Languages; Focus on

One of the best bits of the recent ‘Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ film [apparently there is a book as well] was the babelfish. For those who haven’t seen the film [or read the book] the babelfish is a rare fish which, when inserted into someone’s ear, allows that person to understand any language spoken in the universe. For those who don’t have access to this mystical creature, a postgraduate qualification is most useful in comprehending what other people are saying to you.

For a long time extra language learning in Ireland was very much a minority pursuit. For cultural and historical reasons ‘foreign’ languages such as French and German came far behind Irish as second languages, and the study of ‘even more foreign’ tongues such as Chinese and Russian was very rare indeed. Over the last few decades this situation has changed for the better, and the study of additional languages has become very popular at third level.

Extra languages can be extremely useful for career progression. With the opening up of the Irish economy, and the influx of multinational corporations to our shores, foreign language skills are now highly valued. While English is still the most popular global business language, the ability to communicate directly with clients and customers in their own tongue is increasingly valued in the postmodern global community. Irish people with second, third or even fourth language fluency can be found working at high level positions in companies in Europe and even further afield.

The acquisition of a second European language is still the most popular option for Irish students. French and German have long been the market leaders, but Spanish and Italian are becoming increasingly fashionable. Many people predict that during the twenty-first century Chinese and Indian language skills will become more widespread and valuable as their economies and influence grow in size.

Learning a language at postgraduate level often also means not only studying the words and grammar, but also gaining a knowledge of the culture of the countries where it is spoken. Students learn about the literature, history and society where the language has been developed. Which should lead to a greater understanding of the background of the language, and greatly aid communication with native speakers. There may also be travel and exchange opportunities with universities abroad, which allow students to practice and hone their language skills.

Most Irish third level institutions offer taught and research language courses, and students can study the Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish and Welsh languages at postgraduate level. You can also take American and Australian Studies, but they don’t really count as their own languages. For Classics courses, a knowledge of ancient Greek or Latin is a definite advantage. There are also specific Linguistics, Translation Studies, Language Studies and Language Acquisition Masters programmes. As well as postgraduate programmes which include a foreign language alongside another discipline such as Business, Politics or Tourism.

An honours undergraduate degree in the language is generally required for admission onto a postgraduate course, however exceptions can be made if the candidate can demonstrate their fluency. Many research courses assume a level of competency and focus on literature or culture through the language. One of the useful aspects of studying languages at postgraduate level is that the student may be able to supplement their income by tutoring undergrad students or by offering private grinds.

Most postgraduate courses in languages do not train the student for a particular career, apart from the popular translation studies programmes. However there are very few jobs for which a knowledge of another language is not a significant advantage. Both the public and the private sector require foreign language speakers, and graduates are specifically sought after in the business, media, tourism, education and IT sectors.