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Modern and Medieval Languages
Doing a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge means studying different aspects of the languages and cultures of the countries you are interested in. The course is really varied, with modules on literature, history, thought, linguistics and language teaching, and is a complete break from the tedious work of learning vocabulary lists at school.
Imogen Hagarty
St Catharine's
German and Spanish, 4th Year
Guildford
You have to start off by studying two languages, although if you want to learn more outside your degree there is always the opportunity to do extra courses at the Language Centre. You can either do both languages at post A-Level standard or you can pick up a new language from scratch (ab initio). Doing an ab initio language is often more exciting but can be exceptionally challenging if you come to university with absolutely no knowledge of the language. It’s a good idea to take one up but sensible to familiarise yourself with it beforehand.
“ The course is a complete break from the tedium of vocab lists at school ”
The most rewarding part of the degree is that you develop practical skills that you are constantly called upon to use; Cambridge is full of foreign students, tourists and academics and I often end up overhearing conversations in French, Spanish and German when I walk around town.
The course lasts four years, with the third year spent abroad, either studying or working. This can be both the best and the worst part of the course. It is an amazing opportunity to travel, get to know a different culture and get some valuable and much sought after work experience. Students come back having fallen in love with the country they have spent a year in. The downside to this is that you graduate a year later than the majority of people in your year group, missing out on a year of student life with the friends that you have spent two years making. Despite this, I have never talked to any fourth years who have regretting taking the year abroad.
Best thing? Great opportunities to travel
A great thing about languages at Cambridge is the availability of travel grants from both your College and faculty. This means you can get money to travel to do language courses or sometimes simply to explore.
As a languages student you will be expected to study quite a bit of literature from the beginning of your course. It is also possible to choose a linguistics option and some departments offer great History and Thought papers. If you love literature, you’ll definitely find papers that interest you, but if not, make sure you check out which alternatives are available.
Worst thing? Missing people when you're travelling
In the first year, I tended to have around 13 hours of lectures, classes and supervisions a week, which meant that I was busy but not completely overwhelmed. By the second year, this dropped to about 9 hours of contact time. I find that I spend the majority of my time studying on my own, in libraries or in my room, and that I have more free time than most Science students but less than English or History students.