Linguistics degree without english literature GCSE

[OnceMoreFromTheTop]

Hi,

I wondered if anybody might know whether it's possible to study linguistics at university without studying english literature GCSE?

My son is ASD and is ruthlessly amazing at grammar and syntax and spotting typos. He loves the undergraduate linguistics entrance exam papers. However, he gets overwhlemed by the horror and misery in GCSE English.

He is having an EHCP assessment and I wondered if it would be reasonable to ask to skip English literature and just do English language, and whether that would be okay for doing linguistics at university as joint honours with computer science?

If the answer is "no", then that's fine, but it would be really handy to know.

I have also asked in the SEN forum.

Thanks!

It might be possible but probably not desirable. Best ask the potential unis. What papers is he practicing though?

It's almost certainly fine. School might not allow it? Buckets. League tables. Etc...

Mathematics and English Language are useful for linguistics. However, as long as he has a mix of arts/science subjects, his application will be perfectly fine.

@LIZS he's doing the admission exam paper from the Cambridge University linguistics undergraduate degree. He really likes it.

He's just done the first two pages of this paper so far, but really loved it.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/publications/linguistics_admissions_assessment_1.pdf

Majority of unis don't have an entry test though, and courses only include an element of that style. How is his essay writing, statistics, knowledge of mfl etc

He is good at writing essays and at languages. Here is what I have noticed about his language learning:

I didn't teach him to read before he started school, and when he got to reception just a little after his fourth birthday they found that he was reading at year 2 standard (level 28).

He got very high marks in all his spelling tests through primary school, without doing any practise at home.

When he went into secondary school he had done only a little bit of French and no other MFL but they started him right into French, Spanish and Latin, and he got high grades in those without doing any homework. He then started learning Japanese from Duolingo at home and did well at that too.

When he is stressed, he very often practises his Japanese to chill out. To do that, he reads Japanese aloud from the dictonary and tests himself to see if he can understand it.

He was also good at reading music from an early age and played in an adult orchestra from age 8. He now ticking along at grade 5 in music theory with very little training.

I don't think he would enjoy statistics.

I'm asking partly because ds is a bit of a one-trick-pony and I would like to figure out what his one trick is good for, so he can get into a career where he will be valued and looked after.

He can look at languages and just figure them out at great speed, but I'm just not sure where that will be valued.

He would probably benefit from taking Maths A level, although not all comp sci courses specify it, what is he likely to take post gcse?

Literature isn't massively necessary to linguistics, at least not applied linguistics. You can specifically choose to do Literary Linguistics module but it's pretty niche, only about 4 people did on my course also lit ling is stupid

Linguistics is usually attached to the English language dept, which is often separate from the literature degrees

No need for literature as a prerequisite. Most universities specify the A level subjects (of which literature is as different as any other humanities subject) and set number of any subject GCSEs at certain grades.

English language is the one that's core and compulsory, and lit is more like an option subject in its inherent worth (though most schools enter most pupils without giving them the choice)

Former linguistics undergrad and computational linguistics postgrad here. Can't speak to current admissions requirements but I can't think that English Lit would be a requirement any/most places. I did happen to have it at A level as well as English language but can't say it went on to be necessary or useful. Eng Lang was far more relevant and indeed I think I needed either Eng Lang or a MFL for Edinburgh at the time. No other subject requirements that I can recall.

As others have said, MFL, maths, music all great. Also biology, psychology. It's really more science than arts.

Thank you very much, that's really useful.

DS needs maths A level for the computer science part of the degree, so he's very focussed on that.

He would like to do GCSE:

core + computer science, music and history. He would really really like to do Japanese but the school don't do it. He doesn't find Spanish and French that interesting, even though they are two of his strongest subjects.

He's not sure what A levels to do alongside the maths, but since his skillset is so niche, I feel as though we need to pin down what sort of career he could aim for so we can get the A levels right.

We're a bit worried about him not having access ot GCSE Japanese as it's really a big thing with him, and without it he will have no GCSE MFL.

He's having an EHCP assessment soon, so it would be really good if we could figure it out in time to talk to them about where he's trying to get to.

Thanks so much for your help.

You can go on UCAS and check entry requirements. Check a range of universities.

I suspect it is fine

Thanks, yes I looked at Glasgow University and I couldn't see anything against it. I have written to them as well just to be sure.

He can do japaNese outside school eg online course and pay privately to sit exam

@cestlavielife thanks, yes we were thinking about that. It wasn't possible before because school was really messing with his head and he didn't have the extra energy for it outside school. I'm hoping the EHCP will help. I might ask if they could accommodate the japanese in school, even if we have to pay for the lessons.

I think a foreign language would be a good idea at least at GCSE even if not a A level.

Could he study Japanese independently and take the exam?

Thanks @OccasionalHope I will ask about it in the EHCP.

It sounds as though it would be much more use than English Literature. Maybe a way could be found.

Frustratingly, it is offered at the next school over, but we're in a busy city and it would be very hard to get to that school through rush hour traffic. We'd have to move house. The school is in the same academy chain even.

I did Linguistics at uni 1000 years ago. I don't see the relevance of English Literature.

Entry requirements might be another story though, presumably you can find out directly from the course providers?

He can look at languages and just figure them out at great speed, but I'm just not sure where that will be valued.

There's not much language learning in a typical linguistics course though - are you sure that's what he wants to do?

Not a linguistics expert at all, but is he interested in carrying on with Latin? You mentioned it earlier but I can't tell if he's still studying it. I did Latin, Music and MFL at A level and Latin is such a logical and mathematical language, so would seem to fit the brief. I also learned more English grammar studying Latin than English (1980s)!

GCSE English literature, or lack thereof, will not be a barrier to entry for a Linguistics degree. In fact it's quite the opposite, as long as he has grade 4 in English LANGUAGE and Maths, then it comes down to his A-Level choices. I know some unis do not accept English Literature in place of English language; for linguistics I expect that to be particularly true.

For linguistics there are no specific subject requirements however I'd strongly suggest he take English Language and Mathematics given what he wants to do. That said, its a very unusual combination and the only University I know of that offers it is Glasgow. Worth having a think about where else he would apply and for which course because all eggs in one basket isn't always the best idea.

OK I've just read this - if you're thinking careers, plus he's got an interest in Computing as well as learning languages quickly, look at GCHQ, he sounds ideal for it.

@DuesToTheDirt what do they actually do in linguistics?

He likes to decode written symbol systems, and I feel as though that must be a useful skill somewhere, but I'm not sure where.

@AllLopsided latin was dropped because it was only offered outside school hours and he was nervous of staying late and going early. He is annoyed about that though. He would have liked to have kept latin.

I feel more and more as though we may be in the wrong school.

@Oganesson118 I see what you mean. I think the other place that does it is Trinity Dublin.

It's odd, because I feel as though computer science and linguistics must be an important combination with all the text that is zinging around on the internet, being processed automatically by computers. I thought there would be a huge need for this kind of skill.

@Oganesson118 thanks I'll do that.

I just read about GCHQ, and tbh I think it would give him the raging heebie jeebies. It's all security and counter terrorism. I think he needs something tamer.