English and French
The English side of the course offers you a choice from a list of papers covering all literature written in the English language, from its origins in Anglo-Saxon through to works produced in English-speaking countries across the world in the present day. The French side of the course will give you practical linguistic training, encourage you to think coherently about language as a subject of study and introduce you to an extensive and fascinating field of Francophone literature and thought.
French is among the most widely-spoken modern languages in the world, with over 120 million speakers worldwide. It is an official language in such diverse places as Louisiana, Martinique and Belgium as well as France itself, and the many different kinds of French that exist ensure that the language remains central to a thriving variety of cultures. The literature, art and cinema of France are among the richest and most influential in the world.
Modern European languages at Oxford
The study of European languages at Oxford provides both practical training in written and spoken language and an extensive introduction to the literature and thought of the language(s) you have chosen. You will learn to write and speak the language(s) fluently, and will be able to choose from a broad range of options including linguistics, film studies and advanced translation. You can study the literature of a language chronologically or focus on particular periods - the medieval, the early modern or the modern era.
Studying English and French
A degree in English and French is normally four years in length. You will spend around half your time studying French language and literature, and around half studying English language and literature. You will spend the third year of your course abroad. This may be as a paid language assistant in a foreign school, or you may work abroad, or study at a foreign university.
Other options for studying English
English can be studied on its own OR in combination with one of the following languages/subjects:
- English and Modern languages (English with one of the following modern European languages): French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Modern Greek, or Czech (with Slovak). Students who do not have an A-level or equivalent in the relevant language may combine English with a beginners’ version of the language (with the exception of French, Spanish or Russian).
- Classics and English
- History and English
Other options for studying French
French can be studied on its own OR in combination with one of the following languages/subjects:
- One of the following modern European languages: German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Modern Greek, or Czech (with Slovak). Students who do not have an A-level or equivalent in the relevant language may (in all cases, except Spanish) combine French with a beginners’ version of the language. It is also possible to combine French with Polish. We generally expect all students wishing to study Polish to be beginners, though those with experience are also very welcome to apply.
- A Middle Eastern Language offered by the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies: Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish. These languages are all available to beginners with no prior knowledge of the language.
- Classics
- English
- History
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
