Languages applicants for 2013!

University course discussion for Foreign Languages.

Announcements Posted on
Enter our travel-writing competition for the chance to win a Nikon 1 J3 camera 20-05-2013
IMPORTANT: You must wait until midnight (morning exams)/4.30AM (afternoon exams) to discuss Edexcel exams and until 1pm/6pm the following day for STEP and IB exams. Please read before posting, including for rules for practical and oral exams. 28-04-2013
Sign in to Reply
  1. Ayresss's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Location: Rochdale
    • Posts: 53
    Thinking of applying for French and Italian with either Politics or International Relations.
    Hopefully going to apply to Durham, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bath and another which I'm undecided on, but obviously that depends on my results in August.


    This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
  2. Malty11's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 9
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Buongiorno)
    Hello fellow linguists

    Spanish & ab initio German here. Looking at Cambridge, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Durham... Is anyone else going on the Sutton Trust summer school at Cambridge?
    I'm going to the summer school too I'm looking at doing European studies and Spanish and ab initio something (Russian or German maybe, not sure yet)
  3. Buongiorno's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Posts: 444
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Malty11)
    I'm going to the summer school too I'm looking at doing European studies and Spanish and ab initio something (Russian or German maybe, not sure yet)
    I am having the same dilemma... although it looks I am set on doing German, a part of me still wants to do Russian. Scottish universities are brilliant in that it is possible to study 3 languages and pick up 2 from scratch so I could do both German and Russian.

    What universities are you looking at?
  4. OddThings's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Squaresquirrel)
    Swedish is obviously the way to go
    I'm tempted to agree,I'm watched a few films and tv series in Swedish with subtitles and I love the sounds and general cadences of the language.
  5. EAM1995's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Location: Peterborough
    • Posts: 40
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    I am!

    I got A*s at GCSE in French, Italian and Spanish, and I took all three at AS Level, having just dropped Italian to continue French and Spanish to A2 level.

    I have no idea which languages I want to study at university... I know I definitely want to do French, but am torn between Italian, Spanish and ab initio Portuguese or Russian.

    I'm tending towards French & Italian, or French, Spanish & Portuguese, but have a love and flair for Russian and its culture and history (I loved my holiday there...)

    Uni-wise I'm considering UCL, Southampton, Durham, Nottingham, Bath and Bristol - open days are booked for all six.

    I got 10 A*s and 2 As at GCSE, but don't feel like Oxbridge material...there's just so much choice out there; and I don't know which languages I want to study
    Last edited by EAM1995; 27-06-2012 at 21:31.
  6. Etoile's Avatar
    • TSR Idol
    • Location: my own little world :)
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    Ooh how did I not notice this thread?! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

    I'm applying for French & German. Languages are the best :ahee:

    (Original post by rach_kirke)
    Oohh what A-Levels are you doing? I've considered Cambridge before but have a feeling my GCSEs wouldn't be good enough, I only got 2 A*s (they were in languages though )
    I got 2 A*s as well and I'm giving it a shot, I do have extenuating circumstances though.

    (Original post by Squaresquirrel)
    I started self teaching myself a few months ago but Ive been really lax about it lately so have forgotten alot
    I know a wee bit of Swedish, and what I found really helps is reading the paper (I usually go for the Svenska Dagbladet) and listening to music! I'm not even applying for Scandinavian Studies, although I'd love to as well as French/German if that were possible, and I just go around singing in Swedish or Finnish all the time haha! As well as films/tv of course - Sweden makes amazing crime and horror
  7. Buongiorno's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Posts: 444
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Etoile)
    Ooh how did I not notice this thread?! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

    I'm applying for French & German. Languages are the best :ahee:
    What other universities apart from Cambridge?
  8. anna-chipie 95's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 360
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    WOOP WOOP LANGUAGES

    French and German (both post A-Level.) Considering Cambridge *ahem*, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Exeter, and any others that may come onto the horizon- UCL and York I'm looking at you.

    J'adore le francais. C'est trop cool.
    Ich liebe Deutsch. Es ist uber-cool (umlaut on the u.)
  9. pink pineapple's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Posts: 1,286
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    Finally decided on history and French would lovew to do another language but I've never had a chance to study any others.
  10. Etoile's Avatar
    • TSR Idol
    • Location: my own little world :)
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Buongiorno)
    What other universities apart from Cambridge?
    Exeter fo' sure :ahee: I'm also looking at Birmingham, Durham, Bristol, Nottingham, Sheffield, UCL, KCL and maybe Southampton

    (Original post by anna-chipie 95)
    WOOP WOOP LANGUAGES

    French and German (both post A-Level.) Considering Cambridge *ahem*, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Exeter, and any others that may come onto the horizon- UCL and York I'm looking at you.

