Category Archives: Events and Competitions

Events and Competitions, French, German, Spanish

2026 Flash Fiction Competitions: The results

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In December 2025, 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, German and/or Spanish.

We had an incredible response, with entries coming in from all areas across the country! In total, we received over 1100 submissions across the three languages!

We would like to thank everyone who entered the competitions 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. We will be publishing the stories here on the blog over the summer so you can read them for yourselves.

French

In the Years 7-9 category, the winner is Cindy Li. The runners-up are Esme Pritchard and Shanzeh Masood.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Ema Danileviciute; Mahek Amjad; Elisabetta Margherita Federici; Heritage Agbaje; Anah Imran; Iqra Zaheen; Veer Khanna; Eva Madan; Ayaan Banerjee; and Kimberley Woollard.

In the Years 10-11 category, the winner is Ranvir Sharma. The runners-up are Joseph Nebel and Honorée Wallis.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Nandana Dhanabal; Henry Bodal Hansen; Myrtle  Mitchell; Yakshita Ramdhony; Victoria Wang; Chloe Shin; Djihane Ounissi; Aarush Lala; Aadi Jhawar; and Jack Bolton.

In the Years 12-13 category, the winner is Julia Lee. The runners-up are Salome Gvindadze and Francesca Bardou.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Isla Thurlow; Jude Shalaby; Ines Amraoui; Isabelle Lake; Erin Grimsey; Alexander   Andrews; Caterina Ciniselli; Sherisa Johnson Rock; Henrietta Coningsby; and Sophie Agmen-Smith.

The French judging panel commented the following about all the entries:

We have been really impressed by the inventiveness, courage, and linguistic flair shown by this year’s Flash Fiction Competition entrants. The winners, runners up, and commended entries demonstrated imagination, advanced vocabulary, and precise grammar to craft engaging, moving, or suspenseful narratives, all within the limits of 100 words.

We encountered a crime-fighting guinea pig, a rebellious swarm of insects, time capsules, apocalypses, many Mona Lisas, croissants, Monet’s garden, sentient bacteria, Nemo’s adventures abroad, talking teddy bears, battlefields both metaphoric and real, acrobats, celebrity frogs, airport encounters, surprise birthday cakes, atmospheric descriptions of the moon, and divinely ordained bins.

Your entries were a pleasure to read, and we are delighted to commend each one of you for your hard work and creativity. Our warmest congratulations to everyone for taking part! 

German

In the Years 7-9 category, the winner is Rynad Mohudeen. The runners-up are Heritage Agbaje and Sophia Pfrang.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Donald Kuhn; Eva Monica Buckingham; Eva Davies; Habibur Kazi; Kayden Jace Miraflor; Kenji Ronan; Lili May Kuhn; Muhammad Anwaar Ul Haq; Thomas Lawrance; and Vakish Indrajith.

In the Years 10-11 category, the winner is Mariia Slobodyanyuk. The runners-up are Amelia Sinclair and Anonymous.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Ananya Patrick; Ananya Subramonian; Ariel Xu; Eleanor Ziegler-Tan; Elsa Rauschenbach; Eva Howells; Evelyn Roberts; Flora Boney; India Davie-Thornhill; and Luca Goolamali.

In the Years 12-13 category, the winner is Leah Holmes. The runners-up are Edith Taussig and Uma Ahluwalia.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Alexander Howell; Alexandra Hampton; Ayaan Jilani; Charlotte Kenyon; Chloe Louet; Elisabeth Tillett; Ellis Underwood; Florence Datta; Isabella Young; and Tarannum Jayaswal.

The German judging panel commented the following about all the entries:

We were delighted to have received so many entries across a range of topics. Some stories led us into mystical realms and fairy-tale-like settings, while others offered new dimensions and dystopian glimpses at a future where robots and AI had taken over. At heart of all these often quite poetic stories was a deep emotional connection with the world, encompassing questions around the self and relationships with others, memories, hopes and dreams as well as the perspectives of animals. It was clear to see many entrants thinking carefully about the vocabulary and grammar structures they had been learning, and about how they could take risks with these to creative, poignant, or amusing effect. We found it heartening to see so many young Germanists engaging with fiction in such a palpably enthusiastic way, asking themselves how we narrate, how we connect with each other, and what we learn about German – and ourselves – in the process.

Spanish

In the Years 7-9 category, the winner is Alessia Jain. The runners-up are Rishaan Sharma and Lilac Eis.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Lucio Angeli Stella; Anonymous; Anonymous; Ashvy Sasikumar; Ekamjot Kaur; Denis Rodriguez Sanmartin; Anonymous; Tara Hayhoe; and Ruby Ayetigbo.

In the Years 10-11 category, the winner is Alfie Bailey. The runners-up are Amelie Rahman and Maya Maimaris.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Jemima Tapp; Clothilde Salord; Alexandros Pallett; Jasmin Leong; Malena Sievers Mayo; Maria Chowdhory; Sophie Blundell; Siena Gurjar; Anagha Abrol; and Aisha Balde.

In the Years 12-13 category, the winner is Lila Rock. The runners-up are Celia Guasch Bloomer and Nicole Kilby.

The judges also identified the following entrants as highly commended: Katerina Garcia; Olivia Slater; Paul Olusegun; Richard Hall; Sienna O’Keefe; Alexa Lewis-Banks; Ava Spillane; Anonymous; Bella Trafford-Barton; and Charles Romeu-Villalobos.

The Spanish judging panel commented the following about all the entries:

As in previous years, there were lots of very interestingly organized and thought-provoking entries. This year, we noticed quite a different at the level of theme – some were very funny, others, more sobering reflections on modern life. It was very difficult to decide the overall winners and runners up and there were a number of other stories that we would have liked to have commended too. The level of the Spanish seemed a little stronger than in previous years, which is testament to your hard work. ¡Seguid estudiando y escribiendo!

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

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, Resources for language study, Student life, Studying at Oxford

Modern Languages and Linguistics Day – St Catz

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Academic Taster Days are a fantastic opportunity aimed at Year 12 students (or equivalent) to explore a specific subject area, meet tutors and current students, experience a taste of academic teaching at Oxford, and find out more about studying at university.

S Catherine’s College (Catz), Oxford are running a Modern Languages and Linguistics Day on Weds 27th May.

St Catherine’s College (Catz), Oxford

This will include a demonstration interview with a current student and academic session options, including sessions for attendees already studying French, Spanish or German. It also includes beginners’ sessions in Linguistics and German. Details of further beginners’ sessions will be added to our webpage and may include: Czech, Italian, Modern Greek and Portuguese.

All events are free to attend, including any refreshments or lunch. We prioritise students from UK state schools and our link region of Wales.

For further information and to apply, please visit the Catz website.

The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 27 April. If you have any questions about booking or accessibility requirements, please contact outreach@stcatz.ox.ac.uk.

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, Student life, Studying at Oxford

History and Modern Languages Study Day!

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The Faculties of History and Medieval and Modern Languages along with St Anne’s College, Oxford are delighted to be offering a Study Day dedicated to Year 12 state school students looking to study History and a Modern Language at University/Oxford! 

This event will take place on Monday 25th May at St Anne’s College. 

St Anne’s College, Oxford

The Study Day will offer students the chance to:

  • experience academic taster sessions in both History and a Modern Language (that they are studying at A-level or in a brand-new language that they might wish to take from scratch* alongside History);
  • meet and ask questions to current History and Modern Languages students;
  • hear about the History and Modern Languages course and admissions process; 
  • meet other students who are interested in studying History and a Modern Language at University/Oxford; 
  • visit an Oxford college and learn more about Oxford’s collegiate structure. 

A provisional event programme can be found here.

Please note, students do not need to be studying History or a Modern Language at A-level in order to attend the event but must have a serious interest in studying the two subjects as a joint degree at University in order to apply. 

There is no cost for attending the Study Day and participants will receive a free lunch at the college. We are committed to ensuring that students are not prevented from attending this event due to costs. Therefore, we are pleased to be able to offer financial support to students for reasonable travel expenses to and from Oxford for the Study Day.

Students who are interested in taking part can apply via this form by Sunday 26th April. 

In the case of oversubscription to the event, priority will be given to applicants who are currently under-represented in higher education. More information about this and the University’s commitment to increasing access can be found here.

Any questions can be directed to outreach@history.ox.ac.uk. 

* Our beginners’ languages courses offer an exciting and rare opportunity for students to engage with a new language and culture for the first time, or to pick up a language they studied at GCSE. The courses are challenging yet rewarding, with many designed to bring students up to A-level standard within the first year. 

Events and Competitions, Student life

European Night!

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This week’s blog post was written by Emma, a final year German and Linguistics student, about Oxford’s best night out!

At Open Days, one of the most-asked questions is ‘what is the highlight of studying languages at Oxford University?’ Answers tend to range from the world-class teaching on niche aspects of medieval Spanish literature or modern German linguistics to the unforgettable year abroad. While these are undoubtedly highlights, they overlook the biggest night of term for language societies in Oxford: European Night!

Emma and friends at European Night!
Photographer: @leopoldine.grl 

European Night is an evening characterised by formal attire, cocktails, and Euro anthems. The event takes place towards the end of each term and is well-known for selling out in a matter of seconds. In Michaelmas (autumn) term of this year, the event proved so popular that I was unable to get my hands on a ticket… Getting tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour had felt easier! Fortunately, Hilary (spring) term brought better luck and my friends and I secured tickets on the first release.

European Night is organised by the French Society but is an opportunity for students from all of the language societies to get dressed up and party together. You can expect to meet a wide range of people from the Italian, German, Spanish, Belgian, Scandinavian, Swiss, and Polish societies, just to name a few! Language societies bring native speakers and language learners together and form part of Oxford’s vibrant network of over 400 student societies. Every term, they host a series of exciting events such as cultural celebrations, bar crawls, and pub quizzes. As a languages student attending European Night, you will inevitably bump into friends from your society as well as your college and your subject, making it a highlight of the social calendar!

Oxford Town Hall on European Night

Over the years, European Night has been held in a variety of iconic venues across Oxford. In my first year, I attended the event at Freud, a function space in a converted church. In both my second year and my final year, the event has been held at Oxford Town Hall, a striking location with a main hall that is reminiscent of a ballroom. Last term, the event was even hosted at the Oxford Union! The dress code for the event is black tie, which means a tuxedo with a black bow tie or a long, elegant dress. However, the formal dress code doesn’t stop guests from dancing their hearts out. The town hall was practically bouncing as Swedish House Mafia’s Don’t You Worry Child, Nena’s 99 Luftballons and, of course, ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! blasted from the speakers, every lyric belted out in unison across the packed dance floor.

So, if you’re wondering what makes studying languages at Oxford so appealing, let me propose the following: work hard, play hard. For students who spend their days untangling linguistic nuance in complex texts, European Night is a celebration of multilingualism which serves as a reminder of why we pursue languages in the first place: human connection.

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, French, Italian, linguistics, Spanish, Student life, Studying at Oxford

Modern Languages Taster Day – Balliol College

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Balliol College are running a Modern Languages Taster Day on Monday 15th June. This will take place in person at the College.

Balliol College

The Taster Day is aimed at students in Year 12 who are seriously considering studying French, Italian, Spanish or Modern Languages and Linguistics at Oxford.

The event will include an admission session, lectures, a demonstration interview, and an opportunity to meet with undergraduates who are studying languages at Balliol. A two course hot lunch will be provided free of charge.

To apply to take part in this event, please complete this form by 24 May 2026. Balliol College will prioritise applications from disadvantaged students and from groups which are under-represented at the university.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact outreach@​balliol.​ox.​ac.​uk.

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

Modern Languages Open Day – register now!

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We are delighted to welcome prospective students to Oxford on Saturday 16th May for our annual Modern Languages Open Day. The event will be held from 10.30am-4.30pm in the in the brand-new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.

The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

This Open Day is designed to provide further information about and insight into studying a modern language and the various degree combinations we offer at Oxford. 

As a Faculty, we offer the following languages: French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Czech with Slovak, Modern Greek, and Polish, all of which will be represented at this event. These can be combined with another language from beginners’ level (with the exception of French and Spanish which cannot be studied from scratch), or another Humanities subject (History, English, Philosophy, Linguistics, Classics, and a Middle Eastern Language). 

After a general information and Q&A session in the morning, students and their companions will have the chance to attend subject-specific sessions in the afternoon, where they can meet tutors and current students from those subjects. 

Modern Languages Open Day 2022 photo (c) John Cairns

A full programme for the Open Day will be made available shortly. 

Please fill out this form by 12 noon on Wednesday 13th May to register for the Open Day so we know who to expect at the event. 

Please note that we can only host one companion (parent/carer/teacher) per student. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and the form will close once our maximum capacity has been reached. 

If you have any questions or would like to amend your booking, please get in touch with Nicola Brown, Schools Liaison and Outreach Officer, at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, Literature, Recommended Reading, Resources for language study, Studying at Oxford, Virtual Book Club

Year 12 Book Club

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Wadham College, Oxford are introducing a virtual Book Club for Year 12 students attending a state school who are currently studying English Literature and/or Modern Languages or who would be interested in studying these subjects for their university degree.

A French session at the 2021 Wadham College Summer School

The Book Club will involve three online sessions, as well as the chance to attend a final, in-person session and Taster Day at Wadham College. Each session will involve a short lecture, breakout room discussion with current Oxford students, and recommendations for further reading and support.

The theme for these sessions will be ‘Possible Worlds’, considering the ways that writers have thought about the possible futures that may await humanity. The aim is to build on core A-Level English texts by thinking about their wider literary contexts with the aim of bridging the gap between A-Level and university study. In the 3rd session, Dr Cat Parry (Tutor for Portuguese) will also incorporate poetry in translation in order to develop appreciation for world literature. Participants will be required to read 1-3 short extracts (provided) ahead of the sessions.

The sessions will be held on the following dates:
Session 1: Monday 27th April, 16:30-17:30, Prose/Drama with Dr Douglas Clark (Tutor for English)

Session 2: Monday 18th May, 16:30-17:30, Prose/Drama with Dr Douglas Clark

Session 3: Monday 8th June, 16:30-17:30, Poetry with Dr Douglas Clark and Dr Cat Parry (Tutor for Portuguese)

Session 4 (Taster Day): Monday 22nd June

Sessions 1-3 will be held online via Microsoft Teams.

Students can sign up to join the Book Club here.

If you have any questions about this activity, please contact access@wadham.ox.ac.uk.

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, Student life, Studying at Oxford

Modern Languages and Linguistics Taster Day

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Year 12 students from state schools and colleges across the UK are invited to join Lady Margaret Hall (one of our lovely Oxford colleges) for a Modern Languages and Linguistics Taster Day on Wednesday 22nd April. 

Lady Margaret Hall
Fisher Studios LTD

This Modern Languages and Linguistics Taster Day gives students the opportunity to experience the richness and diversity of our undergraduate degree programmes. Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) tutors will offer a series of taster workshops focusing on French literature and Spanish cinema, alongside introductory sessions to Portuguese, Russian and the study of Linguistics. These tasters will give an indication of the variety of areas and approaches that make up a Modern Languages course, which extends across literature, language, film, history, culture, and thought, and of the wide range of skills our students hone through their in-depth study.

The day will include a discussion of the Modern Languages and Linguistics application process at Oxford, a mock interview, and a Q&A with tutors and current undergraduate students in Modern Languages. All attendees will also have a tour of LMH with one of our student ambassadors and a free lunch in the college hall.

We welcome any Year 12 student from a UK state school who has a keen interest in languages and linguistics, who is studying at least one language (French, German, Spanish) at A-level, and is considering studying modern languages at university. No prior knowledge of a specific language or of linguistics is required in order to attend a taster session on that topic.

Please register for this event by filling out our Taster Day application form.

More information about the day and the selection criteria can be found here.

If you have any questions about the Taster Day, please get in touch with our Access and Outreach Team via outreach@lmh.ox.ac.uk.

Events and Competitions, German, Resources for language study

German Olympiad Round 2

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Following our post about Oxford’s annual German Olympiad, we are delighted to announce that Round 2 of the Competition is now open for entries!

There are three new exciting tasks for pupils in Years 8 to 12, as well as our prestigious Camden House Book Proposal for postgraduates and early-career researchers at a UK university.

To clarify: Round 1 and Round 2 are separate competitions. You may enter both, but do not need to have entered Round 1 in order to enter Round 2.

Entries should be submitted via the online form. Please note that we cannot accept postal or email entries. Entries received by post, by email or after the deadline will not be considered.

The deadline to submit your entries is 26 March 2026 at 12 noon.

Results will be published on our website in June 2026. Winners and runners-up will be contacted by email and invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, in June 2026.

 If you have any questions please contact the Olympiad Coordinator at  olympiad@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

P.S. There’s still time to also enter Round 1 of the Oxford German Olympiad 2026!

Events and Competitions, Resources for language study, Studying at Oxford

Supercurricular Club for Year 12s!

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St Anne’s College runs a Supercurricular club – a series of online seminars aimed at Year 12 students looking to explore their interests ahead of applying to university.

This year, St Anne’s will be running eight sessions on a range of different subjects (from pathogens to music to Japanese literature) at 4-5pm every Thursday from 16 April to 4 June 2026.

Each taster session will be one hour long and will introduce students to our researchers’ work, and what this subject area might be like to study at undergraduate level. Open to Year 12 students who would like to get a taste of their subject at this level and learn from an Oxford University academic!

A list of the session topics can be found below:

More information and recordings of last year’s sessions, including one on how to read a medieval poem (with our lovely Tutor in German Dr Anna Wilmore), can be found on the St Anne’s website here: St Anne’s Super-Curricular Club

Students can sign up to each session, using this form: St Anne’s Supercurricular Club 26 Registration 

Questions can be directed to outreach@st-annes.ox.ac.uk.