Category Archives: Spanish

SPANISH FLASH FICTION 2023: The Highly Commended Entries (Y7-9)

Following the publication of the winning and runner up entries, we are excited to present the highly commended entries for the Year 7-9 category of this year’s Spanish Flash Fiction competition!

A huge well done to all our highly commended entrants! Without further ado, ¡venga, vamos!

Tabatha estaba sentada sola en su salón de clases. Sus amigos estaban afuera jugando en los jardines de la escuela mientras Tabatha quería terminar su dibujo. Cuando dibujó los últimos detalles de su tigre, algo le llamó la atención, el animal cobró vida. El tigre fue muy agresivo y le gruñó a Tabatha quien, horrorizada, comenzó a correr fuera de la clase y por el largo y oscuro corredor hasta que llegó al final sin salida. Se dio la vuelta gritando por ayuda y en lugar del tigre, vio a la maestra gritando: ‘¡otra detención Tabby! ¡Basta de este comportamiento!

– Carlotta Elliott, Year 9

Perenne

Un ciclo: las hojas van a la deriva lentamente hacia el suelo para descansar y emergen en las ramas cuando el anhelo de quietud se ha desvanecido. La breve ausencia de movimiento es lo que hace que el ritual sea tan satisfactorio. Existo solamente para este propósito: para el estado intermedio. Ese momento de libertad cuando estás en tu forma más pura. Me encuentro buscando esto en ti. Pero, en lugar de eso, existo como perenne, y ser perenne es perder el significado de ese momento, porque no es un momento sino más que una eternidad.

– Daisy Apfel, Year 9

Memorias Desaparacer

La nieve brilla en la luz. Estoy solo. El aire cálido y pesado es una sensación a la que no estoy acostumbrado, siendo producto de las duras temperaturas. Las últimas semanas han sido agradables, el invierno calma y la brisa suave. Sin embargo, a medida que los días se hacen más largos y empiezo a escuchar el sonido de una dulce risa, sé que mis días están contados y llegando a su fin. Me derrito en la vida de las plantas y las hermosas flores. Un ciclo interminable de vida y muerte. La vida de un muñeco de nieve.

– Dhritya Sagin, Year 9

En el pluviselva tropical de Brasil, una rana sentó en una hoja. Miró hambriento a alrededor, y esperó para una víctima entrar para entrar en el alcance de la rana.

Cuando la rana vio un escarabajito negro, saltó al suelo y lo mató fácilmente. El escarabajito murió instantáneamente. La rana continuó mirar para sus próximas víctimas.

La rana continuó por el suelo del bosque, cuando una serpiente ingente deslizó detrás de le. La rana luchó, pero la serpiente la mató fácilmente.

La serpiente tragó la rana y continuó a través de la pluviselva tropical, mirando para sus próximas víctimas.

– Sona Patel, Year 9

El fin

Miro la línea de meta.
Quiero ganar pero estoy perdiendo.
Quiero llegar, pero tengo una jaqueca palpitante y hay un estanque de dolor en mi estómago.
Quiero correr, pero mis piernas gritando desesperadamente por ayuda. Mis piernas intentan
continuar pero no pueden. Intento continuar pero no puedo.
Quiero, quiero, quiero.
Quiero mucho.
Pero me derrumbo.
Veo a mi entrenadora y ella sonríe pero veo la decepción.
No hay esperanza – tengo perdido; eso es eso. Veo a los otros corredores pasar zumbando y sé.
Para mi, la carrera ha terminado antes de empezar.
El fin.

– Saanvi Dwivedi, Year 8

Mi puesta de sol

El ocaso IIega como un corazón asentado a horizonte, como si el mismo cielo pudiera hablar de amor.Solía ser la puesta de sol en mi horizonte. Observé cada momento, cada minuto y cada segundo mientras el sol se ponía en su vida. Le advertí que no lo hiciera pero aun así lo hizo. Él saltó. Saltó a las profundidades de tinto que lo abrazaron como una madre. Pero nunca volvió a ver a su verdadera madre. Su vida se deslizó entre mis manos como arena. Mi puesta de sol se desvaneció. Mi hijo Pérez se había ido.

