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Modern Languages Degree but...

Hi!
I'm in my first year if sixth form and I want to study French and Spanish at university next year.
However, a lot of universities have core modules in literature, linguistics and history and I can't seem to get a lot of information about those elements of the degree.
I'm scared in case I go to uni loving the languages and wanting to improve my language fluency/skills; and then I'll just end up hating it because of the other core modules that I'm not familiar with.

Anybody do/done a languages degree or have any information or advice?
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Avatar for Ivanka
Ivanka
16
Well, a language degree is not just a language course - sure, you learn a language, but you also learn about a culture, history, linguistics, cinema and so forth.

However, you do not need to know the disciplines inside and out. Many things are taken from scratch and the approach is different than at school. You'll probably just need to read primary texts beforehand, but that's nothing to worry about.
Original post by A_kris

I go to uni loving the languages and wanting to improve my language fluency/skills


Rosetta stone will be cheaper than a degree.
Original post by A_kris
Hi!
I'm in my first year if sixth form and I want to study French and Spanish at university next year.
However, a lot of universities have core modules in literature, linguistics and history and I can't seem to get a lot of information about those elements of the degree.
I'm scared in case I go to uni loving the languages and wanting to improve my language fluency/skills; and then I'll just end up hating it because of the other core modules that I'm not familiar with.

Anybody do/done a languages degree or have any information or advice?


Check out Newcastle's degrees :smile: Are you doing French and Spanish A Level?

They have a few options, straight languages, or you could combine French and Spanish with Translating and Interpreting, Linguistics, Business or with a whole range of things offered on Combined Honours. That would limit the "cultural modules" you do in terms of credits.

However, even if you do the Modern Languages degree, there's no compulsory modules. You choose which languages you do and which areas you focus on. If you have 2 A Levels you can do a third language as a beginner (I did French, Japanese and Japanese). The course is really flexible - you could take a third language in first year and then drop it in second or final year. They also offer some subsidiary language modules in 2nd and final year. So as a German student I was allowed to take Dutch in 2nd and Final Year.
As a French and Spanish student you'd have a choice of beginner's Catalan, Italian or Quechua in 2nd year and intermediate Catalan in final year.

So it's quite easy to take a degree there that has quite a heavy focus on languages. With 3 languages you'd be taking between 60-100 credits of language and 20-60 credits of culture depending on which languages you do!

If you do just want to do the 2 languages, then you'd have 40 credits of language a year, and 80 credits of culture, which is 4 modules. But there is a wide choice so it's easy to avoid certain types of modules if they don't appeal. Eg, you could avoid literature OR linguistics OR history. Unfortunately you're unlikely to find a degree where you can avoid all of them!
But in first year the culture modules are all very introductory eg. Introduction to Literature and Introduction to Linguistics - so it gives you a chance to find out what you like before starting second year when it all counts.

Good luck :smile:

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