Tag Archives: Applying to study modern languages

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

MODERN LANGUAGES OPEN DAY – Bookings Now Open!

January 24, 2024 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

We are delighted to welcome prospective students to Oxford on Saturday 11th 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.

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 this Open Day will cover ALL of our languages: French, German*, Spanish, Italian*, Russian*, Portuguese*, Modern Greek*, Czech*, and Polish*. Most of our Joint School degree subjects – English, History, Philosophy etc. – will also be represented at the event.

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

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 parents’/guardians’/teachers’ Q&A session occurring 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 full event programme here.

Booking your place at this event is compulsory – you can register your attendance here. Bookings will close at midnight on 8th May 2024.

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

Applying to study modern languages, Czech, Events and Competitions, German, Italian, Open Days, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Slavonic Languages, Student life, Studying at Oxford

New Year, New event!

January 10, 2024 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages is delighted to announce a brand new event for the 2023/24 academic year – a Beginners’ Languages Taster Day!

Alongside our usual Modern Languages Open Day (which will take place on Saturday 11^th May), this year we will be running an event dedicated to our beginners’ languages courses. This new event offers students from UK secondary schools in Year 12 or equivalent an opportunity to gain greater insight into our beginners’ languages degree programmes at Oxford. Students in Year 11 who are starting to consider their options for university are also welcome to attend.

The Taster Day will take place on Saturday 2^nd March in our main Faculty teaching spaces – the Taylor Institution Library and 47 Wellington Square. After an information and Q&A session in the morning, students will have the chance to attend taster sessions in two of our beginners’ languages.

Photo taken from our Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns

The following languages will be represented at the Taster Day, with academics and current undergraduates present to provide further information about the course(s) and to answer students’ questions:

German
Portuguese
Italian
Russian
Czech (with Slovak)
Modern Greek
Polish

The provisional event programme can be found here.

To register for the Taster Day, students should fill out this form by 10am on Friday 23rd February so we know who to expect at the event. Please note that spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and the form will close once our maximum capacity has been reached.

We are also pleased to be able to help students who are in need of additional financial support with reasonable expenses such as travelling to and from Oxford for the event. There is a space to include this information in the registration form.

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 languages 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. Therefore, we would love to welcome students who are strong linguists and/or who are looking for a new challenge at University to this event.

As well as alongside a post-A-level language, most of our beginners’ languages can be studied in conjunction with subjects from the Humanities such as English, History, Linguistics, or Philosophy, for which applicants do not need to be studying a language to A-level or equivalent. With this in mind, we would also welcome students of Humanities subjects who are interested in picking up a language at University.

For further inspiration and information, below are some links to content from our tutors and undergraduates about why taking a language from scratch is so worthwhile:

Blog post – Why study Czech?
Video – Branching Out: Picking up a language from scratch

Video – Studying German for Beginners at Oxford:

We look forward to seeing you on 2nd March!

Applying to study modern languages

Preparing for Interviews

November 29, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

Huge congratulations if you have been invited to an Oxford interview over the next couple of weeks! Our tutors from across the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages are very much looking forward to meeting you.

We know that interviews can be daunting and it can be difficult to know what to expect and how to prepare. Therefore, this week’s blog post aims to offer some information and resources that should help with your preparation and calm a few nerves!

First thing’s first…

It’s important to remember that an Oxford interview is designed to simulate a tutorial (aka Oxford’s method of teaching in small groups).

Through tutorials at Oxford, students develop powers of independent and critical thought, analytical and problem-solving abilities, and skills in both written and oral communication and argument. These are the kinds of skills and abilities that tutors are looking to see candidates display/show potential for during an interview.

The interview is also a chance for tutors to understand students’ motivations for studying their chosen subject(s) and where their specific interests lie.

For more general information about Oxford interviews, the University has a bank of FAQs and resources available on their admissions website.

What about Modern Languages?

For Modern Languages, interviews can vary depending on the academic tutor conducting them, but here are a few things to expect:

You may be given a short piece of text (in English or the target language) to look at and discuss during the interview. Further questions may be asked based on your responses and analysis of the text.
You may be asked about something you’ve mentioned in your personal statement, so be ready to discuss any wider reading or interests you’ve referenced!
You may be asked to speak or read a short passage of text in the target language. This part of the interview is often fairly short.

