The School of Modern Languages and Cultures comprises the departments of Arabic, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Russian, and the Centre for Foreign Language Study; the School has also introduced a BA in Chinese Studies in 2011-2012. Its community of academics, teachers, and support staff aims to foster a world-class student experience in all its disciplines. Some 60 full-time members of staff are engaged in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, offering expertise in a wide range of subjects, including language, literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation; this is reflected also in an exciting range of taught degrees at postgraduate level. The School's departments figure regularly in the top five in national league tables such as the Good University Guide and the Complete University Guide.

The School's research community is organised through a number of interdisciplinary Research Groups - Culture and Difference; Literature-History-Theory; Translation-Linguistics-Pedagogy; Visual and Performance Studies ­- and is home to some 60 postgraduate students pursuing research degrees. All six of its constituent research-focused departments were returned in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. The results for both the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and Durham University generally were excellent, reflecting a growing commitment to research at the highest levels of achievement.

The School is also home to the Centre for Foreign Language Study, which offers non-specialist learners, including students, staff and members of the public, the opportunity to learn a range of languages from beginners to more advanced levels.

Dr Alastair Renfrew, Head of School