Tag Archives: events

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

2026 Virtual Humanities Study Day for BAME students

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Oxford’s University College, Magdalen College, and the Faculties of History and Modern Languages are delighted to announce that the virtual BAME Humanities Study Day will return for 2026 on Wednesday 8th April!

This event offers UK state school students with Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage an exciting opportunity to engage with academic taster sessions from across the Humanities subjects, and also to access insight into Oxford student life and support with the admissions process.

The day will open with an introduction to the University of Oxford followed by the opportunity to attend two humanities subject lectures.  Students will learn more about the Oxford application process in our subject-specific admissions workshops. The day will conclude with a live student life Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask your questions to current Oxford students from BAME backgrounds.  

Screenshot of the Q&A with undergraduates from the 2021 Humanities Study Day

For the academic lectures you will be able to choose from the following subjects:

  • Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
  • Classics
  • English 
  • History
  • History of Art
  • Modern Languages
  • Linguistics
  • Philosophy
  • Theology. 

You will be able to specify your preferred lectures on the application form.  All lectures will be recorded and available to watch after the event. If you are unable to attend live on the day but would like access to the recordings and resources, then please still submit an application via the form below.  

Before attending the subject day, I had no prior ideas about attending Oxford, nor was I really interested. This was mostly because I thought Oxford was an unreachable place for someone like me, a coloured girl who does not come from a highly prestigious background, which I believed Oxford to be the opposite. Attending the study day made me realise Oxford is actually a very accessible and open place for someone of my background…

–  2023 Study Day participant

Eligibility Criteria: 

  • Year 12 
  • Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME) Heritage 
  • Attend a UK State School (unless you have extenuating circumstances or meet several of the priority criteria listed below) 
  • If spaces are limited, priority will be given to students who meet one or more of the following: first generation in your family to attend university, have experience of being in care, are a young carer, are eligible for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium, are from an area of deprivation or area with a low rate of progression to university.

Applications are now OPEN and will close on 2nd March. You can apply via this online form.

If you have any questions about this event please email one of the organisers, Nuala Marshall (Senior Outreach & Access Officer, Magdalen College) at outreach@magd.ox.ac.uk. 

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

Virtual Modern Languages Study Day

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Somerville College, Oxford offers an annual series of four virtual Study Days for Year 12 students attending a UK state school. 

Prospective students and their families look around Somerville College

These days feature taster lectures or workshops run by Oxford University academics, which will offer a challenging and entertaining introduction to university-level study of the subject. 

There will also be opportunities to hear advice from admissions and outreach staff about applying to Oxford and Cambridge, and to ask the college tutors and current undergraduates questions about their subject of interest.

The virtual Modern Languages Study Day will take place on Wednesday 18th February and the daily timetable for the day is as follows:

15:00-15:50: Admissions talk with Q&A
16:00-17:00: Academic taster session (attendees have a choice between 2 different subjects per day)
17:00-17:30: Subject Q&A with Academic and Student Ambassadors

The sessions are open to all Year 12 students at a UK state school who are considering a degree involving modern languages of any kind, whether that be French or another language.

For those still deciding what to apply for, we encourage you to attend in order to learn more about Modern Languages and what it might be like to study them at Oxford.

These sessions would also count as great examples of supercurricular activities, and might give you ideas about topics or further reading to include in the personal statement.

You can sign up for the Study Day here. The deadline for sign-ups is Monday 9th February at 9am. 

Please email access@some.ox.ac.uk with any questions.

Applying to study modern languages, Events and Competitions, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Studying at Oxford

Beginners’ Languages Taster Day 2026

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On Saturday 7th March 2026, the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages will be holding its annual Beginners’ Languages Taster Day, an event dedicated to our beginners’ languages courses. This event offers students from UK secondary schools in Year 12 or equivalent an opportunity to gain greater insight into studying a language from scratch at Oxford. Students in Year 11 who are starting to consider their options for university are also welcome to attend.

Our beginners’ languages degree courses offer an exciting and rare opportunity for undergraduates to study a new language from scratch and engage with new cultures along the way, or to pick up languages they learned up to GCSE but could not continue at school. The courses are challenging yet rewarding, with many designed to bring students up to A-level standard within the first year.

The Taster Day will take place in the University’s brand-new Humanities building, the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. 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. There will also be a Q&A session for companions in the afternoon which offers parents/guardians/teachers the chance to ask a panel of academics, undergraduates, and Faculty staff questions about supporting their children/students through applying to and studying at Oxford.

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 for 2026 can be found here.

To register for the Taster Day, students should fill out this form by 12 noon on Friday 13th 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.

