MML Students

To be honest, I doubt any of it's going to be a walk in the park.

I don't understand why we are required to read in the language though. What does this assess, which speaking in the target language does not?

No, that wasn't a retorical question. I really would like to know. :smile:

Reply 2

Well, speaking from experience... :p:

...

There is quite a difference between saying what you know how to say and reading in the foreign language. It's not just a case of saying individual words, but actually saying them correctly in a sentence that would make sense to a native speaker, with all the correct intonation and emphasis. This is especially the case for German where you can say 100 words then the last word can totally change everything you said before and if you're not ready for it, you WILL say it wrongly, lol. Sorry, it doesn't really make that much sense without actually talking to you - can't really convey what i mean here!

And the interview experience was fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! Just treat it was a normal convo! And the thing that i found the best - try to get them to smile or laugh! Don't tell a joke or anything, just add an element of humour :p:

The discussion of the text thing is no probs really - they aren't that bothered about what you say, rather that you're willing to offer ideas and think for yourself.

Just make yourselves come across as great students for them to want to supervise, and to have on your course - this isn't gonna happen simply by talking in fluent foreign language, nor will talking garbage (like i definetley did in my interview) make you a total writeoff!!

Just relax and it'll all go so much nicer - you'll be surprised at the number of people I'm now doing MML with who did actually enjoy their interviews :smile:

Any other q's, just ask!

Reply 3

OP

Duck and Cover

Well, speaking from experience... :p:

...

There is quite a difference between saying what you know how to say and reading in the foreign language. It's not just a case of saying individual words, but actually saying them correctly in a sentence that would make sense to a native speaker, with all the correct intonation and emphasis. This is especially the case for German where you can say 100 words then the last word can totally change everything you said before and if you're not ready for it, you WILL say it wrongly, lol. Sorry, it doesn't really make that much sense without actually talking to you - can't really convey what i mean here!

And the interview experience was fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! Just treat it was a normal convo! And the thing that i found the best - try to get them to smile or laugh! Don't tell a joke or anything, just add an element of humour :p:

The discussion of the text thing is no probs really - they aren't that bothered about what you say, rather that you're willing to offer ideas and think for yourself.

Just make yourselves come across as great students for them to want to supervise, and to have on your course - this isn't gonna happen simply by talking in fluent foreign language, nor will talking garbage (like i definetley did in my interview) make you a total writeoff!!

Just relax and it'll all go so much nicer - you'll be surprised at the number of people I'm now doing MML with who did actually enjoy their interviews :smile:

Any other q's, just ask!

Thanks very much :smile:

Can I ask how you found the writing exam? It's only one essay Q on a passage, right?

P.S. I'm also applying to Clare :p:

Reply 4

jonnythemoose

thanks duck and cover! Interesting about the intonation for German. I need to work on mine! :s-smilie:

Reply 5

54201

This is especially the case for German where you can say 100 words then the last word can totally change everything you said before and if you're not ready for it, you WILL say it wrongly, lol. Sorry, it doesn't really make that much sense without actually talking to you - can't really convey what i mean here!

I'm actually going to disagree with the german example you have given, because often say after a 'weil' clause a native speaker know whats verb you are going to use at the end etc. Also take a common german example off
'Ich muss in die Stadt' where gehen at the end is left out.

I found your post useful nevertheless.
Thanks!

Reply 6

jonnythemoose

diamondgeezer

I'm actually going to disagree with the german example you have given, because often say after a 'weil' clause a native speaker know whats verb you are going to use at the end etc. Also take a common german example off
'Ich muss in die Stadt' where gehen at the end is left out.

I found your post useful nevertheless.
Thanks!

Surely 'fahren' could be used here, too? I would have said bleiben, until I noticed it was 'die', rather than 'der'. :biggrin:

Reply 7

lavalse

10

city_chic

Thanks very much :smile:

Can I ask how you found the writing exam? It's only one essay Q on a passage, right?

