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Languages without a-level?

Sorry if this query has been answered, I did search and some useful information came up, but my question is slightly different. I was confident i'd want to apply for Classics or History, but things have changed a bit. I apologise for the length of this as well. :o:

I was investigating Classics degrees but realised my favourite part of them would be translation from Latin. So I investigated joint honours Classics with a language and it looks pretty good - it has the best bits of Classics and a modern language in place of Ancient Greek or more intense literature/history study. So I thought i'd try learning a language just for a bit of fun, to see if i'd enjoy it, I understand it's completely different to degree level, but i'm really enjoying it (it's only a bit of Italian, but still, I really enjoy doing it).

My dilemma with languages has always been I thought I was awful at them. I got 11 A*s at GCSE, but French and Latin were my two As. I thought that was because I was just naturally unable to get them. I absolutely adore Latin, but French I didn't get on with so much. So I dropped it after GCSE. If I were to take languages, I would want it to be a more unusual combination, Italian and one or two others. I still take Latin, but it isn't a modern language, but does it still show i'm capable of languages? (I'm predicted an A).

I currently study History, Latin, Classics, English Lit, English Lang and ICT, and i'm predicted As in them, but looking at language courses, i've found one that would be willing to take me with no language as levels, and that's St. Andrews, and the course looks amazing. I also love Soton's course, but they want a B in a relevant language, and i'm pretty sure Latin is no longer relevant :p:

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Basically, what i'd like to know, is even if it's what I really want to do, and i've shown i'm passionate about it, self teaching as best as I can, would they still reject me on the grounds that I don't have an a-level? I wouldn't mind doing Classics and a language, but i'm not sure i'd enjoy it as much as pure languages.

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it. :smile:

Reply 1

nikki

Why don't you email them and ask? They're the people in the best position to tell you if they'll consider you or not. :smile:

Reply 2

Castelbajac

Classical Studies and Italian/Spanish/Russian at Exeter

Classical Studies and German/Spanish/Italian at Liverpool

Latin and French/Spanish/Italian at Manchester

I'll look a little more when it's less late :p:

Reply 3

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

It'll all come down to what language and where. Not many places would allow you to take French without an a/as level, but Italian they would.

Off the top of my head i think at UCL you can combine Latin (you need an A) with German, Italian, Dutch, Scandinavian and East European languages ab initio. Just email departments you like and ask them.

Reply 4

nearlyheadlessian

You've got a strong set of predicted grades, but I'd harbour doubts about whether St. Andrews would make you an offer for a language course when you didn't have an a level. Getting an A at gcse is by no means awful - I think you're working on a different scale to the rest of us here. But what you will find is that some places are going to be concerned by your lack of language study over the last couple of years. You'll certainly be able to walk into a Classics/Italian course somewhere like Exeter, as suggested by castelbajac. However, if you apply solely to languages you're unlikely to have as much success. Most people who do joint honours languages do so in one language they have existing knowledge of and one that is new (or indeed two they have knowledge of). To start two languages from scratch is inadvisable. You've already mentioned St Andrews (worst choice in some respects because it's by the far the hardest to gain entry to), but given what you're looking for I'd suggest a round of applications to universities in Scotland. That would allow you to apply on a ticket of Classics/Italian (for the sake of argument). Once you arrived you could take Classics, Latin and Italian. In 2nd year you could then drop Classics and either convert to single honours Italian or Latin, or joint honours Italian/Latin. The possibilities are fairly endless; Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St Andrews are all sounds language universities. Bear in mind, that if you study MFL at St Andrews your degree takes 5 years rather than the standard 4.

Reply 5

j_a_z_z

OP. Are you seriously doing 6 A-levels?? How do you have time to sleep? Eat? That's like double the normal workload! I am seriously in awe of you. You must be superhuman! :smile:

Reply 6

Lorypop

Thank you for all your advice - i'm not sure if I made one thing at all clear though, i'm in year 12, so i'm not sure if that would change anything? It certainly gives me an extra year, so if I actually knuckled down on the self teaching and got up to an a level standard, or even took a gap year and travelled, but took an a level in Italian then, would I still be open for consideration?

I think I would be willing to do Classics and Italian, and there are a multitude of those courses out there at some brilliant unis, and I suppose I could always carry on outside of studying, so all hope is not lost. :smile:

Thank you everyone!