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There MUST be a French-at-Oxford person out there!
I've looked on that big list of people but all the French, or even just Modern Languages, people are in red - nowhere to be seen!
I just would like to find someone on here who can help me out a bit with general questions - someone I could send my personal statement to for a check-over, advice on things I should read up on before interview (if I get one hehe!!), to ask about what written work to submit etc.
Whilst I have had a gander at the general languages comments I'd prefer a Frenchy!
I'll even PAY someone.
Ok I won't but I'll be really grateful!
:-)
xxx
I just would like to find someone on here who can help me out a bit with general questions - someone I could send my personal statement to for a check-over, advice on things I should read up on before interview (if I get one hehe!!), to ask about what written work to submit etc.
Whilst I have had a gander at the general languages comments I'd prefer a Frenchy!
I'll even PAY someone.
Ok I won't but I'll be really grateful!
:-)
xxx
Well it might be an idea to head on over to the PS Helper forum to get your PS checked out. I can't promise you an Oxford french person - do we actually have any? Can't think of anyone from the meets.... - but it'll at least give you some more confidence about your application!
The advice for reading before interview is simple. Read whatever interests you as long as it's in French
Most people tend to stick to A-levely stuff - might be an idea to get hold of the list of texts you could have studied if you hadn't done the one you have done at A-level as it's likely to be stuff of a level you can tackle. Or there are always those nice editions where you've got the french on on side and the English on the other if you want to tackle something like dangerous liaisons.
The advice for reading before interview is simple. Read whatever interests you as long as it's in French
Most people tend to stick to A-levely stuff - might be an idea to get hold of the list of texts you could have studied if you hadn't done the one you have done at A-level as it's likely to be stuff of a level you can tackle. Or there are always those nice editions where you've got the french on on side and the English on the other if you want to tackle something like dangerous liaisons. 
Che! was the only French linguist I know of, and I don't think he's been active on the board in a long time. Seriously, use the TSR Personal Statement helpers, and you'll get someone who does a language looking at it AND someone at Oxford can look at it as well, if needs be (I try to give Oxbridge people a second look if their original reviewer isn't a Oxbridge student, just for general points on style rather than content).
dinkymints does french and spanish 
antipotato
dinkymints does french and spanish
Indeed I do! How can I help?
Well the prob is, we haven't DONE any lit yet and I don't even think we do. Which is a right old shame cos it really interests me. So I really don't have a clue. All I know is next year (A2 year) there's a french lit club where we're gona go through dangerous liasons, which will be good, but apart from that...absolutely nowt.
I mean, is it evenworth reading any? I've read a parallel text of le scaphandre et le papillon cos it's really interesting and I loved the film, but it's not exactly classic french lit! Although his story is very interessant so I've mentioned it a bit in my PS. I could ramble on for ages about it. But I do English Lang not Lit, so I don't even know the litty terms. Hmm.
I'll defs go over to the personal statement bit for a bit of help,cheersfor that. Our college is well and truly poo with things like this. I wanna get goin this summer and get a head start with anything I need to!
xx
people are gonna get sick of me on here, everytime I post it's like an epic!
lol i do ramble on a bit.
xx
I mean, is it evenworth reading any? I've read a parallel text of le scaphandre et le papillon cos it's really interesting and I loved the film, but it's not exactly classic french lit! Although his story is very interessant so I've mentioned it a bit in my PS. I could ramble on for ages about it. But I do English Lang not Lit, so I don't even know the litty terms. Hmm.
I'll defs go over to the personal statement bit for a bit of help,cheersfor that. Our college is well and truly poo with things like this. I wanna get goin this summer and get a head start with anything I need to!
xx
people are gonna get sick of me on here, everytime I post it's like an epic!
lol i do ramble on a bit.
xx
Hiccups
Well the prob is, we haven't DONE any lit yet and I don't even think we do. Which is a right old shame cos it really interests me. So I really don't have a clue. All I know is next year (A2 year) there's a french lit club where we're gona go through dangerous liasons, which will be good, but apart from that...absolutely nowt.
I mean, is it evenworth reading any? I've read a parallel text of le scaphandre et le papillon cos it's really interesting and I loved the film, but it's not exactly classic french lit! Although his story is very interessant so I've mentioned it a bit in my PS. I could ramble on for ages about it. But I do English Lang not Lit, so I don't even know the litty terms. Hmm.
