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Events and Competitions

Oxford language Teachers’ Conference 2023

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We’re delighted to announce that the 2023 Oxford Language Teachers’ Conference will be held on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September at St Anne’s College. We very much look forward to once again welcoming teachers to Oxford!

2023 Programme

We are pleased to be holding the conference at St Anne’s College once again this year. St Anne’s was established in 1879 as a hall for women, who were barred from the university at the time, and throughout its history has retained its original aim of allowing students of any financial background to study at Oxford. Today, St Anne’s marries modern architecture with a proud emphasis on inclusivity and academic excellence.

This year, we have altered the programme slightly in order to focus in on the ever-growing issues facing the teaching and learning of languages, and to dedicate more time to the ways in which we might overcome these challenges. For instance, after a welcome lunch on the Friday afternoon, we will hold our annual ‘Building Bridges’ session which involves a roundtable discussion with a panel of academics, students and teachers, as well as contributions from the floor. This will focus on a slate of issues of current interest and concern within language learning from Key Stage 3 to degree level. We would be delighted to hear your views on this topic and look forward to bettering our understanding of collaborative approaches to improving language learning at all stages.

Other highlights of this year’s programme include spotlights on the increasing accessibility of beginners’ languages degrees at university, the wonderful and varied career opportunities experienced by languages graduates, and the exciting new and existing languages-focused outreach projects currently occurring across Oxford. We will also be treated to a taster lecture from an academic in the Faculty – a hard act to follow after Prof. Helen Swift’s entertaining lecture on Medieval French last year – before we enjoy a drinks reception and sit down for dinner. This will all be followed by a chance to socialise and network with fellow MFL Teachers and colleagues from the Faculty in the College bar!

The full provisional programme can be found here.

Delegate rates and booking

Please find the various conference rates in the table below.

State school rateIndependent school rate
Full conference, including accommodation and breakfast£180£280
Full conference, excluding accommodation£110£200
Friday only£80£120
Saturday only£50£90

Please visit our online booking webpage to book your place. You will need to create an account (or log in if you’ve used our website before) and select the right rate for your school type and length of attendance. Please note that bookings will close on Wednesday 13th September.

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Nicola at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

We look forward to seeing you in September!

Events and Competitions, Spanish

SPANISH FLASH FICTION 2023: THE WINNERS

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We’re delighted to publish the winning and runner-up entries for this year’s Spanish Flash Fiction competition. We’ll also be publishing the highly commended entries for both French and Spanish over the coming weeks.

Thank you and well done to everyone who entered this year’s competition. The Spanish judging panel were extremely impressed with all the entries we received this year (just under 700), and commented the following:

We thoroughly enjoyed reading a diverse selection of short stories for this year’s Spanish Flash Fiction competition, and we want to thank all the participants who took the time to submit their entries. The remarkable level of creativity and storytelling ability demonstrated was truly impressive, making the task of selecting just twelve winning entries exceptionally challenging. The winning entries stood out to us for their fresh and inventive approaches, thought-provoking reflections, engaging writing styles, and their ability to explore different and often unusual perspectives.

Without further ado, here are the stories! We hope you enjoy reading them as much as the judges did.

YEARS 7-9

WINNER:

Playa al amanecer

Cuando sale el sol a primera hora de la mañana, pintando colores radiantes sobre un lienzo de rocío matutino, las olas me llaman. La arena blanca cruje bajo mis pies, mientras almejas y caracolas decoran la playa con dibujos irregulares. Las palmeras se mecen con la brisa californiana y su aire tropical contribuye a crear un ambiente maravilloso. Los cangrejos ermitaños corretean bajo los guijarros lisos. El rocío del mar me escuece los ojos. La espuma turquesa baña la orilla, cada nostálgica ola más alta que la anterior. Los rayos del sol me quemaban la espalda y el cuello, pero no me importaba. Estaba en casa.

– Ava Saunders, Year 9

RUNNER UP:

Ser un fantasma es agotador, especialmente cuando una persona famosa sabe de ti. La noche nunca es segura, muchos camarógrafos siempre quieren sacar fotos sobre la leyenda de la mujer fría. Odio el fin de mes, como el famoso profeta y algunos turistas suelen venir a la medianoche, entonces yo empiezo mi trabajo silencioso. No más. Después de diez horrosos años, quiero todos los visitos apartados.
“¡Váis a ver la mujer fría en cuatro minutos!” La profeta exclama, ignorar de mí detrás su cuerpo. Rápidamente, levanto la mujer telepáticamente y mi furia se transforma ella en hielo.
Que lástima.

