Language applicants for 2012 entry

Original post by Ecaudate

Hi, I'm planning on going for French & ab initio Spanish (and also hopefully picking up some Portuguese or Italian along the way).
I'm currently considering Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham and Newcastle, also maybe Exeter and Southampton, but they don't let you split the year abroad. Plus I'm considering Trinity College Dublin, but I'm not too sure about that one.

I'm interested in a bit of everything in terms of modules - literature, film, history, politics, also I went to a language day for AS/A-Level students at Manchester Uni last week and that got me interested in linguistics too, so I'll have difficulties choosing my options each year!

Is anyone else already dreaming of/planning the year abroad haha? :smile:

Ohhh my gosh I was thinking about that like last night! I think I'll be an Erasmus student in Germany simply because my colloquial German is actually damn good and I have no problem making friends, going on dates, whatever, in German. I think I'll be a language assistant in Spain because I'm less familiar with the culture and it'll be easier to make connections with people :smile:

Reply 42

Dusty12

13

Original post by such_a_lady

Ohhh my gosh I was thinking about that like last night! I think I'll be an Erasmus student in Germany simply because my colloquial German is actually damn good and I have no problem making friends, going on dates, whatever, in German. I think I'll be a language assistant in Spain because I'm less familiar with the culture and it'll be easier to make connections with people :smile:

Are you actually able to be a language assistant when doing two languages? I think the British Council have a minimum amount of months you have to spend on a placement, more than the amount usually allocated for each joint language. I'm not sure though.
I was wondering about this the other day because being a language assistant on my year abroad is definitely the option that appeals most to me, and I don't want to do a joint degree if it means I can't do that. :frown:

Reply 43

Ecaudate

Original post by Dusty12

Are you actually able to be a language assistant when doing two languages? I think the British Council have a minimum amount of months you have to spend on a placement, more than the amount usually allocated for each joint language. I'm not sure though.
I was wondering about this the other day because being a language assistant on my year abroad is definitely the option that appeals most to me, and I don't want to do a joint degree if it means I can't do that. :frown:

I think a lot of the British Council Placements do last a year, but I know you can get ones in Argentina that are a semester long, and I think they have ones in Germany or Austria that are also shorter so you may be able to do two in a year. Plus I think there are other organisations/companies you can do teaching placements with, but I'm not too sure as it's never really appealed to me, so I haven't done much research on it.

I've got a lot of ideas about what I fancy doing, but I'm not sure - I'll probably go to a foreign university for one of my languages, then maybe a work placement if I can find something suitable that links to a career (if I have one in mind by then) for the other. I'd like to go to Paris, and maybe Buenos Aires or Cuba, but I might settle for Spain - we'll see what the bank balance is like I suppose!

Reply 44

Pi!

14

What sort of things are good to mention in a personal statement for languages?

Reply 45

qwertyuiop1993

Original post by Pi!

What sort of things are good to mention in a personal statement for languages?

Perhaps books you've read relating to or in the language you're studying. Show's interest beyond A-level and all that :smile:

Also, for the same reason, talk about experiences you've had of the culture. That can be a real help - I talked about a festival in Brittany I helped out at and it turned out my interviewer went to the same one - we gave each other a mental high five.

I also made up some fluff about being Chinese but growing up in England and how that fostered a curiosity for different cultures - though this is quite specific and wouldn't help you...unless you're Chinese? :P

EDIT: For Japanese you could perhaps stress just how different Oriental languages are - and culture too (if that's something that attracts you to studying it).

Hope that gave you a few ideas - my Personal statement was edited countless times and all my teachers kept asking to read it and had clashing opinions. Bit of advice - too many cooks spoil the broth :wink:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 46

Original post by qwertyuiop1993

Also, for the same reason, talk about experiences you've had of the culture. That can be a real help - I talked about a festival in Brittany I helped out at and it turned out my interviewer went to the same one - we gave each other a mental high five.

Hahahaa that mental high five sounds great!!!! :biggrin:

How coincidental!!! :P

Reply 47

AuroraSurfer

Original post by Dusty12

.(

We...we meet again?!

German and ab initio Russian here! I like the look of the Cambridge, Durham and Bath courses best at the moment.

