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Anyone done Oriental Studies (Chinese or Japanese) at Oxford?
I got A*s and As in my GCSEs and have just started my ASs in French, German, Spanish and Maths (all of which were A*s at GCSE) but I'm looking to the future.
I've been thinking about doing either Chinese or Japanese for my degree and am just wondering if anyone can tell me what its like? Any past experiences? Good or bad?
I've been thinking about doing either Chinese or Japanese for my degree and am just wondering if anyone can tell me what its like? Any past experiences? Good or bad?
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I'm studying Chinese at Pembroke... about to go into my second year. For the first 2 years the course is totally prescribed, apart from history/culture options, so if you decide after 2 weeks that you hate Classical Chinese - tough. The course is VERY focused on the writing/reading side, rather that speaking/listening, so if that's not your thing, the Oxford course may not be for you. Chinese (and all other Oriental Studies courses, I assume) is different from most other Arts courses too, in that you spend most of your time in classes of about 10, not tutorials or lectures.
Anything else you want to know, just ask
Anything else you want to know, just ask
Yes, I do like the course. I found my first term tough - I studied French at school, but did very little grammar/linguistic analysis, which the Oxford course heavily emphasises. (I basically learned the fundamentals of grammar over about 3 nights in 1st week, as I literally knew NOTHING, lol.)
I would DEFINITELY recommend the course - I'm loving it
The focus on literature and Classical Chinese is not a problem for me - I've always preferred literature - although some of my friends have complained that we really don't get enough time spent on speaking/listening in Modern Chinese. Tbh though, there are LOADS of Chinese people in Oxford, and it's not hard to find a language exchange partner.
As for careers... well, I'm kind of at a blank. I definitely don't want to be a translator, although I do want to use my language skills to a certain extent. Business is also out. I would LOVE to work in international relations, or an NGO. Basically I have no idea, but I'm up for suggestions!
I would DEFINITELY recommend the course - I'm loving it
The focus on literature and Classical Chinese is not a problem for me - I've always preferred literature - although some of my friends have complained that we really don't get enough time spent on speaking/listening in Modern Chinese. Tbh though, there are LOADS of Chinese people in Oxford, and it's not hard to find a language exchange partner.As for careers... well, I'm kind of at a blank. I definitely don't want to be a translator, although I do want to use my language skills to a certain extent. Business is also out. I would LOVE to work in international relations, or an NGO. Basically I have no idea, but I'm up for suggestions!
The course is not so much difficult as time consuming - there's a big workload, and it takes time to get your head around all the information, but there's not really anything inherently 'difficult' The course moves very very quickly though - we covered all the basic grammar of Classical and Modern Chinese in 2 terms.
I think that the market for East Asian languages is huge at the moment - the current economic rise of China, and of course the Beijing Olympics, are raising awareness of the possibilities that abound in the Far East. The Oxford course also allows you to take additional languages in the third and fourth years - at the moment, the options are Korean, Tibetan and Japanese. So if you were serious about translating, it is eminently possible to graduate with fairly fluent Chinese and a good working knowledge of a second language.
The course moves very very quickly though - we covered all the basic grammar of Classical and Modern Chinese in 2 terms. I think that the market for East Asian languages is huge at the moment - the current economic rise of China, and of course the Beijing Olympics, are raising awareness of the possibilities that abound in the Far East. The Oxford course also allows you to take additional languages in the third and fourth years - at the moment, the options are Korean, Tibetan and Japanese. So if you were serious about translating, it is eminently possible to graduate with fairly fluent Chinese and a good working knowledge of a second language.
Yeah, no knowledge of either language is necessary when you come up - for Chinese, they send you a big pack of characters to learn, and tell you to read the notorious Jacques Gernet book 'A History of Chinese Civilization', known among Sinologists as the most boring book in the history of mankind.
For the subsidiary language, you have 2 years to decided if you want to do it or not, so there's no pressure there!
For the subsidiary language, you have 2 years to decided if you want to do it or not, so there's no pressure there!
OK, I just had to look this up, because I didn't understand it myself... hope it makes sense!
As I understand it, in the third year, you take a paper called 'Special texts', of which there are 5 options, all involving translation from Modern/Classical Chinese. You also take a Special Language paper, which is in Japanese, Korean or Linguistics. Or instead of either of these papers, you can take an additional language (Japanese, Korean, Tibetan) which comprises the full subsidiary.
So, it works out as:
No subsidiary language = Special texts + Japanese/Korean/Linguistics
Subsidiary language = No Special texts or Special Language paper, just additional language
I know that technically the 'no subsidiary' option DOES involve a subsidiary language, but because the language level you reach is low compared to the 'subsidiary' option, it doesn't count.
If any of that didn't make sense, ask and I'll try and explain it clearer!
As I understand it, in the third year, you take a paper called 'Special texts', of which there are 5 options, all involving translation from Modern/Classical Chinese. You also take a Special Language paper, which is in Japanese, Korean or Linguistics. Or instead of either of these papers, you can take an additional language (Japanese, Korean, Tibetan) which comprises the full subsidiary.
