Courses Offered:
- BA (Hons) Modern Languages
- BA (Hons) Modern Languages and Linguistics
- BA (Hons) English and Modern Languages
- BA (Hons) History and Modern Languages
- BA (Hons) Classics and Modern Languages
- BA (Hons) Philosophy and Modern Languages
- BA (Hons) European and Middle Eastern Languages
Current Fellows and Lecturers
Professor Christina Howells (Tutorial Fellow in French)
Professor Robin Fiddian (Tutorial Fellow in Spanish)
Dr Carolin Duttlinger (Tutorial Fellow in German)
Dr Claudia Pazos-Alonso (Senior Research Fellow in Portuguese)
Dr Philip Bullock (Tutorial Fellow in Russian)
Dr Muireann Maguire (Fellow in Russian)
Professor Guido Bonsaver (Lecturer in Italian)
Dr Dimitris Papanikolaou (Lecturer in Modern Greek)
Dr Chimène Bateman (Lecturer in French)
Dr Gerald Moore (Lecturer in French)
David Martinez (Lecteur)
Golo Schmidt (German Lektor)
Admissions
We accept up to 15 undergraduates every year to read single honours or joint degrees, and welcome all combinations of languages. We also welcome applications for joint degrees (a modern language with for example History, Philosophy, Classics, or English) and have had a very strong record in recruitment and examination results over the past fifteen years.
Teaching Structure
Wadham is unusually fortunate in having seven Fellows in Modern Languages. We also have four lecturers (two in French, one in Italian and one in Modern Greek). In addition we have lectors in French and German – native speakers attached to the College who assist with language teaching and help undergraduates to prepare for the oral examination taken in the final year. While all the Modern Languages tutors have research interests of their own – they are currently working on such topics as modern fiction and poetry, theatre, cinema, literary and media theory, continental philosophy, 19th century poetry and novels – undergraduates are encouraged to make their own choices, from a wide-ranging list, of topics they want to pursue for their final examinations. The study of literature and ideas has remained the core of the Oxford Modern Languages course. Undergraduates can also expect to have at least one language exercise per week in each language they are studying, as well as their tutorials on literary topics.
The Course
Candidates who have done only one language at school, or want to drop one of the languages they have been learning, have various options including, of course, the joint schools mentioned above. If their chosen language is French or German they may choose to study this language on its own, taking a broader course which, in the first year, will include French or German cinema, French or German thought, and French literary theory or German medieval literature. Alternatively, and for other languages, they may take the first public examination in that language and linguistics. At Wadham such candidates are also encouraged to consider starting a fresh language such as Italian, Russian, Portuguese or Modern Greek.
Undergraduates studying Modern Languages or a joint school with Modern Languages register for a four-year course, which incorporates a year abroad. Some undergraduates attend university or organise work placements for this year, but most prefer to take teaching posts abroad for nine months, since such jobs offer good pay, relatively light duties with long holidays, and a friendly work environment in which there are plenty of opportunities to meet people and speak the foreign language.
Further InformationFor more information on the course or applying please see the
Undergraduate Prospectus.
Student Profile
Hannah Grayson, 2nd Year, French and Linguistics
I chose to study French because I’d really enjoyed foreign languages at secondary school and wanted to develop those skills further. Studying Modern Languages at Oxford gives you the opportunity to read a broad range of literature and study in depth particular areas of interest, being taught by experts in the field. I was also fascinated by the way human language is structured and used and how it changes, so I chose to apply for joint honours including Linguistics. The course has been challenging, interesting, and really enjoyable. The year abroad is a wonderful opportunity to be immersed in the language(s) you are studying, and to grow in understanding and knowledge of a different culture.
I was attracted to Wadham by the large number of Modern Languages Fellows, and the French department in college is particularly strong. As well as the academic side of things, Wadham is situated right in the centre of Oxford, and is a relatively large college. I was drawn in by the beautiful gardens – even more lovely in the summer. There is loads to get involved with in college, particularly if you are interested in sport, politics or music. The staff and students alike are incredibly friendly, and this makes Wadham a really safe and happy place to be.
