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Welcome to the alumni and engagement pages of the Faculty website! The information presented here is aimed at our graduates and others who care about the future of Modern Languages both as a Faculty at Oxford and more broadly as a discipline.  We want to give you opportunities to keep in touch, to learn about current research in the field of Medieval and Modern Languages, and to attend events taking place at the Faculty and the University.

We are very grateful to our alumni and supporters for the enthusiastic help with previous Fundraising projects in the Faculty. Thanks to you, Schools Liaison activities and bridging courses — two Outreach initiatives aimed at prospective students — have been a great success. Our Living Languages Fund, established in 2018, continues to support current and future MML scholars when they need it most. You can read about that and other projects below.

If there is anything you wish to contact us about, please, do so. The Faculty Office (office@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk) are happy to answer any general queries, and the Editor (editor@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk) will be glad to hear from you in regards to our publications. There is also an active X channel where you can follow our news as they happen and engage in conversation:

Oxford Modern Languages (@OxfordModLangs) / X: News, updates and live interaction with our researchers, students, and projects.

The Oxford Polyglot

Here to inform our alumni and supporters about the most recent developments at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, The Oxford Polyglot is a digital newsletter published three times a year: at the end of each term. Click here to read the latest issue, and, if you want to be the first to receive the next publication, click here to subscribe.

Alumni and Public Events

At the Faculty: The events at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages are numerous and varied, ranging from workshops and conferences to lectures, readings, and meetings with researchers, authors, and film-makers. Many of our events are open to the wider public, while still retaining the specialist nature of advanced studies; they are often in the languages taught in the Faculty and present a unique opportunity to discuss cultural, literary, and social works in their native vocabulary.

If you happen to be in Oxford at any time, make sure to check our Events Calendar and join us on an occasion of your choice. And if you are not sure where to start, the annual Taylor Lecture is always a good place.

At the University: There are also events organised by the University Alumni Office, specifically with University graduates in mind. The largest and, perhaps, the most exciting of those events is the Alumni Weekend.

Fundraising Projects

The study of languages has never been more relevant in an era of global communication where fluency and dexterity in at least one foreign language is an invaluable skill. At the same time, a deep and nuanced understanding of cultural imagination, intellectual history, beliefs and attitudes — what people think and how they think — is found in careful study of literature, thought, and linguistics.

Philanthropic support plays a vital role in helping the Faculty retain its position as a centre of excellence for the study of language, literature, and culture. Gifts from our donors help us provide resources for language teaching, support for academic programmes, and graduate scholarships and travel bursaries for students. We are very grateful for support at all levels, from small standing orders to larger one-off gifts.  

Currently, there are four major Fundraising strands:

  • The Living Languages Fund: Our main fund for supporting key strategic priorities for the Faculty.  Current priorities for the Faculty include Graduate Studentships and schools liaison/outreach activities.
  • General Support: Support for Faculty priorities, including resources, academic programmes, and student scholarships.
  • French at Oxford: The Oxford French department is the largest outside France. We welcome donations in particular to support Student Scholarships and the endowment of the Marshal Foch Chair.
  • The Oxford German Network: Donations to the Oxford German Network contribute to funding a wide range of initiatives, including workshops, after-school clubs, prizes for national competitions and related events.

If you wish to learn more about the initiatives and how to support them, please, follow this link.

Policy engagement

Modern Languages as a discipline faces increasing challenges that threaten its ability to thrive and survive; and the Faculty is actively seeking to influence government policy and public perception to secure the future of modern languages as a discipline.  The Faculty supports UCFL/ILCS plan for Plan for Concerted Action and Faculty members are actively involved in the The Languages Gateway.

Get in Touch

If you have feedback on any of our projects, a story to share, or photographs taken back in the day, we would love to hear from you. Do not hesitate to contact the Editor at editor@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk.