Help!! Need to decide soon!

Er - As much as I hate to be the naysayer, I really have to agree with rockthecasbah - you appear to have had an absolute mare with your course choices.

Why on earth are you studying 3 languages that you're already fluent in? It's not at all like studying English to degree level, as 'English' in fact means 'English Literature' - whereas foreign language courses are geared 90% around the language.

At the risk of being extreme, I suggest you seriously consider reapplying to a course that you haven't already done, for all intents and purposes.

Reply 7

Gravastar

Er - As much as I hate to be the naysayer, I really have to agree with rockthecasbah - you appear to have had an absolute mare with your course choices.

Why on earth are you studying 3 languages that you're already fluent in? It's not at all like studying English to degree level, as 'English' in fact means 'English Literature' - whereas foreign language courses are geared 90% around the language.

At the risk of being extreme, I suggest you seriously consider reapplying to a course that you haven't already done, for all intents and purposes.

Are they? I do 1.5 units worth of language a year out of 4. All the other courses I do would be, and are, as there are plenty of them in my classes, perfectly suitable for native speakers. I think as long as the OP finds a university which gives him a lot of scope with literature, linguistics, history, cinema, whatever floats his boat, it would perfectly fine, and intellectually demanding enough for him to study a UK language course. He won't have to sit through hours of pointless languages classes - at my uni at least, all the native speakers have to do English-German translation, but that's it language-wise (and slightly different anyway). Of course, he could go and study a French degree at a French university, but what if he wants a UK degree for whatever reason?

However, if he has only decided to do a degree in French or whatever because he's fluent in it and has no interest otherwise, then I do think that's a waste of time. But I'm sure that's not the case...

Reply 8

Nel48

Why on earth did you apply for just French in Paris anyway?

Isn't this just a complete waste of 4 years of your life?

You could be doing a subject to complement your fluency in 3 languages like European Studies, International Relations or Business Studies - ypu could always visit those countries to keep up your languages.

Reply 9

gringalet

Are they? I do 1.5 units worth of language a year out of 4. All the other courses I do would be, and are, as there are plenty of them in my classes, perfectly suitable for native speakers. I think as long as the OP finds a university which gives him a lot of scope with literature, linguistics, history, cinema, whatever floats his boat, it would perfectly fine, and intellectually demanding enough for him to study a UK language course. He won't have to sit through hours of pointless languages classes - at my uni at least, all the native speakers have to do English-German translation, but that's it language-wise (and slightly different anyway). Of course, he could go and study a French degree at a French university, but what if he wants a UK degree for whatever reason?

Well, suit yourself - but to me it seems like a complete waste of 3 years - even if you DO intend to avoid as many language modules as possible, you still won't get as much out of it as you would from a course that wasn't fundamentally based around learning a foreign language.

Reply 10

I suppose that yeah, most of the native speakers in the same department as me are getting the English aspect out of it...but then I don't see how the OP wouldn't get ANYTHING out of studying French literature at a uni in the UK, or whatever, just because he already speaks the language. If this is what he wants to do, if nothing else interests him, then he may as well.

I don't know how far degrees with a language name in their title are just about learning how to communicate in another language, but then to me when people say 'learning a foreign language' it always just sounds like learning grammar and vocabulary, which I don't think it's about at all. You learn the language to access another culture and all it entails.

He wouldn't be avoiding anything - most departments welcome native speakers and their equivalents, as it's not all about learning language. It's not like native speakers doing GCSEs and A-levels, which is a bit of a joke.

Reply 11

davidj

OP

Gravastar

At the risk of being extreme, I suggest you seriously consider reapplying to a course that you haven't already done, for all intents and purposes.

Yes, you are being extreme.
At anytime in this post did I say that I was unsure that I had picked the correct course? No.
Was I simply looking for an answer with an explanation as to which of my offers would be, in the readers' opinion, the best? Yes.

I'm actually quite surprised at how much I've been slated in here. Is it not enough to say that I am interested in French?