– Lily Messer, Year 9

YEARS 10-11

WINNER:

El Pavo Real

El pavo real extiende su cola tornasolada — sus plumas vistosas fulgurando bajo el foco celestial del sol. Camina dándose aires hacia mí, plenamente consciente de que llama la atención.

Se queda quieto. Sus plumas, sin embargo, todavía se balancean ligeramente. Las manchas azules las adornan como ojos sonrientes. Me guiñan con arrogancia.

Pero mientras se me acerca cautelosamente, veo que las estrellas se atenúan en sus ojos. El alguna vez glorioso prisionero mira solemnemente a través de los barrotes de su celda. Una angosta pasarela. Suavemente su cola tornasolada roza el suelo. Tal vez el desearía no ser tan impresionante.

– Ella Needham, Year 10

RUNNER UP:

En medio del desierto, solía haber un lagarto solitario. Lejos de la sociedad, lejos de todo, el gecko solo quería un amigo, o incluso un grano de arena que podría mostrarle atención. Sin embargo, durante muchos días el pobre lagarto no vio a nadie. Empezaba a perder toda esperanza cuando de repente, vio un pájaro. ¡Qué alegría sintió!

Le vino un golpe de realidad al lagarto. Su alegría se distorsionó rápidamente al comprender las intenciones del pájaro. Su única esperanza de hacer un amigo se desvaneció. – junto con él mismo.

– Shoshi Ellituv, Year 11

YEARS 12-13

WINNER:

Paleta De Colores

Yo era su paleta de colores. Me hacía llorar. Laqueaba su lienzo con mis
lágrimas blancas nacaradas. Me golpeaba. Lavanda florecía en mi piel. Sus pigmentos de color morado lúgubre igual a mis moretones. Me cortaba. Los ojos de sus personajes eran profundizados por el rojo ardiente de mi sangre. El matiz de fuego se filtraba de los barrancos enormes de mi carne. Él era el maestro de mi negrura, mi vacío, que el usaba para perfilar sus creaciones. Con mis colores, sus obras maestras eran diseñadas. Y yo era su paleta de colores que le ayudaba a crearlas.

– Freya Nott, Year 12

RUNNER UP:

El Silencio Tibio

Una brisa caliente flotó por encima del lago, haciendo ondas en el agua. Acarició los árboles, envió burbujas a la superficie, lo que perturbó el silencio e hizo que las algas pálidas se arremolinasen en las profundidades. Pero la disrupción verdadera empezó con la llegada de la excavadora, acercándose a la orilla, y entonces sumergiéndose. Como un monstruo surgió una enorme masa de lodo, sus ojos saltones. Fue enguirnaldada de plantas, empapada con aceite. La fiera subió en la cuchara, pero de repente, paró, y fue vuelta a las aguas. ‘¿Qué pasa, querida? ¿A ti no te gusta mi sopa?’

– Laria Campbell, Year 12

¡Felicidades a todos los ganadores!

Events and Competitions, French

FRENCH FLASH FICTION 2023: THE WINNERS

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We’re delighted to publish the winning and runner-up entries for this year’s French Flash Fiction competition. We’ll be publishing the winning entries for Spanish, as well as the highly commended entries for both languages in each age category over the coming weeks.

Thank you and well done to everyone who entered. The French judging panel were extremely impressed with all the entries we received this year (over 950 of them!), and commented the following about the competition:

It has been an honour and a delight to judge the entries for the 2023 Flash Fiction competition. With stories of just 100 words, you have shown us the world through the eyes of raindrops, snowflakes, trees, planets, and even a smuggled leg of ham! We read about climate change, flânerie, political and historical events, exile, writer’s block, gender identity, and travelled to other times and worlds. Along the way, we met a life-saving pony, a winter-loving duck, a conscientious cannibal, and many other fascinating characters that ignited our imagination. We would like to thank all participants and congratulate you on producing such wonderfully creative, inspiring, and original texts. Félicitations !

Without further ado, here are the stories! We hope you enjoy reading them as much as the judges did.

