Languages at Soas

Hello i’ve recently began to consider studying a language along side international relations at soas and i have a couple questions about this.
I originally applied for just international relations so will i be able to switch over to a language and IR. Also i am having difficulty deciding which language i would want to do, i am currently deciding between Japanese Chinese and Arabic, i am a complete beginner at all of these, the one i am most drawn to is Japanese as i am afraid Chinese will be too difficult for me and i may struggle a lot with it, however, I want to get into a career with something to do with government and diplomacy and I understood Chinese and Arabic are far more crucial than japanese is so what I want to know is would Japanese support me as much as Chinese and Arabic would in my future career?

Reply 1

Szara_SOAS

Official Rep

Original post by Aizenlv

Hi there,

For questions on course changes, you can email [email protected] and they’ll be able to assess whether it's possible. (Remember to reference your UCAS ID number in the enquiry!)

If they can facilitate it, I’d really recommend taking a joint degree! I’m in my final-year of studying International Relations and Arabic at SOAS and I've loved the variety of topics that a joint degree offers. I’m also really happy with my decision to take a language, since it’s a skill that you can actively use for the rest of your life, whether that's while travelling or working.

I also wouldn’t worry about being a beginner, since everyone starts there, and lots of other people on your course will be in the same position. There’s also plenty of support available. For example, the Arabic department holds weekly special seminars, which are additional, optional classes where you can go over anything you found difficult. They also post extra resources online for easy access to refreshers.

In terms of the languages you’re considering, they’re all great options and definitely valuable! However, I think Arabic and Chinese are likely to open more doors within the field you’re interested in, as both have a greater geopolitical importance than Japan. Both languages are also official UN languages and some of the most spoken in the world with over 20 Arabic-speaking countries and an estimated 1 billion native Mandarin speakers.

That being said, another big part of studying a language is learning about and engaging with the culture, so I’d take some time to explore the different cultures and see which one stands out to you.

I hope this helps, feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!

Reply 2

Aizenlv

Original post by Szara_SOAS

Hi there,
For questions on course changes, you can email [email protected] and they’ll be able to assess whether it's possible. (Remember to reference your UCAS ID number in the enquiry!)
If they can facilitate it, I’d really recommend taking a joint degree! I’m in my final-year of studying International Relations and Arabic at SOAS and I've loved the variety of topics that a joint degree offers. I’m also really happy with my decision to take a language, since it’s a skill that you can actively use for the rest of your life, whether that's while travelling or working.
I also wouldn’t worry about being a beginner, since everyone starts there, and lots of other people on your course will be in the same position. There’s also plenty of support available. For example, the Arabic department holds weekly special seminars, which are additional, optional classes where you can go over anything you found difficult. They also post extra resources online for easy access to refreshers.
In terms of the languages you’re considering, they’re all great options and definitely valuable! However, I think Arabic and Chinese are likely to open more doors within the field you’re interested in, as both have a greater geopolitical importance than Japan. Both languages are also official UN languages and some of the most spoken in the world with over 20 Arabic-speaking countries and an estimated 1 billion native Mandarin speakers.
That being said, another big part of studying a language is learning about and engaging with the culture, so I’d take some time to explore the different cultures and see which one stands out to you.
I hope this helps, feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!

what does your timetable look like doing both IR and arabic is it split equally and how many days a week do you do arabic at soas

Reply 3

Aizenlv

also how proficient at the language would you say students are likely to be at the end of 4th year

Reply 4

Szara_SOAS

Official Rep

Original post by Aizenlv

what does your timetable look like doing both IR and arabic is it split equally and how many days a week do you do arabic at soas

The modules are split equally in terms of credits, but because Arabic is taught intensively, it requires more class time. For example, a typical IR module usually involves a 1-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial per week, while Arabic language modules consist of 2-hour lectures and 2-hour tutorials each week.

Generally, I have about 11–15 hours of class per week, depending on how many modules I’m taking that term. In the first year, I had 9 hours of Arabic language classes each week (2 lectures, 2 tutorials, and a 1-hour speaking class) and about 4-5 hours of IR. From second year onwards, the language-focused classes drop to 5 hours a week, because you’ll start taking content-based modules from the Arabic department (e.g Arabic culture, literature e.t.c) instead of just language classes.

Throughout the degree, there’s also weekly homework and a 2-hour optional special seminar for Arabic, where you can revise any tricky concepts.