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.
On Saturday 7th March 2026, the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages will be holding its annual Beginners’ Languages TasterDay, 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.
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:
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.
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.
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 Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages is delighted to be running its second Beginners’ Languages TasterDay in March 2025!
Alongside our usual Modern Languages Open Day (which will take place on Saturday 17th May), this year we will once again be holding 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 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 8th 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.
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
Last year’s inaugural event received excellent feedback from prospective applicants and their companions:
I really enjoyed the taster day, it was fascinating to learn some Russian and Italian, especially Russian as it was something I had never considered before. Everyone was friendly and it was extremely well organised. I loved it!
The Q&A was really helpful and insightful. I didn’t think that I would enjoy today or get as much out of it as I did (I thought it would be really stuffy but it wasn’t). I think that a lot of my enjoyment was due to the planning of the day as well as how lovely and welcoming everyone who was there/helping was. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
An enjoyable day – which really opened up our daughter’s eyes to a Beginners Languages degree & the benefits of studying at Oxford University – thank you.
The provisional event programme for 2025 can be found here.
To register for the Taster Day, students should fill out this form by 12 noon on Friday 14th 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.
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:
On the blog this week, we take a look at the exciting Study Day opportunities for budding linguists coming up this summer!
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.
We would very much recommend applying to any of the opportunities below!
Exeter College – Thursday 25th April
Each year, Exeter College hosts a series of subject days for Year 11 and Year 12 students attending UK state schools. These aim to provide tailored support for students interested in exploring a range of subjects at University level.
The Radcliffe Camera from Exeter College
The College’s Modern Languages Study Day will be taking place on Thursday 25th April.
You can register your interest here. The deadline to sign up is 5pm on Monday 18th March.
Balliol College – Monday 3rd June
Applications are now open for an in-person Modern Languages Taster Day at Balliol College in Oxford!
This event is designed for Year 12 students from UK state funded schools who are currently studying a language at A-Level or equivalent, and who intend to apply to study French, Italian or Spanish, or Modern Languages and Linguistics as a single or a joint-honours degree at Oxford University.
The Taster Day will include academic sessions, admissions information and a demonstration interview. You will have the opportunity to speak to tutors and current undergraduates.
Please note, we will prioritise applications from disadvantaged students and from groups which are underrepresented at the university. Before submitting an application, please ensure you can attend the day in its entirety. This will be in-person at Balliol College in Oxford.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 17 May 2024.
St John’s College – Wednesday 12th June
St John’s College is pleased to welcome applications for our Year 12 Modern Languages Study Day. The Study Day is open to all Year 12 students currently attending a non-selective state-school in the UK.
Inside St John’s College chapel
What does the day involve?
Academic taster sessions led by Oxford Modern Languages tutors
Information on applying to, and studying at, Oxford University
A Q&A session with current Modern Languages students and tutors
A tour of St John’s College and lunch in Hall
To sign up, please complete the application form on our website. All events and resources are free to qualifying pupils. Travel grants are also available for eligible participants.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please do get in touch with us at access@sjc.ox.ac.uk.
Make sure you apply to these exciting opportunities before the deadlines!
A blog for school students and teachers and anyone else with an interest in Modern Languages and Cultures, written by the staff and students of Oxford University. Updated every Wednesday!
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