YEARS 7-9

WINNER:

Comment je suis devenue vétérinaire

Un matin, j’entendais mon père tousser: “Ah, j’ai un chat dans la gorge!”… “Comment?”

Catastrophe, j’étais en retard et mangeais rapidement; ma mère me dis “Ne mange pas comme un cochon!”… “Comment?”

Dans le métro, un monsieur se plaignait: “On est serré comme des sardines!”… “Comment?”

A l’école, les mathématiques étaient trop difficiles, Jeanne se moquait de moi: “tu fais des yeux de merlan frit” … “Comment?”.

Quand la maîtresse est sortie, Paul s’exclamait: “Quand le chat n’est pas la, les souris dancent!”… “Comment?”

Tous ces animaux en souffrance, je devais agir.

– Amy Waterworth, Year 8

RUNNER UP:

Venise. Le soleil radieux plongeait ses couleurs dans le canal. Un jeune garçon se promenait sur les quais, faisant sauter des pierres dans l’eau opaque. Il vit une ombre allongée sur le sol, il leva les yeux vers le ciel. Il lève les yeux au ciel et ne voit rien. Il suivit l’ombre mystérieuse à travers les rues lugubres et isolées, seules quelques étoiles étaient éparpillées dans le crépuscule. Soudain, son pied se coinça dans les planches tordues du canal. Son corps commença à devenir gris corail.  On entendit des cris lointains tandis qu’il s’enfonçait dans les profondeurs de Venise.

– Mahmoodur Rahman, Year 7

YEARS 10-11

WINNER:

Un homme se promenait tranquillement, lorsque soudainement, il s’arrête pour regarder le ciel! Un autre homme, qui passait par là, s’arrête et commence aussi à regarder le ciel. Cependant, il ne voit rien de passionnant. Un troisième homme s’arrête pour observer le ciel comme les deux autres. Bientôt, la rue est bondée de monde observant le ciel avec curiosité. Finalement, le premier homme baisse la tête et se retourne étonné de voir la foule derrière lui, puis il rentre chez lui tout confus. Personne ne sait qu’il avait simplement un saignement du nez et ne regardait absolument rien du tout! 

– Emily Yu, Year 10

RUNNER UP:

La Tempête

Viens, trouve-moi, je te crie par-dessus le bruit. 

La pluie tombe et le vent hurle comme s’il souffrait – une tempête implacable me bombardant de mots que je ne comprends pas, étouffant ma lamentation.

Où es-tu? je beugle. Reviens.

Je sais que je crie en vain, qu’il n’y a pas de retour. Cette connaissance est comme un raz-de-marée montant en moi. Il menace de se briser, me noyant dans le rugissement et le fracas des vagues. M’engloutissant de mots que je ne comprends pas.

Sauve-moi.

Mon plaidoyer s’ajoute simplement au chœur de mots que je ne comprends pas.

– Amelia Williams, Year 10

YEARS 12-13

WINNER:

Les Huppes d’Afrique du Nord

J’aime voler.

Comment les cieux s’ouvrent, et les nuages nacrés se séparent. Nous, les huppes, migrions ensemble, vers le Nord. Là, nous avons trouvé un nouveau pays de volailles – toutes bleues, blanches et rouges – les coqs gaulois.

“Bienvenue à la liberté! Mais observez ces quelques règles,” nous ont-ils dit. “Ne chantez pas, criez cocorico comme nous.” Les coqs se pressaient autour de nous. “Ne volez pas! Pavanez-vous sur le sol comme nous.” “Et toi, Aïcha,” un coq se tournait vers moi, “Arrache ta huppe. Maintenant. Ainsi tu seras libre. C’est cela la liberté.”

“Comprends-tu?”

– Hanan Moyeed, Year 12

RUNNER UP:

La Petite Danseuse

Moulée en bronze, ma tête fixée vers le haut, je regardele plafond. Ma posture rigide est ancrée à observer par tous. Le Musée d’Orsay est ma maison. Ma cage de verre empêche les murmures du monde de me chatouiller les oreilles. Les touristes me contemplent profondément. Mais ils ne connaissent pas mon histoire. J’étais autrefois vivante, avec un sens à communiquer et des moyens de se déplacer. Maintenant, il ne reste qu’un morceau d’être dans cette froide statue. Mes pensées fugaces sont enfermées à jamais dans les murs solides de métal. Je suis la petite danseuse de Degas.

