I wouldn’t change my degree combination for anything, and so I thought it would be a good idea to share the top four reasons why studying three languages has been the best choice for me (and quite possibly for you too!)

1. The joy of experiencing a whole new language and culture

Ok, maybe this sounds like something you’d read on a tourist brochure advertising some ridiculously overpriced package holiday. However, it really can’t be understated just how much fun it is to suddenly go from just hearing foreign music, foreign TV, foreign radio, or someone talking in front of you on the bus, to actually understanding quite a lot. The joy of being able to open a newspaper (or the online version on your phone) in a completely new language and be able to get an insight into what’s happening in that country. And the joy of just experiencing a whole new language system, a new phonetic system, and the joy of discovering new idioms, a new style!

2. More diversity with work (*cough*, and less extended essays)

Studying three languages at Warwick means you study three language modules and one or two culture modules a year. In my degree I have about 11 seminars a week. While this sounds like a lot compared with other degrees, and especially a degree where you just study one language, I also have far fewer lectures (about 2 hours a week normally) than in other subjects. Importantly, I really prefer having so many seminars, as constantly alternating between oral, writing, grammar, and translation classes mean I don’t get the chance to get bored as I’m always practising so many different skills. Plus, doing just one culture module means I don’t have to write that many long culture essays in English. If you love writing extended essays about film/literature/history etc., then doing more culture modules would suit you better, but if not, three languages could be a great option!

3. Maximise on transferable skills from previous languages

Anyone who has taken both French and Spanish for A-level will know that a lot of the topics/grammar/vocabulary you learn in one language can be easily applied to the other, and the benefits are just amplified when taking a third language at university! Italian especially is a very similar language to French and Spanish, and having previous knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary in these languages has helped me to pick up Italian much quicker. Moreover, it has been great to already have ideas on how to integrate more complex language into the writing tasks for each topic, as my topics in first year Italian resemble French/Spanish GCSE topics quite a lot.

4. More travel/ job opportunities

During and beyond the Year Abroad, being able to speak three foreign languages widens the range of countries in which you can study or work. Plus, having the knowledge of an extra language on your CV can be like the cherry on the cake to employers in multiple business fields, providing the extra reason to hire you over another candidate.

However, it is important for me to highlight that studying three languages might not work for everyone. For example, if you have only studied one language before, getting your head around several different grammar rules for two ab-initio languages simultaneously might be quite challenging and possibly too confusing. Also, depending on your specific language combination, the work may not be as easily transferable. For example, French, Spanish and Italian are all Romance languages and therefore a more mutually similar combination than say, German, Japanese, and Italian. But don’t forget that general strategies for learning grammar/ vocabulary etc. acquired from your previous language(s) are still very useful when learning any second/third language!

So, the upshot is to find the course combination that you think is most suitable for you, and choose what you think you’ll enjoy! Because when you’re motivated, you can do what you set your mind to, so don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t!