History and French BA (Hons)

University of Oxford

In recent years History has experienced a ‘linguistic turn’ while literary studies have undergone a ‘historical turn’, making this combination of subjects more exciting than ever. Knowledge of the past contextualises literary artefacts, while the forensic literary skills of the linguist are vital for interrogating historical documents. While historians have to be aware of genre, plot and rhetorical techniques in the creation both of their sources and their own arguments, linguists need to appreciate the social and political concerns that are woven into literary works. This degree brings these two skill sets together. For more information on this course please visit ox.ac.uk/ughml.

History and Modern Languages