International Commerce with Chinese in UCD

Packet Of Gravy

Hi guys, I've just finished 5th year and I'm considering choosing Chinese or German with the International Commerce degree in UCD. I'm fairly good at languages and in my Leaving Cert I'm hoping to get an A in German and a B in Irish.

What I'm wondering is, just how good at Chinese do you get fom doing this course? I mean, students start from scratch at a language that is completely different to English. For me anyway, I don't see any point in studying the language for a few years and then not being fluent or at least at a very advanced level, as it just wouldn't be that valuable then. The other concern would be that it would be just too hard, and I wouldn't be able to cope.

You don't have to be on the course to comment, all opinions are welcome.

simon0brien

Packet Of Gravy wrote: »

Hi guys, I've just finished 5th year and I'm considering choosing Chinese or German with the International Commerce degree in UCD. I'm fairly good at languages and in my Leaving Cert I'm hoping to get an A in German and a B in Irish.

What I'm wondering is, just how good at Chinese do you get fom doing this course? I mean, students start from scratch at a language that is completely different to English. For me anyway, I don't see any point in studying the language for a few years and then not being fluent or at least at a very advanced level, as it just wouldn't be that valuable then. The other concern would be that it would be just too hard, and I wouldn't be able to cope.

You don't have to be on the course to comment, all opinions are welcome.

It offers a year in China doesn't It?? Surely that would cement all the language study here in Ireland?? You obviously have the aptitude but do you have the interest to stick with Chinese for four years? Or do you prefer German?

I read that many employers were concerned with undergrad. students with languages because some fell short of fluency after their four years. My advice would be to follow the language you think you will prefer and also the culture of the chosen country/ countries. I'm starting Spanish & Italian at UCD in Sep.

Canard

I don't do that course but I took up Spanish from scratch in UCD, and while that's not as difficult as Chinese, they're very intensive with taking up languages and generally by second year they have you at the same level as the leaving cert gets you and work from there. I have heard, though, that Chinese is very difficult in UCD - there was a girl in my Spanish culture class doing commerce and said one guy in her year (she was a year above me) wasn't going to be allowed go to China because he was doing too badly in Chinese. But I'm pretty sure you can do German and Chinese together for a semester, can't you? I had it down for a few weeks with French and German and you just drop one in the second semester.

Chinese does look very difficult though. I love languages but I probably wouldn't try Chinese for a while, but that's just me, it's mainly the alphabet that would get on my nerves. If you're at least mildly artistic and language orientated, then you should go for it, it'd be a very interesting language to study.

Hildago

I know I'm in here a bit late but I haven't been on Boards in awhile and came across your post, OP, while I was just scrolling through all the ones I've missed out on. I'm a 3rd year BComm International student, German being my language of choice, and I'm currently away on my Erasmus year. I chose Chinese for my first semester along with German and really enjoyed it. I was almost tempted to keep it up and drop German but I didn't, for exactly the reason you've brought up.

I know from my first semester in UCD that Chinese is a completely different kettle of fish from any European language - the tones, pronunciation, characters are all so vastly different from any language based on the Roman alphabet that it is really quite difficult to become fluent in Chinese, particularly when you are starting to learn it at the age of roughly 18. The older you get, the more difficult it becomes to gain fluency in any language, as the brain doesn't absorb information as easily.

In general, the aim of the BComm International degree with regards the European languages is to provide students with a good understanding of business and, depending on the individual student, a good grasp of their language - in some cases, fluency. But when it comes to Chinese, while learning of the language itself is important, there seems to be a larger emphasis on the Chinese culture and people than there does in the study of the European languages. While it's unlikely that you'll become fluent in it, this doesn't mean that choosing Chinese is a waste of time. Relations between Ireland and China with regards trade and investment are strong and improving all the time. Ireland is lacking in workers who have knowledge of the Chinese language and/or culture and with China being a major global economic force, it's important for us to have people who can bridge that gap. That's where the BComm International with Chinese Studies graduates will come in.

I suggest you choose German and Chinese as your two languages for first semester and decide from there. You'll know yourself whether or not fluency in German is more important to you than intermediate knowledge of Chinese language and culture. For me, I preferred taking my chances with fluency but also my own personal background and ancestry had a part to play in my decision to carry on with German.

You mentioned fear of difficulty too...I wouldn't worry about that. If you do well enough to get into the course and put in some work, you should be fine. Anyway, you would have your first semester to get an insight into studying Chinese, so that will give you an idea as to whether its for you or not. But don't think German will be a walk in the park just because you've studied it at Leaving Cert level - I got an A2 in honours level and while I get on okay in German, my grades could hardly be described as groundbreaking. :P

Either way, if you do choose this course, you'll have the time of your life when you go away in 3rd year! It absolutely flies, so enjoy it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, I don't plan on leaving it so long before I log in again.