For any queries or booking amendments, please get in touch with Nicola at schools.liaison@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.

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.

Studying a language from scratch at Oxford

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 7th March!

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

Modern Languages Subject Taster Day

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Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a wonderful time and enjoyed the festivities over the Christmas holidays.

A new year brings new opportunities to explore your options of studying Modern Languages at Oxford.

For example, on 21 February 2026, Exeter College is running an inspiring, immersive day dedicated to all things Modern Languages for Year 11 and 12 students.

The Radcliffe Camera from Exeter College

Whether you’re passionate about French, Spanish, Italian, German, or simply curious about studying languages at university level, this is your chance to experience Oxford up close.

In the morning, you’ll explore the historic Turl Street site and gain a clear, insider’s view of the admissions process and what studying languages at Oxford is really like.

Across two afternoon sessions, you’ll take part in small‑group workshops led by Oxford tutors in French, Spanish, Italian, or German. Choose your languages, explore real academic material, and experience Oxford’s teaching style first-hand.

Apply here: Modern Languages Subject Day: Saturday 21 February 2026 – Fill in form. The form will close on 13 February 2026.

Subject Days are often oversubscribed and selection is based on academic merit and contextual factors. We warmly encourage applications from students who identify with any of the following criteria.

  • Students on Free School Meals.
  • Students from IMD Q1 and Q2 (*check your postcode at the link below)
  • Students who have been or are currently in care.

Please provide as many details about yourself to aid the shortlisting process.

The programme will be free of charge, lunch will be provided, and travel bursaries are available.

Questions can be directed to outreach@exeter.ox.ac.uk.

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

UNIQ 2026 – Applications now open!

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Will UNIQ help you shape your future? Apply now and find out! 

What is UNIQ?

UNIQ is Oxford’s free access programme for UK state school students. Featuring a sustained contact programme and in-person summer residential, you’ll be taught by Oxford academics and explore subjects aligned with your academic interests. The programme encourages you to make friends with other UNIQ participants: you’ll meet them at regional events and live alongside them during the Oxford residential, where current undergraduates will also be supporting you and on hand to answer your questions about student life at Oxford. We’ll also support you to make a strong university application to a course at Oxford or elsewhere. 

What Modern Languages courses are available?   

For Modern Languages, there will be courses available for Spanish, French, and German taking place over the summer of 2026. Each varied course allows students to explore several exciting elements of degree-level language studies, such as language, literature, theatre, film, and linguistics, and provides the opportunity to experience a taster of two other European languages at beginners’ level.

How can 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. Before you apply you should check that you meet our eligibility requirements and browse carefully the 30+ courses on offer to decide on your first and second choice.  
 
Applications close on 13 January 2026. 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, check out our FAQs or contact us at uniq@admin.ox.ac.uk.   

*****

We’ll be back in January 2026 with more blog posts. In the meantime, we wish you a restful and peaceful festive period and a Happy New Year!

Events and Competitions, French, German, Spanish

FREE Christmas Lectures for Year 13s

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The Langton Language Centre, based at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School in Canterbury, is running an exciting series of online lectures aimed at Year 13 languages students.

These are a great opportunity to get a taste of studying languages at university and see if it’s for you!

These lectures are taking place from 8th to 19th December and are completely free. All lectures will take place in the evening, either from 18:00-19:00 or 19:00-20:00.

The programme of lectures can be found here. Lectures cover varied topics, from the French Revolution to Japanese films.

Students need to sign up individually via this form with just their school name. No personal details required!

For safeguarding reasons, microphones and cameras will be muted but students and lecturers will be able to interact via the chat. 

Please email David Stalley (dstalley@langton.kent.sch.uk) with any questions.

Events and Competitions, Teachers

2025 Language Teachers’ Conference

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Here at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, we are delighted to share details about this year’s Language Teachers’ Conference which will take place on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 September 2025 at Somerville College, Oxford.

Our annual conference has developed out of the Sir Robert Taylor Society (named after the founder of the Faculty’s Languages Library), a network of teachers of Modern Foreign Languages in secondary schools, academics from the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford, and others interested in MFL.

2024 Teachers’ Conference

This conference is now a core aspect of the Faculty’s Schools Liaison work, and provides a unique forum for interaction and exchange between the University and teachers. It offers teachers the chance to spend a night in an Oxford college, to attend various taster lectures and discussions, and to ask our academics and admissions tutors questions about our courses, research, and supporting students’ applications to Oxford.