– Pooja Vamadevan, Year 9

La lluvia ha dejado de caer, todo lo que queda es viento. A medida que se
avecina la tormenta, veo que el agua comienza a arremolinarse y enroscarse a mi alrededor. Ver ese tornado de agua moverse todavía me fascina: era como si pudiera demoler todo el entorno. Está tomando tanto de los materiales que se ofrecen que el mar circundante se está hundiendo lentamente, detrás de donde puedo ver. Ahora tengo que mirar por encima del borde solo para ver cuán poderosa es esta tormenta. Es tan fascinante que apenas puedo creer que sea real.
Para. La bañera está vacía.

– Niamh Daniels, Year 9

Despertar

Los pájaros cantaban afuera en un maravilloso lugar del sur de Turquía, mientras mi madre me preparaba un chocolate caliente para desayunar. Los árboles se balanceaban y la voz del imán de la mezquita sonaba como una ópera al aire libre. De repente, todo en mi habitacion comenzó a temblar y el edificio a desmoronarse. No tenía ni idea de lo que estaba pasando. Salí corriendo de mi habitación buscando a mi hermano. Lo único que podía escuchar eran gritos y el ruido del derumbamiento. Mi vision empezaba a ponerse borrosa. Dónde estaba mi familia?

– Klara Andonegui, Year 9

¡ Felicidades a todos!

SPANISH FLASH FICTION 2023: THE WINNERS

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!

2023 Flash Fiction Results

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!

Some Reminders

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!

Modern Languages Summer School Opportunity

Calling all Year 12 French, German, and Spanish students from UK state schools – an exciting opportunity awaits!

Wadham College are running their annual Modern Languages Summer School in Oxford from Monday 21st August – Friday 25th August 2023 . This is a wonderful opportunity for Year 12 students who are interested in pursuing a degree in languages to get a feel for life at university and at Oxford more specifically.

A Summer School class at Wadham College, 2022

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.

Why attend a summer school?

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.

Students talking to a Wadham Student Ambassador, taken from Wadham College’s website

Summer Schools are completely free. Accommodation and meals are provided by the College. Wadham will also provide financial support to pupils to cover their travel costs.

Wadham College is 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

If you are interested, please apply here by the deadline of 5pm on Friday 5th May 2023. You can email the Wadham Access Team at access@wadham.ox.ac.uk with any questions.

LAST CHANCE TO ENTER OUR FLASH FICTION COMPETITIONS!

With just over one week 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…

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

What is Flash Fiction?

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

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 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.

How do I enter?

You can submit your story via our online forms at the links below. This year, in response to the amazing number of entries we received last year, we have expanded the competition to include a third age category!

FrenchSpanish
Years 7-9 (ages 11-14)Years 7-9 (ages 11-14)
Years 10-11 (ages 14-16)Years 10-11 (ages 14-16)
Years 12-13 (ages 16-18)Years 12-13 (ages 16-18)

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 would like to. Your submission should be uploaded as a Word document or PDF.

The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday 31st March 2023.

Please note that, because of GDPR, teachers cannot enter on their students’ behalf: students must submit their entries themselves.

If you have any questions, please email us at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

Bonne chance à tous! ¡Buena suerte a todos!

Learn more about languages at Oxford!

Here at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, we organise and run a range of open days for prospective applicants and their parents/guardians and teachers each year. Open days are one of the best ways for students to get a real feel for a University, helping them to make informed decisions about their futures.

The Taylor Institution Library, Oxford University’s centre for the study of Modern European languages and literatures.

Over the course of February and March, we will be holding our language-specific open days, designed to provide greater insight into our undergraduate degree programmes. In comparison to our wider open day later in the year, language-specific open days are smaller and more focused in their scope, allowing more time to explore a subject in depth.

For example, the German Open Day offers an introduction to German film, German linguistics, and different types of German literature. On the Spanish and Portuguese Open Day, our wonderful academics will provide an introduction to Transatlantic Iberian Culture and attendees will get the chance to learn Portuguese in 15 minutes.

So, if you’re thinking about applying to study languages at Oxford, or want to find out more about a particular course, these open days offer a wonderful opportunity to meet some of our tutors and current students, come along to academic taster sessions which will give you a flavour of what it’s like to study languages, and ask lots of questions.