– Annabel McDolphin, Year 12

Félicitations à tous nos gagnants!

Events and Competitions, French, Spanish

2023 Flash Fiction Results

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In December 2022, we launched our annual Flash Fiction competitions, which closed at the end of March. The competitions were open to students in Years 7 to 13, who were tasked with writing a short story of no more than 100 words in French and/or Spanish.

We had an incredible response, with entries coming in from the UK and beyond! In total, we received over 1600 submissions across the two languages!

We would like to thank everyone who entered the competition and commend you all for your hard work and creativity in writing a piece of fiction in a different language. This is a challenging exercise, and a significant achievement – congratulations all!

We are delighted to be able to announce the winners, runners up, and highly commended entries for each language below:

French

In the Years 7-9 category, the winner is Amy Waterworth. The runners-up are Mahmoodur Rahman and Emily Osmundsen.

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

The judges also highly commended Amy Docherty, Halaah Anwar, Madeleine Waring, Natasha Davis, Daniel Lambin, Manasvi Dixit, Joaquin Malaga Chavez, Jude Shalaby, Natasha Galvin, and Him Yee Lui.

In the Years 10-11 category, the winner is Emily Yu. The runner ups are Amelia Williams and Sana Deshpande.

The judges also highly commended Jiali Hicks, Anna Li, Jerome Turenne-Rogers, Anisa Begum, Maryam Khan, Sara Bjelanovic, Hugo Cooper-Fogarty, Anonymous, Sophia Thomas, and Arya Dorjee.

In the Years 12-13 category, the winner is Hanan Moyeed. The runner ups are Annabel McGolpin and Darren Lee.

The judges also highly commended Sophie Shen, Niall Slack, Ishana Sonnar, Maliha Uddin, Alexandra Kozlova, Odette Mead, Hugo Scherzer-Facchini, and Daria Knurenko.

The French judging panel were very impressed with all of the submitted stories, and commented the following:

It has been an honour and a delight to judge the entries for the 2023 Flash Fiction competition. With stories of just 100 words, you have shown us the world through the eyes of raindrops, snowflakes, trees, planets, and even a smuggled leg of ham! We read about climate change, flânerie, political and historical events, exile, writer’s block, gender identity, and travelled to other times and worlds. Along the way, we met a life-saving pony, a winter-loving duck, a conscientious cannibal, and many other fascinating characters that ignited our imagination. We would like to thank all participants and congratulate you on producing such wonderfully creative, inspiring, and original texts. Félicitations !

Spanish

In the Years 7-9 category, the winner is Ava Saunders. The runner up is Lily Messer.

The judges also highly commended Carlotta Elliot, Daisy Apfel, Dhritya Sagin, Sona Patel, Saanvi Dwivedi, Pooja Vamadevan, Niamh Daniels, Anonymous, and Klara Andonegui.

In the Years 10-11 category, the winner is Ella Needham. The runner up is Shoshi Ellituv. The judges also highly commended Amelie Huntley, Carlotta Gray, Dingding Zhou, Ella So, Ryan Cheung, Rhea Sandher, Prithika Anbezhil, Mustafa Ayub, Mia White, and Khanh Linh Nguyen.

Photo by Sam Williams on Unsplash

In the Years 12-13 category, the winner is Freya Nott. The runner up is Laria Campbell.

The judges also highly commended Anonymous, Romilly de Silva, Meghan Henderson, Anonymous, Lara Horsely, Charlie Crookes, Edith Scott, Jack Hussey, Josiane Kammani, and Eva Murphy.

Our Spanish judging panel have also been extremely impressed with this year’s entries, and commented the following:

We thoroughly enjoyed reading a diverse selection of short stories for this year’s Spanish Flash Fiction competition, and we want to thank all the participants who took the time to submit their entries. The remarkable level of creativity and storytelling ability demonstrated was truly impressive, making the task of selecting just twelve winning entries exceptionally challenging. The winning entries stood out to us for their fresh and inventive approaches, thought-provoking reflections, engaging writing styles, and their ability to explore different and often unusual perspectives.

Huge congratulations everyone – you should be very proud of your achievement!

