Languages

Background

Languages at university provides practial training in written and spoken forms as well as the opportuntiy to study a broad range of literature and history. Below you will find information about the specific degree courses offered by Oxford University and Cambridge University to study Langauges, how to prepare, and how Oxbridge Interviews can help you with your application.

Book Course

Studying at Cambridge

Cambridge offers an equivalent degree course in Modern and Medieval Langauges that lasts four years and includes a year abroad.

Students study two of:

French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish

The application process is competitive with two applications per place. To be offered a place, you generally need to get A*AA at A Level (or equivalent) and have studied an A-level in at least on of your chosen languages. Applicants are required to take an admissions test, MML Admissions Assessment, at interview, and at the below colleges, are required to submit one or two essays prior to interview:

Christ's
Churchill
Corpus Christi
Downing
Gonville and Caius
Homerton
King's
Lucy Cavendish
Magdalene
Murray Edwards
Pembroke
Peterhouse
Queens'
Robinson
St Catharine's
St Edmund's
St John's
Selwyn
Sidney Sussex
Trinity
Trinity Hall
Wolfson

Studying at Oxford

Oxford University's Modern Languages course is 4-years (including a year abroad) and students choose at least one language out of the following list:

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

The application process is competitive with 35% of applications successful. To be offered a place, you generally need to get AAA at A Level (or equivalent) and there are no A-level subject requirements as all languages may be taken from scratch. All applicants are required to take the Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT).

Alternatives to Languages

If you're still thinking about what to study, and interested in Langauges, you might want to consider other Cambridge courses including Classics, Linguistics or Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, or Classics or Oriental Studies at Oxford.

Preparing for Languages

To prepare for your application, you must demonstrate your motivation for the subject and specific interests. You can do this by having read beyond your school curriculum. Our interviewers recommend:

- Reading newspapers in your chosen language(s)

- Listening to podcasts in your chosen language(s)

Practice interviews for Languages applications are also critical. You wouldn’t sit an exam without doing a mock, so don’t place yourself in an interview without having experienced a practice interview first.

Advice from our interviewers

Elizabeth (French and Spanish, Oxford)

Elizabeth completed her undergraduate degree in French and Spanish at Worcester College, Oxford. Since graduating, she has been working as an editorial assistant for an online website using her language skills.

Q&A:

Elizabeth, why did you choose Languages?

"I always wanted to study languages and chose the Oxford course because it focuses on literature. I think it can feel like Oxbridge chooses you instead of you choosing it, simply because you have to jump through so many hoops to gain a place, but really to study languages at Oxford you have to love literature - it makes up 50% of the course. For me it was the perfect combination of language, translation, and reading (i.e. literary analysis)! "

What’s your advice to students applying to Languages?

"It’s ok not to know things, particularly in the interview when it can feel very scary saying that you don't know. As long as you are passionate about your subject, keen to learn and engage in that process of finding things out, questioning and reflecting, you'll be fine."