Language Skills for Postgraduate Study - Getting More From Your Degree

If you can speak a second language (or more), you’ll likely be accustomed to using it in different contexts.

But how might knowing a second language benefit your postgraduate studies, your university’s community at large, and your future career?

Well, in plenty of ways, actually!

In fact, the possibilities are impressive and diverse: from unlocking extra potential within your course to enhancing your CV.

But we have come up with a few suggestions as to how you might make the most of a second language when undertaking postgraduate study.

Knowing a second language can be a huge advantage when it comes to undertaking training or studying abroad.

One main factor is that many host institutions require you to have a certain level of fluency in their country’s native language before you can study there.

Having a second language under your belt therefore puts you ahead of the game if you opt for a placement (or course) which you are already fluent enough for.

You might also be able to avoid having to undertake a language test for your foreign Masters or PhD, if you can prove that you have been fluent for some time.

This may be a result of having previously studied abroad in the host country, or being bilingual as a result of your lineage.

Partaking in research, particularly in the form of collaborations, is an integral part of postgraduate study. After all, even a taught Masters includes a dissertation.

So how will knowing a second language come to benefit you?

Most obviously, you’ll be able to speak to a larger number of people –handy if fellow students don’t speak your language.

You’ll also find it easier to take your work further afield – perhaps by participating in global conferences or taking part in wider academic networks and associations. This can be important even if you aren’t studying abroad.

However, your ability to speak more than one language could have less obvious benefits too. Research suggests that bilingual people are better at communicating ideas, as well as being more diplomatic and open to new perceptions.

Research backs this up.

According to Multilingual Living, bilinguals are also better at managing ‘the comparison, contrast, and understanding of cultural concepts’. In other words, they have a better sense of cultural awareness.

This is extremely important in the context of international collaboration, where perceptions of academic innovation may vary from culture to culture.

So, when working on projects with researchers from across the globe, you’ll be better placed to form mutual, beneficial alliances – and therefore the potential for more productive research.

Perhaps you aren’t planning on studying abroad yourself, but could you help others do so?

International students at your university will have a certain level of fluency in the local language, but they may not be completely fluent – or able to make sense of issues like dialect.

If you can speak the language of incoming students and feel capable of tutoring them through their first few weeks, then why not get involved in a mentoring scheme?

International students will definitely feel more comfortable and able to familiarise themselves with their surroundings if they can first get to know a student in their native tongue.

In turn, you can encourage them to pick up more of the local language and help them settle in their studies more easily.

This kind of mentoring is an excellent way of adding to your CV by providing examples of your skills and experience in action.

Using your language skills to enhance your degree (or help other students) is great. But could you also employ them more literally?

Paid language teaching or tutoring could help you supplement your income or gain valuable work experience as a postgraduate.

If your institution offers language classes, see if there are vacancies for staff and support workers.

Alternatively, why not consider working privately as a mentor for university students, or other language learners in your local area?

Teaching isn’t just about traditional ‘one-to-one’ training. It can open up a whole realm of other opportunities too.

These range from undertaking paid or voluntary placements, to teaching in more informal contexts (such as through a student society).

These activities all offer more ways to gain experience for your CV, as well as benefitting other students.

Some forms of ‘teaching’ might even offer the opportunity to learn yet another language.

Many universities offer buddying schemes whereby students can meet in pairs in their own time, each teaching the other their own language. So you could potentially gain experience in several languages if you tutor several students!

In most cases, knowing a second language won’t automatically make your Masters or PhD easier. (Unless you’re studying Modern Languages or Linguistics, perhaps).

In most cases, knowing a second language won’t automatically make your Masters or PhD easier. (Unless you’re studying Modern Languages or Linguistics, perhaps).

But there are other, more surprising, ways in which being bilingual can actually make you better at postgraduate study.

Research indicates that bilinguals do not only increase comprehension of the given language they learn, but any other subject they learn as well.

This is because language-learning improves your retention, resulting in sharper memory and improved ‘cognitive conflict resolution’.

In other words, you will improve your mental dexterity. This enables you to decipher meaning more precisely and become more focused – therefore improving your learning capabilities.

You will also acquire a sensitivity to your mother tongue, providing you with a much larger vocabulary and improved comprehension of it.

(And we all know that feeling of having to resort to a thesaurus from time to time when writing up essays and reports).

However, these benefits are only fully realised if you use your second language regularly.

If you don’t have time for extracurricular activities, why not try using a language app such as Duolingo? Software like this can really keep you on your toes and help you track your language abilities.

So, we’ve discussed how language skills can help you during a postgraduate degree – even if you aren’t studying abroad. But what about afterwards?

It probably goes without saying that knowing other languages will help you to work abroad and access foreign job markets.

However, knowing a second language could also give you that distinct edge in your home country.

This is especially true if you know a language which is highly sought after in various industries, such as Arabic, Chinese or Japanese.

This is because companies are always looking to globalise. So if you can speak the language of a business’s desired clients, you’re in for a sure-fire win.

The Economist also estimated that graduates with a second language could benefit from an extra $128,000 (£102,600) - if incorporated into their career over a 50-year period.

That could lead to a retty impressive pension!