Below are the details of our 2023 language-specific open days. You will need to book a place at these events, which you can do via our open day website, where you will also find the event programmes.

Language-specific open days 2023

*Our German Open Day has been designed to be accessible for students considering beginners’ German. From this year’s admissions cycle, applicants can mix Joint Schools subjects with beginners’ German, so if you’re considering a degree in English, History, Philosophy etc., why not come along and try out some German!

You may have noticed that there is no specific open day for French: students interested in French should attend the Faculty’s main open day later in the year or one of the University open days in June or September. Keep your eyes peeled for more information about those events in future blog posts.

We look forward to having you along to our language-specific open days – don’t forget to book your place!

While you’re here: a reminder that applications to our 2023 UNIQ programme are still open! You can read more about this fantastic opportunity for UK state school students in last week’s blog post, or head to the website for further information.

Apply by 23 January!

UNIQ 2023 – Apply now!

We’re delighted to announce that applications for UNIQ 2023 are now open until Monday 23 January!

What is UNIQ?

UNIQ is Oxford University’s flagship outreach programme for Year 12 students at UK state schools/colleges. It is completely free and prioritises places for students with good grades from backgrounds that are under-represented at Oxford and other universities. 

What does the programme entail?

Find out more here!

UNIQ 2023 offers an online support programme starting in April, academic courses and an in-person residential in Oxford over the summer, followed by university admissions support in August to December.

During the summer residential, students have the opportunity to experience life as an Oxford undergraduate by staying in an Oxford college and exploring the city for themselves. They will also get to know some of our Oxford undergraduates and work with our academics in face to face lectures and tutorials.

What does this look like for Modern Languages?

For Modern Languages, there will be courses available for SpanishFrench, and German. All three courses enable students to explore the language, literature, theatre, film, and linguistics of each discipline, while also providing the opportunity to have a taster of other European languages at a beginners’ level.

Our aim is to give students a taste of what it is really like to study Modern Languages at Oxford, and to provide a sense of the breadth of our courses – including several of the languages you can study here as a beginner.

What are the benefits?

Throughout the UNIQ programme, students will explore subjects they love and gain a real insight into Oxford life, helping them to prepare for university, and decide what is right for them. UNIQ also enables students with similar interests in local regions and across the UK to connect with each other through social and academic activities.

Most UNIQ students go on to apply to the University of Oxford and they also get help to prepare for our admissions tests and interviews. Consequently, UNIQ participants are more likely to make successful applications to Oxford.

Comments from previous UNIQ participants

How do I apply?

We welcome applications from:

  • Year 12 students from England and Wales, in the first year of A level studies or equivalent
  • Year 13 students from Northern Ireland, in the first year of A level studies or equivalent
  • S5 students from Scotland, studying Highers or equivalent

The online application process is quick and easy – it only takes 10 minutes! – and can be completed via the UNIQ website. Applications close on Monday 23 January at 11pm.

As UNIQ is an access programme, admission to UNIQ 2023 will be based on a range of criteria that relate to students’ academic potential and socio-economic background. You can read more about this here.

Good luck to all applicants!

FRENCH AND SPANISH FLASH FICTION COMPETITIONS OPEN!

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a wonderful and restful break over the festive period.

We’re delighted to announce the return of our ever-popular French and Spanish Flash Fiction competitions for 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…

Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash

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 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.

How do I enter?

You can submit your story via our online forms at the links below. This year, in response to the amazing number of entries we received last year, we have expanded the competition to include a third age category!

FrenchSpanish
Years 7-9 (ages 11-14) Years 7-9 (ages 11-14)
Years 10-11 (ages 14-16) Years 10-11 (ages 14-16)
Years 12-13 (ages 16-18) Years 12-13 (ages 16-18)
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 would like to. Your submission should be uploaded as a Word document or PDF.

The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday 31st March 2023.

Please note that, because of GDPR, teachers cannot enter on their students’ behalf: students must submit their entries themselves.

If you have any questions, please email us at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

Bonne chance à tous! ¡Buena suerte a todos!

