Comparative Literature PhD Future Applicant - Language Proficiency Question

[sarahpc2020]

Hello! I've just completed an undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature and English, graduating with a First Class (UK). I wrote an undergraduate dissertation in Comp Lit in the specific subject area I'd like to pursue a PhD in, and I know multiple professors, including my dissertation supervisor, who have offered to write recs for me in the future. I intend to apply for a PhD in Comp Lit, but my difficulty is my language background.

I have been a casual student of French for over six years now, having taken the language in high school and taken non-degree evening courses at university. I also spent a month working in France. My French is probably currently at an A2 -- maybe B1 -- level. I plan to wait to apply for a PhD until after I finish a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Madagascar, after which time I hope to have achieved the B2 level in Malagasy and French. 

Harvard is currently my top choice because it is the only university that offers the two minority languages I hope to pursure in addition to French: Malagasy and Scottish Gaelic. I have only ever taken beginner's lessons in Scottish Gaelic, so I would be starting from scratch in the PhD.

I'm looking for brutal honesty here -- Would I be a competitive applicant? Is it likely I'll need to complete an MA first? Lack of funding and the nearly three years I'll be in the Peace Corps are why I want to enter directly into a PhD.

Thank you!

[EM51413]

Hi! Current comp lit phd student here. It sounds like you have some specific idea about what you'd like to do once you acquire those languages, which I think is more important than language skills per se. If you acquire B2 proficiency in Malagasy and French by the time you apply, you will be a decent applicant (language-wise!) for many programs...provided that you have a more heuristic/theoretical vision of what you want to do with those languages (think period, critical perspective, kind of archive, how it fits into current debates, etc). As for your Scottish Gaelic, comparative literature programs tend to understand the need to study languages, and won't fault you for having to learn a new language or two during your time in the program. Virtually all programs I know have language study built into the coursework requirements and encourage language study during summer.

I think it is also important to point out that, while it is indeed helpful that your university offers the languages you would like to study, it should not be a limiting or deciding factor in your choice of universities. A number of people in my program are studying languages (Native American languages and smaller Dravidian languages, for example) that aren't offered locally, and they take courses over summer or study remotely at other universities for those languages. Online courses are also becoming increasingly viable and legitimate ways to acquire languages for academic purposes. Again, comparative literature departments are used to students working in less commonly taught languages and are generally willing to give you the funding and flexibility to learn the languages you need. Since a comparative literature phd at places like Harvard ultimately require much more than language skills, I would suggest that you also look for literature professors whose research expertise (especially regarding critical methods, periods, and regions) align with yours, even if they don't work in your specific languages.

[sarahpc2020]

On 1/9/2021 at 1:51 AM, EM51413 said:

Hi! Current comp lit phd student here. It sounds like you have some specific idea about what you'd like to do once you acquire those languages, which I think is more important than language skills per se. If you acquire B2 proficiency in Malagasy and French by the time you apply, you will be a decent applicant (language-wise!) for many programs...provided that you have a more heuristic/theoretical vision of what you want to do with those languages (think period, critical perspective, kind of archive, how it fits into current debates, etc). As for your Scottish Gaelic, comparative literature programs tend to understand the need to study languages, and won't fault you for having to learn a new language or two during your time in the program. Virtually all programs I know have language study built into the coursework requirements and encourage language study during summer.

I think it is also important to point out that, while it is indeed helpful that your university offers the languages you would like to study, it should not be a limiting or deciding factor in your choice of universities. A number of people in my program are studying languages (Native American languages and smaller Dravidian languages, for example) that aren't offered locally, and they take courses over summer or study remotely at other universities for those languages. Online courses are also becoming increasingly viable and legitimate ways to acquire languages for academic purposes. Again, comparative literature departments are used to students working in less commonly taught languages and are generally willing to give you the funding and flexibility to learn the languages you need. Since a comparative literature phd at places like Harvard ultimately require much more than language skills, I would suggest that you also look for literature professors whose research expertise (especially regarding critical methods, periods, and regions) align with yours, even if they don't work in your specific languages.

Hey, sorry, I've been locked out of my account! I really appreciate this detailed response, and I'm definitely keeping it in mind as I continue to look into programs. World literature is really my main theoritcal interest, which I've heard Harvard and UChicago are good for, but I know both of those programs are pretty competitive, so I'm hoping to find more safety-esque schools. There's a professor at CUNY I would love to work with, but I've read that their program isn't phenomenal.