MML at Cambridge

Hello,
I'm currently doing my national 5 exams which is the Scottish equivalent to GCSE's. As the title suggests, I intend to apply for MML at Cambridge. French and another language, I was considering perhaps Russian. At school I study French, German and Spanish.
I was wondering if anyone on here could answer a couple of questions.

1. Is it necessary to study literature at all or can you do linguistics instead?

2. What 'supercurriculars' would you recommend? I am aware that you are expected to read literature in the languages but what else? Would it be any use sitting the DELF exam? What about attending courses/summer camps abroad during the summer holidays? Volunteering abroad? Any ideas?

I will be doing work experience in Germany next year which is organized by my school and I have helped out at school open evenings for the languages department. So that's what I have so far.

Linguistics in MML...
http://www.mml.cam.ac.uk/dtal/courses/ugrad/ling_mml.html

Or the Linguistics course instead of MML
http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/linguistics

Hello,
I'm currently doing my national 5 exams which is the Scottish equivalent to GCSE's. As the title suggests, I intend to apply for MML at Cambridge. French and another language, I was considering perhaps Russian. At school I study French, German and Spanish.
I was wondering if anyone on here could answer a couple of questions.

1. Is it necessary to study literature at all or can you do linguistics instead?

2. What 'supercurriculars' would you recommend? I am aware that you are expected to read literature in the languages but what else? Would it be any use sitting the DELF exam? What about attending courses/summer camps abroad during the summer holidays? Volunteering abroad? Any ideas?

I will be doing work experience in Germany next year which is organized by my school and I have helped out at school open evenings for the languages department. So that's what I have so far.

Hi, I'm a current first-year MML student doing French and ab initio German.In first year you will do an introductory "scheduled" (i.e. not just language) paper to your post-A-level (or post Scottish qualification in your case) language(s). This will include a mix of literature from a number of different periods, film and linguistics. Everyone does this paper and there is very limited choice, in fact in French there is no choice at all except that linguistics is optional.If you pick up an ab initio language then you will also do some literature as you begin to learn the language. Different languages start the literature at vastly different times, with Italian starting I think before Christmas, but German not starting until after Easter.In second year it is possible to limit the literature to I think zero if you dislike it in first year (by choosing things like linguistics or possibly taking up another language), or to focus upon a more specific time period on the literature you have enjoyed.



I think there is possibly an overemphasis on supercharging personal statements with extracurricular activities. When you talk about your love of languages as you will do in your PS you need to make sure you have examples to demonstrate it, but they accept that not everyone will have the opportunity or finance to do lots and lots of travelling abroad.

Some reading beyond the set texts you will do in school is a good idea, but especially if you don't plan to focus heavily on literature later on in your degree this needn't be tonnes.

If you were able to do something in France or through the medium of French, given that is what you definitely want to apply for, that would probably be a good idea, but one of your two interviews will (in my experience) be focused on your love of language in general.

If you have free lessons (I'm not sure how these things work in Scotland) either this year or next year you could ask your French teacher if you could use one to come in and help them with a younger class? That is something for example that I did (though the school were very big on encouraging sixth-formers to do that, a cynic would say because there was no longer money for enough paid teaching assistants) and it is not just a language-based activity but one that shows eagerness to make a contribution towards wider school life, which should be positive given the college environment.

I had to Google the DELF exam but I don't see what extra info it would bring to an admissions tutor or director of studies, as they will know from your school qualifications (and then the interview) the sort of level of French that you have. I may be corrected on this by someone more experienced but that is my gut feeling.

Honestly though, I don't think the extracurriculars in my PS was much more snazzy than what you have already. The most important data they are likely to base your application on are your exam results and your performance at interview and in this new admissions test they are introducing. They do say sometimes that they don't read the PS until just before they interview you, now I'm not sure whether to believe that or not but that does suggest that it is not the main decider.

Hiya I'm interested in studying at Oxbridge (French and Spanish) but I don't want to apply if I have no chance.In my AS I got:A in French (99%) A in Spanish (83%) - only 1 of 2 As, half my class got an E or a U and the class had 22 pupils.. I plan to retake one paper to get it up to near 90% so I can get an A* next yearA in Politics (86%)B in History which is currently being remarked as I did one paper and got an A and was too ill to do the second so I got given a calculated mark which took me down to a B I also go 10A* 1A at GCSE and my predicted grades are A*A*A (A*s in languages)Do I have a chance at Oxbridge but in particular Cambridge? Any replies welcome

Hello,
I'm currently doing my national 5 exams which is the Scottish equivalent to GCSE's. As the title suggests, I intend to apply for MML at Cambridge. French and another language, I was considering perhaps Russian. At school I study French, German and Spanish.
I was wondering if anyone on here could answer a couple of questions.

1. Is it necessary to study literature at all or can you do linguistics instead?

2. What 'supercurriculars' would you recommend? I am aware that you are expected to read literature in the languages but what else? Would it be any use sitting the DELF exam? What about attending courses/summer camps abroad during the summer holidays? Volunteering abroad? Any ideas?

I will be doing work experience in Germany next year which is organized by my school and I have helped out at school open evenings for the languages department. So that's what I have so far.