French and Linguistics

French and linguistics is a combination that approaches language from two complementary directions: through deep engagement with French as a living language and its associated literary and cultural traditions, and through the scientific study of language as a system and a human capacity. French develops your practical proficiency and gives you access to the literature, culture, film, and intellectual life of France and the broader Francophone world. Linguistics asks more foundational questions about how all languages are structured, how they are acquired and used, how they vary across communities and change over time, and what they reveal about the human mind.

At the University of Oxford, this four-year full-time programme allows students to study one modern language in depth alongside linguistics in one of the world's leading language faculties. You will develop your French to a high level of proficiency, engaging with its literature and culture seriously, while also exploring the scientific study of language itself, including phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and the social dimensions of language use. Oxford's teaching in both modern languages and linguistics reflects the very high scholarly standards of the institution, and the combination of practical language competence with theoretical linguistic knowledge produces a graduate with an unusually rich and rigorous education.

Graduates from French and linguistics go on to careers in translation, interpreting, language teaching, speech therapy, computational linguistics, natural language processing, publishing, journalism, the diplomatic service, and any professional role that benefits from deep linguistic knowledge and French competence. Many go on to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, translation studies, or French and Francophone studies, deepening their expertise for academic or professional careers in language-related fields.