Modern Languages and Linguistics - Student Profile

Ashley, 2nd year

'I applied to Oxford on a whim: when I finally received my acceptance letter, I was convinced there’d been a mistake! Like most students, I began Linguistics as a completely new subject. I knew I loved languages, but had no idea what the study of them would entail. What makes this course so absorbing is that it offers such scope for specialisation that you can explore anything from controversial new theories on first-language acquisition to translation of nonsense verse like The Jabberwocky.'

Martin, who graduated in 1997, is an Associate Principal at ZS Associates, a management consultancy firm specialising in sales and marketing issues. He says:  

‘The Oxford tutorial system really mirrors the kind of deadline-driven project work we do for our clients – we understand and synthesize a large amount of qualitative and quantitative data in a short space of time and then make recommendations by layering in insights on top of the analysis to help solve the client’s business problem ... when you think about it, the process has a lot in common with writing a good essay!’