Thank you, gringalet, for your good post.

Any more suggestions, particularly about ULIP would be appreciated.

David

Reply 12

Hey, don't get defensive just because I pointed out how incredibly lazy you're being :rolleyes:

Reply 13

paddy

14

davidj

Yes, you are being extreme.
At anytime in this post did I say that I was unsure that I had picked the correct course? No.
Was I simply looking for an answer with an explanation as to which of my offers would be, in the readers' opinion, the best? Yes.

I'm actually quite surprised at how much I've been slated in here. Is it not enough to say that I am interested in French?

Thank you, gringalet, for your good post.

Any more suggestions, particularly about ULIP would be appreciated.

David

I wouldn't have said that you were being slated, but to be fair what you are doing is like me applying for an English degree in Spain or France; I'm already fluent so I would be at a huge advantage and would probably find at least the first 2 years stupidly easy.

Reply 14

brimstone

7

If you wanted to immerse yourself fully in the French degree, you should go for the university in Paris. At least you know that by the end of it you'll come out pretty much fluent, as you'll have spend 3 or 4 years in France.

Reply 15

brimstone

At least you know that by the end of it you'll come out pretty much fluent, as you'll have spend 3 or 4 years in France.

He's already fluent. This thread is a joke. :rolleyes:

Reply 16

He really won't find the two years 'stupidly easy' though, this is my point - he WILL NOT have to do the language classes that you or I are/will be doing. He will fill his time up with literature, linguistics etc, which is no easier for a native speaker. Just because you speak English doesn't mean you will be inherently good at doing English literature at a university in France or Spain, or anywhere. The only way he'll find the degree 'stupidly easy' is if he has done a French degree before! Of course, native speakers in departments usually are getting the English aspect of studying in the UK, but I know a few people - including a person on this forum actually, Dschingis - who are fluent in German and English, by virtue of having English-speaking parents and growing up in Germany, who are studying German at university as they are simply interested in it! They do not have to do the A-level-esque core course, they do translation from and into the respective languages. Besides, as I have moaned on plenty of times on this forum, languages at university is not just abouting learning the actual language!

Anyway, I think if I was in the OP's situation, and had happened to have grown up bi- or trilingual, if I had a deep interest in one of the languages I spoke, I would do that and start another language from scratch.

Hope you worked out what to do, davidj :smile:

Reply 17

kashiya

1

gringalet

He really won't find the two years 'stupidly easy' though, this is my point - he WILL NOT have to do the language classes that you or I are/will be doing. He will fill his time up with literature, linguistics etc, which is no easier for a native speaker. Just because you speak English doesn't mean you will be inherently good at doing English literature at a university in France or Spain, or anywhere. The only way he'll find the degree 'stupidly easy' is if he has done a French degree before! Of course, native speakers in departments usually are getting the English aspect of studying in the UK, but I know a few people - including a person on this forum actually, Dschingis - who are fluent in German and English, by virtue of having English-speaking parents and growing up in Germany, who are studying German at university as they are simply interested in it! They do not have to do the A-level-esque core course, they do translation from and into the respective languages. Besides, as I have moaned on plenty of times on this forum, languages at university is not just abouting learning the actual language!

Anyway, I think if I was in the OP's situation, and had happened to have grown up bi- or trilingual, if I had a deep interest in one of the languages I spoke, I would do that and start another language from scratch.

Hope you worked out what to do, davidj :smile:

Well, I'm in a bit similar situation. I used to be bilingual (Polish German), but now that I have lived in Poland for 6 years I'm no longer 'that' fluent in German. I'm not that keen on taking German at Uni, but its the only way not to forget the language completely. Anyway, I thought I'd be able to skip the language classes and only join the literature, translation etc. but it's not possible. The post-A-level-language-lecures are obligatory... And I think it will be just so boring. The point is I have no idea how your friends can skip the compulsory subjects, or maybe it differs from uni to uni and in some unis those are not compulsory, but I have not found such a uni...

Reply 18