SPANISH FLASH FICTION 2022: THE HIGHLY COMMENDED ENTRIES (Y12-13, PART 2)

Following the publication of the winning and runner up entries, we are excited to present the first set of highly commended entries for the Year 12-13 category of this year’s Spanish Flash Fiction competition!

A huge well done to all our highly commended entrants! Without further ado, ¡venga, vamos!

La libertad, por fin

Photo by Oscar Ivan Esquivel Arteaga on Unsplash

Para Esteban, la vida en la cárcel fue un alivio. Por la primera vez en su vida, no tenía responsabilidades. Sin alquiler. Sin seguro de coche. Nada de pasear al perro. Nada de problemas. Ahora, Esteban era feliz y libre. Aún más, estaba libre de Paula. Había llevado demasiados años para que él se dé cuenta del prisionero que había sido en el exterior. Y aunque la prisión fuera severa para sus amigos, Esteban conocía la verdad del adagio: las circunstancias extremas exigen medidas extremas. Además, estaría fuera en unos años, y solo él sabía dónde estaba enterrado el dinero.

Aarav Ganguli, Year 12

Photo by Darinka Kievskaya on Unsplash

Atrapada

Me persiguió por la habitación con una expresión furiosa y un comportamiento aterrador. Corrí por cada rinconcito, siempre un paso por delante de los monstruosos gritos que salían de su boca. Como si estuviera en una misión para capturar a un ladrón, continuó mirando con esa mirada de fuego. “Te atraparé”, dijo. De repente saltando sobre mí como un guepardo capturando a su presa, me levantó. Su rostro estaba contorsionado por la ira y el estrés, mirando mis ojos inocentes con los suyos llameantes.
“Toto, Estas mal comportada” y “dejalo” me regañó.
Creo que quitaré los trajes de mi lista de juguetes para masticar.


Marina Michelli-Marsden, Year 12

Photo by Jay Mantri on Unsplash

Monumento

Ninguna luz podía llegar al bosque. El sol se oscureció y luego
desapareció por completo- tan mucho que dudas de que hubiera estado
allí en absoluto. En cada árbol colosal se talló un nombre, estiramiento
alrededor del tronco como un niño extiende sus brazos alrededor de su
madre, desesperada por la seguridad que aporta. La madre naturaleza
se preocupa por ellos ahora. En este monumento a los muertos sin
duelo por las mentes humanas, sus nombres la estropean
permanentemente mientras asume la carga de su recuerdo. Otra caída;
otro crece, y los esconde.
Sus nombres la queman. Llora. Cura.

Libby Rock, Year 12

Los navíos del Mundo Nuevo 

Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash

Habíamos visto fuegos en el aire, fantasmas y espíritus. Dioses benévolos siempre habían venido del agua inconmensurable. Y por eso, reímos cuando vimos los navíos, navegados por barbaros. Caras sucias, barbas largas. Piel increíblemente blanca. Una neblina de sondeo indescifrable.

Se acercaron. Un enjambre, encerrado en metal. Continuamente se tocaban sus cabezas, sus corazones y sus hombros. ¿Un lenguaje? Cuando copiamos su ademán, cayeron de rodillas y lloraron.

Repitieron algo una y otra vez.

Mis labios se contorsionaron en formas extrañas, y dije “Ah-or-a, so-is Cri-stia-nos”

Cuando vieron nuestros pendientes, oí la emisión ‘oro’.

Todavía no sabía lo que significaba.

Anna Couzens, Year 12

Photo by Espen Bierud on Unsplash

La Retirada

Con una sonrisa tenue brilla el tono ópalo de la luz de la luna, compartiendo su cielo con las estrellas llorosas, solo separados por el vacío interminable de la galaxia. Pequeñas hogueras iluminan las montañas con un resplandor infernal y atrevido, y los dedos largos de la llama exponen las caras vacías de los que huyen. Con los pies tan entumecidos como sus corazones, el dolor de su pasado brilla como lágrimas en los ojos. Agarrando sus chales y abrigos, intentan en vano, amainar el lacerante frío y batallan contra las garras de la muerte.


Matilda Lawson, Year 12

¡ Felicidades a todos!

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