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Languages

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  • 20-04-2013 8:43pm
    #1
    Michelletarian
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25 ✭


    I'm thinking on Applied Languages in UL. Irish, French and hoping to start German. Anyone got any insight on this course?
    I wanted to go to UCD or DCU but this course looks better :P
    I'm from Donegal so want to make sure it's worth the distance.

    As an aside, anyone into swimming? One huge perk I'm looking forward to would be UL's pool :D


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    #2
    wispa9
    Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭wispa9


    I'm just finishing up my first year on the course, so I'll tell you what I know. I myself do French, German & beginners Spanish. Regarding the course overall, the biggest shock for me (and everyone else I've spoken to) was how much focus there is on literature. I had no idea there would be so much reading to do (or pretending to do :P ). First semester French you're studying a novel and short stories from the 1800s! The second semester improved a bit by moving up to the 1900s :L Advanced French grammar is pretty easy though, you'll know a lot of the stuff already. I'm not too sure about the Irish modules I'm afraid. From what I hear from people doing beginners German, they move fairly quickly, and will probably be caught up with the advanced students in no time! I think with this course, it's a bit different from other courses in that there's a steady stream of little bits of work to do. It's almost like secondary school, with the little bits of homework you get! I do really enjoy it though, and if your main focus is languages and you really do love the learning of them, I'd highly recommend it! We get to go abroad twice too, so that's another huge advantage of doing languages in UL! Hope this helped :)


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    #3
    Michelletarian
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25 ✭Michelletarian


    Ahhh great stuff, I'm loving the sound of this :D Cannot wait til September now. Hope I get the points!

    Only worry is what you said about literature. Wouldn't mind so much for French (I hope) but the thought of Irish literature is worry, depending on when it's from it has the tendancy to be painstakingly boring.


    How did you find the beginners Spanish, out of curiosity? I'm a bit of a language nerd :D


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    #4
    VanishingActs
    Registered Users Posts: 170 ✭✭VanishingActs


    I'm not in applied languages but most of my friends are and they all love the course, though it is tough going! I took beginners Spanish and regret it- my friends doing beginner's German seem to have way more of the language than we do of Spanish. They get more work but it pays off. I'd go for German if I was choosing again!


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    #5
    Michelletarian
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25 ✭Michelletarian


    Is it tough switching between two languages a lot? I find myself thinking in French a whole lot more these days with the Irish Oral coming up. Was never a problem before :/

    Ahhh spanish is meant to be a lot easier spoken though! But who knows it's all opinion. I'm for taking German anyway :)


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    #6
    unknowngirl!!
    Registered Users Posts: 389 ✭✭unknowngirl!!


    I originally did Applied Languages before switching to the B.Ed in Languages after first year. I did French, Irish and beginners German.

    Everything was great except for the beginners German. A lot of people in the beginner's class lied and had either studied German to JC or OL LC. There were only two of us who were genuine beginners. Chances are it will be the same every year and this makes the pace of teaching incredibly fast. If you are going to pick it up as a beginner you'll have to do a lot of extra work to keep up. I'd recommend getting an exchange partner and doing a lot of online exercises in your free time!


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    #7
    Michelletarian
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25 ✭Michelletarian


    unknowngirl!! wrote: »
    I originally did Applied Languages before switching to the B.Ed in Languages after first year. I did French, Irish and beginners German.

    Everything was great except for the beginners German. A lot of people in the beginner's class lied and had either studied German to JC or OL LC. There were only two of us who were genuine beginners. Chances are it will be the same every year and this makes the pace of teaching incredibly fast. If you are going to pick it up as a beginner you'll have to do a lot of extra work to keep up. I'd recommend getting an exchange partner and doing a lot of online exercises in your free time!
    Thanks for the advice!


    I have a friend who is basically fluent in German and was already planning on practising with her over the summer so I'm not a total newbie.
    Failing that, I'll always have Duolingo :D

    What as the Irish literature like? And how much time was spent on it?
    Personally I'd rather spend time on nitty-gritty grammar.


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