Subject Information
|
Modern and Medieval Languages (MML)Welcome to the MML page at Murray Edwards College! In what follows, we tell you about the subject in our college, the inter-relation between the University and College teaching, the Fellows and supervisors you might work with in the College and the application process.
Studying Modern and Medieval Languages at CambridgeThe CourseThe undergraduate degree in modern and medieval languages at Cambridge is a four-year course. In the first, second and fourth years students are resident in Cambridge; the third year is spent abroad. The course is assessed by annual examinations. In the second year it is possible to submit a portfolio of essays written during the year on one paper. During the Year Abroad a compulsory dissertation or a translation project or a linguistics project is written. In the final year there is the possibility of an optional dissertation to replace one Scheduled Paper. There are compulsory oral exams in each part of the Tripos. In the first year, students take Part IA in two languages. One of these may be a new language; the other must be a post A-level language. If you study a new language you will be expected to prepare for this before you arrive in Cambridge and begin the 'ab initio' course. You will undertake a large amount of language work during the year and be introduced to the literature and culture of the language concerned. In your post A-level language(s), there will also be a strong element of language work, i.e. translation into the English; use of the foreign language; oral work, and a choice of papers, known as Scheduled Papers, relating to linguistics, literature, history and thought. Students are encouraged to spend some time abroad either before they arrive in Cambridge, or during the Christmas or Easter vacations and grants are available for this purpose. In the second year you continue with both languages studied in the first year. If you started a new language, you will take equivalent papers to those studied for the post A-level course in the first year. If you are studying two post A-level languages, you will continue language work in both of them, i.e. listening comprehension and translation into the foreign language, and you can choose from a wide variety of options relating to linguistics, literature, history and thought of the language. You can focus more upon one language towards one language or give equal attention to both. The Year Abroad is a most important part of your course. Students can either work as a teaching assistant in a school or university, or can opt to study at a foreign university or find suitable paid employment in the country they choose to live in. It is possible to spend the entire year in one country or to divide your time between two countries. It is a wonderful opportunity to bring together different aspects of the course in a practical living environment and it encourages students to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the life and culture of the country where they are placed. During the year Abroad you will be asked to write either a dissertation, or work on a translation project or a linguistics project. Your supervisors and Director of Studies will discuss the options with you. In Part II, you can concentrate on one language or divide your time between two. At the beginning of the year there is an oral examination and you will take two compulsory language papers. There is a wide range of Scheduled Papers relating to all aspects of your language(s). There are also papers with a comparative and interdisciplinary nature and some papers which can be borrowed from other Triposes. These are Schedule D papers and can be consulted here. The organisation of the teachingThe teaching is organised in three different ways:
There is often a close connection between the material offered in lectures and that discussed in supervisions: missing lectures will hamper your progress. It is also very important not to miss any language classes: they go at a fast pace and if you miss one, and the work set for the next one, you will find yourself at a serious disadvantage. In every one of your Scheduled Papers you will have a fortnightly supervision with a specialist in that field, in your own or in another College. Most supervision groups will consist of two to four students. Exceptionally you might find yourself the only supervisee in a particular paper. Your supervisor will advise you on your reading and give you essay topics, discuss your essays with you and mark them. Supervisions are the place for discussion, either about the set topics or about anything that you might want to raise as a result of your reading, or stemming from the Faculty lectures. In supervisions you can test out and explore your ideas. You will also be given regular supervisions to help you with your language work. Finally, your Director of Studies can help you if you do not understand an aspect of the teaching system; the Faculty Guide and Website will help you to understand the overall structure and each Department has a Website which sets out, in great detail, the organisation of its courses, whom to contact for particular papers, information about individual classes, lectures, reading lists and examinations. For details of the structure and content of the courses, and other useful information about Modern Languages in Cambridge, you might also like to consult the Faculty website. MML at Murray EdwardsMurray Edwards College has a strong tradition in the subject and is proud of its achievements in Tripos results. The College is a medium sized, relatively young college for women and has a pleasant and caring atmosphere. We have a lively community of around 30 undergraduate Modern Linguists plus six Fellows. We offer in-college teaching in French, Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish. Any combination of languages allowed by the Faculty can be accommodated at Murray Edwards. If you want to study other languages, such as Modern Greek, Portuguese and Russian, your Director of Studies will arrange for you to be taught by a Fellow of another College. Lectures and language classes take place in the Faculty, in Sidgwick Avenue. Murray Edwards College has an exceptionally well-stocked library, a large collection of videos and full audio-visual facilities. Murray Edwards College benefits from exchanges with the E.N.S. in Lyon, and the Universities of Salamanca, Pavia, and Cologne. These contacts are particularly useful when it comes to the Year Abroad. We also have an active Modern Linguists' Society which is organised by students and supported by the teaching staff. It holds social and cultural events, and students from the College also play a part in Departmental Societies. Students may choose to specialise in any two of the following languages: French, Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. It is also possible to combine a modern language with either Classical Latin or Classical Greek. With the exception of French, Cambridge offers you the opportunity to study any one of these languages from scratch (ab initio). The Year AbroadThe third year is spent abroad, in a country in which one of your languages is spoken as a first or second language. Many students enrol in a university course given in the target language (the course may be in any subject, provided that instruction is in the language you have been studying). Others teach English as a Language Assistant at a school through the British Council. Others again opt to work abroad, as interns or in paying positions. The Year Abroad Office keeps files on available internships and students may also find their own employment. This work experience is often key in deciding on future training and employment. During this year you also write a compulsory dissertation or translation topic chosen at the end of the second year. A full description of the papers offered by the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages is available on the MML website. Fellows in MML at Murray EdwardsThere are six MML Fellows at Murray Edwards, all of whom are active teaching Fellows.
