[chris1200]

(Original post by Ezikio)
Is there any college I should be thinking about applying for that would be particularly helpful for Japanese?

Also, out of interest, Is Japanese a competitive course?

Keep in mind, you're not applying for Japanese, you're applying for Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - so you're up against Chinese and Arabic applicants too. If you want to, look at the website stats, but just apply to a college you like - all teaching is done in the faculty (apart from supervisions).

[dominiclmorris]

Japanese is competative in the type of people who apply rather than the numbers. English and History are statistically very competative, because it's not only people who live for and love English and History who apply, it's also a fair amount of people who think "It's pretty fun and I did well at A level, I might as well apply for the degree". Japanese has far fewer people applying (and far fewer places) but the people who apply are universally those who are very passionate about Japan... or a couple of people who watch Naruto and think this counts as a passion for Japan >_>

Beyond that a word of warning for the self taught: ganbatte - good luck - but the learning curve of Japanese is deceptive, the first few months or so move very quickly and you learn a lot but after than it gets exponentially harder.

[chikan]

well, i just finished 1st year japanese at cambridge. we're translating 'hana' by Akutagawa over the summer holidays (i think i'm on page 5 of about 70 oops), all by ourselves to be tested on in michaelmas and it's longer and a bit more difficult than what we've done before, so i think we'll all have come up with some sketchy translations but no matter, the teachers don't get angry at us for our rubbish translating skills they just laugh at us. so, there's a big emphasis on reading and writing, not so much on conversation. i just got back from japan and managed very basic sentences. but i can work on that on my year abroad i suppose.
i was ab initio and considered degrading and coming back to do something different because i found it initially really difficult but i got into the swing of it after the first term, and you get used to it being hard.
apparently the drop out rate is high, but once you're past the first term, even the first year, you're probably in for the long haul, 1 out of 10 switched subjects this year, and that was at the end so...
we get given a list of the kanji we must learn by the end of the year, numbered, i think it was near 600, and we get a kanji test every monday, weee fun.
(sorry if anyone notices my name is a reference to the perverts on packed trains in japan during rush hour, i couldn't think of a name and this for some bizarre reason seemed the best option...)

[chikan]

(Original post by Simba)
Alright, thank you .

I would only be attending the language lectures which I get the impression is not all that much of the course. You mention learning 40 kanji per week which is certainly not that much - the first three days I tried kanji I did kanji 1-300 in Heisig's 'Remembering the Kanji'. The hardest part for me would be the vocabulary, and I'm sure with practise I could crack that (I already know a fair bit). I'm pretty sure that all Cambridge lectures are attendable by all students (be they first year lectures or not), though you can't sit the exams if you're not doing the course. Obviously maths is my top priority, but I'd love to be fluent in Japanese, and attending the lectures could help give me a boost. I'm entirely self-taught up to this point .

but when you learn the kanji, you're given a vocabulary list with some of the compounds the kanji fit into, it's not just individual kanji and their on and kun readings.

[hungryhamish]

(Original post by Loeweloewe)
Is chinese at cambridge based heavily on the study of the language itself or more towards the humanities side of things (history, culture, etc)?

This pic is entirely irrelevant.

[afua12]

Is it possible to combine Chinese and an MML at Cambridge? So, Mandarin and German? Or is it strictly just Mandarin?

[Ghassan]

No thats only possible with Arabic. Japanese and Chinese are not combinable with any other language. The only option is to do Japanese with Chinese or Chinese with Japanese if you stay at Cambridge in the third year and do extra courses in the other language

[afua12]

Oh ok. That seems to be the case at a lot of universities. Maybe because it's a difficult language for English speakers? I don't know. But either way, it leaves me with just a choice of 4 universities - one of which I hate, one I dislike, and one I'm not so keen on... but oh well. I love the fourth!

[chris1200]

(Original post by afua12)
Oh ok. That seems to be the case at a lot of universities. Maybe because it's a difficult language for English speakers? I don't know. But either way, it leaves me with just a choice of 4 universities - one of which I hate, one I dislike, and one I'm not so keen on... but oh well. I love the fourth!

There are quite a few unis you can combine at which aren't bad at all. Sheffield and Leeds for example (the Sheffield East Asian department is very good) - but also Newcastle, Manchester etc. etc.

There is always the possibility at Cambridge to apply for straight Mandarin, but to take post-A level German (or whatever) courses. For example, I'm doing Japanese in October, but I'm also doing to be going a Language Centre 'CULP' Spanish course also.

[Ghassan]

(Original post by afua12)
Oh ok. That seems to be the case at a lot of universities. Maybe because it's a difficult language for English speakers? I don't know. But either way, it leaves me with just a choice of 4 universities - one of which I hate, one I dislike, and one I'm not so keen on... but oh well. I love the fourth!

