Olivia Farah

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background? 

I’m from London and yy parents are both Brazilian, so I have grown up with that culture around me which I have loved. My passions include cooking, travelling and photography. 

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds? 

I fell in love with Leeds instantly as the atmosphere at the open day was amazing.

I also liked that it was a smaller city with a big student population, so I knew that it would be easy to feel comfortable in.

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study? 

Languages open so many opportunities, not just in life but in work. It’s such a valuable skill in personal and professional life and that is something that really attracted me to study languages. I also love to travel and immerse myself in new cultures, which is much easier to do when you can speak the language. 

What aspects of the course do you enjoy the most?   

I enjoy learning about the differences in language and culture between the countries I study, be it in Latin America or Europe. I also love to learn new vocabulary and conversing with classmates to improve my fluency. 

What would you say about the learning facilities in your School and at the University in general? 

All staff are always very keen to help you and push you to the best of your ability, be it during classes or outside of classes, for personal or assignment related things. I also appreciate the consideration of the difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese and that all teachers ensure to teach the differences so that students can choose to adopt whichever they prefer.  

Have you worked closely with a particular tutor or member or the University’s academic staff? Tell us about that experience.  

I have worked with many, but Carmem Mackle, Sofia Martinho and Stephanie Dennison have all provided me great guidance over the last three years.

What other activities are available for students to take part in outside of their studies, and which ones have you tried out yourself? 

The biggest and best thing would have to be the study abroad. I was able to spend some time abroad this year and it was the best experience of my life. 

What do you plan to do when you’ve finished your course, and how do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed so far at Leeds will help with these plans? 

Once I finish, I plan to move back to Portugal and work. I have a possible job lined up already which would require me to speak/write in Spanish, Portuguese and English, so my course will have perfectly prepared me for that.   

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course? 

Do it! It’s a great course where you learn lots of new skills and are able to expand into the areas of languages that interest and benefit you. Whether you have any knowledge of Portuguese or none at all, you learn quickly and it’ll increase your employability in future.