Languages Question

I am hopefully going to study Spanish/Linguistics (Wolverhampton already said they'll give me an offer so I will hopefully be going there), as I'm only going to college part-time I also spend home time studying Spanish, Japanese and Arabic. I have already sent off an application to UCAS and doubt that I'll have the grades to get onto the Japanese course I applied to and I've only recently decided on Arabic so haven't applied anywhere for it.
I was wondering, if I keep home-studying Japanese and Arabic for quite a long time (through uni) will this still be helpful to me? For example, will I be able to go somewhere to prove that I speak them well so I can get some sort of proof so I have them alongside my Spanish?
I want to get on well in languages and feel it would help me to have all. Can anyone help me out with what I'm wondering?

Reply 1

luke88

Visiting the country in hand would be a advantage as that shows you using the language in practise but also shows your interest in the language further.
But that's an expensive option.

How about reading online newspapers in Spanish? That would be a good thing to put in your P.S. It shows your using the language and your interest in that language. Find some books you could attempt to master. Nothing major just basic ones. And of course, mention these in your P.S.

All the Best!

Reply 2

Cunning Linguist

Be careful with Arabic - the Arabic that you learn (called MSA or الفصحى in Arabic) is not actually spoken anywhere. It is only used in the news and media only - so all countries can understand it.

Each Arab country has its own dialect. You would never hear MSA spoken on an everyday basis - unless two Arabs from different countries are forced to speak to each other - they would then would speak in MSA. Some countries dialects are mutually intellegible, usually because of proximity. A Saudi, for example, would understand someone from the UAE. An Iraqi, on the other hand, would not understand a Moroccan - which forces them to speak in MSA.

MSA is like the "purest form" of Arabic.

[MSA]
[الفصحى = al-fusHa. literally it means "the most eloquent"]

Reply 3

kellywood_5

Visits to Japanese and Arabic speaking countries would obviously be an excellent way to keep up with the languages, but you could also read newspapers, magazines and books, listen to the radio and watch TV and DVDs. There's probably some sort of qualification you could take to prove your ability to employers.

Reply 4

Ronove

If there's a language centre with lessons and exams (for certificates/diplomas) at the uni you go to you could continue learning through that, or you could probably just take the exams if you wanted.
If it's really important to you then check out which unis have a language centre and which languages they usually offer there before you decide where to go.

Reply 5

simsim5454

As a proof that you know the langauges well have you thought about doing GCSE and/or A-Level exams for them? I did Arabic AS and A2 when I was 13, both were very easy but well appreciated by schools of languages.

Reply 6

Dission

Bearing in mind that the visiting the country thing is too expensive what you should do is try to learn by means as if you were there.

For example, reading newspapers, watchin the news and maybe getting in contact with a native speaker of that language, speaking on msn for example, this way you can develop your fluent (thinking in that language) and the slang.

Reply 7

tbtommyb

Sometimes when I'm in work I chat to myself in Spanish, but then customers give me strange looks. It's very hard to actually keep it in your head.

Reply 8

nikki

There are proficiency tests for Japanese, and you can take them at SOAS in London. The JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) has 4 levels and tests reading, writing and listening, the Kanji Aptitude Test has 12 levels and tests your ability to use read and write kanji.