Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages

Differences from 2023/24 to 2024/25

A

The languages, subjects, and papers in the examination shall be as prescribed by regulation from time to time by the Board of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages.

B

Not more than two languages may be offered.

  • 1. The languages which may be offered shall be Latin and Greek and those languages which may be offered in the Final Honour School of Modern Languages.

  • 2. The subjects of the examination shall be:

    • (a) Language papers (including certification of attendance and participation in oral classes2);

    • (b) Literature papers;

    • (c) Classics and Modern Languages

    • (d) Linguistics (available exclusively for candidates admitted to read for the Final Honour School of Modern Languages and Linguistics);

    • (e) Further Topics (for candidates taking French, German, Spanish or Russian sole only);

    • (f) Russian Course B (ab initio);

    • (g) German Course B (ab initio).

  • 3. A candidate shall be deemed to have passed the examination if they shall have satisfied the Examiners

    either (i) in all papers in both subjects (a) Language and (b) Literature in each of two languages, at least one of the languages being modern;

    or (ii) in all papers in both subjects (a) Language and (b) Literature in one modern language (other than Czech (with Slovak) or Celtic) and in all papers in subject (d) Linguistics (available exclusively for candidates admitted to read for the Final Honour School in Modern Languages and Linguistics);

    or (iii) in all papers in both subjects (a) Language and (b) Literature in French, German, Spanish or Russian and in all three papers in subject (e) Further Topics in the same language (French, German, Spanish or Russian/Slavonic);    

    or (iv) in all papers in both subjects (a) Language and (b) Literature in French, German, Spanish or Russian and in two papers (XI and XII) in subject (e) Further Topics in the same language (French, German, Spanish or Russian/Slavonic) and in one paper (XIII) in subject (e) Further Topics in Polish;

    or (v) in all papers in both subjects (a) Language and (b) Literature in one modern language and in all papers in subject (f) Russian Course B (ab initio) or German Course B (ab initio).

Candidates must offer all the papers at one examination, provided that a candidate who has previously failed to satisfy the examiners in any paper or papers shall not be required to resit any paper or papers in which he or  she has already satisfied the examiners. The pair of papers IIA and IIB (and BIIA and BIIB) counts as a single paper.

  • 4. To a candidate who has done work of special merit in the papers concerned, the Moderators may award a mark of distinction in a language, and in Further Topics, and in Linguistics. A candidate may be awarded either one or two distinctions. A candidate receiving distinction in both parts of their examination may receive an overall distinction.

  • 5. Candidates must offer:

    Either: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in two modern languages:

    Or: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in a modern language together with V, VI, and VII in Latin and/or Ancient Greek;

    Or: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in a modern language together with the papers specified in the regulations for Linguistics in all Preliminary Examinations including Linguistics. 

    Or: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in French, German, Spanish or Russian together with XI, XII, and XIII in the same language  (French, German, Spanish, Russian/Slavonic). (For candidates offering French, German, Spanish or Russian sole.)

    Or: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in French, German, Spanish or Russian together with XI and XII in the same language and Polish XIII. (For candidates offering French, German, Spanish or Russian sole with Polish.)

  • Or: I, IIA, IIB, III, IV in a modern language together with BI, BIIA, BIIB, BIII; and BIV Oral Test (for candidates admitted to Russian Course B) or BI, BIIA, BIIB, BIII Oral Test and BIV (for candidates admitted to German Course B).

  • The assessment for papers I, II, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and XII will normally take the form of a three-hour written paper as detailed in the Course Handbook.  Paper III will be certified, except for Spanish and Italian, where candidates will be required to take a three-hour written paper. Paper IV will be examined via a three-hour written paper, except for Spanish and Italian, where candidates will be certified.: 

    • Papers I, IIA, and IIB: in-person written examination; 
    • Papers III and IV: on-line written examination; 
    • Sole Papers in French, German, Russian & Spanish will take the form of:
      • French: XI (certification), XII and XIII (online written examination) 
      • German: XI (certification), XII, XIII (online written examination) 
      • Russian: XI and XII (examined), XIII (online written examination) 
      • Spanish: XI (certification), XII and XIII: (online written examination) 

Candidates taking beginners’ papers will be assessed as follows: 

  • Beginners’ German
    • German BI, BII/IIA & IIB: in-person written examination;
    • German BIII: by certification
    • German BIV: on-line written examination; 
  • Beginners’ Russian:
    • Russian BI, BII/IIA & IIB: in-person written examination;
    • in-person written examination.

6.a. Language papers

  • I. Language I. 3 hours.

[See Table 18]

  • II. Language II. The paper will be in two parts of 1½ hours each.

[See Table 19

  • b. Literature papers

  • III. Literature I. 3 hours.

Texts for study will be specified in the relevant modern language’s Prelim course handbook.

  • IV. Literature II: Prescribed texts. 3 hours.

Texts for study will be specified in the relevant modern language's Prelim course handbook.

  • c. Classics and Modern Languages paper

  • Latin and Ancient Greek

    Any candidate whose native language is not English may bring a bilingual (native language to English) dictionary for use in any examination paper where candidates are required to translate Ancient Greek and/or Latin texts into English.

    1. Course I.

  • Papers V, VI and VII: Candidates will be required to take papers identical with papers 3, 4, and 5 for the Preliminary Examination in Classics and English, Course I.