I'll defs go over to the personal statement bit for a bit of help,cheersfor that. Our college is well and truly poo with things like this. I wanna get goin this summer and get a head start with anything I need to!
xx
people are gonna get sick of me on here, everytime I post it's like an epic!
lol i do ramble on a bit.
xx
I mean, is it evenworth reading any? I've read a parallel text of le scaphandre et le papillon cos it's really interesting and I loved the film, but it's not exactly classic french lit! Although his story is very interessant so I've mentioned it a bit in my PS. I could ramble on for ages about it. But I do English Lang not Lit, so I don't even know the litty terms. Hmm.
I'll defs go over to the personal statement bit for a bit of help,cheersfor that. Our college is well and truly poo with things like this. I wanna get goin this summer and get a head start with anything I need to!
xx
people are gonna get sick of me on here, everytime I post it's like an epic!
lol i do ramble on a bit.
xx
First of all, lit is MASSIVELY important but the vast majority of people don't do it at school so really don't worry about that. However, it's half the course for Prelims and if you get in you WILL find yourself feeling you're doing an English Lit degree at times. Read as much as you can and have some things to mention on your PS which you can be asked about at interview. The less cliched the better so don't worry if it's not "classic"! I swear 80% of people mention L'Etranger on their PS... also "I've read Harry Potter in French" is much less impressive than "I've read some real French literature using a parallel text" - at uni level, when it comes to lit, it's the ideas that matter!
It's worth looking up some literary terms because at interview you'll almost definitely get given a passage (poem/prose/in French or in English) to look at 15mins before which you'll have to discuss in interview. You may well get asked "show me an example of a(n)... [metaphor/juxtaposition/oxymoron] etc" from that passage. Les liaisons dangereuses is a Prelims text so obviously the tutors will know it well but if you can show some sophisticated insight that's a good start! Also, instead of listing stuff, try to say in your PS what you liked/discovered about each text (or whatever) you've read.
Films are always useful as they're another thing you can show off in your PS and talk about at interview. Are you applying for French Sole or French + Linguistics? If the former, you'll have a film module for Prelims...
And make sure your grammar is up to scratch! However impressive you are at interview, you will struggle to talk your way in if you underperform on the grammar test.
Hope that helps - any more questions, ask!
dinkymints
First of all, lit is MASSIVELY important but the vast majority of people don't do it at school so really don't worry about that. However, it's half the course for Prelims and if you get in you WILL find yourself feeling you're doing an English Lit degree at times. Read as much as you can and have some things to mention on your PS which you can be asked about at interview. The less cliched the better so don't worry if it's not "classic"! I swear 80% of people mention L'Etranger on their PS... also "I've read Harry Potter in French" is much less impressive than "I've read some real French literature using a parallel text" - at uni level, when it comes to lit, it's the ideas that matter!
It's worth looking up some literary terms because at interview you'll almost definitely get given a passage (poem/prose/in French or in English) to look at 15mins before which you'll have to discuss in interview. You may well get asked "show me an example of a(n)... [metaphor/juxtaposition/oxymoron] etc" from that passage. Les liaisons dangereuses is a Prelims text so obviously the tutors will know it well but if you can show some sophisticated insight that's a good start! Also, instead of listing stuff, try to say in your PS what you liked/discovered about each text (or whatever) you've read.
Films are always useful as they're another thing you can show off in your PS and talk about at interview. Are you applying for French Sole or French + Linguistics? If the former, you'll have a film module for Prelims...
And make sure your grammar is up to scratch! However impressive you are at interview, you will struggle to talk your way in if you underperform on the grammar test.
Hope that helps - any more questions, ask!
It's worth looking up some literary terms because at interview you'll almost definitely get given a passage (poem/prose/in French or in English) to look at 15mins before which you'll have to discuss in interview. You may well get asked "show me an example of a(n)... [metaphor/juxtaposition/oxymoron] etc" from that passage. Les liaisons dangereuses is a Prelims text so obviously the tutors will know it well but if you can show some sophisticated insight that's a good start! Also, instead of listing stuff, try to say in your PS what you liked/discovered about each text (or whatever) you've read.
Films are always useful as they're another thing you can show off in your PS and talk about at interview. Are you applying for French Sole or French + Linguistics? If the former, you'll have a film module for Prelims...
And make sure your grammar is up to scratch! However impressive you are at interview, you will struggle to talk your way in if you underperform on the grammar test.
Hope that helps - any more questions, ask!
Wow cheers for the quick reply!
