Chinese / Japanese / Korean

I was trying to look for a combined degree in french and Chinese. Although not finding one yet, I noticed at SOAS that you can combine Chinese and Korean or Japanese and Korean but not C & J. Is this because of a similarity or vocabulary?

Reply 1

LaughingBro

phone/email them?

Reply 2

PJ991

You can combine French and Chinese at Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham Trent, Nottingham:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/coursefinder/11432/BA_Chinese_and_French
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/course/T900/Modern_Languages
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/prospectus/courseDetails.do?id=3793922010
http://www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/coursefinder/arts/modern-languages.shtml
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/search2010/atoz/course/?code=00063
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/pss/courses/cf/60953-1/10/BA_(Hons)_French_Joint_Honours.aspx
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ugstudy/course.php?code=017477

You can combine Chinese and Japanese also at Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/search2010/atoz/course/?code=06865
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/coursefinder/13907/BA_Chinese-Japanese
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/prospectus/courseDetails.do?id=3793272010

Reply 3

Piers-

They don't allow it at SOAS because it's too hard =P Although if you did take Chinese, you'd still be able to take elective units in Japanese in years 3 and 4, which would give you a reasonable conversational level by the end of it. Also, if you're interested, at SOAS you can take elective courses in many other University of London colleges. One of my friends is taking a course in French at UCL this year for example.

On a side note, to some extent I think it might be counter-productive to start two "hard" languages at once. It would probably just get massively confusing, especially as there's quite a lot of vocabulary and character overlap between Chinese/Japanese/Korean.

Reply 4

miniteen

Well if you manage to have an advanced level of the language you take at the beginning of the course, you might just be able to do the three.
I've just started BA Chinese first year, but I was put in a special floaters 3rd year course because I was level end of 1st year BA Chinese, so yeah... I get to do a floater's in my first year and I chose Korean. =) In my 3rd year I'll prob try and take an intermediate korean, and since I already speak a little japanese in my 4th year i might try to take an intermediate Japanese course. Which reminds me I need to go do work. x)

Reply 5

Pingumonkeys

Piers-

Ah so more overlap with japanese than Korean? I noticed at Leeds they let you to Chinese and Japanese or even Chinese and Russian but no specifics about grade in the language at A level. Some of the courses don't even want one.

Reply 6

Piers-

Pingumonkeys

Errmm... I don't know enough about Japanese and Korean to give you a proper answer, but I do know that historically both languages have borrowed heavily from Chinese.

I should also point out that it's not necessarily forbidden because Chinese and Japanese are more difficult languages than Korean, but it's just the way the courses are run. Chinese and Japanese are really intense in the first year, whereas Korean is a little more laid back - it might be run differently at Leeds (or elsewhere).