  • For prescribed editions of texts, see the Classics and Modern Languages Handbook.

  • 2. Course II.

    Candidates for Course II shall be required:

  • (a) to pass at the end of their first year of study the examination in Greek and Latin prescribed for first-year candidates in Course II of the Preliminary Examination in Classics and English.

  • (b) during their second year of study, to offer papers as for Course I.

  • d.Linguistics

  • As specified in the regulations for Linguistics in all Preliminary Examinations including Linguistics. 
  • e.Further Topics

  • XI. Further Topics I: 3 hours

  • Films for study will be specified in the relevant modern language's Prelims course handbook.

  • French: Introduction to French Film Studies:

  • German: Introduction to German Film Studies:

  • Spanish: Introduction to Hispanic Film Studies

  • Russian/Slavonic: Introduction to Russian Film Studies

  • XII. Further Topics II: 3 hours

  • Texts for study will be specified in the relevant modern language's Prelim course handbook.

  • French: Introduction to French Literary Theory

  • German: Introduction to German Medieval Studies

  • Spanish: Introduction to Spanish Medieval Studies

  • Russian/Slavonic: Russian Church Slavonic Texts and Elements of Comparative Slavonic Philology

  • XIII. Further Topics III: 3 hours

  • Texts for study will be specified in the relevant modern language’s Prelim course handbook.

  • French: Key Texts in French Thought:

  • German: Key Texts in German Thought:

  • Spanish: Introduction to Short Fiction in Spanish 

  • Russian/Slavonic: Elementary Polish

  • f. Russian Course B: for students who enter Oxford without A level or equivalent level knowledge of Russian

  • BI Translation from English into Russian and Russian grammar exercises.

    BIIA Translation from Russian into English.

    BIIB Comprehension of a passage of written Russian.

    BIII Dictation and Aural Comprehension.

    BIV Oral Test.

  • g. German Course B: for students who enter Oxford without A level or equivalent level knowledge of German

  • BI Reading Comprehension and Essay in German.

  • BIIA Translation into German.

  • BIIB Translation from German.

  • BIII Oral Test.

  • BIV German Prose. Texts for study will be specified in the German Prelim course handbook.

Table 18

French:

The paper will consist of three parts: (1) a passage in French of 500-600 words to be summarised in French in 150-180 words (40 marks); (2) 10 sentences focusing on grammar points to be translated into French (30 marks); (3) a prose passage of 150-200 words in English (written post 1950) to be translated into French (30 marks).

German:

‘Deutsche Gesellschaft und Kultur seit 1890.’ Reading comprehension (in German) on a passage which relates to the theme of the paper. One essay in German on a topic relating to the theme of the paper. 

Italian:

The paper will consist of: (a) reading comprehension exercises; (b) one guided essay in Italian.

Spanish:

The paper will consist of: (a) translation into Spanish: a set of grammatical sentences. 1½ hours will be allowed for each part.

Portuguese:

The paper will consist of: (a) reading comprehension exercises; (b) translation into Portuguese; (c) a guided composition.

Russian:

Translation into Russian and/or exercises in Russian.

Modern Greek:

Translation into Modern Greek and exercises in Modern Greek.

Czech (with Slovak):

(a) a modern English prose passage; and (b) English sentences testing basic grammar, both to be translated into either Czech or Slovak.

Celtic:

(a) a modern English prose passage; and (b) English sentences testing basic grammar, both to be translated into Welsh.

Table 19

French:

Unprepared translation: Translation into English of a prose passage in French.

 

Prepared translation: Translation into English of a passage from one of the texts prescribed for French paper IV, excluding La Chastelaine de Vergi.

German:

IIA. Translation into German of a prose passage.

 

IIB. Translation from German of a prose passage in a modern literary register.

Italian:

IIA. Translation into Italian of a prose passage or sentences.

 

IIB. Translation from Italian. A passage of modern prose will be set.

Spanish:

IIA. Translation from Spanish of a prose passage in a modern literary register.

 

IIB. Translation from Spanish of a prose passage in an informal register such as journalism.

Portuguese:

IIA. Translation from Portuguese of a prose passage in a modern literary register.

 

IIB. Translation from Portuguese of a prose passage in an informal register such as journalism, and an exercise or exercises in reading comprehension.

Russian:

IIA. Translation from Russian. A passage of modern prose will be set.

 

IIB. Comprehension exercise. A modern passage in the language will be set to test comprehension. All answers in this paper will be in English.

Modern Greek:

IIA. Translation from Modern Greek. A passage of modern prose will be set.

 

IIB. Comprehension exercises. A modern passage or passages in the language will be set to test comprehension. All answers in this paper will be in English.

Czech (with Slovak):

IIA and IIB. One passage of modern prose in each paper for translation from Czech into English.

 

Celtic:

IIA. A passage of Middle Welsh prose to be translated into English.

 

IIB. A passage of Old Irish prose or a passage of Modern Welsh prose to be translated into English.

 

2 Colleges will submit to the Undergraduate Studies Officer, Faculty of Modern Languages, 41 Wellington Square, by noon on Friday of Week 5 of Trinity Term a certificate stating that their candidates have attended and participated in at least eight oral classes, consisting of reading aloud and discussion in their languages(s) of passages dealing with issues in contemporary culture.