ab initio languages?

I'm not sure whether this should go here or in the uni applications forum, but I thought you guys might be more help to me. I'm applying for ab initio Italian or Russian at several universities and trying to write my PS, but how do you convince admissions tutors that you want to start studying a language that you've never tried before? I've been saying things about literature and film and so on, but I'm finding it quite difficult to make myself sound really passionate about Italian/Russian the way I am about French and Greek.
More specifically, can you recommend some relevant things to read/watch/do? My knowledge of Italian lit, particularly, is fairly non-existent - I've read Dante, Petrarch, and the Leopard, and I have a Decameron waiting for me, but beyond those I'm fairly lost.

Reply 1

ThunderCat8

1

Well, why do you want to learn Italian or Russian ab initio anyway? Surely the truth is the best thing to put down. Are you thinking of doing a 2 language course, or just one language? I think talking about how you find the culture fascinating and want to understand it by learning it's language is the best thing to write. That's what I wrote and I got in to ab initio Chinese. But then I had been to China yadda yadda yadda. Just put down what your honest reason for wanting to do those languages is!! That's the best way! Seriously!

Reply 2

Madelyn

OP

13

I'm applying for loads of different courses (Classics, Classics and French, Classics and Italian, French and Russian, French and Italian...) so I'm trying not to concentrate too much on one thing in case universities think "Why has she got all this about Russian? She's applying for Italian". At the moment I've mentioned some books and talked generally about my interest in languages and literature and how I feel that understanding the language is vital in order to understand a society and so on. Truthfully, I want to learn them because I like learning languages, I seem to be pretty good at it, those languages seem interesting and have all this literature and history and film for me to explore, and I think they're pretty. And I'm trying to say this, but it just seems so small, like I haven't done enough to merit an interest in these things.

Reply 3

kellywood_5

17

I've applied for French and ab-initio Spanish and I basically said that visiting the country on holiday got me interested in the language, so I'm taking a GCSE this year by distance learning. I mentioned some literature I'm reading as well. If you're going to evening classes or even just learning the basics of the language youself, it would be good to mention that as it shows you're committed. Literature, film and culture are always good to talk about too. I have to ask you this now becuase it's bugging me; didn't you apply to uni for something languages-related last year? What happened?

Reply 4

Fleece

15

I'm doing German and Italian ab initio at uni, and when i applied i just said about my love of languages and wanting to add another one to my collection, and how i'd been to italy and fallen in love with it etc, and something about wanting to learn italian to be able to understand operas...just be honest, sit down and think why you really want to learn it.

Reply 5

Madelyn

OP

13

Thanks for all the help, everyone, my PS is now starting to look more like 47 lines and less like half a paragraph :smile:

kellywood_5

I have to ask you this now becuase it's bugging me; didn't you apply to uni for something languages-related last year? What happened?

I applied for Classics last year, when I was in upper sixth, but screwed up various exams so didn't make either of my chosen offers, and because I'd deferred my entry anyway I didn't really want to go through Clearing. So this year I'm resitting some exams and re-applying for university, for a combination of Classics and language courses.

Reply 6

kellywood_5

17

Madelyn

I applied for Classics last year, when I was in upper sixth, but screwed up various exams so didn't make either of my chosen offers, and because I'd deferred my entry anyway I didn't really want to go through Clearing. So this year I'm resitting some exams and re-applying for university, for a combination of Classics and language courses.

Awww, sorry to hear that :frown:

Good luck with it this year!

Reply 7

Wherewathuwen?

Depending on what offer I get etc, I could end up starting Spanish, Russian or Mandarin ab initio. But it depends whether you want to be studying two very different languages. You obviously are good at languages to be doing a language degree, but would you enjoy studying such differing languages? My main language will be German and as you can see with the excpetion of Spanish, the other languages I would like to take are completely different but I like the idea of doing that. So putting a reason for this on ur PS may show an interest and talent for languages to an admissions tutor. Might be a load of crap tho lol

Reply 8

slk999

15

Madelyn

I'm applying for loads of different courses (Classics, Classics and French, Classics and Italian, French and Russian, French and Italian...) so I'm trying not to concentrate too much on one thing in case universities think "Why has she got all this about Russian? She's applying for Italian". At the moment I've mentioned some books and talked generally about my interest in languages and literature and how I feel that understanding the language is vital in order to understand a society and so on. Truthfully, I want to learn them because I like learning languages, I seem to be pretty good at it, those languages seem interesting and have all this literature and history and film for me to explore, and I think they're pretty. And I'm trying to say this, but it just seems so small, like I haven't done enough to merit an interest in these things.

I may be a little ignorant here, but won't Unis think you're interests are a bit inconsistent when they see you've applied to other Unis with a totally different course- they might feel that if you'd applied to all 5 or 6 with the same subject that you really do want to do their course....

Reply 9

gringalet

12

I think people have got into uni writing the sort of the thing you have - I know of someone on this forum (lepiggywiggy, I think her pseudonym is) who is now doing Italian and Modern Greek at Cambridge, but who applied for a million different languages, including German and Swedish! So I think you can just talk about language and literature per se.

Unis can't see who else you've applied to, as far as I know. Has it changed [again] this year?

Reply 10

Fleece

15

They can only see once theyve made a decision i think....
but it will make writing a personal statement very difficult if you have more than one choice of subjects, as you cant go into detail and show committment.

Reply 11

Madelyn

OP

13

Unis only see where else you applied once you've made your final decision - that is, which offers you're accepting and declining. But I have applied (note past tense!) to one university for three courses (Classics, French and Russian, French and Italian), so they'll probably notice my range of interests. I think my PS managed to cover the different subjects, because even within Classics my main interests are in language and literature, with history, art, etc. more as background things, so it applied to both kinds of course. And two of my Classics courses are joint honours with languages (French and Italian), while the other offers a year abroad, so it all ties in to this interest in other cultures stuff. Thanks for your help (/constructive criticism) everyone, I now feel pretty confident about my application. Fortunately, since it's now with UCAS.

Reply 12

leannemarie

11

Madelyn

Thanks for your help (/constructive criticism) everyone, I now feel pretty confident about my application. Fortunately, since it's now with UCAS.

Could swear you said you feel quite confident about your application and that it's with UCAS.

Reply 13

Madelyn

OP

13

leannemann

Could swear you said you feel quite confident about your application and that it's with UCAS.

Snigger....I have faith in UCAS! Everything worked fine last year, so now I trust them. And apparently they've actually sent my thing to universities, so now UCAS doesn't really need to do anything else.

ab initio languages?

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