Applied Languages & Intercultural Studies

Konata

Hallo all!

I'm looking for some information on the above course. I'm considering studying it in college come September. The language I want to do is Japanese, but from what I understand you have to do a second language for a few years anyway right? Not sure what I'll choose for that yet, I just wanna do Japanese

So yus, any information on this course would be much appreciated Arigato!

Jemo

I don't do it myself but know a lot of people doing it and have some classes with them. ALIS seems to set you up well for a career in translation. If its Japanese you want and you don't want to do another language then there should be a business studies and Japanese course too.
http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/deginfo.php?classname=BSINT

Gunslinger92

OP, it's funny, I am the total opposite to you. I put ALIS down first on my CAO, got it. I had switched to Common Entry Science after about 2 weeks

You're right, you have to do at least one intermediate language, be it French, Spanish, German or Irish. Did you do a language for the Leaving?

I didn't do Japanese myself but some of my friends did, and you don't need to know a single word of Japanese starting because the course is for absolute beginners. The lecturer is also a legend apparently.

As well the language modules, in Semester 1 anyway, you take modules called Study and Research Skills and Language, Culture and International Communications. The latter didn't take my fancy at all, it's all about the study of language and stuff. I'm not sure, but I think that module is Semester 1 only, and in Semester 2 there is something called Introduction to Translation Studies.

I did French as my intermediate so I can tell you about that Lectures are in full French straight away, it's quite hard to get used to. You study French history too, which I found very very boring.

If languages are your thing, it's a lovely course Excellent hours, I had Fridays off, the class sizes aren't huge so it's easy to get to know people and make friends. But I thought they were my thing, but I was sorely mistaken, so think long and hard about it! Hopefully it will be third time lucky for you If you have any other questions, I'll try and answer, bear in mind I was only in this course for a couple of weeks though

Cravez

Hey Konata

Was considering putting this down as a choice for when I want to start in 2012, still undecided as Gunslinger mentioned you need an Intermediate level of another language (which for me as a mature student would be a big thing to consider ), so for me im still on the fence about where to put it on my CAO, But probably going to apply for the International Business & Japanese instead.

But generally iv found from getting as much information as possible the course is great for overall language & linguistic development with added skills such as Translation or Intercultural studies, which you can specialise later on. DCU has masters courses in either of the specialisations afterwards anyway if you wanted to continue your development in the area. Id probably think what other language you did well in in your Leaving Cert years as you will need the required Language competency for it anyway when you start. The Japanese, as been mentioned you start at beginners level anyway :cool:

Best of luck

Konata

Thanks for the replies all

I'm thinking of doing Irish for the second language. I didn't mind it too much in school but haaaaated French :P Do you definitely have to have at least one language at an intermediate level starting? Like, you couldn't take up Spanish or German from beginner level aswell as Japanese, is that correct?

Cravez

Konata wrote: »

Do you definitely have to have at least one language at an intermediate level starting? Like, you couldn't take up Spanish or German from beginner level aswell as Japanese, is that correct?

Yes, unfortunately . This seems to be applicable for alot of Applied/Modern Language courses in Ireland as well, where you have to have at least one Language at an Intermediate level before commencing. I checked into this at one point and was told that taking 2 languages at beginners level would possibly be too much workload. Although I was told the first few weeks of the Intermediate level classes won't be anything significant workload wise as they want to ease people back into it.

Although the term 'Intermediate' can depend, for example when I checked the German Intermediate level module for the course for first year they required the European Framework level of German of A2-B1 (which isn't THAT bad), which if you had basic knowledge of the language you could do some private classes before commencing the Academic year and be ok.

So I would say try having a think about what you want to do as your Intermediate Language, and get some practice or take some classes before you start your course

RyDar

Hey konata, I'm one of the current class reps for ALIS and I also study Japanese (French too).

In ALIS you choose 2 languages : ab initio (beginner) level language (that you have little or no previous experience in) and an advanced language that you have at least a higher level b3 in higher level leaving cert.
You can't study 2 ab initio languages unfortunately such as a combination of Chinese and Japanese, that are only offered at ab initio level.

In the course you not only learn the languages you have chosen, but also learn about the culture,society,literature and history of those nations (in frist year at least). You also get to study linguistics, culture as a whole, international relations, intercultural communication, translation and much more!

The course is almost entirely continuous assessment, the hours are pretty low (13 hours a week for me) but you are required to study in your own time (and with japanese, by god you'll need it). I have no lectures on a Friday, 2 lectures on a Thursday and 2 lectures on Wednesdays.

