Discover some of the topics Modern Languages students might encounter during their course and learn more about the research interests and specialisms of staff in the Department of Modern Languages.
Linguistics
- Dr David Hornsby, Senior Lecturer in French and Linguistics, explores the relationship between language and society in Franglais: a beginner’s guide, and discusses how “borrowed” words from other languages have developed the lexicon.
Poetry and philosophy
- Dr Ian Cooper, Lecturer in German, asks whether German literature and German philosophy can tell us anything about Coronavirus; the experience of isolation, and of being cut off from things, people and places that we normally take for granted.
Visual art
- Dr William Rowlandson, Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies, explores the theme of suffering in the paintings of Frida Kahlo.
Film
- Dr Alex Marlow-Mann, Lecturer in Italian, explores how film has been used to persuade, indoctrinate, and convey political messages.
Literature and national identity
- Dr Alvise Sforza Tarabochia, Lecturer in Italian and Head of the Department of Modern Languages, discusses how Pinocchio, a “champion of Italianness”, escaped the constraints of his own narrative frame to become a late addition to the pantheon of fairytale characters.
Language acquisition and language teaching
- Dr Wissia Fiorucci, Modern Languages Coordinator, asks what it takes to be a good teacher in ‘Languages in the classroom‘.