Conference Programme

2025 sees us re-invigorating our standard conference programme to make it more interactive and collaborative. For the first time, the Conference will have a theme – ‘Collaboration and Connections’ – which will underpin all of the sessions and talks that are taking place across the two days. We hope that, by creating more space for meaningful discussions, teacher-led content, and undergraduate student perspectives, the event will provide more useful opportunities for delegates and Faculty members to share best practice, network, and learn from one another.

We are pleased to be holding the conference at Somerville College once again after a successful event last year. Somerville was established in 1879 as a hall for women, who were barred from the university at the time, and throughout its history it has remained committed to equality. Today, Somerville marries beautiful architecture with a proud emphasis on inclusivity and diversity.

Prospective students and their families look around Somerville College

The full provisional event programme can be found here and more information about the conference is available here.

A particular highlight of this year’s programme is scheduled for Saturday morning – our ‘Collaboration carousel’ session will involve invited MFL teachers speaking about the exciting and innovative projects they have been working on within their school or local area to promote language learning.  

Delegate rates and booking

Below are the various rates and ticket options available for both state and independent school teachers.

State school rateIndependent school rate
Full conference, including accommodation and breakfast£150£300
Full conference, excluding accommodation£100£220
Friday only£50£110
Saturday only£50£110

Please visit our online bookings webpage to secure your place. You will need to create an account (or log in if you’ve used our website before) and select the right rate for your school type and length of attendance. Bookings will close on Monday 8th September.

We have a select number of fully subsidised places available for non-selective state schools. The Faculty has some funding set aside to cover the cost of the conference ticket and to reimburse reasonable travel expenses for teachers from these schools travelling to and from Oxford. Preference will be given to schools that either:

  • have never attended the conference before (or that have not attended in the last few years);
  • are located in areas of the country from which fewer students attend University;
  • have high proportions of students on Free School Meals.

If you wish to apply for one of these places, please fill in this very short form by Tuesday 1st July at midday.

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

We look forward to seeing you in September!

Events and Competitions, Teachers

Oxford Admissions Webinar series

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St Hilda’s College is embarking on a webinar series for state school students that will look in detail at the Oxford admissions process and is aimed at students at different stages in their applications.

People punting on the River Cherwell, St Hilda’s College

Whilst information about the University of Oxford will be given, please note that the first and last talks will also focus on university in general and how to make informed decisions about the future.

The series involves a number of different online sessions, as follows:

Wednesday 18th June (16:00-16:45)- ‘How to choose a course and a university’

Thursday 19th June (19:00-20:00)- ‘An overview of the Oxford admissions process (for teachers)’

Wednesday 9th July 2025 (16:00-16:45)- ‘An overview of the Oxford admissions process (for students)’

Wednesday 16th July (16:00-16:45)- UCAS personal statement

These are all aimed at state school students (Years 10-13) and/or teachers, depending on the talk.

More information and the registration forms can be found here:
St Hilda’s College Outreach Webinars | St Hilda’s College Oxford

Please direct any questions towards outreach@st-hildas.ox.ac.uk.

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

Reminder: Modern Languages Open Day!

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It’s not too late to register your place at our Modern Languages Open Day at the beautiful Examination Schools (75 – 81 High St, Oxford) on Saturday 17th May!

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 combinations – languages with 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 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!

Careers, Events and Competitions, French, German, Spanish, Why study languages?

GCHQ Language Outreach virtual sessions!

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GCHQ are excited to invite teachers and their Year 8 & 9 students to participate in their upcoming GCHQ Language Outreach virtual sessions! 

Our program aims to inspire and encourage students to explore new languages or advance their existing skills.

Session Overview:

  1. Introduction to work at GCHQ

Discover the mission behind GCHQ and how languages play a significant part in our work.

  1. Taster sessions

Engage in interactive sessions for Spanish, German and French, designed to provide students with a glimpse into each language and its culture.

We believe that exposing students to different languages can spark interest and motivate them to pursue language studies further.  Please follow the guidance below if you feel this maybe of benefit to you and your students.

RSVP:

To confirm your participation, please fill out this Microsoft Form.

We understand that some school computer network policies may not allow access to hyperlinks so if you do encounter any issues, or would rather reply directly, please feel free to email Gordon54585@gchq.gov.uk with your attendance confirmation, choice of date and language.  The slide above provides a brief breakdown of the session but we are happy to respond to any questions you may have or give more details.

Virtual session dates & times:

Friday 6th June 2025, 11.30-12.30: French, Spanish, German

Wednesday 25th June 2025, 10.30-11.30: French, Spanish, German

Tuesday 15th July 2025, 13.30-14.30: French, Spanish, German