Below are some example videos that demonstrate how (aspects of) a Modern Languages interview might be conducted.

In this demonstration video, Jane Hiddleston, Tutor in French, and Joanna Neilly, Tutor in German, will take you through what to expect during the interview process.

A mock interview for French at Jesus College, Oxford. This video is representative of a typical Modern Languages interview.

Prof. Jennifer Yee, French tutor at Christ Church, discussing a poem with an undergraduate student, Chloe. This type of discussion is a typical component of a Modern Languages interview.

Advice from a former undergraduate

To round us off, here is some sage advice from Isabel, current DPhil researcher in German, and former undergraduate in German & Philosophy at Worcester College:

My biggest tip for the interview is to remember that your interviewers are not expecting you to know absolutely everything. Case in point: I had to ask – in a German interview – what an English word meant.

Show your thought process when you’re addressing a question – maybe you don’t know the answer, but maybe the question pertains to something that you do know about, so you can take an educated guess. Maybe you’re being shown a word in your foreign language that you don’t recognise, but maybe you can tell it’s from the same root as a word you do know. Are they showing you a poem that you haven’t seen before, but from a literary period that you’re passingly familiar with? Maybe there’s something you can say about the wider culture or concerns at the time.

If you already knew everything, you wouldn’t be applying to university. Use your interview to show that you can respond to new information, offer ideas, and think deeply and critically about what you’re being asked.

To that end, one of the best ways to prepare for your interview is to read widely around your subject: podcasts, the news, scholarly journals, extra books by your favourite author. Show that you are far too interested in your chosen subject to be constrained by the curriculum!
Thanks Isabel!

We hope this has been helpful in preparing you for the interview process. Best of luck to all candidates next week – you’ve got this!

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

Save the Date! Modern Languages Open Day

November 8, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

We’re delighted to announce that our annual Modern Languages Open Day will be taking place on Saturday 11th May, once again in the Examination Schools in Oxford city centre. Save the date! Mark it in your calendars!

The Examination Schools, Oxford
Modern Languages Open Day 2022
photo (c) John Cairns

Bookings are not yet open but you will be able to reserve your place soon via our open days webpage.

This event, which runs from 10.30am-4pm, is a fantastic opportunity for students who are interested in learning more about our language courses, or who are still considering their options, as this Open Day will cover ALL of our languages: French, German*, Spanish, Italian*, Russian*, Portuguese*, Modern Greek*, Czech*, and Polish*. Most of our Joint School degree subjects will also be represented at the event.

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

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. 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 parents’/guardians’/teachers’ Q&A session occurring in the afternoon.

You can view the provisional event programme here.

Applying to study modern languages, Recommended Reading, Resources for language study

SUPER-curricular resources

September 27, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

The Oxford application process can look very complicated at first. Unlike other universities, we collect a lot of different information about applicants so that our admissions tutors can make informed decisions about who will be best suited to our courses. We recommend that prospective applicants familiarise themselves with the Oxford admissions timeline and what each step entails – the earlier the better!

As our degrees are so competitive, one of the things that we get asked most often is how can I stand out against other applicants? The simple and honest answer is that in your personal statement and during your interview, our modern languages admissions tutors are most interested in reading/hearing about:

why prospective students love the subject(s) for which they are applying;
what it is that they find particularly engaging and exciting about the subject(s); and,
how they have furthered these interests through super-curricular activities.

What does ‘super-curricular’ mean?

‘Super-curricular’ activities are educational activities which go above and beyond the school curriculum to expand your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. This can be anything from podcasts, documentaries, trips to a museum, books, magazines, online programmes and more.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t panic! We recommend talking to your teachers or your school librarian about finding additional reading, but we’ve also included some resources below that might also be useful for furthering your interest in language and cultural studies.

Podcasts

Linguamania podcast
Produced by researchers from Oxford University-led Creative Multilingualism, the series explores some fascinating perspectives on languages and language learning, asking: Do we really need human translators? Why do we use metaphors and what do they teach us about other languages and cultures? Can languages help protect the natural environment? And so much more… So stop what you’re doing and start exploring the wonderful world of multilingualism!