In 2nd year you choose whether you want to go into translation or into cultural studies relevant to the languages you're studying.
You can also drop one of your languages if you so choose.
You continue learning the language etc. and get prepared for your year abroad.

3rd year is your year abroad! At least 1 Erasmus year is mandatory and you can only go to colleges in countries relevant to your language studies.
However, if you study Japanese or Chinese you must go to either Japan or China respectively. You will continue your language learning as well as taking other classes of your choice in your exchange university (you could learn even more languages!)

In 4th year your language learning continues, you write a thesis based on your experience abroad and your translator training begins (rather than just studying the science of translation) if you chose the translation strand in 2nd year.

Once you finish the course you will have an extremely high level in the languages that you have studied, some students gaining a native level of their relevant language! You will be qualified as a translator if you took the translation strand, and if you take the cultural strand there are many opportunities in foreign relations and business for you.

If you so wish,you can also do a h-dip afterwards which will qualify you as a secondary school language teacher, and taking a TEFL course is also HIGHLY recommended. Once you specialise into a particular area of translation (medical translation, technical, business, political etc.) you can expect and average wage of 76,000 pounds sterling per year working as a contracted translator. Working as a freelance traanslator you can earn much more or much less.

Overall a fantastic course! I know I went off on a tangent but I hope I helped!
Cheers,
Ryan Dardis
ALIS1 Class Rep

Konata

That's awesome information there Ryan, thanks a million! Makes it all good and clear now

Looks like I'mma do this course! Japanese for sure, with Irish I'm thinking. Never really liked French in school but I have A1s in both so I'll think about it a bit more.

Fingers crossed I get a degree this time round :P

RyDar

Konata if you want to do Japanese then definitely join DCU japanese society, has done WONDERS for my Japanese and I've made some lifelong friends there, and I'm only in 1st year!

I'm Ryan by the way, be sure to say hello etc. when you arrive and I'll introduce you to everyone!

plein de force

Raydar, thanks for all that info as i also have this course on my cao.
one question if you will oblige me
have past graduates with this degree been well received by employers as translators? as working with just languages would be a dream!

Cravez

Excellent Information there Ryan! Made me a little more inclined to take more serious thought into the course. Just wanted to ask regarding the Intermediate/Advanced language choices; how does the start of the Year 1 Semester generally work? Do they ease student's back into learning the advanced language or is it heavy learning stuff from the get go? I would be taking the Japanese(Ab Initio)/German(Advanced) route but my German is a little rusty, granted I will be taking classes before the course commencement for refreshment and getting my level up, I would still be a little nervous regarding the first few weeks.

Thanks Ryan

tradhead

The intermediate classes are dead handy in first semester, if you were in any way decent at your language in school then they'll pose no problem at all. There's a big difference between first and second year classes, but then that's to be expected.

One thing I would say to be cautious of is the focus on intercultural studies and culture (literature and film, etc). I chose the courses because I love languages, and thought it'd be cool to take this course rather than just a plain ol' arts degree with two languages, but it can be really tough, especially if you're not really into all that. The translation strand is also difficult, as it gets quite intensively into linguistics and terminology, and a lot of it can seem kindof pointless.

Sorry for the negative note, it's just that I wish somebody had told me all this before I started, so I'd be either better prepared or in a different course! But yeah, the hours are great, the lecturers are sound and parts are definitely interesting...and I'm jetting off to Spain next year for 3rd year so I can't really complain!

If you've any more questions, or even if you'd like to see some notes or assignments to get a feel for the course, ask away.

Cravez

tradhead wrote: »

The intermediate classes are dead handy in first semester, if you were in any way decent at your language in school then they'll pose no problem at all. There's a big difference between first and second year classes, but then that's to be expected.

One thing I would say to be cautious of is the focus on intercultural studies and culture (literature and film, etc). I chose the courses because I love languages, and thought it'd be cool to take this course rather than just a plain ol' arts degree with two languages, but it can be really tough, especially if you're not really into all that. The translation strand is also difficult, as it gets quite intensively into linguistics and terminology, and a lot of it can seem kindof pointless.

Sorry for the negative note, it's just that I wish somebody had told me all this before I started, so I'd be either better prepared or in a different course! But yeah, the hours are great, the lecturers are sound and parts are definitely interesting...and I'm jetting off to Spain next year for 3rd year so I can't really complain!

If you've any more questions, or even if you'd like to see some notes or assignments to get a feel for the course, ask away.

