{"id":1184,"date":"2024-02-26T16:35:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T16:35:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/?p=1184"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:00:28","slug":"how-to-liven-up-your-degree-with-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2024\/02\/26\/how-to-liven-up-your-degree-with-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"How to liven up your degree with languages?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>After learning Japanese and French with the Skills Centre, final year MChem student Hannah Glover decided to carry on with German to liven up her degree even further. Find out how Hannah manages it all.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>As I progress through my fourth and final year at the university, the talk amongst my friends has turned determinedly to projects, job interviews, and PhD applications. But, as someone who\u2019s always enjoyed language learning alongside my degree, I decided to add one more thing to my to-do list this year \u2013 dredging up my A-level German from the depths of my frontal cortex.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How did it all start?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I studied German and French at A-Level, then developed a semi-healthy fixation with Duolingo Japanese during lockdown. This led me to sign up for a Japanese class in my first year.<\/p>\n<p>In my third year, I picked up French again by participating in the Upper Intermediate class and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/guides\/french-english-virtual-language-exchange\/\">Virtual Language Exchange<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The combination of chemistry and foreign languages is more complementary than you might think. Not only is it nice to use your brain in different ways, but the reasoning skills and memorisation techniques I've developed while learning different languages are invaluable.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Deciding to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/professional-services\/foreign-languages\/\">learn languages with the Skills Centre<\/a> was one of the best decisions I\u2019ve made during my studies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><strong>Keeping up with languages<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>German has been a language close to my heart for over a decade, and I\u2019m enjoying the nostalgia of delving back into the land of my favourite composers, Bach and Beethoven.<\/p>\n<p>The Advanced German class is perfect for students with proficiency at around B1\/B2 level. The small class size means that we have ample opportunity to contribute during class and obtain detailed feedback for each assignment we complete.<\/p>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t have been able to make such progress with my language learning without the Skill Centre\u2019s support.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Language proficiency qualifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Aiming for an internationally recognised certificate is a worthwhile goal.<\/p>\n<p>The Skills Centre has recently launched new schemes to prepare students for the Goethe-Zertifikat (German) and the DELF examination (French). Both are based on the levels defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are recognised worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>This year, some of my classmates and I will be trialling the scheme by taking the German B1 exam, so watch this space!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Language Caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While the newly launched exams are exciting, language learning at Bath is much more than just qualifications. The Skills Centre, together with the Students\u2019 Union, organise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/campaigns\/language-cafe\/\">Language Caf\u00e9s<\/a> throughout the year, where students and staff can practise languages without the time commitment of weekly lessons. Plus, crucially, attendees can enjoy free tea, coffee, and biscuits.<\/p>\n<p>At one of the most recent caf\u00e9s, I was asked to facilitate the French table. Our theme was \u2018getting to know one another\u2019, and my group at the Beginner Table made their introductions, discussed how their studies were going, and how they spend their free time.<\/p>\n<p>My experience as a Peer Assisted Learning Leader for my Chemistry course has taught me that it\u2019s never a bad idea to incorporate something a bit \u2018out there\u2019 into learning sessions. Hence, the unsuspecting beginner French learners at my table were treated to the surprising joy of Hook-a-Duck. Each number written on the rubber ducks corresponded to a subtopic for us to discuss, but the relaxed atmosphere also allowed us plenty of freedom for the conversation to wander.<\/p>\n<p>The session was lovely from start to finish, and I really enjoyed the easy conversation and sharing of tips and recommendations.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Looking ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I can hardly believe my time remaining at university is now measured only in months.<\/p>\n<p>Despite my initial concerns that choosing a STEM degree would impact my ability to continue studying languages, the support I received from the Skills Centre has meant that I\u2019m finishing my degree with good prospects for interviewing with global companies, and a lovely group of international friends that I\u2019m looking forward to visiting in the summer.<\/p>\n<p>Now, what language should I learn next ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After learning Japanese and French with the Skills Centre, final year MChem student Hannah Glover decided to carry on with German to liven up her degree even further. Find out how Hannah manages it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1776,"featured_media":1189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[63,59,175,103],"tags":[332,339,338],"class_list":["post-1184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employability","category-foreign-languages","category-intercultural-competency","category-student-skills-ambassador","tag-language-cafe","tag-language-learning","tag-language-proficiency-qualifications"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/02\/Language-Cafe.