Medieval and Modern Languages
Linguistics
I came to Peterhouse knowing very little (ok, nothing) about linguistics, but after taking two scheduled papers in French and German linguistics as part of Modern & Medieval Languages Part Ia, mainly because I was not a fan of literature, I was converted. Linguistics is a Part 2 subject, so you have to do Part I in another subject first. A lot of 'converts' come from MML, but I know people who have changed from Maths. You can either do a 2 year Part II, i.e. one year of prelims then a final Part II, or a 1 year part 2. I chose the former option, and I have to say that it was the best choice for me because it has allowed me to get to grips with the course before having to do any serious Tripos exams. If you choose the 2 year course, you take 4 core papers in the first year and then in the second year you revise these papers in more depth and do 2 new papers from scratch (a dissertation may replace one of your papers, but is optional). In the case of the 1 year course, you just take 4 papers. The paper options are too broad for me to detail here, so I would recommend that you take a look at the website, accessible from a link at www.mml.cam.ac.uk.
The course itself is fascinating, as you get to explore the most fundamental aspect of our lives, language, and look at things you had previously taken for granted. The Department is run by the leaders in their respective fields, and the small nature of the Department means it is really friendly and approachable. Teaching normally takes the form of a lecture each week on each paper plus an essay-based supervision each fortnight. Phonetics students carry out lab practicals too. As for college book provision, this is excellent, and if there is a book you need that's not already in the library then you just submit a request form and it is purchased.
Clare Bishop
Languages
Being the smallest of the Cambridge colleges, Peterhouse only accepts 4-5 linguists per year. Although there are many students who choose to carry on with the two languages that they studied for A-level, most students start another language ab inicio, and this clearly has quite a strong emphasis on language learning in the first year. For the post A-level language(s) there is also a high degree of language work for the first year but you do have the choice of studying either literature or linguistics as a scheduled paper in the course.
Peterhouse has a well-stocked library but is also within easy walking distance of the MML library. There is always plenty of support available from supervisors and the director of studies, Dr Jones. The workload is, generally, managable.
James Lever