New languages at university

Can someone give me some insight into what it's like to study a language from scratch at university? I was looking at the Korean studies course at Sheffield, thinking I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course. I take Russian and French at A-Level and did Russian, French and Mandarin at GCSE. I only natively know English. If anyone who studied any language from scratch at uni could help it would be greatly appreciated 😣

Reply 1

martin7

20

Original post by OwenWa

Can someone give me some insight into what it's like to study a language from scratch at university? I was looking at the Korean studies course at Sheffield, thinking I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course. I take Russian and French at A-Level and did Russian, French and Mandarin at GCSE. I only natively know English. If anyone who studied any language from scratch at uni could help it would be greatly appreciated 😣

It's not clear to me what you mean by "I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course".

Does the course that you're thinking of doing allow any scope for studying another language as part of it? If so, are there restrictions on how many modules/what other language(s) are available to study?

Reply 2

OwenWa

OP

3

Original post by martin7

It's not clear to me what you mean by "I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course".
Does the course that you're thinking of doing allow any scope for studying another language as part of it? If so, are there restrictions on how many modules/what other language(s) are available to study?

I'll be honest this was the least relevant section of my post but yes, you can take 20 credits worth of modules in a languages course in first year at least. The programme is called "Languages for all" and russian is offered, which I would take 😋 in years 2 and 4 the course allows 20 credits from a list of guided modules from a range of Sheffield departments, but they don't specify which departments so I'm unsure if I could take Russian as part of the course in those years, but as the languages for all course is open to members of the public, I think it's likely that I could take more Russian modules just in my own time, but it's something I'm going to try to look into. The course still appeals to me even if I couldn't do the russian modules after first year, I mainly just want to know what it's like to study a language from scratch 💕

Reply 3

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

15

Original post by OwenWa

Can someone give me some insight into what it's like to study a language from scratch at university? I was looking at the Korean studies course at Sheffield, thinking I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course. I take Russian and French at A-Level and did Russian, French and Mandarin at GCSE. I only natively know English. If anyone who studied any language from scratch at uni could help it would be greatly appreciated 😣

Hello OwenWa,

Although I'm not studying Korean, I and others in my cohort studied Spanish from scratch at university.

When I studied Spanish from scratch at Surrey, I was put into ab initio seminars/tutorials during my first year, where I was separated from the students who had studied Spanish at A-level. In these seminars/tutorials, I was taught grammar; the alphabet; comprehension, and oral and writing skills. I also learned about Spanish History and Culture during that year (I was with the non ab initio students in this context). I found that my Spanish seminars were quite fast paced during first year.

In second year however, my ab initio seminars stopped, and I joined the rest of my cohort that had studied Spanish at A-level.

However given that you are looking to study Korean, things might be different for you. It might also be helpful to check the course page to see if you can find further information of how Sheffield teaches languages (Korean) from scratch.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Best regards,
Imane
Placement-Year Languages student

Original post by OwenWa

Can someone give me some insight into what it's like to study a language from scratch at university? I was looking at the Korean studies course at Sheffield, thinking I could take a couple languages for all modules in Russian during the course. I take Russian and French at A-Level and did Russian, French and Mandarin at GCSE. I only natively know English. If anyone who studied any language from scratch at uni could help it would be greatly appreciated 😣

Hi there,

I studied Arabic almost entirely from scratch at university, so I can share some insight! Since you’ve already studied languages at A-level and GCSE, even if they’re unrelated, you’ve likely built-up transferable skills like tackling grammar, memorising vocabulary, and developing good study techniques. These will help you as you learn a new language like Korean.

The beginning of learning any language is definitely the most challenging grasping the basics of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary takes time. However, once you overcome that initial hurdle, things tend to get much smoother. Don’t hesitate to make full use of your tutors and resources; they’re there to help you.

If you’re considering Korean, I’d highly recommend looking for courses with a year abroad, such as at SOAS. Immersing yourself in the country is an incredible way to improve your skills quickly. For example, I had the opportunity to study Arabic in Jordan for 9 months, and that significantly boosted my language ability.

Best of luck with your studies—I’m sure you’ll do great!

MK
SOAS Student Rep

Reply 5

OwenWa

OP

3

Original post by University of Surrey Student Rep

Hello OwenWa,
Although I'm not studying Korean, I and others in my cohort studied Spanish from scratch at university.
When I studied Spanish from scratch at Surrey, I was put into ab initio seminars/tutorials during my first year, where I was separated from the students who had studied Spanish at A-level. In these seminars/tutorials, I was taught grammar; the alphabet; comprehension, and oral and writing skills. I also learned about Spanish History and Culture during that year (I was with the non ab initio students in this context). I found that my Spanish seminars were quite fast paced during first year.
In second year however, my ab initio seminars stopped, and I joined the rest of my cohort that had studied Spanish at A-level.
However given that you are looking to study Korean, things might be different for you. It might also be helpful to check the course page to see if you can find further information of how Sheffield teaches languages (Korean) from scratch.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Best regards,
Imane
Placement-Year Languages student

Thank you so much this is very helpful 🙏

Reply 6

OwenWa

OP

3

Original post by SoasRepMK

Hi there,
I studied Arabic almost entirely from scratch at university, so I can share some insight! Since you’ve already studied languages at A-level and GCSE, even if they’re unrelated, you’ve likely built-up transferable skills like tackling grammar, memorising vocabulary, and developing good study techniques. These will help you as you learn a new language like Korean.
The beginning of learning any language is definitely the most challenging grasping the basics of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary takes time. However, once you overcome that initial hurdle, things tend to get much smoother. Don’t hesitate to make full use of your tutors and resources; they’re there to help you.
If you’re considering Korean, I’d highly recommend looking for courses with a year abroad, such as at SOAS. Immersing yourself in the country is an incredible way to improve your skills quickly. For example, I had the opportunity to study Arabic in Jordan for 9 months, and that significantly boosted my language ability.
Best of luck with your studies—I’m sure you’ll do great!
MK
SOAS Student Rep

Thank you so much, I think I'd really enjoy a year abroad too!