I'm at the point now where I'm one year off University. I'm about to start an ACCESS course which will give me the points I need for most Uni's in the UK and also there is the opportunity to score a distinction. The subjects I'll be doing are Psychology, Sociology, English Literature and History so it's very much and Arts and Humanities qualification.
However... after a lot of soul searching and thinking I realise that my academic interests are learning quite far towards Linguistics and the urge to learn a foreign languge. I never went to main stream school so I have no Language GCSE to speak of. However I received grades above C in things like English Language, Biology, English Literature, Maths, etc.
So I'm sitting here thinking if I did want to learn a language, what would I want to learn? And Japanese springs to mind. I find it a facinating language from a written point of view, a beautiful langauge when spoken and after reading about the origins of the written language and after starting to learn Hiragana, I'm finding myself hooked. I've also enjoyed lengthy discussions with a friend who is at Uni studying Japanese and even just the constuction of romanised Japanese words and their pronounciation seems to really interest me. So, ideally the degree I'd want to do would be possibly a East Asian Studies course focusing on Japanese with a bit of Linguistics or the other way around.
Does anyone know if this sort of Degree is even offered anywhere? I've had a poke about in some Prospectus' I have but I can't find anything that would give me both these subjects in one degree. If anyone has any advice or any Universities I could look at then I'd be most grateful! Thank you in advance!
oxbridge, oxford brookes, sheffield, leeds, manchester, newcastle and edinburgh all do japanese (i think that most also do japanese with linguistics)
a bunch of others (nottingham, cardiff and birmingam spring to mind) do japanese with other things but not japanese on its own (maybe with linguistics)
true! forgot about SOAS, only the most obvious...lol
But they do say that they prefer you have done a language at A level, so not having one even to GCSE might be a problem with them...
Well I looked at some prospectus' and they wanted a Language and/or a humanities done at A-level. The point is I can't actually change the subjects on my ACCESS course and I wouldn't have the time to do a fifth A-level, I'm already doing the equivalent to 4 a-levels in a year. However I'm hoping if I can show a good competence in Japanese then that might count for something since that is the language I want to do.
Edit: Had a quick look at the SOAS courses on offers and it looks fantastic. Plus it looks like I would be called for an interview anyway since I'm a mature student, (I'd be 22 so I think I would be!) so that means that I can talk to the interviewers and hopefully can circumvent not having an A-Level in a Language if I can demonstrate a good speaking and writing ability in Japanese.
Last edited by Serenity Dove : 10-08-2009 at 21:21.
SOAS are quite sticky dicks with this now. I think they have increased the entry requirements since I first applied and now they increasingly oversubscribe the course. They might start weeding out candidates without language qualifications, but tbh - it counts for very little when doing Japanese.
Originally Posted by Serenity Dove
So I'm sitting here thinking if I did want to learn a language, what would I want to learn? And Japanese springs to mind. I find it a facinating language from a written point of view, a beautiful langauge when spoken and after reading about the origins of the written language and after starting to learn Hiragana, I'm finding myself hooked.
SOAS are quite sticky dicks with this now. I think they have increased the entry requirements since I first applied and now they increasingly oversubscribe the course. They might start weeding out candidates without language qualifications, but tbh - it counts for very little when doing Japanese.
See this is why I would want an interview as well. I was always told that if you can show that you're genuinely enthusiastic about a subject then that can go a long way as well, set yourself apart from the other candidates in that interview.
Besides if I choose to maybe apply for Linguistics with SOAS and then have my secondary subject as Japanese it looks like things may be a little less strict about needed a language already. It's something I can always try and chat to the people at my college and also someone on an open day and see if this would be a REAL issue.
See this is why I would want an interview as well. I was always told that if you can show that you're genuinely enthusiastic about a subject then that can go a long way as well, set yourself apart from the other candidates in that interview.
Besides if I choose to maybe apply for Linguistics with SOAS and then have my secondary subject as Japanese it looks like things may be a little less strict about needed a language already. It's something I can always try and chat to the people at my college and also someone on an open day and see if this would be a REAL issue.
Well true but they have to like your application enough to think you're worth taking on before you would even get an interview...and everyone is enthusiastic as crazy in their PS, but also most other people will have the language so its easier to take them.
lol dont want to bring a downer on the whole thing, just dont want you to get your hopes up! I'm very cynical.
And there are good courses at other places too, i personally preferred the sound of the ones at newcastle and edinburgh to SOAS
See this is why I would want an interview as well. I was always told that if you can show that you're genuinely enthusiastic about a subject then that can go a long way as well, set yourself apart from the other candidates in that interview.
SOAS offered me an interview but I turned it down. In hindsight, it would have been interesting to see what it was like and if I was made an offer or not. We shall never know.
Besides if I choose to maybe apply for Linguistics with SOAS and then have my secondary subject as Japanese it looks like things may be a little less strict about needed a language already. It's something I can always try and chat to the people at my college and also someone on an open day and see if this would be a REAL issue.