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1001,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/04\/18\/my-language-learning-journey-at-bath\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":0},"title":"My language-learning journey at Bath","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"April 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Third year MChem student Hannah Glover shares her experience of learning Japanese and French alongside her degree and taking part in a virtual language exchange. \u00a0 I started my first year at the University of Bath back in 2020 \u2013 the year of the pandemic. Having had my A-level exams\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"University of Bath student Hannah Glover (left), with her French exchange partner from ENS de Lyon during a bilingual virtual exchange meet-up on Zoom.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/VE-HG.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/VE-HG.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/VE-HG.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/VE-HG.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":692,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/09\/15\/how-learning-japanese-got-me-jet-set-for-tokyo\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":1},"title":"How learning Japanese got me JET-set for Tokyo","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"September 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Guest blogger Hannah Halman, who recently graduated from the University of Bath with a BA in Spanish and Politics, explains how learning Japanese with the Skills Centre helped prepare her for a teaching position in Tokyo through the JET Programme. As a languages student, I greatly enjoy the feeling that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A busy street scene in central Tokyo with lots of people walking across a zebra crossing.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/09\/japan-tokyo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/09\/japan-tokyo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/09\/japan-tokyo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/09\/japan-tokyo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1524,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/04\/08\/accelerate-your-language-skills-this-summer\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":2},"title":"Accelerate your language skills this summer","author":"Kyra Ings","date":"April 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Open to all students and staff, our new Global Language Summer School is offering short-term intensive courses in Spanish, German, French, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Spread over just 2, 5 or 10 days, these courses are a perfect opportunity to unlock a new skillset and broaden your language horizon. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Communication&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Communication","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/03\/Global-Language-Summer-School-image.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1870,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2026\/06\/08\/boosting-employability-through-languages-bath-students-celebrate-german-exam-success-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":3},"title":"Boosting employability through languages: Bath students celebrate German exam success","author":"Carmen Schembri Wismayer","date":"June 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Congratulations to our students and staff! Learners from across the University of Bath and the local community have recently achieved fantastic results in the Goethe-Zertifikat A1\u2013B2 German exams \u2014 internationally recognised qualifications that enhance global employability and academic opportunities. A total of 30 university students from a variety of disciplines\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Capabilities Framework&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Capabilities Framework","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/capabilities-framework\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An icon indicating communication skills","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/06\/Communication.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/06\/Communication.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/06\/Communication.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2026\/06\/Communication.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":544,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/02\/16\/happy-international-mother-language-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":4},"title":"Happy International Mother Language Day!","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"February 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"21 February is International Mother Language Day, a day observed annually since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The theme of this year's event is 'Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society.' To mark International Mother Language Day 2021, some of the Skills Centre's teaching staff\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"International Mother Language Day - 21 February","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2021\/02\/IMLD.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":889,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2022\/09\/26\/develop-your-language-skills-with-pressreader\/","url_meta":{"origin":1184,"position":5},"title":"Develop your language skills with PressReader","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"September 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"To mark European Day of Languages on 26 September, our German, Spanish and French teachers each recommend a magazine you can access on PressReader to develop your language skills. The University of Bath's PressReader subscription gives students unlimited free access to more than 7,000 of the world\u2019s top newspapers and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Front covers of Deutsch Perfekt, Muy interesante and Le Figaro Magazine","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/09\/pressreader.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/09\/pressreader.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/09\/pressreader.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2022\/09\/pressreader.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1776"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}