What we are looking for in MML at Murray EdwardsSome of the qualities we expect to find in our modern linguists are:
Getting inStudents at Murray Edwards College are admitted to study two languages, and you need to have done at least one modern language at Advanced GCE (A2) level or equivalent: you would normally be expected to achieve an 'A' grade in it. If you have done one modern language at Advanced GCE (A2) level, then you continue to study that language and also start a new language as a beginner. If you've done two languages at A2 level, then you can either continue with them both or else drop one of them and also start a new language as a beginner. Murray Edwards College is fortunate in being one of only a few Cambridge colleges to have a supervisor in Dutch, as well as supervisors in German, Spanish, French and Italian. Murray Edwards College also accepts a small number of students wishing to combine any one of these subjects with Russian or Portuguese.Applications are welcomed both pre- and post-A level, and for deferred entry. Conditional offers are tailored flexibly to the individual, but our standard offer is A*AA at A level. Students from other qualification systems are welcome. What about the Interview?Murray Edwards College has a policy of interviewing most candidates who apply to the college. The usual practice in Modern Languages is to give candidates two interviews, one for each of the languages for which they have applied. Each interview is twenty to thirty minutes long and conducted by two interviewers: one a specialist in the language, the other a modern linguist from a different field. Part of the interview will involve discussing in the appropriate foreign language a literary text written in that language, which candidates will have been given fifteen minutes to prepare. Candidates will then be asked to respond - again in the target language - to a sample of grammatical sentences in that language. Finally, the interview will then switch to English to discuss more general matters such as other AS/A2 (or equivalent) subjects you have studied, any reading you have in your leisure time and other outside interests. It should be stressed that these interviews are designed not to grill you on how much you know, but, on the contrary, to assess your potential for studying this course. In addition to general academic ability and linguistic aptitude, we are looking for enthusiasm intellectual flexibility, and the capacity to explore new ideas in a clear and logical way. In addition to the two subject interviews, all candidates have a short "tutorial" interview, lasting around 15 minutes, with the Admissions Tutor or one of the other Tutors. This contributes to your overall assessment and covers your interests and academic progress more broadly. Any Questions?The best way to find out more about studying Modern Languages at Murray Edwards College is to come to one of the College's Open Days. If you are not able to make any of these dates, you are welcome to visit the College at any other time by arrangement with the Admissions Office. It may be possible to arrange for you to be shown around by one of the students, and possibly also to meet for an informal talk with one of the Directors of Studies in Modern Languages. Where does a degree in Modern Languages lead?The answer is that it can lead anywhere you like, because it is an extremely marketable qualification, much sought after by employers, because modern language graduates from Cambridge have excellent communication skills and understanding of foreign cultures as well as analytical ability and research skills. All students spend their third year abroad, and this is viewed as an added asset by employers seeking mature, flexible and capable people with an excellent command of a modern language. It has been shown recently that graduates in Modern Languages in this country are among those least likely to be unemployed. A large number of Cambridge graduates enter careers where they use their languages, either immediately or at a later stage. Many others enter professions open to graduates in any discipline. Examples of typical professions are marketing, journalism, banking and commerce, media and the arts. Some people enter the civil service, others go into law, or train as professional linguists (translators or interpreters). Others go into teaching or stay on to do postgraduate research, which can lead to a career in lecturing and research. Graduates of Murray Edwards College are no exception, and Modern Linguists from the last two academic years have found employment as recruitment consultants, information scientists, technical authors, teachers of English in Japan, English language advisers and freelance translators, while one college graduate in French and German was recently awarded her Ph.D. in French literature. With a degree in Modern and Medieval Languages your options are open. Preparing the wayAt Murray Edwards College we are very keen to assist our Modern Linguist graduates in making the best possible career choices and to assist in forging links which may be useful for initial contact or, latterly, in 'networking'. The College maintains a database providing information on the career destinations of our alumnae, and this can be used to put students in touch with people who might be able to offer friendly advice about various fields of employment. What students do nextOther web pages show more about the careers of students from this College who studied your subject in the past. What students do nextOther web pages show more about the careers of students from this College who studied your subject in the past Selected Internet Resources for LinguistsFRENCHGERMAN
SPANISH
ITALIAN
DUTCHRUSSIANUpdated ED 10/10 |
