This is for students and staff who don’t speak foreign languages.
Posted: June 9, 2015 Filed under: Careers, Modern Languages | Tags: Business, Careers, employability, Global Graduates, GlobalGraduates.com, Language Show, Languages, Non-linguists 2 Comments
I went to the Languages and Employability conference at Regents University on Friday – on your behalf – to hear all about the importance of graduates having ‘global skills’. I say ‘on your behalf’ because I know about this topic already. Read the rest of this entry »
We need to promote UK language graduates to employers!
Posted: May 9, 2014 Filed under: Careers, Modern Languages, Year Abroad | Tags: Careers, employability, Graduates, Languages, Year Abroad Leave a comment
The number of students studying languages in the UK is at a record low, but thankfully, while the outlook is not bright, there has always been a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether or not you believe the excuses bandied about, ranging from English being the global language and exams being too difficult, to advancements in technology rendering bilingualism more a novelty than a required skill, the business case for language learning is undeniable. Read the rest of this entry »
Graduates are finding jobs abroad? Good for them!
Posted: November 27, 2012 Filed under: Careers | Tags: Brain Drain, Careers, Graduate Mobility, Graduates, Year Abroad Leave a comment
Today my first ever national press article has been published in the Telegraph! This is a very exciting day.
I was asked to write an opinion piece as a response to the news that since the recession began there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number of British graduates who find their first job abroad. It struck me that the figure of 1,000 more graduates working abroad after they graduate is the same as the annual increase in the number of students studying abroad during their degree course.
Check out my article and let me know what you think!
Languages and entrepreneurship: A guide for students
Posted: November 27, 2012 Filed under: Entrepreneurship | Tags: Careers, Entrepreneurship, Languages, Startup Leave a comment
Having started a business based on my year abroad experiences, I was recently asked to write a report for the Higher Education Academy entitled ‘Languages and Entrepreneurship: A Guide for Students’. The aim is to inspire students who have had some international experience to start businesses, as they are in a unique position to spot gaps in the market! Here is a bit of background about the report, and also some resources from the launch event at the Royal Society on Wednesday 21st November. Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing your career based on your dream lifestyle
Posted: November 7, 2012 Filed under: Careers | Tags: A Levels, Careers, Entrepreneurship Leave a comment
When I was at school, my career options were simply the jobs I’d heard of (Lawyer, Insurance Broker, Teacher, Forensic Scientist) or anything that our Careers Adviser thought was particularly relevant to me, based on my A Level choices. Her advice worked along the lines of: Read the rest of this entry »
Interview with Lizzie Fane
Posted: March 13, 2012 Filed under: Modern Languages, Year Abroad | Tags: Careers, Erasmus, Languages, ThirdYearAbroad.com, TYAGP, Year Abroad 1 Comment
I was recently asked to answer a few questions for a short article by Emily Dring for Spilt Inc., and found myself writing quite a lot more than I expected! I thought I should post my full answers in case anyone is interested…
1. What inspired you to start TYA and what spurs you on to this day?
I started ThirdYearAbroad.com because I really needed it on my year abroad! I was alone in Florence and didn’t know where or how to matriculate at the university, how to get a tax code, where to find accommodation… and all in pretty hopeless Italian! I didn’t know anyone in the city at all, but I needed advice and help from someone who had been through it all already and could pass on the benefit of their experience. Read the rest of this entry »
The importance of a Modern Language degree
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Modern Languages | Tags: Careers, Languages 2 Comments
I’m the first to admit that I don’t really use my Italian language skills in my job. I’d love to – but I don’t. However, that’s not to say I don’t use what I learnt during my Italian degree every day. My year abroad in Italy and understanding of the language introduced me not only to Italian food, art and culture but to a relaxed, happy approach to life (in the sense that if you enjoy what you do each day, you will get a huge amount out of it) and effectively a new way of thinking, all of which has changed me for the better and is thanks to my language degree.
It’s not that I wish I were Italian and living in Italy (tho’…it’d be nice!), it’s that since I am English and have had the opportunity to be Italian for a year, I now understand and love both approaches to life and can mix the two together – i.e. to really enjoy everything I do and to make money from it – a.k.a. turning my hobbies into my career! Read the rest of this entry »
The solution to the decline in the study of Modern Languages
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Modern Languages | Tags: Careers, Erasmus, Languages, Year Abroad Leave a comment
As yet another BBC news item about the decline in the study of Modern Languages in the UK emerges, I thought I should write a post to explain my opinion on why this is and also to propose a solution.
I think there are two reasons that students choose non-language courses at university – one is quite obvious, but the other is never mentioned in the press (despite its importance) and TYA can help.The first reason is that the majority of students think (perhaps rightly) that they can get by anywhere in the world with their English language skills and a healthy dose of gesticulation, so why on earth would they take out a hefty loan to learn another language instead of studying a ‘useful’ subject like European Business or Law? As die-hard language enthusiasts, we obviously have a whole list of the benefits of learning languages which I won’t go into here, but I think it comes down to the fact that amazing range of jobs which require language skills are not promoted well enough. No, you aren’t necessarily destined for a career as a teacher/translator/interpretor! We know jet-setting auctioneers, video game manufacturers, high-flying international entrepreneurs, journalists and news broadcasters, all who have got to where they are today because of their language skills. Read the rest of this entry »
Dispelling the common Modern Language degree myths
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Modern Languages, Year Abroad | Tags: Careers, Languages, Year Abroad Leave a comment
The time has come for me to dispel the seven most common Modern Language degree myths. Here goes…
1. “The year abroad is just for language students”
It isn’t! An increasing number of universities are offering the year abroad to students of other disciplines, from Engineering and History to Law and Medicine. Check with your tutor to see if you are eligible for a year abroad, and keep working hard as your grades are play an important role in deciding where you can go.
2. “Spending a year abroad will be really expensive”
Not necessarily. If you choose your destination carefully, it is possible to come home with more money than when you left! Just think: if you study abroad for a year on an Erasmus exchange then you don’t have to pay tuition fees, you will receive a monthly Erasmus grant of €235 (2010-11), you can apply for a travel grant, and you can earn money by taking up a part-time job (interpreting, journalism, bar work, babysitting…). Read the rest of this entry »
Lizzie Fane 