Sophie Coombs, Bachelor of Arts graduate and recipient of the prestigious ‘Sélection Internationale of the École Normale Supérieure’ (ENS) scholarship, has experienced first-hand just how far – in her case, also geographically – Honours in Languages can take you.
“The honours year was such a gift…it will set you apart for whatever job you want to go into or if you want to pursue further study.”
As a self-proclaimed languages nerd, Sophie chose UQ for the diversity of languages on offer. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she studied French, Spanish, and Russian. A French cinema course inspired her to further pursue French and film studies in an honours year.
“There's so much value that can be gained from understanding somebody in their own language,” she said.
“You might not be able to express yourself 100 per cent the same way you would in English. It's all about developing that kind of ability to cope with uncertainty, which I think is a great skill in and of itself.”
“Learning a language is about opening doors.”
“It might not be like the main thing that you do, but it will definitely take you somewhere else or give you opportunities that you wouldn't have had otherwise.”
For Sophie, it took her to Paris, where she further explored film and narratives, and graduated with a Masters degree from ENS. She credits her honours year as providing the important foundation for further research.
“The French department [at UQ] and all of the other departments really have a wealth of expertise, so you can do an honours year in any topic you want. You can do literature, cultural studies, gender studies, film, translation, all of these different kinds of topics.”
Sophie identifies how this year honed her skills in critical thinking, writing, academic research, and interpersonal and intercultural skills.
“All of those skills are really important if you want to do something research focused, or even just in general.
“The point of doing a BA isn’t for a specific job, it’s skills to do all sorts of things later and be flexible.”
“Honestly, honours can kind of take you anywhere.”
That next step for Sophie is set in France, where she will be continuing her research, now as a PhD candidate, while teaching other passionate film students.
For anyone considering studying an Honours in Languages, “you have nothing to lose,” Sophie said. “There is just a lovely community here, especially for people who are interested in languages and other cultures.”
“It's always an interesting experience and you can really make it your own.”
If you're interested in exploring the Bachelor of Arts Honours and how it matches your research interests please click below:
