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Single honour degree :
If you choose to study only one language, then you will probably have a wide range of modules from literature to linguistic, including film studies sometimes. You will learn the language in great depth, but will also study the culture and the society of the country(ies) in which this language is spoken.
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Joint honours - Major/minor degrees : • As said before, most language students choose to study two languages. Combinations are often different from a student to another even if we often find somes like French/German, French/Spanish, Italian/Spanish and so on. You can of course choose to study "rare" languages such as Hebrew, Russian or Korean, it's up to you ! Most of time, this kind of degree has one or several compulsory modules and smaller range of optional ones than the degree above, though you can choose to study only what interests you, so you can often avoid either literature or else if you're not fond of it. You can also study three or more languages at universities like Durham or Southampton, but each language will probably be studied in less depth than a one or two languages degree. • Finally, you can choose to study a language and to combine it with another subject you like, it all depends on the university. Half your degree will consist of modules about your language (a bit like a 2 language degree) and the rest will be about your other subject, be it Law, Psychology or else. This kind of degree allows you to study what you like and to keep learning a language you love, which is probably a good solution if you're opinion is divided in two options and that you have difficulty to choose which one you prefer.
Joint honours means that the degree is equally divided between two subjects, whereas major/minor degree will allow the student to study one subject more than the other one.
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You are certainly studying a language at A-Level and maybe you want to keep studying it at uni, so that is a good start. You can also –if you’re are studying another one or more language – carry it/them on at uni at A-Level level. Or you can choose to start one from scratch or « ab initio ». This is often the option chosen by curious students that want to experiment Learning a totally new language.
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Anyway, you have to choose languages you love, whatever the reason. If you are motivated by how challenging the language can be, or because it is linked to your beliefs/heritage, then this can makes things easier for you. Don’t choose a language simply because it can be « useful », because there are probably sides of the language you won’t really like and it could put you off.
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In this post are opinions from other students about languages they’re studying/they study/want to study or speak fluently as their first or second language. Don’t hesitate to post yours, I’ll add them to the list
To find a course related to one or several of the languages listed above, have a look at the UCAS website.
A - "Classic" languages
Languages often picked by students, and that are usually studied at college.
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Italian
B - "New" languages
Languages in high demand nowadays due to international business and relations.
- Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)
- Japanese
- Arabic
- Russian
C - "Rare" languages
Sometimes chosen by students, but often massively under subscribed and only offered at a few universities.
- Middle Eastern languages (Persian, Turkish, Hebrew)
- Scandinavian languages (Finnish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish and Danish)
- Slavonic languages (Polish, Czech, Bulgarian)
- Indian languages : Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil
- Celtic languages (Gaelic, Welsh, Breton)
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Further education • A - Masters • B - PhD • C – Further education abroad
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Careers • A - Education • B – Interpreting/Translation • C – International Relations • D – Foreign Affairs & International organisation • E – Business and Economy • F – Internal politics, government and organisations
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A – Application • Tips for the Personal Statement : • Tips for the interview: • Tips for results day:
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B – Ist year • How is it: • Tips to succeed: • Non-academic life:
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C – 2nd/3rd year • What changed since 1st year :
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D – The year abroad • Its aim: • How to plan it : • How to budget it : • Why you shouldn't be scared : • How to make the most of it :
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E – 4th year and graduation • What has changed : • How to deal with it : • Graduation: