Anyone studying Modern Languages at Newcastle?

I am thinking of applying here to study French and Chinese but am a little worried. I love learning French and can't wait to start Chinese but I am not completely sure about all the optional modules. Many modules seem History related and I never understood History at all at school. It was just one of them subjects that I could never get my head around. Is it possible to study languages without studying History? Could I stick to film and litterature options? Also, would you say that there is enough variety of optional modules? Have you so far been able to do the subjects you enjoy?

Reply 1

sophia5892

20

Original post by schmuur

I am thinking of applying here to study French and Chinese but am a little worried. I love learning French and can't wait to start Chinese but I am not completely sure about all the optional modules. Many modules seem History related and I never understood History at all at school. It was just one of them subjects that I could never get my head around. Is it possible to study languages without studying History? Could I stick to film and litterature options? Also, would you say that there is enough variety of optional modules? Have you so far been able to do the subjects you enjoy?

Hey,

I did the Modern Languages BA (French, German and Japanese), graduating last year.

In terms of modules, I think you'd be fine.
All students study 120 credits a year. For a student doing post-A Level French and beginner's Chinese, 60 credits of that would be language modules (20 credits of French and 40 credits of Chinese per year).

Therefore you'd only need to make up 60 credits from cultural modules, which usually equates to 3 modules.

In first year, the only France specific module does happen to be a history module (I took this and loved it as the lecturer is great!). However, you can take any modules coded SML. The SML modules are open to students of any language, and seminars are taught in language groups.
So for example, I took the Introduction to Linguistics module and chose to focus on German rather than French.
Therefore, you would not have to take the FRE history modules, and could take an Introduction to Literature and an Intro to International Film if that's what interests you.
The Intro to Chinese Culture module is also very broad based, and although it might cover some history, it also covers cinema, literature, pop culture etc etc.

In second and final year, you've got plenty of non-history modules for French. In second year there's a module on cinema and one on literature, and in final year there's 2 cinema modules and a literature/cinema module available. There's also options in linguistics or in second year you can take a module in Catalan or Italian. And in final year you have the option of a Dissertation or a teaching related module.

For Chinese it's a little more limited - there's a cinema module in second year and then a module on society in second year and ethnicity and nationalism in final year.
There is a module called "Gender and Media" in final year, but for some reason it doesn't appear on the Modern Languages BA list so I'm not sure if this means it's been discontinued! Chinese cinema should be a pretty strong area at Newcastle as Sabrina Yu specialises in film and does a lot of work on the MA in Film Studies. However, to get a half and half split you would only need one Chinese cultural module per year.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you are not required to split your credits 60/60 between your languages. So if you find that the Chinese modules don't appeal and you want to do 80 credits French, 40 Chinese, then that is fine. And you can change this each year too. As long as you have the required language modules it is up to you how you split your culture :smile:

Additionally, you may wish to look at some of the combined degrees:
For example you could study Modern Languages and Business Studies. Translating and Interpreting, or Linguistics. All three of those programmes would allow you to do French and Chinese, but then you'd take less cultural modules to accommodate the 3rd subject.

I hope that helps, and please let me know if you've anymore questions!

Reply 2

schmuur

OP

12

This is great, very informative- thanks. If I were to choose linguistics modules rather than the history one in first year, would that affect how much my French improves? (since linguistics would focus on the English language and French history I imagine would be taught in French, or atleast linked to it?)
Also, as someone who has done 3 languages would you say that your language skills have improved as much as your friends who have only studied 2? And is 3 languages much harder/more work than studying 2? I would possibly like to study post A-level German but not sure if I can without an A level. I would be B1 level but not sure if they will let me or not with that.

Reply 3

sophia5892

20

Original post by schmuur

This is great, very informative- thanks. If I were to choose linguistics modules rather than the history one in first year, would that affect how much my French improves? (since linguistics would focus on the English language and French history I imagine would be taught in French, or atleast linked to it?)
Also, as someone who has done 3 languages would you say that your language skills have improved as much as your friends who have only studied 2? And is 3 languages much harder/more work than studying 2? I would possibly like to study post A-level German but not sure if I can without an A level. I would be B1 level but not sure if they will let me or not with that.

I don't think it would affect your French too much.
For the French history one the lectures were in French but seminars were in English and assessment was in English (I think!).
In the linguistics class, the lectures focused on the English language, but then the seminars look at Fre/Ger/Spa. I found learning phonetics for German massively improved my pronunciation - you learn how to write the language in the phonetic alphabet so I realised there were loads of words which actually used the same sounds phonetically, but I pronounced them differently because I hadn't realised!

I don't think doing three languages disadvantaged me over people doing two. I do sometimes feel like my spoken French and German isn't necessarily as strong as someone who's spent a full year abroad there. But I got a first in my exams in final year so although I might not feel as fluent/confident, my level can't be that bad!

And the SML do offer a bursary to Chinese/Japanese students so they can do a language course in their second and third languages. So that definitely helps!

In terms of workload, for me it was fine. But language learning is what I like and what I'm good at, so for me, taking 3 languages was probably easier than taking 2 and then having to do more culture (i hate essays!).

I think it also depends how confident you are with your first two languages - for example, in first year they'll revise all the grammar, right from the present tense, because they know different schools/colleges teach different things. I was lucky in that my college really drilled grammar, so those sessions were just revision and i didn't really have to work on it at home. Whereas I had classmates who'd never really studied grammar so they found they had to put in a lot of time memorising verb endings and working from the grammar book Newcastle recommend.