To be honest I think Cambridge's policy on this issue is just totally right. I always wonder why people try to do a joint degree in Chinese & Japanese for example or Chinese & Arabic( and why unis actually offer such combinations). I mean even if you have a post A-Level standard in one of those languages you wont be fluent in any of the two at the end of the degree. You have the problem that you cant spend a year in both countries what is a disadvantage and you can not spend enough time on either language because you have to concentrate on two and not one language. As I said even if you would do Post-A-Level German and Chinese, you could not devote enough time on Chinese to master the language.

In the end it comes down to what language you really are into and which one you really want to do at uni, because languages like Chinese just take so much time to master them.
That is why I think that the course at Cambridge is really the best choice if you want to combine mastering the language(if that is even possible at all in only 4 years) and studying Chinese culture,history etc.
At other unis that is not the case in my opinion. I did also apply for Chinese and Politics at SOAS. Although I am sure the course there is really great and demanding it is possible there to do a lot of floaters in your 3rd/4th years, so that you do less Chinese. If I had gone there I could have gained a degree in Chinese and Politics by only doing 1 or 2 courses of Chinese in year 3 and 4. The other 6 courses could have been Politics papers and floaters.
That is what makes the course at Cambridge so different I guess. You have to do 3 courses of Chinese every year. That might be harder than elsewhere but it somewhat guarantees that you gain a certain level of Chinese, whereas one can avoid doing that much Chinese(especially classical Chinese) at other unis.

In the end everybody must see for himself but one wants. If you are not interested in classical Chinese for example the courses at Leeds/SOAS might be better than the Cambridge course.

[afua12]

I know that the language is going to be difficult, but I thought I would have some level of fluency by the end? Obviously nowhere near native, but the sort of level where if I went out there to live then I'd be fine?
I'm assuming you're both already on the course - how difficult would you say it is? And what is it that makes it so? I'm just going on hear say, so all that I think I know is that the grammar is actually ok, but it's the tones and writing which causes problems?

[chris1200]

(Original post by afua12)
I know that the language is going to be difficult, but I thought I would have some level of fluency by the end? Obviously nowhere near native, but the sort of level where if I went out there to live then I'd be fine?
I'm assuming you're both already on the course - how difficult would you say it is? And what is it that makes it so? I'm just going on hear say, so all that I think I know is that the grammar is actually ok, but it's the tones and writing which causes problems?

You definitely will, as long as you work hard. Spending a whole year there will increase this massively, though (at least for Japanese) the initial emphasis is on reading/writing and not speaking (due to the need to learn a hugely complex new script!). If you were to live out there after, you'd increase this yet further.

I haven't started yet, am doing so in October, but it's certainly an intense and difficult course. It has a very high drop-out rate, and it's not unusual for people to switch degrees after just a few weeks (one of my teachers quit Japanese for SPS after 4 days!!). The pace it goes is probably the thing that makes it hardest. From what I've been old, you absorb a lot at the start, but then it starts to get harrrrrrd!

I probably shouldn't offer advice on Chinese as I don't know any! But what I do know is that it doesn't have a great deal of syntax/grammar, so no that isn't hard. The tones sound incredibly tricky to me, and I know from Japanese that the characters are hard to master, but with practice become easier.

[dominiclmorris]

"but the sort of level where if I went out there to live then I'd be fine?"
Considering that I get on at least "fine" (day to day life/ordering food/getting directions/etc as well as interesting conversations and making friends) in Japan with just an A level in the language, there is no chance you will not get along very well in China by the end of your degree. They say a degree does not take you to the fluency of a native, but puts you in a position where a further year abroad would have you speaking like a native. Beyond that if you use your year abroad in the 3rd year wisely - don't hang out with other foreigners ever ever ever - your spoken abilities will develop very quickly.

[missjessd]

Wow, from the looks of it studying Japanese is hard work - of course it would be, since you'd be learning it from scratch/post A Level/Cambridge style!

The interview also sounds tough, it sounds like they really scrutinize your personal statement and then they ask you a lot about what you already know. I'm going to finish some of my (translated) Japanese novels but also add 'learning basic grammar (Japanese and English)' to my preparation list I think.

Does anyone have any other tips for the interview/personal statement? Like what certain interviewers like in a candidate (educated in politics, reading plays/poems, having some knowledge of history etc.) Is there anything you regret putting in there/saying?

Any help appreciated, thanks in advance!

[chris1200]

(Original post by missjessd)
Wow, from the looks of it studying Japanese is hard work - of course it would be, since you'd be learning it from scratch/post A Level/Cambridge style!

The interview also sounds tough, it sounds like they really scrutinize your personal statement and then they ask you a lot about what you already know. I'm going to finish some of my (translated) Japanese novels but also add 'learning basic grammar (Japanese and English)' to my preparation list I think.

Does anyone have any other tips for the interview/personal statement? Like what certain interviewers like in a candidate (educated in politics, reading plays/poems, having some knowledge of history etc.) Is there anything you regret putting in there/saying?