Les Liaisons dangereuses podcast
Choderlos de Laclos’s eighteenth-century epistolary novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, has been intriguing audiences since 1782, and has been adapted into different media many times. It is also one of the core texts studied by students of French in their first year of an Oxford degree. In this podcast series, Prof. Catriona Seth, Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature at All Souls College, and Catriona Oliphant, founder of Chrome Radio, delve into the text, covering a variety of topics.

Oxford Spanish Literature Podcast
Listen in on our conversations with Spanish tutors at Oxford to find out what’s so fascinating about the literature they teach, why they love teaching it, and why they think you might love it too.

In Our Time
Radio 4’s flagship series, In Our Time, hosted since the beginning by author, TV presenter and critic Melvyn Bragg, has become the BBC’s most downloaded weekly podcast globally, as well as one of the most popular for people under the age of 35.

The winning formula is a recorded conversation, over 45 minutes, in which Bragg quizzes academic specialists about almost any subject of interest in human life, including history, science, philosophy, religion and the arts.

In terms of modern languages and cultures, here are some episodes (featuring our very own academics) that we would recommend (not that we’re biased!):

This episode on Olympe de Gouges, advocate for women’s rights during the French Revolution, featuring Professor Catriona Seth;
This episode on the great Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, featuring Professor Cláudia Pazos-Alonso;
This episode on eclectic German philosopher and cultural critic, Walter Benjamin, featuring Professor Carolin Duttlinger.

Videos

Each year, the Faculty runs a Literary Masterclass for local state sixth formers studying French, Spanish and German, designed to support them with reading and critically analysing literature in the target language. During the pandemic, this event was delivered online, and the pre-recorded videos are still available to view on our YouTube channel here.

The Oxford German Network runs an annual essay prize for sixth formers on a classic work of German literature. In the past, they have often created and collected a series of videos connected to the work in question. Click here for a playlist about Goethe’s Faust, here for a playlist about Schiller’s Maria Stuart, and here for a playlist about Hoffmann’s ‘Der Sandmann’.

*****

We hope these resources are helpful and provide a good starting point for you to develop your academic interests – don’t forget the importance of super-curricular activities for your UCAS application!

Please note: If you’re in Year 13 or equivalent, there’s still time to apply for Oxford! You need to make sure you have registered for your admissions test by 29th September (this Friday!) and have submitted your UCAS application (which includes your personal statement) by 6pm on 16th October.

If you’re in Year 12 or equivalent, the resources above will hopefully complement and develop your A-level/IB/Advanced Highers MFL studies and provide some excellent for your future personal statement.

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

Oxford Open days

June 7, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

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!

May 31, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

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.

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

Some Reminders

May 3, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

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

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!

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

Study Days for days!

April 19, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

Following our recent post about Modern Languages Study Days at St John’s College and Christ Church, we’re delighted to bring you news of another Study Day for budding Modern Languages students – this one is hosted by our lovely colleagues at St Catherine’s College AKA St Catz!

Academic Study Days are a great opportunity for students in Year 12 to spend a day exploring a specific academic area at St Catz, meet with some current students, experience a taste of academic teaching, and enjoy lunch in the dining hall.

St Catherine’s College (St Catz), Oxford

St Catz are running their Modern Languages Study Day on Wednesday 31st May, 10.30am-4.15pm.

Students attending this exciting Study Day will have the opportunity to sample a range of languages that are available at the University of Oxford. As part of this day, students will be able to choose two language sessions to participate in from a choice of:

Post A-Level Spanish,
Post A-Level French,
Beginners’ Czech, and
Beginners’ Italian.

All students will also have the opportunity to participate in a Linguistics taster session.

St Catherine’s College’s Academic Taster Days are all free to attend and open to all Year 12 students (or equivalent), with places being allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please complete this form to register to attend one of the events.

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

Modern Languages Summer School Opportunity

April 12, 2023 Schools Liaison Leave a comment

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.

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.

A blog for students and teachers of Years 11 to 13, and anyone else with an interest in Modern Foreign Languages and Cultures, written by the staff and students of Oxford University. Updated every Wednesday!