Not negative at all man, really good info! I would have like to know as well before deciding on anything . I do be a little nervous regarding the Intermediate level at first because a) I never did a higher level of German (but I did really well in Ordinary Level) & b) I haven't touched on German in recent times. So basically getting the info now I can plan my next year and a bit for preparation & study (since im studying in 2012 as opposed to this year) so thats why I was asking regarding the first semester.

So generally you are saying that going for either the Intercultural or the Translation route is difficult? I wouldn't particularly mind, was going to focus on the Translation anyway as that was the area involved I would like to get into. About the Intercultural studies area though - Do you specialise in the Intercultural aspects of your chosen Language(s) or is it very general? (as in the cirriculum would be the same for any of the Language paths?)

Cheers

RyDar

plein de force wrote: »

Raydar, thanks for all that info as i also have this course on my cao.
one question if you will oblige me
have past graduates with this degree been well received by employers as translators? as working with just languages would be a dream!

Graduates from ALIS have so many potential career choices, such as translator (movies,films,games,documents,websites etc.), interpreters, teachers, researchers, foreign relations consultants, translation consultants, the list goes on!
You can also go on to do a masters in translation, with the average wage of people that have completed the masters being 76,000 euro per year!

Michael Cravez wrote: »

Excellent Information there Ryan! Made me a little more inclined to take more serious thought into the course. Just wanted to ask regarding the Intermediate/Advanced language choices; how does the start of the Year 1 Semester generally work? Do they ease student's back into learning the advanced language or is it heavy learning stuff from the get go? I would be taking the Japanese(Ab Initio)/German(Advanced) route but my German is a little rusty, granted I will be taking classes before the course commencement for refreshment and getting my level up, I would still be a little nervous regarding the first few weeks.

Thanks Ryan

Hey Michael,
If you feel that you can catch up in German to at least a b3 level (c3 being the actual requirement, but b3 or b2 being the realistic requirement) or at least think that you could pass german in 1st year (you can then drop the language in 2nd year if you want),then by all means go for it.
If you don't think that's possible then maybe you should consider studying business and a language.
However studying business an a language will most definitely help you achieve a near-native level in the language you want to learn, it will not qualify
you as a translator.
If translation is what you really want to do, then follow your heart!


If anybody needs any more information please keep it on the thread instead of pm'ing me so it's visible to others who might be searching for the same answer.
Cheers,
Ryan,
ALIS 1 Class Rep

RebeccaWatCom

Hi!
ive applied for that exact same course, except for Spanish and Italian......
I did a two-year course in Applied Languages before, and we were sent abroad for a semester (that's the best part!). I'm 26 now so really hoping to get degree this time, too.....

tradhead

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Yep, I'm afraid both are difficult but of course that's to be expected with any degree, sure they wouldn't be worth doing otherwise! For Intercultural Studies, it's very general, at least so far. As for worrying about your level of German, I really wouldn't- you sound like you're willing to put the work in so it'll be no bother to you!

I'm in 2nd Year and the Intercultural lectures are The Making of Contemporary Europe and Representations of Alterity. You also have Global Cultures, regardless of which strand you're following. So yeah, it doesn't matter which language you're following, apart from your Culture and Society/Literature and Film lecture which will be in one or both of your chosen languages, and again you do this regardless of your choice of strand.

I hope that's not too confusing!

@RebeccaWatCom, I could be wrong but I'm nearly sure you can't do Italian with ALIS??

RebeccaWatCom

Ah well, I'll go for French then, in that case. As long as I can do Spanish I'm happy

Nagikami

RyDar wrote: »

You can't study 2 ab initio languages unfortunately such as a combination of Chinese and Japanese, that are only offered at ab initio level.

So you can't do Chinese and Japanese together even if you've studied Japanese at LC level?

Cravez

Nagikami wrote: »

So you can't do Chinese and Japanese together even if you've studied Japanese at LC level?

AFAIK even if you already had a post beginner or Intermediate level of Japanese before commencing the course, the course curriculum won't change as they only offer the language at ab-initio. Chinese is also only offerred at ab-initio and by education standards, studying two ab-initio subjects is quite a big workload to undertake, particularly for two heavy written languages such as Japanese and Chinese.

The comment above is for generally anyone, not to say that you would find it difficult but not everyone would be entering the course with a post-LC level of Japanese. It would probably be an advantage to you though as you would find the first year coursework alot easier than most others, having already studied the language.

The languages (Japanese & Chinese) are quite relatively new subjects in both secondary and third level education. Probably the demand for having Intermediate level for third level education hasn't reached that stage yet but may in the future. All I know regarding the course is that if you choose either Japanese or Chinese you have to take French,Spanish,German or Irish as an Intermediate level language.

