Name:
Rhod Gilbert

Title of job:
Stand-up Comedian

Languages studied for A level:
French, Spanish, Latin

Languages studied at university:
French, Spanish

University:
University of Exeter, B.A mod languages

Best thing about the course:
Now able to speak French and Spanish

Where did you spend your year out?
In Mortain. a village in Normandy, teaching in a French primary and secondary school

Does the fact that you studied languages help you to communicate better in English?
I t widens your vocabularly and perhaps makes you a more confident writer and speaker, which is essential in my job

Have you ever fancied doing stand-up in French to a French audience in France? I've done stand up in Paris, at the Hotel du Nord, although I performed in English and the audience was primarily English first language. I'm not sure about doing it in French, although one day I'll probably give it a go. I like a challenge.

Do you use your languages frequently? If so, in which situations?
I use French a lot as I visit France two or three times a year. it makes a huge difference when you can speak the language of the place you're visiting. the experience is totally different, allowing you to engage in a more meaningful way with the place and the people.

What other jobs have you done since leaving university?
I've picked cabbages on a farm in Western Australia, done painting and decorating in Sydney, worked in the Welsh office and local government in Wales and I worked in market research in a commercial and social context for many years before becoming a stand up comedian.

What is the best thing about learning another language in your opinion?
T he feeling you get when you go there and are able to speak to the people you meet without feeling embarrassed, guilty, awkward and foolish. The confidence this gives you is brilliant and it's the most one of the most rewarding feelings I've had to have proper conversations with people in another country in another language.

What would you say to those who are reluctant to carry on with their languages?
Do it. You certainly won't regret it. It'll open up a whole new world of experience to you and it'll be one of the greatest assets you'll carry. If it's not too naff a thing to say, it's like having a VIP passport.