When arriving in Sheffield last September I faced a problem. After learning Japanese for 2 years in Manchester I was keen to continue lessons, but my course in Animal and Plant Sciences had no free credits to use for this. Luckily, the school of East Asian Studies was very accommodating and let me enroll in a Japanese course as an extra-curricular module. In my first class (which was also my first ever lecture in Sheffield), I was immediately hit by the
wide range of studies that my classmates came from. These ranged from full Japanese Studies degrees to optional credits, and even non-credited students like myself! Learning in this environment was a great way to settle into life in a new city, and everyone was especially glad to meet new people after learning virtually throughout the pandemic.
For me, the biggest incentive to study a language in Sheffield was the wide range of languages offered by the ‘Languages for All’ scheme. Traditionally UK schools offer a limited range of languages, and for many students this means grappling with a language they have little interest in learning. After only 30 months of Japanese classes, I have already surpassed the level of French I reached after 12 years of learning in school. This shows that it’s never too late to pick up a language, especially as most people will have a better idea of what they want to learn when they are older. Courses are offered from a beginner level for many languages, so no prior experience is needed before enrolling. The support I received whilst studying Japanese was exactly the same as that given to the BA Japanese Studies students, and I was even given a free textbook early in the course which I got to keep when teaching ended. A placement test was provided before enrolling on the course, and this reduced the feeling of being thrown into an unfamiliar course in a ‘sink or swim’ environment.
In summary, I would highly recommend anyone with optional credits to look further than their department if none of the modules offered there are catching their eye. You will likely learn skills that are beyond the scope of your degree, and will definitely make many new friends along the way!