Linguistics and Modern Languages

The Linguistics and Modern Languages (LML) course is a new four-year undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, which integrates the scientific study of language as a central element of human cognition, with the study of a specific language, its social context, history and culture. 

The first 2 years of the course are spent in Cambridge. You will spend your third year abroad, immersing yourself in the languages and cultures that interest you the most, before returning to Cambridge for the fourth year.

The Tripos enables students to develop a deep understanding of the multifaceted and central status of language in literature and culture, human cognition and communication, language education and policy, health and well-being, and information technology.

Graduates will have developed skills across arts and humanities, technology, and science. Bridging strengths among current Cambridge course offerings, the Linguistics and Modern Languages course looks to the future to address creativity-driven learning and collaboration opportunities for students, staff, and the wider community.

Our Medieval and Modern Languages (MML), History and Modern Languages (HML), and Linguistics cohorts at Magdalene are diverse groups of students, at times offering up to 20 different languages between them and with interests that typically span across the full range of the Linguistics course. Our selection of candidates is based on a simple principle: we want to see bright and passionate students with enthusiasm for the languages and cultures of their choice and/or with curiosity about the many unexpected universalities underlying the make-up and use of human language.

We would like every LML student at Magdalene to feel part of a community of linguists, and to encourage this, we organise several events throughout the academic year to ensure an exchange of views, learning and general discussion.

We want dedicated and committed students, and in return we offer individual support, huge chunks of encouragement and a friendly atmosphere. All of our teaching staff have decades of experience, our interests in language, culture and linguistics are very broad, and we love what we do.

The College welcomes applications for any of the languages available in the Linguistics and Modern Languages course.

More details of the course and the optional papers available can be found on University’s Undergraduate Study pages and the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics website.

Interviews are an important part of the selection process. We are looking for the most academically promising candidates (those able and willing to think for themselves, with real curiosity about their subject as it is taught in Cambridge and keenness to engage in our supervision system), whatever the languages they propose to study or the areas of Linguistics that might seem most appealing. There is no quota for any language. We are not looking for people who are simply 'good at being interviewed'; rather we are looking for informed enthusiasm and the drive to keep learning, notably also in a range of completely new ways.

There are no subject requirements for applicants proposing to study the modern language in question from scratch (‘ab initio’), though an essay-based subject can be useful.

If you choose French as your language option, you must have A level/IB Higher Level French.

If you want to study your chosen language at a more advanced level, you will need an A level or equivalent in that language.

Available languages:

French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish may all be studied post-A-level or equivalent. All of these apart from French may also be studied from scratch (ab initio).

There are also no subject requirements for the Linguistics component of the course, although subjects that encourage analytical reasoning are valuable.

Minimum Offer

A-level: A*AA

IB: 41-42 points overall, with 7,7,6 at Higher Level.

We do not normally require the A*/7 to be in a modern foreign language. Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept

Candidates will normally have two interviews of around 20-25 minutes each.

The interview process aims to assess your intellectual ability, potential, and commitment to the subject.

We also usually ask for one sample of written work (such as school essays) to be submitted with the application If applying to study French, or another language at a more advanced level, then this should normally be in that language.

Candidates invited for interview will need to take a written assessment. The assessment details are to be confirmed.

More information is available on the Interviews, Written Work and Assessments page.