Ryan Frost - Modern & Medieval Languages
Before applying to Cambridge, I was still uncertain which subject I wanted to commit to for the next three or four years, never mind writing a dissertation on a topic of my choosing. All I knew for certain was that I could not be a scientist and that my choice of A-levels steered me towards a humanities degree. Apart from that, the choice was fairly open, as well as a difficult one to make. I enjoyed all kinds of subjects at school, from literature, to history and politics. I also loved Spanish. It was the only language I had studied to A-level and I was fascinated by Spanish culture. However, I was concerned that studying one language to A-level might disadvantage an application to Cambridge, because I knew that all Modern and Medieval Language students would study at least two from the first year.
This wasn't a problem. Studying languages at Cambridge meant that I could continue with my Spanish studies, as well as take on an entirely new language and start learning it from scratch. The possible combinations are too many to name, even including a selection of languages from another department, such as a classical or Asian language. I decided on Arabic, mostly influenced by my interest in news on the Arab Spring and the politics of the region. The first two years are an excellent introduction to all sorts of new ideas and the departments give you a great foundation to build upon. There are papers covering topics such as literature from various periods (modern, postmodern, Renaissance, Enlightenment...), comparative film, politics and society, anthropology, history and more. The depth and breadth of the subject is great for anyone who wants to try a bit of everything, like me, as well as for those who want to focus on one or two areas that they really enjoy. This approach also opens up a lot of doors when it comes to choosing the project that we all work on in our third years, which is the Year Abroad.
There is practically no limit on the kind of things you can study on the Year Abroad – just another reason why it is often the most exciting parts of language students' degrees. It gives us the chance to pursue subjects that are really important to us, allowing us to make these projects our own. These projects don't even have to conform to the traditional dissertation. Many students take on linguistic projects of language varieties from all over the globe. They can also submit translation projects, sometimes bringing foreign language works into the English language for the very first time.
For my Year Abroad, I travelled to Barcelona, Spain's second city and the capital of Catalonia. I worked as an English language assistant in a school. This is a common option for students, many doing so with the British Council, and it is lots of fun, but there are so many choices available. From studying in a university, to working with charities or businesses, every placement is a unique experience for the student. My mentor at the school was very friendly and all my new colleagues welcomed me just like they would any other new teacher. Everything felt professional and I gained valuable work experience. I was also able to benefit from Erasmus funding from the EU, allowing students to work and study abroad, without having to worry about being able to afford it.
Catalonia is a fascinating place, with its own distinct language, history and culture. I knew hardly anything about this when I started at Cambridge but, in my second year, I decided to take an introductory paper on Catalan and this became one of my favourite subjects. This influenced my decision on where to go for my Year Abroad and it even became the subject of my translation. I chose a recent novel written in Catalan by an author named Toni Soler, called the Last Letter of Lluis Companys. He (Companys) has the distinction of being the only democratically elected incumbent European president to be executed. He is considered a hero to Catalan people striving for independence and this novel considers his importance to the independence movement, making readers think about how the region has evolved since his death seventy-five years ago and how he would react to the situation today. The book is an alternate history, allowing Companys to cheat death and travel to the present day, taking in the Barcelona of 2015 for himself, forcing us to consider what it is that really makes a nation. The plot is quite outlandish, which goes to show the wide range of texts that you can submit, choosing ones that really appeal to your personal interests.
This project also helped me to understand events at home better as well. Throughout my stay in Catalonia, there were almost constant references to the independence referendum held in Scotland a couple of weeks before I arrived. I had lots of interesting discussions with friends and work colleagues about the similarities and differences between these two processes. It is tempting to draw a simple parallel between two nations that want to break away from a larger one that often seems to dismiss their concerns. Nevertheless, by living in Barcelona and studying nationalism in detail, I was better able to see many fundamental differences between Scotland and Catalonia and their political environments.
I cannot recommend the Modern and Medieval Languages degree at Cambridge enough. It allows students to continue studying a broad range of subjects that they love, as well as the opportunity to discover new languages and interests. You can be as broad or as specialised as you like, leaving the way open for any kind of dissertation or project you want. So, if you are unsure about studying at Cambridge, or even about which particular subject you want to commit to, consider a languages degree – for its flexibility and the new experiences it offers.