Hear from the students themselves about their trip(s) and meeting Channing alumnae!

This term, a small group of students from Years 9 to 12 (including myself) had the incredible opportunity to visit Oxford University to explore what studying languages is like at such a prestigious institution. We visited various colleges and other university sites, meeting fascinating professors and academics who provided insight into different courses. Engaging discussions and Q&A sessions with students helped us to understand key aspects of university life, including the admissions process, interviews and the vast opportunities which studying languages can lead to. It was a truly enriching experience.

Amelia S, Year 10

St Edmund’s Hall

We began our tour at St Edmund’s Hall, where Professor Lähnemann, who specialises in medieval German, described the history of the library and the college, which was an enriching experience. She also explained why she is inspired by all things medieval. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to speak with Rosie, a Channing alumna, about the admission process, language courses and academic life. She shared her experience of studying for her degree in French and Russian, which she studies from beginner’s level.

Evangelina U, Year 10

Queen’s College - Creative Translation

At Queen’s College, we were given an incredible opportunity to participate in an amazing creative translation workshop with Catriona Parry. We familiarised ourselves with the differences between literal and creative translation and how complex it might be to translate various idioms in an understandable way. Then we attempted to produce our own creative translation of a tragicomedy En Attendant Godot (Waiting For Godot) by playwright Samuel Beckett. This was a truly unique experience which opened the world of translation for us and also was an excellent French practice. I personally was really fascinated when Catriona mentioned Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce and the absolutely exceptional structure of most words there. Most of them were constructed by the author himself with the usage of roots and suffixes from different languages!

Mariia S, Year 9

During our day in Oxford, we had the amazing opportunity to discover the art of translation in the studying of languages at Queen’s College, in a workshop with Catriona Parry and Clara, a former student of Languages. Here, we learnt about creative translation and the multiple steps within it, including translating texts from a foreign language to a literal translation and then to a fully understandable translation (known as creative translating). We found this experience to be really enriching and insightful and highlighted the wide range of topics encompassed in languages at Oxford. Also the opportunity to ask questions and share our own translation of the text further enhanced our interactive experience and developed our understanding of both translation and general life at Oxford.

Olivia W, Year 10

Pembroke College - Dr Farrant, Dr Gwyer, students

At Pembroke College, we had a Q&A with Dr Farrant, Dr Gwyer and six very helpful students of German, French, Spanish and Arabic. Most were in their first year studying a degree such as Philosophy combined with a language or a language degree with one they had done at A Level and a beginners’ language. This was extremely helpful because we got to ask lots of questions and get lots of interesting information from both the professors and the students. It gave us an opportunity to learn about the degrees and what they were made up of and the individual experience of the students studying at Pembroke College and what they think of the course.

Sophie M, Year 10

Meeting Hannah

After visiting Pembroke College, the Sixth Form students had the pleasure of meeting Hannah, a former Channing pupil, in her final year studying Spanish. We walked around Oxford asking her questions about her experiences studying Spanish before she took us to a lovely café which she said is the perfect place to do some studying away from the library or your room. We were able to ask her as many questions as possible and she gave us great insights into university life at Oxford as well as telling us about what her course entails which was very interesting and helpful for all of us. Overall, it was lovely to hear about her experiences and to be given such great advice!

Teresa G, Year 12

Meeting Amy

We were also provided with an opportunity to meet an Oxford student Amy, who studies Classics and German there, and ask her all sorts of queries about her learning experience. This was a wonderful chance to understand the Oxford system of teaching. We weren’t only able to discover the academic part of Oxford, for example which subjects are usually taken together, but also to gain a glimpse of student still life and just how studying in Oxford feels in general. Also, it was really exciting to know which are the most and least favourite aspects of studying Classics and German and which careers can various subjects lead to.

Mariia, Year 9

The Oxford University Press

We also had the opportunity to visit The Oxford University Press where we met the Publisher and the Commissioning Editor of MFL textbooks. We had a Q and A where we learnt about different GCSE books which they write and how they visit secondary schools to learn more about students’ and teachers’ needs The OUP. overall was an amazing opportunity to learn more about the many advantages of taking languages at university and about what it could lead to.

Amelia, Year 10

The Ashmolean Museum

At the end of a very exciting day, we were fortunate enough to visit the Ashmolean Museum, where we were treated to a wide range of fascinating displays ranging from silver spoons to immaculately decorated grandfather clocks (and we were privileged enough to hear one chime!) There was even a massive room full of intricate pottery where we marvelled at the dainty designs on ornaments such as vases and teacups. Finally, we attempted to recreate the hilarious facial expressions of the countless painted portraits. It was a fantastic finish to the day!

Sophia S & Millie W, Year 9