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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Modern Languages at uni - avoiding literature!

124 replies

Stringbean70 · 21/01/2023 14:48

My DS is in Y12 and doing Spanish and French A-levels (alongside media). He's starting to look at uni options (envisages he will be predicted ABB) and is keen to study modern languages - French, Spanish and probably ab initio Portuguese. He seems to think that by taking Portuguese (a third language) he will be able to cut down on literature modules and his teachers have advised him to give Oxbridge and York a swerve as they are literature heavy (not that he has the grades for Oxbridge anyway!). As we're London based, he also wants to avoid London unis. Anyway, these are the universities on his list and I should be very grateful of any info as to the language departments and the MFL degrees there:

Exeter
Nottingham
Birmingham
Sheffield
Surrey
Southampton
Swansea

As I say, he is keen to avoid literature - more interested in film and other cultural modules!

OP posts:
Userwoozer · 22/01/2023 12:11

Does have have any ideas about what he wants to do as a career? That might help him to work out the kind of course he needs.

Original poster
Stringbean70 · 22/01/2023 12:19

Userwoozer · 22/01/2023 12:11

Does have have any ideas about what he wants to do as a career? That might help him to work out the kind of course he needs.

No firm idea. He has mentioned being a football agent (!j or working in the tourism/hotel sector - but he does not want to do a degree in something as limiting as sports management or tourism. We are suggesting modern languages with business (a two-thirds language; one-third business split) but he is nervous as he may not like business….

OP posts:
CurzonAvenue · 22/01/2023 12:25

@MonkeyMindAllOverAround what about 2021/2022 when the university itself said all teaching was back in person? Other departments managed it.

Userwoozer · 22/01/2023 12:51

I just wonder how useful a degree like this would be. Hopefully he'll choose somewhere where he'll be academically challenged and will develop his essay writing skills. The business idea sounds like a good one. And he could do a 2 language degree (works much better as a degree course, apparently, as not stretched too thin) and learn another language in his spare time / vacation periods.

desperadodogface · 22/01/2023 12:56

I went to Exeter and did languages. Very literature heavy. A lot of those unis used to be. Portsmouth did an applied languages course that might be more up his street, or Abertstwyth used to have a lot of film/ practical language skills

Pinkdafodils · 22/01/2023 13:31

I too wonder how useful a pure language degree would be, especially without learning about the country's lite and history.

I think he'd be better off studying business or economics and spending a year abroad - that would open a lot of career options imo

Pinkdafodils · 22/01/2023 13:31

Sorry Literature (not lite) Blush

EasterIsland · 22/01/2023 14:25

He needs to prepare himself for studying literature. Apart from that being a pretty narrow-minded approach to the subject, reading literature immerses you in the language. Far ore so than film.

Lovetotravel123 · 22/01/2023 14:29

Combine it with Business at Cardiff uni.

greenacrylicpaint · 22/01/2023 14:31

if he expects to study any subject without reading books cover to cover he will be in fir a shock...

mimbleandlittlemy · 22/01/2023 14:53

DS doing MFL at Birmingham and says there are very few modules that cover literature if you want to avoid it. He doesn’t do any in his ab initio language and has picked a couple of literature modules but those are at his choice. He is second year.

Might be worth your dc asking on Student Room about other unis as he will get answers from current students.

Yolo12345 · 22/01/2023 14:56

I did European studies - an MA with two languages - French and German. Economics, society, culture, politics, international relations, not too literature heavy....

SotonLass · 22/01/2023 15:02

I studied in Southampton and still live here. In fact I’m a stone’s throw from Avenue Campus right now. I’d say it’s a pretty good option, I worked for the uni a few years ago and at that time there was a heavy push on students being able to take a broad range of optional modules. Avenue campus is well set up for things that complement languages well, and although it’s not the main campus it’s 10 minutes walk between the two, along the common. It’s definitely not a hardship. Most students live in Highfield or Portswood which has a slightly downtrodden but lively high street. The uni has a good focus on student experience, I use the gym which is well equipped but will be completely renewed over the next year or so with a shiny new building. The campus is often buzzing. Definitely worth a look.