Events and Competitions, German, German Literature, Literature, Resources for language study

A German Classic 2023 – Kafka’s Der Heizer

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The Oxford German Network are delighted to announce the launch of the 2023 edition of ‘A German Classic’ – Oxford’s essay competition for sixth-form students. This year we invite you to read Franz Kafka’s Der Heizer (1912/13).

It is the first chapter of the unfinished novel Der Verschollene (‘The Man Who Disappeared’), narrating the beginning of the story about 17-year-old Karl Rossmann. The story addresses themes including family and friendship, migration, identity and encounters with the foreign, be it a person of a different nationality, social status or gender. It is a story about growing up, finding one’s way in a foreign land, and personal (in)stability. The experiences Kafka evokes for the reader with his narratives are so distinctive that they have given rise to the word ‘Kafkaesque’. Get a sense of what it means by studying Der Heizer in the original – one of the iconic works of world literature!

ELIGIBILITY

Entrants must fulfil the following requirements as of 8 September 2023:

  • be beginning their final year of full-time study at a secondary school in the UK (upper-sixth form, Year 13 or S6 in Scotland);
  • be between the ages of 16 and 18;
  • hold a GCSE, IGCSE or equivalent qualification in German offered in the UK, or have at least an equivalent knowledge of German, as confirmed by their teacher;
  • be resident in the United Kingdom.

Entrants are not expected to have prior experience of studying German literature.

PRIZES

Up to three prizes will be awarded: a first prize of £500, a second prize of £300, and a third prize of £100. Prizes will only be awarded if work is of sufficient merit. All entrants will receive a Prize Certificate or a Certificate of Participation. Results will be announced in early October 2023.

STUDY PACKS

Sign up here by 5pm on Friday 30 June 2023 to receive free physical copies of the German original and an English translation of Kafka’s novel Der Verschollene, the first chapter of which is the set text of the competition. The website will also give you access to a set of free multimedia resources and essay writing guidelines created and curated by us especially for this competition. All physical study materials will be dispatched in early July.

For further information, please have a look on our website.

If you have any questions, please email the Prize Coordinator at germanclassic@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk. 

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, Open Days, Studying at Oxford

Oxford Open days

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Come and visit us this summer to discover what student life at Oxford is really like.

The University of Oxford is once again ready to welcome prospective applicants and their companions to our annual Summer Open Days! Regardless of which universities you are interested in studying at, open days are an important opportunity for you to get a feel for the cities and/or campuses in which you might be spending three or four years. We recommend visiting lots of different universities if you can to find out which places make you feel most at home.

Here at Oxford, we have University-wide Open Days running on Wednesday 28 June, Thursday 29 June and Friday 15 September. These days offer an ideal opportunity for you to explore Oxford, find out more about our courses, tour colleges, and quiz our tutors and current students.

It will be busy and you will probably leave feeling that there just wasn’t enough time, but you will also have a really good idea of Oxford and whether it might be the university for you. The secret to open days is definitely planning ahead, so do take some time to explore all the information given here.

It is not mandatory to register for an Oxford Open Day, although we strongly recommend that you do in order to receive our university newsletters, full of top tips on how to make the most of your day.

In terms of Modern Languages, we will be running the following sessions between 10:15am and 3:30pm across these days:

  • Modern Languages at Oxford – Taylor Institution Library
    Presentation overview of our courses and resources followed by a Q&A with tutors and current students.
  • ‘Meet the tutors’ drop in session – 47 Wellington Square
    Tutors will be available in this period to answer any individual questions about our courses and the application process.
  • Library tours – Taylor Institution Library
The Taylor Institution Library (commonly known as the Taylorian) 

These sessions are a great opportunity to learn about our Modern Languages courses, talk to our tutors from our different languages, look at our resources and study spaces, and pick up prospectuses.

We do not take bookings for these sessions, but places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. You can take a look at the programme here for more details.

We look forward to welcoming lots of you to Oxford and the Modern Languages Faculty very soon!

Applying to study modern languages, German, German language, German Literature, Student life, Studying at Oxford, Why study languages?

Apply to Study Beginners’ German!

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Here at Oxford, the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages welcomes applications for German at all levels. This means that if you haven’t studied the language at A-level, you can still apply to study Beginners’ German as part of your degree.

