Languages Applicants for 2021 (and 2022) entry

[Tenpastseven]

For those interested and moving over from the St Andrews thread (that became not about St Andrews)

Two equal languages at Bristol is joint honours BA. It makes no difference if they are Post A level or ab initio. DDs degree was two languages from A level and it’s joint honours. Neither were ab initio. See attached Joint honours courses for French and Spanish at Bristol.

Yes, fab news @Vargas!

Hello; de-lurking after following the St Andrew’s thread. Hope it’s ok to join, even though it’s 2022 entry here for DD. But great to follow you all in advance of her applications.

Hey @ealingwestmum. Of course, the thread title includes you :)

@Guymere oh. My head is exploding a bit. I shall relinquish the swot prize. My DS is doing single honours. I don't know what that means in terms of how it differs from the joint honours and I'm not sure how much research he did into that choice. Anyway, I'll trust he knows what he's doing and keep my fingers crossed.

Have you got a dc hoping to do languages or are you 'in the languages game' so to speak? You seem very knowledgeable. Sorry if you've already said that and I've forgotten.

My DD did Joint Honours MFL at Bristol! I’m very keen that MFL doesn’t sink without trace in this country because fewer and fewer DC are learning it. Many schools don’t allow DC o study two languages and that limits breadth of study. The languages at Bristol are great and DC grow up and mature so much in the year abroad. It’s a very good Department there.

The BA Modern Languages at Bristol is single honours. Other than choosing a single language, this course is the only other single honours. You study 3 languages but it might be single honours due to three being in less depth than two?! Not sure. I would think he’s applied for this one.

Ah thanks @Guymere. I spoke to DS this evening and he is adamant he wants to study 3 languages. Having recapped on our old St Andrews thread because this chat today rang a bell, I mentioned to him that might mean less fluency and a more ‘rushed’ year abroad, but he felt sure. I’m pleased I checked.

Do the joint and single Hons study all together though @Guymere?

Yes. But joint honours do fewer credits via options in each language but obviously have more contact time for two languages. Single honours get first choice of options I think. I believe all courses require 120 credits per annum so I think three languages cuts down options if the core is taught for three languages.

I did say on the other thread that 3 is a modern development and isn’t the same as joint honours. Most people we know have learnt another language after two at uni if needed. DD doesn’t use her languages at all at work!

I'm totally confused by single and joint honours at Bristol - dd has applied for German and ab initio Russian, which I think is joint honours. She seems to think so at any rate! She has also received an offer from Exeter for ABB, but they will drop a grade if she firms them or gets an A in her EPQ.

@Tenpastseven - don't be discouraged by some dc on this thread getting early offers. In dd's case it could well be that there will be relatively small numbers of other applicants for her course, so universities are keener to fill the places.

I don’t see the confusion. Two languages = joint honours. The only language you cannot study there as ab initio is French. Here’s German and Russian Joint Honours! RR27.

Offers come in at all times. Some could be March. There’s no competition for offers. Just wait! Some universities make quick offers and some consider later applicants as well as early ones at the same time.

I think the confusion comes because 2 languages = joint honours, and 3 languages = single honours. That's what threw me originally.

I'm interested in your comment 'no competition for offers' @Guymere. That can't be true otherwise they'd just offer straight away surely? The email to DS from Bristol for the single honours course said his application was on hold because he'd met the requirements but the course is popular or oversubscribed or competitive (can't remember exact wording). I do know he needs to 'just wait!' and that offers come in at all times, but to say there's no competition seems strange?

Lots of MFL degrees are not very competitive to get into. Oxford take 33% of applicants for MFL. That’s a much better ratio compared to Law, PPE and many other subjects.

Lots of students do hear quickly. But some universities are more popular than others. I think Durham can be a bit slow too. But MFL applicants always get some very quick replies - as you have seen on this thread. Not all courses or universities are competitive and some universities seem to prefer to see all applicants before deciding. You never know, they might even read the personal statements!

It's just the disparity between the single and joint honours which has thrown us a bit @Guymere given Bristol have made some MFL early offers. Not sure whether to read anything 'personal' into it on DS's behalf or if it's a course specific decision. But as I said earlier somewhere, there's a long road of waiting ahead now, so I'd better get more patient and resilient pronto .

I can see that is an odd description from Bristol on terms of Joint but single being more languages! I think it is more to do with breadth of content but I am really not sure.

I would think it is a course specific decison. Dont forget that early applications tend to mean the student has also applied for Oxbridge. They will though get some excellent students later on. Patience is required. DD did not get her final offer until March - from Durham. There is no prize for the student with all 5 offers by Christmas!

That's a good and reassuring point @Guymere. Thanks.

DS has now received an offer from Bristol

My DD is in her 4th year at Edinburgh studying Chinese. If anyone has any questions about studying Chinese I'll be happy to answer them, or have DD answer them.

Yay, well done to your son @Tenpastseven!

A bit of pressure off!

Did Lancaster's open day this morning. Very impressed. Really liked the staff and the campus looks amazing. I want to go now!

Isn’t Lancaster tier 3 Covid now? Was this virtual?

Yes - they're all virtual. Which definitely has some advantages. It does mean you can do many more than you would in person. It also gives you a very good idea how good their IT competence is! Lancaster very good live event with lots of interaction.

Yey @Tenpastseven. Fab news 👍

Thanks MFL/MML gang. It’s great because Bristol is his 2nd choice and he’d be very happy to go there, so yeah, some pressure is off.