Out of curiosity, which languages do you all study now? Different to what you're applying for?

Reply 48

Dusty12

13

Original post by AuroraSurfer

We...we meet again?!

German and ab initio Russian here! I like the look of the Cambridge, Durham and Bath courses best at the moment.

Out of curiosity, which languages do you all study now? Different to what you're applying for?

We meet again indeed!!
Unlikely we'll meet at uni though. Bath and Cambridge's courses don't appeal to me, and Durham's too far in the north for my liking. :L

In answer to the question, atm I only study French at school. And Welsh I suppose, but it's not exactly a MFL. :tongue:

French and German are the only language GCSEs/A-Levels my school offers, and for some bizarre reason I chose Food Tech. instead of German in Year 9. No idea why. :s-smilie:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 49

such_a_lady

Original post by AuroraSurfer

Out of curiosity, which languages do you all study now? Different to what you're applying for?

No, I study both German and Spanish :tongue:

Reply 50

jonnythemoose

15

Original post by such_a_lady

Ab initio is latin, literally means from start.

I've been going through tons of uni prospectuses and websites and have been making a spreadsheet. If anyone wants to see it, I'd be happy to share. Basically, my interest is in 18th and 19th century literature: no film or modern history for me, thanks. Hence Bath being out :frown:

compulsory module on German post-1945 history, ewww...

Why did you give Southampton a '6' for prettiness?! Its campus is reeeeeeeally nice!!

Although I do admit as a literature buff it's probably not the university for you. There isn't a heavy emphasis on literature, although there are plenty of optional modules in it. Good luck with your app!

Reply 51

On most language courses do you have to do literature?? Im doing it at the moment at school and its v hard :frown:

Reply 52

qwertyuiop1993

Original post by BeccaCath94

On most language courses do you have to do literature?? Im doing it at the moment at school and its v hard :frown:

There are some where literature is not too prevalent.

Avoid universities such as Oxford/Bristol if you absolutely do not want to do literature. (And Cambridge, though you can avoid literature, has a very literature based admissions process).

I got the impression that Birmingham don't focus on it too much (and there is an option to do three languages - which leaves less time for literature).
My sister is a t Edinburgh and she has chosen quite a few linguistics options because she finds them easier.

Reply 53

Original post by qwertyuiop1993

There are some where literature is not too prevalent.

Avoid universities such as Oxford/Bristol if you absolutely do not want to do literature. (And Cambridge, though you can avoid literature, has a very literature based admissions process).

I got the impression that Birmingham don't focus on it too much (and there is an option to do three languages - which leaves less time for literature).
My sister is a t Edinburgh and she has chosen quite a few linguistics options because she finds them easier.

Great thank you :biggrin:

I wasnt looking at oxbrdge anyway!!

Does anyone know what the courses at Leeds, Lancaster and Sheffield are like in terms of content?

Reply 54

Moscardini

12

From what I gathered going to the kcl open day, that was pretty literature based as well, (for french), and also if you doing a combined language degree there you can't be a language assistant at a school, you have to study at a uni due to term time contracts with schools there.

I'm hopefully applying for French and ab initio Italian, and was wondering whether you need work experience/what types of work experience you guys have?

Reply 55

weirdlikeluna

Hey everyone!

I'm going to apply to study a joint honours degree in French and Spanish. So far I've looked at Nottingham (which I loved!!) and Oxford but I don't think I'm smart enough for that. I'm predicted 3 A's at A level and I'm doing the extended project. I think if i worked really hard though I could get an A* in French.

I also have a few hobbies and I work experience. However at GCSE I only got 2 A*'s, 3 A's and the rest B's. I was a bit lazy back then unfortunately :s-smilie:

. I did get the A*s/A's in languages though.

Can you guys recommend any good universities for a French and Spanish course? Thanks in advance!

p.s. this thread is awesome :biggrin:

Reply 56

Original post by Moscardini

From what I gathered going to the kcl open day, that was pretty literature based as well, (for french), and also if you doing a combined language degree there you can't be a language assistant at a school, you have to study at a uni due to term time contracts with schools there.

What does this mean??
If you do a combined language degree - as in two languages or one and another subject?

Reply 57