Any help appreciated, thanks in advance!

Giving specific interview advice is difficult, if not impossible, simply because each one is different. I had a few mock interviews in which many topics came up, which I then prepared for the real interview. But then none of this came up in either interview. What's more, very little of my PS content came up either (only very little on the books I had read in my 2nd interview).

I made sure I was up to date with the current news in Japan (at the time this was a new-ish PM, whale hunting and... something else I've forgotten!). However, this didn't come up at all! I'd make sure you know the PM and Emperor's names though.

The best advice I can give you is to pick a particular area you have a real interest in - then research this. You WILL be able to move the interview to this topic even if they don't do this for you. If you can display a real passion, they'll be impressed.

Just know that if you have the interest in Japan(ese) you should do to apply to Cambridge, it should come across just from the way you speak in your interview.

[Jucus]

(Original post by afua12)
Is it possible to combine Chinese and an MML at Cambridge? So, Mandarin and German? Or is it strictly just Mandarin?

As said above it isn't possible to combine any AMES/Oriental language with MML but Arabic and Persian. As I'm one of those who do it, I can say from my personal experience that it's hard work. Not impossible but hard. You see, the problem is that in the end of the day everybody has to be on the same level regardless of the number of teaching hours they have received. If you combine Arabic with MML you have less subjects and less language-focused lessons for Arabic. Obviously it's possible to go to the other classes (I did it sometimes) as well but it can clash with MML lectures and then you obviously has to opt for the MML course.
From what I gathered Japanese and Chinese demand even more work (if that's possible...) than Arabic so I wouldn't recommend taking any other language classes in your first year.However, once you're settled and know your limits you might want to enter a Certificate/Diploma course or take part in a course at the Language Centre. The languages offered for Certificate/Diploma level vary each year but as far as I know French, Germand and Spanish are always available at least at beginner's level at the Language Centre.
The AMES faculty organises open classes in several languages as well, these don't lead to an exam though. Most years there's Arabic, Hebrew and Chinese on offer but this can change from time to time...
Have a look at these pages, you might find them useful if you'd like to begin/continue another language.
http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/courses/DipCert.html
http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/news_events/open_language.htm
http://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/

[-bazmataz]

I've applied to study Japanese studies next year, and the recommended reading list on the cambridge website gives lots of options of books on the same sorts of topics. I can't afford to buy all of them, and I'm tempted to go for the cheaper options but I wanted to know if anybody has any particular recommendations?
The list is..


Modern History

* Hane, M., Premodern Japan (Westview Press) or
Totman, G., Japan before Perry (Univ. of California Press)

* Hunter, J., The Emergence of Modern Japan(Longman) or
Barnhart, M., Japan and the World Since 1868 (Edward Arnold)

* Hansen, V., The Open Empire: A History of China to 1600 (Norton) or
Ebrey, P., The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (Cambridge UP)


General Background Reading

In addition you are strongly advised to read at least two or three of the following:

* Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (Penguin)
* Paine, R.T. and Soper, A., The Art and Architecture of Japan (Penguin)
* Sugimoto, Y., An Introduction to Japanese Society (Cambridge University Press) or
Curtis, G., The Japanese Way of Politics (Columbia University)
* Stockwin, J.A.A., Governing Japan (Blackwell) or
Pempel, T., Regime Shift: Comparative Dynamics of the Japanese Political Economy (Cornell University Press)
* Bowring, R. & Kornicki, P. (eds.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan (Cambridge University Press)
* Goossen, T.W. (ed.), The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories (Oxford University Press)

Recommended Modern Fiction

Natsume Soseki, Kokoro and Sanshiro
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Some Prefer Nettles
Kawabata Yasunari, Snow Country
Mishima Yukio, Confessions of a Mask
Enchi Fumiko, The Waiting Years
Oe Kenzaburo, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness
Tsushima Yuko, Child of Fortune

Thanks!

[lavalse]

dont worry about this!! the recommended reading list on the AMES website is not intended for applicants, they actually send it out to people in the summer holidays before you start and then you get here and nobody will have read any of it. i panicked, read none, and then it was fine. didnt read any for interview either.

you need to focus on why exactly you want to study japanese and know a huge amount about that area and have insightful views/opinions. be it for the linguistics or the culture or the politics its all valid. everyone here who does AMES seems to have had different interview based on what their actual interests, outlined in the PS, were.

good luck!!!

[The Socialite]

Japanese for Dummies :P

You need to buy every single one of these books, read them cover to cover and memorise them before the start of term, didn't you know?

Hehe, you're too keen a student, Bazmataz! :P

Although it is Cambridge, so this is probably a good thing. I agree with above poster, wait until they actually give you a reading list at the beginning of the year. I suppose you could get a few out and read over a couple of chapters for 'fun' though.

[kcfch]

you could try your local library...