Why study languages at Cardiff
Why study modern foreign languages?
The obvious reason for studying Modern Foreign Languages is to develop excellent linguistic skills. But there is more to it than that....
It’s fun...
It’s exciting, it’s rewarding, it’s challenging and if you choose Cardiff, you will spend time working or studying abroad where you will gain first-hand experience of another culture and its traditions. It’s a great feeling talking to people in their language, and not having to rely on them speaking English. You will learn more about their history, their culture, their music and food. Meeting other cultures, you start to think about your own country and background.
It gives you a skill for life...
You will develop skills of practical use in almost any career. A second language is a demonstrable skill and will give you the edge on your competitors. Modern Foreign Languages can be studied on their own or with many other subjects in a joint degree.
It develops your academic potential
Students gain essential academic benefits from foreign language study. Among these are communication skills, cultural knowledge, links with other subject areas, comparisons to their own language, and culture, and participation in multilingual communities at home and around the world. Foreign language study has been found to be associated with improvements in students’ creativity, self-concept, critical thinking abilities, memory, and listening skills. Mental flexibility is enhanced by the reasoning, problem-solving and analytical processes that are frequently used in learning a language.
It will greatly improve your job prospects...
In today’s global economy, multinational corporations seek out foreign markets and trade with an increasingly large number of countries. The UK trades with over 200 countries worldwide, 60% of which are non English-speaking. Indeed, 75% of the world’s population does not speak English. Employees and business people who have foreign language skills have a distinct advantage when they have to communicate with colleagues from other parts of the world. English may be the language of international business, but the ability to communicate in another language and to be aware of cultural differences is a tremendous asset. At all levels of study at Cardiff, students of modern foreign languages are given the means to understand and appreciate the customs and beliefs of the language’s native speakers. Effectively developed language skills and cultural awareness are complementary keys to success. Research shows that UK graduates in Modern Foreign Languages have one of the lowest unemployment rates. As a modern linguist you will enjoy excellent employment prospects both in the UK and abroad. Many employers prefer to employ linguists not just for their ability to communicate in a foreign language, but also because of their broad education, their creative approach to problem-solving, and their ability to be good team players and good communicators. Language students find that a wide range of professions are available to them following graduation, including language teaching or translation, and careers in government, law, communications, tourism, the voluntary sector or business. You may even want to go on to our Masters degree in European Studies or Translation, which would give you an extra edge in building your career and allow you to explore issues of interest in greater depth. Students may eventually continue postgraduate studies by undertaking a PhD, the ultimate academic qualification and proof of outstanding intellectual ability.
Why study languages at Cardiff university?
There are many reasons for studying Modern Foreign Languages at Cardiff in particular:
Top 10 University
Cardiff School of European Languages, Translation and Politics is an inter-disciplinary centre of excellence and one of the largest and most dynamic Schools of its type in the UK. The School enjoys an international reputation in research and appears in the first quartile on all major indicators in the Research Assessment Exercise, including 2nd out of 27 for Research Power. Cardiff University is among the 10 most popular universities in the UK, receiving 35,000 applications for 4,500 undergraduate places. It is a member of Britain’s ‘Russell Group’ of leading research universities that includes Oxford, Cambridge, the LSE, Bristol and Edinburgh.
Cardiff University—‘a compelling student experience’ (Sunday Times University Guide 2011)
Cutting-Edge Language Teaching
Cardiff’s School of European Languages, Translation and Politics has many strengths: our emphasis on language teaching by native-language tutors, our excellent language laboratory facilities, our cutting-edge language programmes, and the wide range of options we offer in the culture, civilisation and politics of France, Spain, Germany Italy and Europe more generally. As well as our excellence in teaching, we also display excellence in our research. Many of our language teaching staff are internationally recognised for their research interests and really know their area of expertise, whether it be in French literature, German history, European cinema, Basque nationalism or Italian thinkers. Our aim is to develop a very high level of linguistic competence in our students and our personal tutor system provides a supportive environment to all students from day one. If this is what you want, Cardiff is for you.
A Wide Variety of Interesting Degrees
Another reason to come to Cardiff is that you can study not only Single Honours French, Spanish, German or Italian but also Joint Honours degrees with a wide range of subjects including, Law, History, Economics, Philosophy, Languages, Archaeology, Music and other Arts subjects.
The Chance to Start a Language from Scratch
We also offer beginners’ courses in Spanish, German and Italian which can be taken all the way to degree level. Bursaries are available for suitably qualified applicants in German and Italian only.
The Chance to do Two Degrees?
We even offer a 4-year Cardiff-Bordeaux programme that gives graduates two degrees: a Bordeaux Politics diplôme and a Cardiff Politics degree.
The Opportunity to Study in a Thriving City
We are located in a dynamic and vibrant capital city and have a great student union. According to The Sunday Times University Guide 2011: Cardiff is ‘one of the cheapest and safest cities in the UK’
