There is a great sense of community amongst Girton’s linguists

• No. of students admitted per year: 7
• Subject requirements:  At least one modern language. One of the subjects must be one of the languages that you wish to study at Cambridge. To study French, you must complete this to A-level standard. Useful subjects include History, English Literature or Language, ancient languages, and Philosophy, but these are not required, and we have many successful applicants with other combinations of subjects, including Mathematics and science subjects.
• Minimum offer level:
  • A level: A*AA
  • IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
• Admissions assessment: If invited to interview, Cambridge applicants are required to take a written assessment, which takes place after shortlisting. Further information about the written assessment can be found here.
• Written Work: If invited to interview, our Directors of Studies in Modern and Medieval Languages would like to receive two recent examples of writing (an essay, for example) completed for school, one of which should be in one of the languages you intend to study at university. The pieces must be dated schoolwork which have been marked by a teacher. We would not expect to ask questions about it at interview.
• Interview arrangements: Usually two interviews; the interview(s) for language to be studied post-A level (or equivalent) will include a part conducted in the foreign language. Applicants wanting to study a language ab initio will be expected to demonstrate convincingly why they wish to do so, but no knowledge of the language is expected.

Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge is regularly rated as the best in the country by University Guides – there is nowhere better to study French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish as main languages, and to try out Catalan, Modern Greek, Polish, Portuguese or Ukrainian as options.

MML is one of the most varied courses on offer. Not only do you gain high level fluency in two languages, one of which can be studied from scratch, but you also study some of the world’s best writers, filmmakers, artists and philosophers, explore history and culture or try out the study of linguistics. While some papers give you in-depth knowledge of a particular period in a particular location, others allow you to study comparatively across three languages in one essay.

The first year of the course involves language development and an introductory paper (a year-long course) on culture for each language. Depending on the language, the culture paper will introduce you to different aspects of the degree that you can cover in more detail in the second and final years: different periods of literature, film, linguistics, art, history or philosophy. The second and final years maintain language development while also giving you lots of opportunities to shape the degree to your interests, in the areas just mentioned, or pick up another language such as Catalan or Modern Greek. The Year Abroad is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy time immersed in the language(s) you are studying, studying, working or teaching English. Recent Girton students have spent time in Italy, France, Germany and as far afield as Eastern Russia, Chile and Brazil. The course also allows final year students to ‘borrow’ from a short list papers taught by other Faculties, such as Management Studies, English, History, Politics or Theoretical Linguistics. 

Read more about the MML course on the Faculty’s website. 

Girton is fortunate to have a dynamic and supportive team of teaching Fellows in Modern Languages, specialising in Spanish, French and Italian. For these languages, supervisions (small group teaching sessions) usually take place in college. Each year, we also welcome a French lecteur/lectrice from the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon who offers French-language teaching to our students. For those languages we do not cover in-house, we have longstanding links with excellent supervisors in other Colleges. 

Students will also meet regularly with their Director of Studies (DoS). The DoS is the principal academic contact for students in College for MMLL. They support students to reach their full potential, and offer guidance on future plans, whether those be for the potential papers (‘modules’) they might choose or helping them with their Year Abroad. Our longstanding link with the École Normale Supérieure means students have the option to study in Lyon during their Year Abroad as part of an exchange programme.

Girton is committed to supporting MMLL students’ language learning. We offer in-house critical theory and cultural criticism seminars. Every year there are several social events for linguists. We also have a burgeoning Fellows and Students MMLL society – Girton Languages and Cultures Soc – where we host regular film nights and other social events. The College Library has an extensive MMLL section, which is well-stocked with the key texts and films you will be studying. Funds are available for keeping the MMLL collections up-to-date, and students are always welcome to suggest new acquisitions.

We are committed to supporting students learning outside of term time. We have two dedicated funds for MMLL students: the Marion Hird Blackwell Trust Fund, to support modern linguists wishing to follow vacation courses abroad; and the Ruth Morgan Fund, to support modern linguists to undertake a short project of intellectual interest abroad. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, there are several prizes and financial awards for students who perform well in university assessments.

MML graduates go into a wide range of careers following graduation. Many have gone into business posts abroad where their language skills have been a strong asset, such as developing Latin American markets for a Spanish telecommunications company, or working in the technology industry in Paris. Others continue studying at universities both in the UK and abroad, take up teaching careers, work in the charity sector or train as lawyers. The Year Abroad offers a valuable opportunity to explore career avenues and students often find themselves returning to their Year Abroad destinations after graduation.

Nell (Spanish & French)

I didn’t know anybody or anyone who had studied at Cambridge before me, and I felt like a fish out of water coming from a state school in rural North Yorkshire and a gap year spent working in a supermarket. Mostly, I was afraid of the academic mountain to climb ahead of me. Yet, the kind Girton community and beautiful, green grounds soon became a place of safety, joy, friendship, and discovery. My time as an MMLLer at Girton was nurturing and challenged me to grow into a better person intellectually and personally.

Daniel (Spanish and German)

The best thing about MMLL at Girton is the teachers! My first year DoS and supervisor were both super on-it, supportive and welcoming throughout the whole year [...]. My favourite place in College would have to be the swimming pool. How many other colleges have one of those? A close second would be the orchard, especially on a hot, sunny day! [...] Everyone grows to love their college before long, so prioritise choosing the course that works for you, and choose it because you love it!

Watch the short video ‘Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge’, which includes two Girton Fellows – Stuart Davis and Claudia Domenici – and two Girton MMLL graduates, Rosalind and Jack.