Excitingly, 2023 marks the first year that prospective students can apply to study Beginners’ German as part of our Joint Schools degrees. This means that you can combine learning German from scratch with another of the following Humanities subjects:

  • Classics
  • English
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Philosophy

So, if you’re hoping to study one of these subjects, but are interested in learning a new language, why not choose Beginners’ German?!

Take a look at our brand new video below to learn more about studying German for Beginners at Oxford, and to hear about the experiences of our current students who have chosen this excellent option!

If students apply via the Beginners’ German route, they will sit the Language Aptitude Test, which forms part of the Modern Languages Aptitude Test (MLAT).

Students taking Beginners’ German will receive intensive language tuition during their first year and further targeted language support specific to their needs during their second year. From the start of their course they will have some teaching on narrative works together with the post A-level group, and they will be fully integrated from the start of the second year, with access to all the course options in linguistics, literature, film and culture.

During the course, Oxford’s tutorial system and small-group language teaching will enable students at all levels to receive the appropriate tuition for their needs, which will build on the knowledge they have already acquired.

You can learn more about German at Oxford here.

Events and Competitions, Resources for language study, Translation

Stephen Spender Prize 2023

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This week, we pass over to our friends at the Stephen Spender Trust to tell us about their 2023 prize for poetry in translation.

Translate ANY poem from ANY language into English, and win publication and cash prizes! Language lovers and budding poets of all ages are warmly invited to take part in the Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation, open to adults aged 19+ from all over the world, as well as to individual young people and school pupils in the UK and Ireland and students at British Schools Overseas.

For 2023 there will also be a special language focus with the Ukrainian Spotlight strand, open to all young people in the UK and Ireland aged 18 and under.

The deadline to submit entries is 14th July.

Details:

Entrants are invited to submit an English translation of a published poem from any language, ancient or modern, together with a commentary of no more than 300 words. The translation should be max. 60 lines (extracts are accepted). All forms and genres are welcome, including texts from rap, spoken word and slam poetry. We also welcome translations from sign language.

Prize strands:

  • International Open Entry (NEW FOR 2023) – For adults aged 19+ from all over the world.
  • Individual Youth Entry – For individual young people in the UK and Ireland or attending British schools overseas. Two age categories: 14-and-under; 18-and-under.
  • Schools Laureate Prize (NEW FOR 2023) – For teachers submitting on behalf of their students, open to schools in the UK and Ireland and British schools overseas. Four categories for pupils from KS1 to KS5.
  • Ukrainian Spotlight (NEW FOR 2023) – For young people in the UK and Ireland or at British schools overseas. Entries can be submitted individually or by teachers on behalf of students. Three age categories: KS1-2, KS3-4 and KS5.
  • Teacher Laureate Prize (NEW FOR 2023) – Free to enter for all teachers at schools that have entered pupils for the Schools Laureate or Ukrainian Spotlight strands.

Judges:

Open category: Taher Adel, Jennifer Wong, Samantha Schnee
Youth categories (Individual Youth Entry and Schools Laureate Prize): Keith Jarrett
Ukrainian Spotlight: Nina Murray

Prizes:

  • Open Entry: £1000 (1st), £500 (2nd), £250 (3rd)
  • Individual Youth Entry, Schools Laureate Prize and Ukrainian Spotlight: Cash prizes of up to £100 for the winners in each age category.
  • Teacher Laureate Prize: Annual print subscription to Modern Poetry in Translation for the winning teacher, plus a Stephen Spender Prize workshop for their school during the next academic year.

All winners will have their translations published in our 2023 prize booklet and will be invited to participate in our livestreamed awards ceremony in the autumn. The winner of the Open category will also be published in Modern Poetry in Translation.

In each age category we will additionally reward three Highly Commended entrants and up to 30 Commendees, as well as three special First-Time Entrant Commendations in the Open category.  

Entry Fee: 

Open category: £10 per translated poem, or £5 per additional poem in the same submission.
Youth and teacher categories: Free

Further details: 

Full information on how to enter can be found on the Stephen Spender Prize homepage and the different category subpages.

For a wealth of poetry translation inspiration, including advice for those trying poetry translation for the first-time, explore our Guide to Poetry Translation for Newcomers, the archive of tutorials and testimonials on the Stephen Spender Trust YouTube channel, and the multilingual bank of suggested poems for translation in our Prize Resources hub.

Good luck to all entrants!

