In the future I want to become a Broadcast Journalist and I know that the best way to do this is to do a Postgraduate course, which I am hoping to do. This would allow me to study Modern Languages at Undergraduate level, as I enjoy learning foreign languages, and also believe they could be useful to me in the future.
I thought I would ask here which would be the best to study to pursue a career in journalism, as I have had very conflicting advice from other people. I wish to continue my study of French and Spanish, but a course I am interested in offers the chance to study three languages, the other options being Italian, Russian and German. Which of these, in your opinion, is the most relevant?
I am not in the Media Industry, but rather the oil business. I have found in recent years that the Russian language is incredibly useful, given that the sheer vastness of emerging FSU states means that there is still quite a lot of it untapped and unexplored, and as these states slowly and one by one continue to rise from their knees to their feet, the FSU is going to become increasingly "newsworthy", if you know what I mean. So, I would personally suggest that Russian is a good choice. There are more Russian speakers in the world than any of the other two languages that you mentioned, entirely due to the sizes of the populations and landmasses that these countries occupy.
By the way, I can't speak Russian!!! Luckily I have several colleagues who do, and that's how I get by.
Just my personal opinion. Good luck with your studies and ambitions.
I'm currently doing German and Russian at University, with year four studying in those countries for six months each. Then I will be doing a post-grad in Broadcast journalism.
I am not in the Media Industry, but rather the oil business. I have found in recent years that the Russian language is incredibly useful, given that the sheer vastness of emerging FSU states means that there is still quite a lot of it untapped and unexplored, and as these states slowly and one by one continue to rise from their knees to their feet, the FSU is going to become increasingly "newsworthy", if you know what I mean. So, I would personally suggest that Russian is a good choice. There are more Russian speakers in the world than any of the other two languages that you mentioned, entirely due to the sizes of the populations and landmasses that these countries occupy.
By the way, I can't speak Russian!!! Luckily I have several colleagues who do, and that's how I get by.
Just my personal opinion. Good luck with your studies and ambitions.
James
Out of interest, which oil company do you work for, BBC World?
I am studying a BA Journalism degree, I´m currenlt on the broadcast pathway in my second year, and my university sends students abroad for 4-5 months to study a language and to get a feel of journalism in other countries abroad. I´m actually typing this message in Spain, Malaga. With broadcast journalism being so competative, I think it´s important to have another language.
I was thinking of doing Russian as I like the idea of learning a language that is completely different to English, French and Spanish but thought with Germany and Italy being closer to France and Spain it would make sense to choose them, or do you think that this would make little difference?
Personally, I would put Mandarin Chinese and Arabic above all other languages, and suggest that if you're thinking of taking a language that you look for a university with those two on offer.
In 20, even 10 years time China is going to be an absolutely colossal power, and the Middle East situation isn't going away.
I am a proficient French-speaker, and frankly find it absolutely useless in most situations.
I'm currently doing a Broadcast Journalism postgrad and can't recommend it highly enough. There's an enormous amount of the courses out there, though, so make sure you pick a good one when you get to that stage.
My degree is in French which, I have to admit, hasn't been a lot of use to me so far (in my career, in any case), and isn't likely to be for a while - as I'm planning on spending a good few years in local radio in the UK.
Some employers value foreign languages very highly - Reuters being the one that springs most obviously to mind. Other really don't - many bilingual journalists have been passed over for foreign correspondent posts in favour of reporters who don't speak a word of the lingo!
I am starting a BA (Hons) Journalism in September this year, and I plan to go on and do a postgrad in Broadcast Journalism. I had never really thought about studying a language for undergrad, and then do BJ for a postgrad. But I hope what I have chosen will be useful, the course itself actually involves studying a language, so it might be best to do a Journalism course which includes a language.
Personally, I would put Mandarin Chinese and Arabic above all other languages, and suggest that if you're thinking of taking a language that you look for a university with those two on offer.
In 20, even 10 years time China is going to be an absolutely colossal power, and the Middle East situation isn't going away.
I've heard this too - I'd suggest Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic and Japanese.
Arabic, although of course oral arabic varies widely from country to country which doesn't make your life simpler! But the classical Arabic that TV news uses. There was a great article on this by the late Edward Said. It may be on the web. Sorry I don't have the link. Good luck.
Learning office politics is a good idea too btw!