    J'adore le francais. C'est trop cool.
    Ich liebe Deutsch. Es ist uber-cool (umlaut on the u.)
    Du hast ja viel recht :yep: Which colleges are you looking at?
  11. anna-chipie 95's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Posts: 360
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    Catz, Emma, Christ's, Kings... they all seem so nice.
  12. Etoile's Avatar
    • TSR Idol
    • Location: my own little world :)
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by anna-chipie 95)
    Catz, Emma, Christ's, Kings... they all seem so nice.
    Indeed they do :yep: Did you go to the Emma open day on Tuesday?
  13. Chiseph's Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 220
    Yay a nice thread to get going I want to study French and Czech - am currently looking at Oxford, Sheffield, UCL, Bristol and Glasgow (I think those are actually the only ones that offer a degree in those two specific languages)

    I live and was born in Prague, Czech Republic, but started going to the British International School when I was four and then was shipped off to an English boarding school later on, so though I understand the language I only speak colloquial Czech (very, very different) (

    But the problem is that learning European languages is done the best in Europe, so I was thinking of studying Romance and Slavic languages/ doing a degree in translation in Vienna. I'd have to do the degree in German though, and if I don't reach the standard needed within 3 semesters I can't study at the university. I don't mind working myself to bits as long as it's towards learning a new language, but I dunno :/ help anyone? Thank you

    This was posted from The Student Room's Android App
  14. Buongiorno's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Posts: 444
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Etoile)
    Exeter fo' sure :ahee: I'm also looking at Birmingham, Durham, Bristol, Nottingham, Sheffield, UCL, KCL and maybe Southampton
    So many people want to go to Exeter, not only for languages but in general. What attracts you to that university?

    Durham, Bristol, Nottingham yay
  15. bíborcsiga's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Chiseph)
    But the problem is that learning European languages is done the best in Europe, so I was thinking of studying Romance and Slavic languages/ doing a degree in translation in Vienna. I'd have to do the degree in a German-speaking environment though, and if I don't reach the standard needed within 3 semesters I can't study at the university. I don't mind working myself to bits as long as it's towards learning a new language, but I dunno :/ help anyone? Thank you
    Hey, I considered going to university in Vienna a while back. What language standard are we talking about? I saw they required B2 level knowledge, which I have (ahem, almost), but I personally don't think it would be enough to actually take a university course in a German-speaking environment. I think C2 (native level knowledge) would enable someone to actually understand what is going on in lectures and not lag behind. I was worried that by the time my German was up to scratch I would have missed a lot of the subject material. Okay, now I realise how discouraging I sound, sorry! If you were referring to a higher level of German then by all means, correct me! And I was only giving you my two cents, maybe I'm the one who was a bit too afraid, and it would work out for you! So don't be put off just because I was - by my own level of German.
    Are you studying it at school by the way? I think with your linguistic background you stand an excellent chance of being accepted to UK unis, anyway!

    Completely unrelated, but any potential linguists (I mean those applying for a Linguistics course, not a languages one ) around? Linguistics 2013 doesn't seem to have a thread yet, and as there's some mutual interest I thought I might as well ask.
    Last edited by bíborcsiga; 29-06-2012 at 19:27.
  16. Chiseph's Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 220
    (Original post by bíborcsiga)
    Hey, I considered going to university in Vienna a while back. What language standard are we talking about? I saw they required B2 level knowledge, which I have (ahem, almost), but I personally don't think it would be enough to actually take a university course in a German-speaking environment. I think C2 (native level knowledge) would enable someone to actually understand what is going on in lectures and not lag behind. I was worried that by the time my German was up to scratch I would have missed a lot of the subject material. Okay, now I realise how discouraging I sound, sorry! If you were referring to a higher level of German then by all means, correct me! And I was only giving you my two cents, maybe I'm the one who was a bit too afraid, and it would work out for you! So don't be put off just because I was - by my own level of German.
    Are you studying it at school by the way?
    Yeah, I think that it's B2, but I don't do German at school so that's why I'm worried... but it's cool that I've found someone who's been looking at the same university! :/ and no, you're not discouraging me - I've already thought through all those things before. My brother's doing a foundation year of Dutch before studying Belgium, and he's enjoying it, so I think it'll be okay )

    This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my Galaxy Nexus
  17. bíborcsiga's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Chiseph)
    Yeah, I think that it's B2, but I don't do German at school so that's why I'm worried... but it's cool that I've found someone who's been looking at the same university! :/ and no, you're not discouraging me - I've already thought through all those things before. My brother's doing a foundation year of Dutch before studying Belgium, and he's enjoying it, so I think it'll be okay )

    This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my Galaxy Nexus
    Oh, that sounds good! Will you be applying for the same language combination in Vienna then?
  18. Etoile's Avatar
    • TSR Idol
    • Location: my own little world :)
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Buongiorno)
    So many people want to go to Exeter, not only for languages but in general. What attracts you to that university?

    Durham, Bristol, Nottingham yay
    It's a lovely city, beautiful campus, easy to get to on the train for me, I've got a friend who goes there and recommended it, near the beach
  19. Chiseph's Avatar
    • Respected Member
    • Posts: 220
    (Original post by bíborcsiga)
    Oh, that sounds good! Will you be applying for the same language combination in Vienna then?
    I think so - I think I could get away with doing 2 Romance languages + Czech actually, because of the credits system, so that's quite exciting what were you going to study when you were thinking of applying there?

    This was posted from The Student Room's Android App
  20. bíborcsiga's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    Re: Languages applicants for 2013!
    (Original post by Chiseph)
    I think so - I think I could get away with doing 2 Romance languages + Czech actually, because of the credits system, so that's quite exciting what were you going to study when you were thinking of applying there?

    This was posted from The Student Room's Android App
    Oh, I was actually looking at Economics courses, because apparently they're quite good, and there's virtually no tuition fee.
    Doing a Masters there is always an option, though.

    Do you already have a specific Oxford college in mind?
Sign in to Reply
Share this discussion:  
Article updates
Moderators

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 volunteers looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

Reputation gems:
The Reputation gems seen here indicate how well reputed the user is, red gem indicate negative reputation and green indicates a good rep.
Post rating score:
These scores show if a post has been positively or negatively rated by our members.