Subject Sessions: Arts and Humanities

Why Study an Arts and Humanities Degree?

Year 10-12 | Session duration: 45 - 60mins 

Explore the endless possibilities of an Arts and Humanities degree. Discover the benefits of a BA, bust the myths surrounding these degrees, and learn where it could take your students. 

This interactive session will demonstrate why studying the Arts and Humanities can be the perfect choice for your learners. Explore the wide range of degrees available to them and uncover surprising career options and real world applications of degree knowledge through academic and alumni case studies.

Learning objectives:

• Gain an understanding of the benefits of studying an Arts and Humanities subject at degree level
• Get the facts and figures to combat popular myths and negative political rhetoric
• Explore career options and how your students can make the most of their time at university

Languages Campus Visit

Year 7-9 | Session duration: Flexible

Visit us on campus for our Intro to Languages interactive sessions. With over 10 languages offered at degree level and even more with our Languages for All programme, students can experience what it's like to study one or more languages at university.

A visit will normally include an introductory workshop on what university is, a student life session with students from relevant language subjects with the chance to ask questions, go on a short campus tour, and participate in a practical language and cultures workshop.

Languages may include:

French, German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Catalan, Czech, Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish and British Sign Language

(Whilst preferences for specific languages will be taken into account, we cannot guarantee availability and more than one language can be experienced during the day).

Learning objectives:

• Gain an understanding of what studying languages at university is like
• Widen student ideas of what languages can be studied (including as dual degrees)
• Emphasis the importance of language acquisition and continuation after school
• Get involved with interactive activities
• Inspire students to think about taking languages after GCSE

Language Taster

Year 10+ | Session duration: ~ 1hr

For students taking GCSE or A Level languages (or equivalent) who wish to experience a language taster with our academics.* 

If you visit us on campus, your students will have a tour of the university to see some of our facilities, meet current students, and take part in a 60 minute interactive session in the language of your choice with our subject experts. With practical activities, advice on where language qualifications could take your students, this is a great way to inspire young people to continue with their studies.

*All languages taught at University of Sheffield are available on request but subject to academic availability. For East Asian Languages, students do not need to be taking a qualification in these languages to take part in the session.

Learning objectives:

• Gain an understanding of what studying languages at university is like.
• Widen student ideas of what languages can be studied (including as dual degrees)
• Emphasise the importance of language acquisition and continuation after school and its importance to career opportunities
• Get involved with interactive activities
• Inspire students to think about taking languages after GCSE and A-level

East Asian Lectures

Year 10+ | Session duration: 45-60mins

If you have students who are interested in taking East Asian Studies or Languages at university, why not book a lecture in our East Asian Lecture series? Covering a range of exciting topics taught as part of the course by our expert academic lecturers, these talks will give your students an insight into what it's like to study at university level, whilst also broadening their knowledge and giving them insight and advice on why why a degree in East Asian Studies can lead to many extraordinary opportunities in the future. 

Current Topics Available:

• The Rise of Game Survival Narratives in East Asian Cinema and Television.
• The Rise of Hallyu: Adaptation, Imitation or Reinvention
• Screening East Asia
• Pop Music: Perspectives from Korea and Japan
• Texts of The City, Multiple Histories of Shanghai
• An Introduction to East Asian Studies at Sheffield 

Learning objectives:

•  Experience a university style lecture
• Gain an understanding of what studying East Asian Studies at university is like.
• Widen student ideas of what languages can be studied (including as dual degrees)
• Emphasise the importance of language acquisition and continuation after school and its importance to career opportunities
• Inspire students to think about taking languages after GCSE and A-level

English Language and Linguistics: Understanding Language

Y12-13 | Session duration: flexible 

In English Language and Linguistics sessions students can discover how children learn one (or more) languages with ease, or how accent and dialect shape the way we produce and use language. We can also touch on the scientific and mathematical side of linguistics, giving students the chance to explore a different side of English.

In a nutshell, the sessions give students a taster of the science behind the human language, looking at examples of the sounds and structure of language, and considering the application of this knowledge to real-world scenarios. 

Previous workshops have considered how sounds, grammar and words are represented by the brain, investigations into the internal hierarchical structure of language, and how you can approach language analytically in order to do data analysis and scientific experimentation with language.

English Literature: Beyond the books

Y12-13 | Session duration: flexible

Our English Literature sessions can cover a wide range of texts and subject matters - from Othello to Jane Austen and the emergence of gothic writing all the way through to The Handmaid’s Tale. We can also explore approaches fundamental to contemporary literary theory and delve into the formal, literary and cultural functions of genre.