So, it works out as:
No subsidiary language = Special texts + Japanese/Korean/Linguistics
Subsidiary language = No Special texts or Special Language paper, just additional language
I know that technically the 'no subsidiary' option DOES involve a subsidiary language, but because the language level you reach is low compared to the 'subsidiary' option, it doesn't count.
If any of that didn't make sense, ask and I'll try and explain it clearer!
Hey
am not trying to promote any university in particular but if you were thinking of studying an oriental studies course, i would highly recommend you looking into SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies>>University of London) which is the worlds leading university in Oriental and African Studies.
They offer some very unique courses and just thought you may be interested in looking into this university , apart from others you may have lined up e.g Oxford.
Good Luck
am not trying to promote any university in particular but if you were thinking of studying an oriental studies course, i would highly recommend you looking into SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies>>University of London) which is the worlds leading university in Oriental and African Studies.
They offer some very unique courses and just thought you may be interested in looking into this university , apart from others you may have lined up e.g Oxford.
Good Luck
Enfalas
I got A*s and As in my GCSEs and have just started my ASs in French, German, Spanish and Maths (all of which were A*s at GCSE) but I'm looking to the future.
I've been thinking about doing either Chinese or Japanese for my degree and am just wondering if anyone can tell me what its like? Any past experiences? Good or bad?
I've been thinking about doing either Chinese or Japanese for my degree and am just wondering if anyone can tell me what its like? Any past experiences? Good or bad?
Tbh I have no idea. The Tibetan tutor is absolutely FANTASTIC, definitely the best lecturer I've had here, and generally an interesting and helpful person. I took some Tibetan lectures last year, and they were fascinating. Otoh, I don't want my Chinese to suffer from spending less time on it than I ordinarily would. I am also interested in Liguistics, and some of the other Option papers look good too... So yeah, I basically I have no idea 
Rofl
You'll go a long way with either language. But if Oxford taught Mandarin, you would go even further. China's economy seems to be doing very well at the moment.
Note: In case people didn't know, China's predominant language is Mandarin, not Cantonese.
Note: In case people didn't know, China's predominant language is Mandarin, not Cantonese.
Does Oxford not do mandarin chinese? Slightly odd if they dont as thats the official language etc of the country int the world with the fastest growing economy...
Im thinking of doing either chinese or arabic/islamic/middle eastern studies. Does anyone around here do that and could give me any info on it? Not too sure why i want to do it but im fascinated by the middle east and live (although im english) in singapore. How much of the course is literature/culture etc in relation to language? Im just worried my linguistic skills wont be up to scratch. Im doing English lit, history, maths, economics & crit thinking for AS now...
I have a question to add to that: the subsidiary language you can take with Arabic, could that be French? Or does it have to be another mentioned in Oriental Studies.
Wow, this is a seriously old thread! To answer your question ^^^ if you want to take a subsidiary language that is not part of Oriental Studies, you'll have to apply to European and Middle Eastern Languages, not Oriental Studies.
As the name suggests, you are restricted to studying European and Middle Eastern languages only. So yes, you could do Arabic and French. But you couldn't do e.g. Arabic and Chinese.
And also, to the person above who things Oxford doesn't teach Mandarin... they do, and painful it is too
As the name suggests, you are restricted to studying European and Middle Eastern languages only. So yes, you could do Arabic and French. But you couldn't do e.g. Arabic and Chinese.
And also, to the person above who things Oxford doesn't teach Mandarin... they do, and painful it is too
After having been rejected from Cambridge this year for two Romance languages, I reflected on the experience and moved on. But recently, I've been seriously considering reapplying next year to Oxford University for Oriental Studies (I've got an offer at the moment from SOAS for Arabic) and I am wondering what there is I can do to put in my personal statement when applying? Of course, I'll discuss academic interests during my sixth form, but should I mention Oriental poetry or history I have looked at?
Also, is the Oriental Studies course difficult to get onto, it says something like 34% of applicants were awarded places in the last three years (I aplogise for using these statistics, I know they shouldn't be the reason why you apply). Do the admissions tutors for OS look favourably on, say, two A2 languages and History at Grade A plus Advanced Extension Awards? I'm just confused, because I got an offer from SOAS for Arabic without even mentioning anything to do with the Orient or an interview, and so any advice on Oxford entry would be helpful.
Also, is the Oriental Studies course difficult to get onto, it says something like 34% of applicants were awarded places in the last three years (I aplogise for using these statistics, I know they shouldn't be the reason why you apply). Do the admissions tutors for OS look favourably on, say, two A2 languages and History at Grade A plus Advanced Extension Awards? I'm just confused, because I got an offer from SOAS for Arabic without even mentioning anything to do with the Orient or an interview, and so any advice on Oxford entry would be helpful.
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