As for whether you'd be allowed to take German, you'd need to contact the admissions tutor: I'm not sure if it's Lesley ([email protected]) or Marion ([email protected]) who would be able to answer that - I'd guess Lesley but I'm sure if that's the wrong person she'll pass it to the right one!
They might accept an alternative qualification. I know for Japanese that you can skip to the post-A Level class if you've taken the JLPT exam and not an A Level. (JLPT is the national proficiency test for Japanese). So they might have something similar for German.

The other thing to bear in mind is that taking 3 languages in first year is not a commitment to take 3 for the full 4 year degree. That's part of the reason I chose Newcastle - if I hated Japanese I could drop it, or if I loved Japanese but found the work load too intense I could drop French or German.
So if you can take German I'd recommend giving it a go, at least in first year. You also have around 3 weeks at the start of semester to change your mind about your modules - so you could even give it a go just for the first couple of weeks and then change your mind. Whereas, if you don't take German in first year you can't pick it up later on. :smile:

Reply 4

schmuur

OP

12

Original post by sophia5892

. x

Thank's for all this info! I have a few more questions;
first of all, do you find that doing three languages meant that you mixed them up, or were you still able to keep them apart? I'm worried about mixing up my languages if I study too many at a time.
Secondly, at Newcastle the French and German core modules are only 20 credits per year whereas the others I am looking at each language is 40. Does that mean that my languages would in theory progress less at Newcastle compared to the other unis? Or do they just get through more in less time?
thirdly, what do you actually study in the core modules?

Reply 5

sophia5892

20

Original post by schmuur

Thank's for all this info! I have a few more questions;
first of all, do you find that doing three languages meant that you mixed them up, or were you still able to keep them apart? I'm worried about mixing up my languages if I study too many at a time.
Secondly, at Newcastle the French and German core modules are only 20 credits per year whereas the others I am looking at each language is 40. Does that mean that my languages would in theory progress less at Newcastle compared to the other unis? Or do they just get through more in less time?
thirdly, what do you actually study in the core modules?

I found that it was okay keeping them separate because they're such different languages. Of course I have moments where I can't for the life of me remember what the word I want is in French.... but I know it in German and Japanese. But I don't mix them as such :smile:

Hmm, I don't really know about the credits thing - I think post-A Level languages were 20 credits at all the unis I looked at. I know Bangor is 40 credits per language, but I always put it down to their entry requirements being so much lower - figured that meant the students there needed more hours to catch up/progress.
Or it could be a workload thing - I'd say taking 20 credits of French language at Newcastle takes up more of your spare time than taking 20 credits of French History! So maybe some unis make the languages modules 40 credits to reflect that?

I guess the important thing to look at is contact time - find out exactly what classes your getting! I'd be put off by 40 credits just because it would severely limit you taking any cultural modules.

At Newcastle in first and second year for post-A Level French/German you get 3 hours contact a week. A one hour grammar lecture with all the students, and a 2 hour seminar in a small group (max 15 students). In first year you'll cover all the basic grammar right from present tense, through all the A Level grammar like subjunctive and you'll go into more detail on a lot of niggly bits (eg. difference between using "il est" and "c'est" etc.)
The seminars are taught in a language lab so you'll have access to a computer - these tend to focus on speaking and listening skills. Reading/writing tends to be assessed more through the weekly homework/seminar preparation. For example you might have to read a text and write answers to some questions at home to prepare. Then in the seminar you'll discuss the answers as a class.

In terms of topics I can't really remember much from my first two years! I definitely remember doing stuff about the Francophone world. In German we watched lots of news. And the second year looks at lots of things to prepare you for the Year Abroad - eg. how do you ring someone to tell them your washer is broken? How do you write a CV and cover letter? And even though Chinese/Japanese students don't get to spend the Year in Europe it's still very useful practical stuff to learn!

In final year the focus switches to translating and interpreting. In semester 1 you'll get a 2 hour interpreting seminar and a 2 hour writing/translation seminar. Then in January you take your interpreting exam, and just continue with the 2 hour writing/translating seminar til the final written exam at the end of the year.

In terms of level you're expected to be CEFR B2 at the end of second year before the year abroad. I therefore presume that in final year they're aiming at C1/C2. So I can't see that the 20 credits disadvantages students. At the end of second year I went to do a language course in Germany before starting my Year Abroad in Japan - I tested as C1 on their placement test so I think the levels are a pretty realistic expectation :smile:

But of course it does depend a lot on the student. There are lots of opportunities to get involved outside of classes - tandem schemes to get a conversation partner for example. And the uni does work quite hard to recruit Erasmus Assistants to offer conversation classes. For German they also have (monthly?) "meetings" where you go to a local pub and speak German all evening. They organise film showings too.
Anglo Japanese Society organise regular oshaberikai ("speaking meetings") - Anglo Chinese Society probably do something similar for Chinese. Plus there's a ton of Chinese students at the School of Modern Languages because of the Chinese/English Translating and Interpreting MA Programmes so plenty of opportunities to meet Chinese students! And there's Chinatown too.

And there's the Language Resource Centre - I believe it's the only dedicated language library of its kind. But that has a ton of resources for languages students - books, foreign TV channels, films, specialist computer software for language learning etc etc :smile:

Anyone studying Modern Languages at Newcastle?

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