Pinkdafodils · 22/01/2023 16:48

He needs to prepare himself for studying literature. Apart from that being a pretty narrow-minded approach to the subject, reading literature immerses you in the language.

I agree. Otherwise he could just go to a language school or live abroad and become fluent in a language. A university degree should be intellectually stimulating and the most highly regarded departments seem to include literature

MonkeyMindAllOverAround · 22/01/2023 17:29

CurzonAvenue · 22/01/2023 12:25

@MonkeyMindAllOverAround what about 2021/2022 when the university itself said all teaching was back in person? Other departments managed it.

I know for a fact that my child only had in person teaching from February in that academic year even when his degree includes quite a bit of labs…

CurzonAvenue · 22/01/2023 17:34

@MonkeyMindAllOverAround I don't know why you find me hard to believe and want to disprove me, I'm glad some students got teaching from February to June last year, mine desperately wanted it and didn't, for £9k a year when he'd had emails from the university to say everything was back in person.

TizerorFizz · 22/01/2023 17:36

@Pinkdafodils
Thats true. They do include literature. For good reasons as articulated earlier by @EasterIsland . There have been universities on this thread that don’t do MFLs any longer. Some universities are literature light because they know students cannot be bothered. Elite employers know the best courses stretch students and are more demanding. MFL doesn’t guarantee you a job. Doing 3 languages can diminish immersion on the year abroad. I tend to think 2 is best.

MonkeyMindAllOverAround · 22/01/2023 17:38

Don’t take it as a personal attack, I really don’t care what you think or not. The only thing I am saying is that those years were difficult for most students at most universities due to Covid restrictions and that doesn’t necessarily mean that someone in a similar degree these days is going to have such little contact time.

henrilechat · 22/01/2023 18:09

Is there any reason he doesn't like Liverpool? Their Modern Languages course is a 3 language course.

Original poster
Stringbean70 · 22/01/2023 18:28

henrilechat · 22/01/2023 18:09

Is there any reason he doesn't like Liverpool? Their Modern Languages course is a 3 language course.

Good spot. Thank you. Liverpool is great - don’t know why it’s not on his list!

OP posts:
Original poster
Stringbean70 · 22/01/2023 18:33

@mimbleandlittlemy Birmingham is top of his (new) list for MFL and business - he’d get to do one third French, one third Spanish and one third Business. It looks like a lovely campus too - we will have to visit 👍

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 22/01/2023 18:34

Stringbean70 · 21/01/2023 23:42

Thanks @Boosterquery - Newcastle wasn’t on his radar but is now. Yep - three languages and not literature focused. He’s chuffed

DD has two friends studying MFL at Newcastle. Between them they are studying Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish. The language department is well regarded, and Newcastle is a great city to be a student in.

Secretroses · 22/01/2023 18:37

Southampton is great for non-literature language courses. The languages are not on the main campus but it's not far - it's fine :)

CurzonAvenue · 22/01/2023 21:39

MonkeyMindAllOverAround · 22/01/2023 17:38

Don’t take it as a personal attack, I really don’t care what you think or not. The only thing I am saying is that those years were difficult for most students at most universities due to Covid restrictions and that doesn’t necessarily mean that someone in a similar degree these days is going to have such little contact time.

I'm sorry you don't care.

I'm just relaxing an experience.

It's indicative of the general attitude of the department I think. My son and his fellow students have been to,d by tutors that they won't return to in person as they have a dog now/need to pick up their children/ need to stay in for deliveries etc. so I think it's relevant to post COVID learning there.

It's really affected his experience and those of his fellow students and I just want people to realise that what a university says in their marketing is not always what is actually happening.

My other child is also at university and has had a different experience with a return to in person in 2021 so I've seen both sides.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 22/01/2023 21:44

Unlike a previous poster I did languages at Durham and avoided all literature. I did culture, translation and the Spanish dept did linguistics based modules.