Languages Connect Prize: Best Undergraduate Degree Performance in a Language 2022-23
Congratulations to our four SLCL students who have been awarded the Languages Connect prize for the best student performance in their final undergraduate language modules of French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Orla Coffey (French)
My name is Orla Coffey. I have just completed the BA in Modern Languages in UCD. I studied French and German, and Irish alongside as my elective. I love learning languages as it is fun: it opens up a whole new world to you, new cultures, new insights, new people, a new way of thinking, new idiomatic expressions which English doesn’t have, the list goes on…. I love how being able to speak the language means you get the real authentic experience of a culture and country, not just the tourist experience. I hope to work in the EU or perhaps the Department of Foreign Affairs with my languages. I am looking forward to the opportunities that the future will bring.
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Alex Brown (German)
I started learning German in my first year of college in 2018. Having studied French for the Leaving Cert, I wanted to try something new and I am so glad I did. Learning German has led to so many amazing experiences, from working as an Au Pair in Frankfurt to spending my Erasmus year in Mannheim and completing a summer internship in Berlin. Speaking German has opened so many doors, introduced me to so many amazing people and has been much more than just an academic achievement. Living in a foreign country in which you are not a native speaker challenges you to adopt a sense of humility, an openness to learning and a readiness to question your own perspective on the world — challenges which we, as English-speakers, are in my opinion not presented with enough. I find it hard now to imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t speak German, as it has become such an important, enriching part of my everyday life, and would strongly encourage anyone considering studying a language at third level to do it. In September, I plan to begin my Masters in European Cultures and Identities at Trinity and afterwards I hope to work in a position where I can use my German, perhaps in the EU, diplomacy or the cultural sector. Until then, I am spending the summer working in a bar in Cannes and trying to improve my French!
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Gemma Heron (Italian)
I studied Modern Languages (Italian and Spanish) at UCD. Language learning is important to me because understanding a different language gives you the ability to see things from a different perspective and break down the barriers between you and people from other cultures. With the language skills that I have acquired during my time in UCD, I hope to put them to use in the world of translation.
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Cormac McCudden (Spanish)
These prizes were sponsored by funding received from:
