Category Archives: French

First year French Sole student’s experience of Oxford University

On the blog this week, current French Sole student, Livleen, reflects on her first year here at Oxford and shares what the course entails.

Me (on the right) and my friend Amber on matriculation

Heya, I’m Livleen! I’m in my second year doing French at St Catherine’s College, and I’ve absolutely loved my time here so far at Oxford. It’s such a beautiful place to live in, me and my friends often describe living here as a ‘fever-dream’: when you come home between term time it feels like you’ve been living in a fantasy! However, that’s not to say that my first year was a breeze, I was challenged not only academically, but socially too. Oxford is an amazing place to study because it really makes you filter out the things you genuinely enjoy doing, making you prioritise what is truly important, and become quicker at completing tasks in general.

In terms of my academic experience, I must say that I improved so much from when I first set foot in my seminar room back in October. The French course here at Oxford is very literature heavy, so bear that in mind if you’re considering applying here. Here are some details on what the French and French sole course is like:

For core French modules (this is what everyone does in first year French, regardless of what subject combinations you do), you have around 2 lectures a week on the text you are studying. In Michaelmas term (first term), the first couple of weeks are introductory, where you’ll have lectures on how to approach literature, and how to write essays and commentaries.  And then you’ll study 3 commentary texts: Montaigne: ‘Des Cannibales’, Racine: ‘Phedre’ and Verlaine: ‘Romances Sans Paroles’. In Hilary (second term), you study your last commentary text ‘Papa Doit Manger’ by Marie Ndiaye, and then you move onto your essay texts: ‘Le Chastelaine de Vergy’, ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’, ‘Indiana’, and then you study ‘Traversée de la Mangrove’ in the beginning of Trinity term (third term). Also, as part of French core, you have weekly grammar, translation and speaking classes. You have grammar classes and translation classes around twice a week, and speaking every other week. However, this varies depending on your college.

In terms of the French Sole modules, the sole papers are Film, French Thought (Philosophy) and Literary theory. You’ll study four texts/films for each paper and attend a seminar and write an essay (or commentary) on each in English. For our year, we studied all the films in Michaelmas, Philosophy in the second half of Michaelmas and first half Hilary and then critical theory in the last half of Hilary and first half of Trinity. The films that we watched were: Pierrot le Fou, À Nos Amours, Beau Travail and Portrait de la jeune fille en feu. The philosophy texts were: Descartes: Discours de la méthode, Rousseau: Discours sur l’origine de l’inégalité, Beauvoir: Le Deuxième Sexe, and Césaire: Discours sur le colonialisme, suivi de Discours sur la Négritude. The critical theory authors you study are: Paul Valéry: ‘Questions de poésie’ and ‘Poésie et pensée abstraite, Sartre: Qu’est-ce que la littérature?, Barthes: Critique et vérité  and Hélène Cixous: ‘Le rire de la Méduse’. Overall, I would say that although I struggled with the Sole modules, I’m so glad that we studied them because I feel so much more informed about French literature and culture, which others doing joint honours will not have in their first year. There is also the myth that those who do French Sole means that you do less work as opposed to someone who does a joint honours, and I would say this is completely untrue. Whilst you are not doing additional language work for another language, you’ll be wrapping your head around complex philosophical concepts and getting your grips around abstract ideas in critical theory.

There is also the myth that at Oxford, you spend every day in the library, and will have no time for fun. This is also completely untrue. This year, I was playing in 2 orchestras a week, attended weekly dance classes, spent many nights hanging out with friends in the JCR (the college social area for undergraduates), went clubbing from time to time, took part in uni-wide society events and many more. Although you do spend a lot of time here studying (which is normal with every university student), I would say that the life here only gets intense because of all the social opportunities Oxford has to offer that you want to cram into your schedule haha.

Me and my friends at a cartoon themed entz* 🙂
*college-organised social event

In terms of how I’ve found my college experience, I’ve absolutely loved being at St Catherine’s College (or more affectionately, ‘Catz’). Although we had troubles with the RAAC, it made our community come together, and the friends I’ve made has made my first year so worth it.

Me and my friend Amara at a South Asian ball!!

One thing I’d like to mention is writing a bit about my experience being an ethnic minority here at Oxford, having come from a predominantly South Asian community in London. What surprised me was that coming to Oxford brought me closer to my culture because I attended many India Society events and becoming ethnic minority rep at my college. So, I would say that there is a way to stay / become connected to your roots even if the stereotypes suggest the opposite.

Lastly, for those who are thinking of applying to Oxford, and considering applying to do French, I would recommend that you give it a go, especially if you have an interest in literature. For me, getting into Oxford was as stab in the dark and the process seemed very daunting, but it all it worked out! And no matter how far you get in the process, the application experience is so valuable. Wherever you end up, things will always work out for the best, and you’ll no doubt have the best years of your life 🙂

– Livleen

If you want to see a taster of a week in the life of a French Sole student, I’ve filmed a video which you can watch below:

‘Try Before You Buy’ Days!

Balliol College is running a series of free ‘Try Before You Buy’ Days over the course of May and June 2025.

These are an opportunity to experience a taste of Oxford undergraduate teaching, with participants taking part in a tutorial having completed and submitted work prior to the event. Students will also take part in an admissions session and college tour with undergraduates. A free lunch will also be provided in the Balliol Dining Hall.

Balliol College, Oxford

The Days are aimed towards prospective applicants of a variety of subjects, but in terms of languages, are open to Year 12 students hoping to apply for degrees with French (starting in 2026). Under-represented groups will be prioritised for this event.

These events are in great demand so applicants must ensure that they are able to attend and can complete the work and return it by the deadline which is usually a week before the event.

More information about the days can be found here and students can register for the sessions at the links below:  

Modern Languages Summer School

Applications are now open for Wadham College‘s annual five-day Modern Languages Summer School. The residential will take place at the college, based in the centre of Oxford, from 18th to 22nd August 2025.

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. Wadham’s Summer Schools are free and the college will provide financial support to pupils to cover their travel costs.

Wadham are delighted to be able to run these events in-person allowing participants the best experience of life at the university.  The feedback from last year’s Summer Schools was hugely positive with over a third of participants subsequently securing offers to study at the university.

“After the summer school I am much more confident that I would fit in at Oxford and feel like I am more ready to move away from home”

– Summer School participant, 2022

For Modern Languages more specifically, pupils will engage in a seminar series led by Wadham’s language tutors, including language classes in their selected language of study (French, German or Spanish) with opportunities to try other languages as beginners (including German, Portuguese and Russian). Students will complete an assignment on a main topic with feedback from tutors. Pupils will also be able to receive support from current undergraduates and from the College on making successful applications to top universities.   

A Summer School French class

For more information and to apply, click here: Wadham College Summer Schools. Pupils should be studying French, German or Spanish at A-level or equivalent to apply. Applications close on 5th May.

If you have any queries, please contact access@wadham.ox.ac.uk

Reminder: Flash Fiction Competitions

With just under a month to go until the deadline, there’s still a chance to enter our Flash Fiction Competitions in French and/or Spanish – don’t miss out on your chance to win £100! A reminder of the competition details and how you can enter can be found below…

What is Flash Fiction?

We’re looking for a complete story, written in French or Spanish, using no more than 100 words.

Did you know that the shortest story in Spanish is only seven words long?

Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí.
(When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there.)

– Augusto Monterroso Bonilla (1921-2003)

What are the judges looking for?

Our judging panel of academics will be looking for imagination and narrative flair, as well as linguistic ability and accuracy. Your use of French or Spanish will be considered in the context of your age and year group: in other words, we will not expect younger pupils to compete against older pupils linguistically. For inspiration, you can read last year’s winning entries for French here, and for Spanish here.

What do I win?

The judges will award a top prize of £100, as well as prizes of £25 to a maximum of two runners up, in each age category. Certificates will also be awarded to pupils who have been highly commended by our judges. Results as well as the winning, runner up, and highly commended stories will be published on this blog, if entrants give us permission to do so.

Poster for the 2025 Flash Fiction Competitions

How do I enter?

You can submit your story via our online forms at the links below.

FrenchSpanish
Years 7-9Years 7-9
Years 10-11Years 10-11
Years 12-13Years 12-13

Click on the links to be taken to the correct submission form for your age/year group.

You may only submit one story per language but you are welcome to submit one story in French AND one story in Spanish if you learn or study both languages. Your submission should be uploaded as a Word document or PDF.

The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Monday 31st March 2025.

Due to GDPR regulations, teachers cannot enter on their students’ behalf: students must submit their entries themselves.

Please note that the competition has changed slightly this year. We are now only accepting entries from UK secondary school pupils.

If you have any questions, please check our FAQs here. If these still don’t answer your question(s), please email us at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

Bonne chance à tous! ¡Buena suerte a todos!

Balliol College Modern Languages Taster Day 

Balliol College, Oxford is delighted to be running a Modern Languages Taster Day on Tuesday 27th May 2025, 10.15 – 15.45!

Academic Taster Days are a great opportunity for students in Year 12 to spend a day exploring a subject they enjoy and might pursue at University, meet with some current students, experience a taste of academic teaching, and enjoy lunch in the dining hall.

Balliol College

This specific event is designed for Year 12 UK state school students who are currently studying a Language A-Level or equivalent, and who intend to apply to study French, Italian or Spanish, or Modern Languages and Linguistics as a single honours (on its own) or a joint-honours (with another language/subject) degree at Oxford University. Balliol will prioritise applications from disadvantaged students and from groups which are under-represented at the university. This event will include academic sessions, admissions information, and a demonstration interview. You will have the opportunity to speak to tutors and current undergraduates. 

Before submitting an application, please ensure you can attend the day in its entirety. For many schools this event will fall in the half term holiday. The event will be held in person at Balliol College in Oxford. 

You can apply here. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 6 May 2025.

Please contact outreach@balliol.ox.ac.uk with any questions.

The Year Abroad: A semester in Switzerland

On the blog this week, third year student Alice tells us all about the first semester of her Year Abroad…

I’m Alice and I’ve just returned from spending the first part of my year abroad in Lausanne, Switzerland. As a French and Portuguese student, I spend time in both French and Portuguese speaking countries during this year – having spent one semester at the Université de Lausanne, next I am going to do a language course in Lisbon for four months. The year abroad offers quite a bit of flexibility in terms of the activities you choose, and I found studying to be a rewarding experience. Whilst many French year abroad students choose to go to France, I decided to study in Switzerland and I’m very pleased with my decision, despite my nerves before going!

Choosing to go to Switzerland was a tricky decision because I really didn’t know Lausanne as a city, and I knew of only one other Oxford French year abroad student who would be in Switzerland at the same time as me. So I was quite anxious about living abroad in a city without people I know. However, as well as having family connections in German-speaking Switzerland, I also wanted to explore more of a country that I had been to a few times as a child. Also, my decision to study at a university meant that I knew I would be able to meet other young people in classes and lectures. 

I really enjoyed exploring different areas of Switzerland and as my family connections are in the German-speaking part of the country, this encouraged me to travel quite a bit during the semester. Although travel and the cost of living are expensive in Switzerland, I managed to find quite a few deals which cut the cost of journeys. I got a ‘Half Fare Travel Card’ that allows you to travel on trains at half price and so I made the most of this offer – I visited my aunt in Rapperswil, as well as Zurich, Montreux and the Jungfraujoch, using the efficient and reliable trains. As the city where I lived and studied for the semester, Lausanne, is quite small, I really enjoyed being able to travel and meet up with the other year abroad student in Geneva. That said, Lausanne itself was a lovely city to live in and felt just the right size for me, as someone who comes from a relatively small place in the UK. As well as having Lac Leman within walking distance from the university campus, I also enjoyed exploring the historic centre of Lausanne. Although it is quite a walkable place, I really appreciated using the metro in such a hilly city and I used it to travel to the university campus too.

