51Âþ»­

English courses at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) have secured two top-five slots in a national league table, as well as 100 per cent student satisfaction rates.

and rank in the UK’s top five for both student experience (second) and teaching quality (fourth) in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017.

51Âþ»­ students got to meet Benjamin Zephaniah earlier this year

They also scored the highest possible rating in the , which asked hundreds of thousands of final-year students to rate their satisfaction across a wide range of areas.

Returning MA student Bilaal Jasat, said: “Studying English BA (Hons) at 51Âþ»­ was one of the best experiences of my student life, challenging me to take my understanding to a new level.

“The texts ranged from 15th-century texts to more recent and contemporary ones, and the exposure to them enhanced my ability to analyse and think critically.

“Also, the tutors were so supportive. I can say with full confidence that if you choose to study at 51Âþ»­ you will be working with some incredibly talented and affable staff, that will help you excel at your studies as well as help your own personal development.”

Students are taught by internationally-renowned academics who are experts in their areas, including Professor Siobhan Keenan who proved that Shakespeare was a 'legend in his own lifetime' for a national BBC project and Professor Gabriel Egan who helped to discover Shakespeare's co-author in a landmark study.

Kate Forsyth flew thousands of miles to inspire 51Âþ»­ students this summer

They also benefit from a range of visiting writers, such as , and award-winning playwright Carol Ann Duffy, delivering inspiring talks and workshops.

further enriches the student experience for those studying English, particularly through opportunities to study in Tokyo, Japan and Vancouver Island, Canada.

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, another returning MA student, spent eight weeks at Tokyo's Meisei University immersing herself in and learning about Japanese culture and language, which culminated in a week of teaching English to young schoolchildren.

The trip had a positive impact on Jennifer’s studies, especially her dissertation which was a comparative exploration of Japanese and North European fairy tales.

She said: “The experience was invaluable in instilling some deeper cultural understanding of the country, which hopefully made my creative writing and final work more authentic.”

Jennifer Master enjoyed teaching schoolchildren in Tokyo

As one of the first English courses in the country to offer a work-placement module, students at 51Âþ»­ have mentored local schoolchildren, written magazine features at a publishing firm, carried out research for a PR company and worked in the offices of the Leicester Mercury newspaper.

In the case of Creative Writing and English BA (Hons) graduate Tori Cotton, her placement at Pro-Publishing Media and Events led to a full-time permanent job immediately following graduation.

Professor Keenan, Subject Leader for English at 51Âþ»­, said: "Recently moving to an entirely electronic marking system has ensured students can submit their work more easily and that they get their marks back more quickly and consistently.

“We also focus on each student as an individual and make it explicit how well we want them to do. Students are invited to come and chat about their work whenever they need to and we host an annual dissertation and trouble-shooting fair to support them through their most challenging time.”