Multilingualism, Resources for language study

Think Like a Linguist

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We’re delighted to share details of our involvement in a pioneering new languages outreach programme, Think Like a Linguist!

Think Like a Linguist is run by the Translation Exchange at the University of Oxford in partnership with the languages departments at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, literary charity the Stephen Spender Trust, and secondary school Hollingworth Academy in Rochdale.  

Think Like a Linguist helps students aged 12-13 to make informed choices about languages at GCSE, through a course of five interactive sessions with their peers, language professionals, university students, and recent languages graduates. Each session focuses on a different aspect of language learning, and enables students to consider the question, What does it mean to think like a linguist? from a unique perspective. 

A slide from the first session, Kick-Start Multilingualism

Throughout the programme, the young participants are treated as active linguists. Each session focuses on what the students can already do, and where this could take them. “Thinking like a linguist” is presented as a mindset, rather than a skillset. 

Chris Dobbs, Head of Academic Enrichment at Hollingworth Academy and Director of OxNet Youth Scholars at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, commented:

We are delighted to host the project Think Like a Linguist. Engaging pupils in language learning from a variety of perspectives will we believe promote greater cultural awareness, develop a love for language study and help to develop resilience and self-confidence. The contributions made by visiting academics and their former students help to demystify the experience and enhance the value of studying languages at university level.

The pilot programme is running in six schools in the North West of England, hosted by Hollingworth Academy, Rochdale. Careful evaluation of the pilot will produce recommendations on how universities can best support language learners and teachers at schools, and best practice for increasing the uptake of modern foreign languages at GCSE. The partners will build on the evaluation to roll the programme out in areas of the UK where the uptake of languages is very low.  

A slide from the first session, Kick-Start Multilingualism

The pilot began with a launch event at Hollingworth Academy, Rochdale in January 2023 and will close with a graduation event at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge in autumn 2023. 30 students from six schools in the North West are involved, all currently in year 8 and studying French or Spanish. Participating students report back to their peers via school assemblies, and parents/guardians are invited to join the launch event and final graduation event.  

Six participating schools:

  • Hollingworth Academy (Rochdale)
  • Newhouse Academy (Rochdale)
  • Unsworth High School (Bury)
  • Holy Family (Rochdale)
  • Royds Hall (Huddersfield)
  • St Anne’s (Middleton).

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, French, German, Open Days, Spanish, Student life, Studying at Oxford, Why study languages?

Some Reminders

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Happy Wednesday all! After some technical difficulties last week (apologies if anyone had issues accessing the blog), we’re back with a couple of reminders about upcoming events for (prospective) Modern Languages students… have a read below!

N.B. The deadlines for applying/registering for these opportunities/events fall within the next week, so don’t hesitate to sign up now!

Wadham College’s Modern Languages Summer School

A Summer School class at Wadham College, 2022
  • When: Monday 21st August – Friday 25th August 2023 
  • Where: Wadham College, Oxford
  • What: Summer Schools are designed to give UK pupils studying in Year 12 a taste of what it’s like to be an undergraduate studying at the University of Oxford. Pupils will take part in an academic programme, live in College, meet student ambassadors studying at Oxford, and receive information, advice and guidance on applying to university.
  • Who: Year 12 French, German, and Spanish students from UK state schools
  • How to apply: Fill out this application form.
  • Deadline to apply: 5pm, Friday 5th May 2023
  • More information: You can find more information here and email the Wadham Access Team at access@wadham.ox.ac.uk with any questions.

Modern Languages Open Day

Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns
  • When: Saturday 13th May 2023, 10.30am-4pm
  • Where: Examination Schools, 75-81 High Street, Oxford
  • What: Our Modern Languages Open Day will offer an overview of our Modern Languages courses and a general Q&A for prospective students in the morning, with individual language sessions and a parents’/guardians’/teachers’ Q&A session occurring in the afternoon. 
  • Who: The Open Day is aimed primarily at Year 12 students and their parents/guardians/teachers, but Year 11 students who are starting to think about university study are equally welcome to attend. 
  • How to register: Booking for this event is compulsory – you can register your attendance here.
  • Deadline to register: Bookings will close at midnight on Wednesday 10th May 2023.
  • More information: You can view the full event programme here and contact the Faculty at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you at these exciting events over the summer – don’t forget to apply/register ASAP!