Nagikami

Aww French it is then

alexjk

It may well be worth contacting the chairperson of the course (Angela Leahy) and explaining your circumstances to see if you can take both languages, if that's what you really want to do. I would say that nothing's set in stone and if you have Leaving Cert standard Japanese already, they may let you as some people take intermediate French, German, Spanish etc from the beginning of the course.

Nagikami

alexjk wrote: »

It may well be worth contacting the chairperson of the course (Angela Leahy) and explaining your circumstances to see if you can take both languages, if that's what you really want to do. I would say that nothing's set in stone and if you have Leaving Cert standard Japanese already, they may let you as some people take intermediate French, German, Spanish etc from the beginning of the course.

That's a good idea Thanks for that. I'm still kinda in 2 minds as to which second language to do. I definitely want to do Japanese and I think Chinese would be a good challenge but I'm also pretty good at French and okay at German so it's a tough choice

RyDar

Sorry for not getting back to you in a while guys T_T

alexjk wrote: »

It may well be worth contacting the chairperson of the course (Angela Leahy) and explaining your circumstances to see if you can take both languages, if that's what you really want to do. I would say that nothing's set in stone and if you have Leaving Cert standard Japanese already, they may let you as some people take intermediate French, German, Spanish etc from the beginning of the course.

Sorry Alex, but that isn't going to happen within SALIS,
as class rep for 2010 I've been to the programme board meetings and am currently a voting member on the committee.
No matter what level you have of Japanese you will have to study it from Ab Initio level and will most definitely not be allowed to take 2 Ab Initio languages under any cirumstance.

@ nagikami,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but studying Japanese and CHinese together in ALIS is impossible as both languages are only offered from Ab Initio level T^T

Nagikami

RyDar wrote: »

@ nagikami,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but studying Japanese and CHinese together in ALIS is impossible as both languages are only offered from Ab Initio level T^T

Ah well I'll just have to do French with Japanese I suppose By any chance do you know of any Chinese language courses in Dublin?

RyDar

Nagikami wrote: »

Ah well I'll just have to do French with Japanese I suppose By any chance do you know of any Chinese language courses in Dublin?

I'm currently studying French and Japanese, it's by far the most popular combination in ALIS!
The Confucius Institute in (dare I say it?) UCD do Mandarin classes if you are intent on doing both Japanese and Chinese ^_^

Nagikami

Yay Thanks for that Mandarin, here I come (hopefully)

RyDar wrote: »

I'm currently studying French and Japanese, it's by far the most popular combination in ALIS!

Lots of lovely people to speak Frapanese with, then =D

RyDar

Nagikami wrote: »

Yay Thanks for that Mandarin, here I come (hopefully)

Lots of lovely people to speak Frapanese with, then =D

definitely join Japanese society, it will do wonders for your Japanese and you will make the best friends you've ever had. My name's Ryan and I'm one of the snior committee members for Japanese society in the next year, so if you give me s hout and introduce yourslef next year I'll be sure to introduce you to the peeps at j-soc!
Pretty much all of the Irish members bar a few study both French and Japanese, but it's a very welcoming society, my twin brother has joined and he studies German and Spanish, not a word of Japanese! But he's learning very VERY quickly!

Nagikami

RyDar wrote: »

definitely join Japanese society, it will do wonders for your Japanese and you will make the best friends you've ever had. My name's Ryan and I'm one of the senior committee members for Japanese society in the next year, so if you give me shout and introduce yourself next year I'll be sure to introduce you to the peeps at j-soc!

That sounds awesome Is it just people learning japanese in the society or is there fluent japanese people too?

Cardor

Hey, I was Just wondering is there any grinds or societies that help with the language you take at intermediate level.

I'm hoping to do German(Intermediate) and Spanish(Ab Initio). But i'm worrying my german isn't up to scratch. I was considering doing a course at the Goethe institute during my first year just to make sure i'm at a decent level. I'd rather join a german society though, if there is one!

Any Ideas?

alexjk

There's a language exchange in the Ilac library that's free to the best of my knowledge http://www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/libraries/Library%20Services/learning_with_your_library/Pages/conversation_exchange.aspx

I know people who have gone and say it's great for practicing the spoken language. As well as that, for your written German, maybe you could join a German forum?

RyDar

Hey Cardor,
AFAIK there's just Japanese society and intercultural society.

@nagikami
there's Japanese exchange students as well as Irishs tudents learning Japanese, but you don't have to be studying Japanese to join and have fun, some people there have learned quite conversant Japanese just through Japanese society!