Whilst the weekends often gave me the opportunity to explore different parts of Switzerland, during the week I studied at the Université de Lausanne. The first few weeks of classes at this university allow the students to try out all of the different courses, and so I went to a variety of classes in different faculties, before finalising my choices after the first four weeks. This system relieved some pressure as I was able to attend a wide variety of classes without having to remain in them for the whole semester, and it encouraged me to try some classes I might not have gone to otherwise. The majority of the classes I chose were taught within the French as a Foreign Language Faculty as they offered some really interesting courses aimed at international students. For example, some of the classes I took were: ‘Améliorer son écrit en français’, focusing on improving written French specifically; ‘Histoire du français’, a class looking at how French has evolved as a language from Latin to modern French; ‘Lire un texte littéraire à tous les niveaux’, where we got to present a book of our choice to the class for discussion; and I also took one cinema option ‘Analyse d’une séquence d’un film’, which I really enjoyed as I had never studied cinema before and I learned how to analyse films using specific terminology. 

It was through these classes that I was able to meet new people who I saw on a regular basis which helped me to feel settled into the university quite quickly. One aspect of studying abroad that I appreciated was the ability to experience a different university system. Although it was overwhelming at first, I valued some of the different teaching methods, such as the focus on presentations, debates, and group work; this allowed me to improve my spoken French and engage with the other students. I became good friends with the international students in these classes and I enjoyed attending some of the Erasmus student network events. Although I did find it harder to befriend the Swiss students, I was able to take part in the ‘Tandem programme’ in which you are buddied up with another student in order that you teach each other your mother tongues. I met a Swiss girl wanting to learn English and so we met regularly, becoming friends whilst practicing our oral skills. It was a great way for us both to improve our oral skills because during our meetups we split the time in half so we could practice both French and English.

Overall, I had a lovely time studying in Lausanne and I’m glad I decided to explore Switzerland and a different university system. As well as improving my French, it has made me feel more confident about going for the second part of my year abroad to Lisbon, as I want to make the most of my time there and get stuck into different activities offered by the ICLP language course at Lisbon University. 

Modern Languages Study Day

Study Days are a great opportunity for prospective applicants to experience life as an Oxford student for the day. Study Days will always include taster sessions for the subjects which you are interested in studying at university, but often involve information sessions on admissions, a chance to talk to current undergraduates, and a tour of the College.

Study Days are free of charge with some colleges offering additional financial support to attendees. They are open to students at UK state schools, but places are sometimes prioritised by measures of socio-economic disadvantage.

The Radcliffe Camera from Exeter College

This year, Exeter College, Oxford is hosting a series of subject days for year 11 and year 12 students attending UK state schools. These events aim to provide tailored support for students interested in exploring a range of subjects at University level.

Exeter’s Humanities and Modern Languages Study Day will be taking place on Monday 7th April at Exeter College and is open to students looking to explore any of the following University courses further: Classics, English Language and Literature, History, French, German, Italian, Linguistics, Spanish.

If you would like to attend, please register your interest here by 5pm on Monday 24th February.

If you have any questions, please get in touch: outreach@exeter.ox.ac.uk.

MODERN LANGUAGES OPEN DAY – Bookings Now Open!

We are delighted to welcome prospective students to Oxford on Saturday 17th May for our annual Modern Languages Open Day. The event will be held from 10.30am-4pm at the Examination Schools, located on the High Street in Oxford’s city centre.

Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns

This event is a fantastic opportunity for students who are interested in learning more about our language courses, or who are still considering their options, as all of our languages will be represented at this Open Day:

  • French
  • German*
  • Spanish
  • Italian*
  • Russian*
  • Portuguese*
  • Modern Greek*
  • Czech with Slovak*
  • Polish*.

*All of these languages can be studied here at Oxford from beginners’ level. 

Most of our Joint School degree subjects – English, History, Philosophy etc. – will also be represented at the event.

Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns

Our Modern Languages 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.

Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns

The 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 Q&A session for parents’/guardians’/teachers in the afternoon. Tutors and current students from the Faculty will be available throughout the day to answer questions from prospective applicants and their companions.

*Please note that, due to restricted places, only one parent/guardian/teacher may accompany each student for the morning session.

You can view the provisional event programme here.

Booking your place at this event is compulsory – you can register your attendance here. Bookings will close at midnight on 14th May 2025.

Any questions can be directed to schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

We look forward to seeing lots of you in May and welcoming you to Oxford!

FRENCH AND SPANISH FLASH FICTION COMPETITIONS NOW OPEN!

We’re delighted to announce the return of our ever-popular French and Spanish Flash Fiction competitions for UK secondary school pupils. If you are learning French and/or Spanish in Years 7-13, you are invited to send us a *very* short story to be in with a chance of winning up to £100! Read on to find out more…

What is Flash Fiction?

We’re looking for a complete story, written in French or Spanish, using no more than 100 words.

Did you know that the shortest story in Spanish is only seven words long?

Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí.
(When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there.)

– Augusto Monterroso Bonilla (1921-2003)

What are the judges looking for?

Our judging panel of academics will be looking for imagination and narrative flair, as well as linguistic ability and accuracy. Your use of French or Spanish will be considered in the context of your age and year group: in other words, we will not expect younger pupils to compete against older pupils linguistically. For inspiration, you can read last year’s winning entries for French here, and for Spanish here.

What do I win?

The judges will award a top prize of £100, as well as prizes of £25 to a maximum of two runners up, in each age category. Certificates will also be awarded to pupils who have been highly commended by our judges. Results as well as the winning, runner up, and highly commended stories will be published on this blog, if entrants give us permission to do so.

Poster for the 2025 Flash Fiction Competitions

How do I enter?

You can submit your story via our online forms at the links below.

FrenchSpanish
Years 7-9Years 7-9
Years 10-11Years 10-11
Years 12-13Years 12-13

Click on the links to be taken to the correct submission form for your age/year group.

You may only submit one story per language but you are welcome to submit one story in French AND one story in Spanish if you learn or study both languages. Your submission should be uploaded as a Word document or PDF.

The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Monday 31st March 2025.

Due to GDPR regulations, teachers cannot enter on their students’ behalf: students must submit their entries themselves.

Please note that the competition has changed slightly this year. We are now only accepting entries from UK secondary school pupils.

If you have any questions, please check our FAQs here. If these still don’t answer your question(s), please email us at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

Bonne chance à tous! ¡Buena suerte a todos!

UNIQ 2025 – APPLY NOW!

Applications are now OPEN for UNIQ 2025! Will UNIQ help shape your future? 

What is UNIQ?
The UNIQ programme helps UK state school students with good GCSE grades or equivalent make a more successful application to Oxford, with a sustained contact programme and in-person residential. UNIQ is there to support young people from underrepresented backgrounds at Oxford explore new subjects, speak to current students and learn first-hand about the application process and what life might be like at Oxford.

If you take part in UNIQ, you’ll have access to a range of activities to support your preparation for university applications. This includes help with admissions tests, the interview process and getting to grips with student life once you’re at university. Not only will you be able to experience student life at Oxford whilst receiving support with your university application, you’ll also have the opportunity to make new friends whilst exploring new and exciting subjects. 

What Modern Languages courses are available?   
 For Modern Languages, there will be courses available for SpanishFrench, and German. Each varied course allows you to explore several exciting elements of degree-level language studies, such as language, literature, theatre, film, and linguistics, and gives you the opportunity to have a taster of two other European languages at beginners’ level.

How do I apply?
Applying is quick and simple – just register and fill out the form on the UNIQ website. It shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes or so. Before you apply you should check that you meet our eligibility requirements and browse our courses for a first and second choice.  

Applications close on 23 January. You can find out more about the programme and selection criteria on the UNIQ website (www.uniq.ox.ac.uk) and by following us on Instagram (@OxfordUNIQ). If you have any queries about the applications process, you can check out our FAQs or contact us at uniq@admin.ox.ac.uk.