An instant pathway into the hearts of people you meet. That’s what languages are. This is affirmed as, the day before submitting this, I spoke to a Columbian and through our shared Spanish, he felt an affinity with me and opened up about his whole life. The number of these encounters proves the importance of languages.
Read MoreMy first exposure to foreign languages came from taking up piano. On one level, I was learning a new vocabulary of Italian adjectives and present participles (‘adagio’, ‘meno mosso’, ‘crescendo’); on another, I was learning to read a new script - to recognise symbols and translate them into where, when and how my fingers press the keys.
Read MoreLanguage is the basis of everything. From casual conversations to the soul-wrenching song that is Akhmatova's 'Requiem', it encompasses, defines and creates all. I have chosen to study Russian and French because I know the ability to speak foreign languages allows access to a world of experience outside our own cultural context.
Read MoreWhen you open that email telling you that you’ve been invited to interview for Modern Languages, you’re probably filled with happiness and dread in equal measure. Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished reading this short guide to Modern Languages interviews, you’ll feel a bit more at ease.
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