment

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures graduates have been hired by organisations including:

• Accenture
• Amazon
• Bloomberg LP
• Department for Work and Pensions
• European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea
• European Commission
• Google
• ITN
• Japanese Government