Its more of a social science as well though, so don't think of it being a course of pure 100% kanji and grammar. In my second year, two thirds of my course was non-language learning (well, except classical Japanese. )
I think it depends mostly on the admissions department though. They would still cap the numbers on people doing Japanese (JH or not.)
Well true but they have to like your application enough to think you're worth taking on before you would even get an interview...and everyone is enthusiastic as crazy in their PS, but also most other people will have the language so its easier to take them.
lol dont want to bring a downer on the whole thing, just dont want you to get your hopes up! I'm very cynical.
And there are good courses at other places too, i personally preferred the sound of the ones at newcastle and edinburgh to SOAS
Quite frankly an A* or whatever in French means **** all when it comes to Japanese. If you discount the internationals from our course (who obviously speak two languages anyway) there are only 3 to 4 people on my course who did a FL at A-level.
OP: Just come to Sheffield man. Wednesday nights, get drunk with some japanese exchange students and then off to skool disco and wake up for Thursday's grammar class with a searing hangover and a bitter aftertaste of jagermeister. ()
Quite frankly an A* or whatever in French means **** all when it comes to Japanese. If you discount the internationals from our course (who obviously speak two languages anyway) there are only 3 to 4 people on my course who did a FL at A-level.
OP: Just come to Sheffield man. Wednesday nights, get drunk with some japanese exchange students and then off to skool disco and wake up for Thursday's grammar class with a searing hangover and a bitter aftertaste of jagermeister. ()
Haha I like you.
Seriously though guys thanks for all the advice. I at least have some Universities to take at and I can speak to my College when I start in September. I've booked myself in for the SOAS open day and I'll take a look at some of the others.
Quite frankly an A* or whatever in French means **** all when it comes to Japanese. If you discount the internationals from our course (who obviously speak two languages anyway) there are only 3 to 4 people on my course who did a FL at A-level.
OP: Just come to Sheffield man. Wednesday nights, get drunk with some japanese exchange students and then off to skool disco and wake up for Thursday's grammar class with a searing hangover and a bitter aftertaste of jagermeister. ()
I know i completely agree! but you're missing the point that SOAS specifically wants you to have a language whereas the others don't, so they're much "safer" oprions for someone who didn't do a language at GCSE
My friend got rejected because he had a C in GCSE german (and he's already quite proficient in chinese) but how german is related to chinese i still do not know
Hmm. I want to go to SOAS but I don't have a language!
(Well... GCSE French but I think I got a C or D in that. Sad times).
I was thinking of doing the JLPT Level 3 exam anyways.
But, hearing about this, is it best to do a Japanese A-Level?
Not sure whether they are equivalent or not...
Aghh! I don't even know of a centre that offers this at all.
Hmm. I want to go to SOAS but I don't have a language!
(Well... GCSE French but I think I got a C or D in that. Sad times).
I was thinking of doing the JLPT Level 3 exam anyways.
But, hearing about this, is it best to do a Japanese A-Level?
Not sure whether they are equivalent or not...
Aghh! I don't even know of a centre that offers this at all.
GCSE Jap standard should be fine. But you don't want to kill yourself before the course starts, there's plenty of time for that when you start studying it. I knew the basics when I started and I guess I've reverted back to the basics again thanks to honorifics and kanji melting my brain.
Meh, just study it in your time. Iirc, your Japanese is quite good anyway.
Best check with SOAS admissions though. Like I say they could offer you advice about what to do or not to do. I'm not sure having a language A-level/GCSE is a requirement or not. It maybe depend on individual circumstances.
Last edited by guy_incognito : 11-08-2009 at 16:03.
That's what i've done, I've contacted SOAS and basically briefly described my current circumstances and if my lack of a language qualification would hold me back. I also asked if it's worth trying to get a GCSE in a Language if this would raise my chances. Oh well will have to wait until I hear back. But again individual circumstances have to factor in as well for some places. ACCESS courses like the one I'm enrolled in to start on wouldn't exist if every University just wanted a cookie cutter build of A-Levels and GCSE's.
GCSE Jap standard should be fine. But you don't want to kill yourself before the course starts, there's plenty of time for that when you start studying it. I knew the basics when I started and I guess I've reverted back to the basics again thanks to honorifics and kanji melting my brain.
Meh, just study it in your time. Iirc, your Japanese is quite good anyway.
Best check with SOAS admissions though. Like I say they could offer you advice about what to do or not to do. I'm not sure having a language A-level/GCSE is a requirement or not. It maybe depend on individual circumstances.
Good point!
I think I will just go for the GCSE level. I plan to self-study A2 Business and Politics too, so.. I think I shouldn't take on too much during this time as I want to get the maximum grades I can!
Aw! Thank you very much, xx. =D
Yeah, I mean.. that's what the head of the SOAS Japanese department basically said to me - "it depends on individual circumstance". Just that it's best to hit the requirements. The preferred stuff (such as having a language) is not so important, it seemed. But evenso, would give you an edge I am sure!
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