P.S. I'm also applying to Clare :p:

Hi City Chic, I'm applying to Clare too!!

ditto to your question, I was wondering about that written exam too....

Anyway just to say wanted to say hello :smile:

and good luck with your application

Reply 8

OP

roserose

Hi City Chic, I'm applying to Clare for French too!!

ditto to your question, I was wondering about that written exam too....

Anyway just to say wanted to say hello :smile:

and good luck with your application

RoseRose

Hi, thanks :smile:

You too!

Reply 9

Well done for choosing Clare, it really *really* genuinely is the best college! Altho i would say that :p:

Best for MML though as you can leave at 8.55 and be in the classroom/lecture hall by 9!

For the written exam, I had a passage about a page long, it's normally about some sort of "issue", as these things always are!! And I had to answer one question in the foreign language of my choice, and then another in English, but it's really not that bad at all! It was quite opinion based so make sure you brush up on your "i think that....in my opinion...etc etc" phrases!

Reply 10

diamondgeezer

I'm actually going to disagree with the german example you have given, because often say after a 'weil' clause a native speaker know whats verb you are going to use at the end etc. Also take a common german example off
'Ich muss in die Stadt' where gehen at the end is left out.

Yeah i know what you mean, but it's only useful in things like your example, and obvious ones like "ich muss nach London" or "Er ist weg". It's not really possible for all the other verbs!!

Yeah sorry i didn't really make much sense in my original reply, i basically meant that it's easy to get confused when reading German out loud and to realise which words to emphasise, which can often be confusing when you've got lots of 'weil's and other 'Nebensaetze'. Again, I know I'm not really making much sense, it's just so much easier to make sense out loud rather than on a forum! But don't worry about it too much, they're not expecting fluency by any means!!

Reply 11

54201

Fair enough, point taken...

Reply 12

OP

Duck and Cover

Well done for choosing Clare, it really *really* genuinely is the best college! Altho i would say that :p:

Best for MML though as you can leave at 8.55 and be in the classroom/lecture hall by 9!

For the written exam, I had a passage about a page long, it's normally about some sort of "issue", as these things always are!! And I had to answer one question in the foreign language of my choice, and then another in English, but it's really not that bad at all! It was quite opinion based so make sure you brush up on your "i think that....in my opinion...etc etc" phrases!

Seems like I've made the right choice then lol :p:

At the end it was between Clare and Emmanuel.

Thanks for the advice! :smile:

Reply 13

gracethebass

why does it seem every modern linguist is applying to clare :s-smilie:

???? i'm applying there as well :s-smilie:

Reply 14

Ooo good luck! There are...9 linguists this year, which i dont think is quite as much as there often are...altho that's cos all the NatScis have taken over!! But good luck to one and all!! Any other q's, don't hesitate to ask, it gives me an excuse not to write my wonderful essay...!

Reply 15

Duck and Cover

Yeah sorry i didn't really make much sense in my original reply, i basically meant that it's easy to get confused when reading German out loud and to realise which words to emphasise, which can often be confusing when you've got lots of 'weil's and other 'Nebensaetze'. Again, I know I'm not really making much sense, it's just so much easier to make sense out loud rather than on a forum!

No, what you're saying makes good sense. :smile:

I think you're completely right in what you're claiming, too. You have to have your wits about you when reading German; it does require you to focus in a different way to when you merely converse.

Reply 16

OP

Duck and Cover

Ooo good luck! There are...9 linguists this year, which i dont think is quite as much as there often are...altho that's cos all the NatScis have taken over!! But good luck to one and all!! Any other q's, don't hesitate to ask, it gives me an excuse not to write my wonderful essay...!

Only 9??

Reply 17

Presumably 9 from the Student Room, not from the entire country?

Did that just make me look very, very stupid?

Reply 18

Excalibur

NickEM

Presumably 9 from the Student Room, not from the entire country?

Did that just make me look very, very stupid?

I think he meant 9 linguists at Clare, which is a reasonable number.

Reply 19