I'm definately prepared for the challenge lit-wise. I'm just goin for Frenchy. Well film and lit-wise that's all I've read/watched (the diving bell and the butterfly) - I thought that might be alright because it's something a little bit different and I'm very familiar and passionate about it. Would you really recommend reading something else? Thing is I don't just want to do something because I think they'd want me to - I'd rather just have that one book/film and have lots to say about it. But Oxford-wise, do you really think that's enough? Also would it not just be okay to emphasise to them that I'd really get stuck in with the lit once I got to uni but right now I'm not too familiar with it?
Are there certain things about French lit they'd expect you to say? I'm fine with juxtaposition etc and am quite good at blagging english-wise.
I've put some sneaky stuff on my PS about that book/film, said a bit about the French influence on English language (that's what I'm doing my A2 English Lang cw on) and also a bit about Marie/Pierre Curie (my AS french oral topic.) Should I just send you my personal state?
and Yay a film module! Fab.
I just look at the course as wow I'm going to learn so much rather than wow I don't know anything at all right now! But I do want to give myself the best chance.
Sorry if I'm being a pain in the arse, I really appreciate this!
xx
Hiccups
Wow cheers for the quick reply!
I'm definately prepared for the challenge lit-wise. I'm just goin for Frenchy. Well film and lit-wise that's all I've read/watched (the diving bell and the butterfly) - I thought that might be alright because it's something a little bit different and I'm very familiar and passionate about it. Would you really recommend reading something else? Thing is I don't just want to do something because I think they'd want me to - I'd rather just have that one book/film and have lots to say about it. But Oxford-wise, do you really think that's enough? Also would it not just be okay to emphasise to them that I'd really get stuck in with the lit once I got to uni but right now I'm not too familiar with it?
Are there certain things about French lit they'd expect you to say? I'm fine with juxtaposition etc and am quite good at blagging english-wise.
I've put some sneaky stuff on my PS about that book/film, said a bit about the French influence on English language (that's what I'm doing my A2 English Lang cw on) and also a bit about Marie/Pierre Curie (my AS french oral topic.) Should I just send you my personal state?
and Yay a film module! Fab.
I just look at the course as wow I'm going to learn so much rather than wow I don't know anything at all right now! But I do want to give myself the best chance.
Sorry if I'm being a pain in the arse, I really appreciate this!
xx
I'm definately prepared for the challenge lit-wise. I'm just goin for Frenchy. Well film and lit-wise that's all I've read/watched (the diving bell and the butterfly) - I thought that might be alright because it's something a little bit different and I'm very familiar and passionate about it. Would you really recommend reading something else? Thing is I don't just want to do something because I think they'd want me to - I'd rather just have that one book/film and have lots to say about it. But Oxford-wise, do you really think that's enough? Also would it not just be okay to emphasise to them that I'd really get stuck in with the lit once I got to uni but right now I'm not too familiar with it?
Are there certain things about French lit they'd expect you to say? I'm fine with juxtaposition etc and am quite good at blagging english-wise.
I've put some sneaky stuff on my PS about that book/film, said a bit about the French influence on English language (that's what I'm doing my A2 English Lang cw on) and also a bit about Marie/Pierre Curie (my AS french oral topic.) Should I just send you my personal state?
and Yay a film module! Fab.
I just look at the course as wow I'm going to learn so much rather than wow I don't know anything at all right now! But I do want to give myself the best chance.
Sorry if I'm being a pain in the arse, I really appreciate this!
xx
No problem - you can PM me your personal statement but I don't know how soon I'll be able to give it a proper look. I'll try to be helpful though!
I'd suggest reading something else even if one or two very short things, and maybe start reading French newspapers (or even Le Monde online or whatever), so you can show you have read stuff in French even if it's not literary. Basically, they expect you to have gone beyond your A-level course not in terms of difficulty or material per se but in that you should have enough of an interest to sniff out your own stuff to read etc. They don't mind if you're not well-versed in lit, but you need to be enthusiastic and having read stuff shows this. Also, if you get in, you'll be doing pretty much a different text a fortnight at the very least - so you'll have to be able to get through the stuff. So they'll be happier taking someone who they can see knows what they're letting themself in for so to speak.
As for the unseen piece, I'd just brush up on general literary terms and in case you get a poem look at poetry-specific stuff too (enjambement and versification - alexandrines etc). You don't have to know loads but it'd be good to help you stand out, and don't forget quite a few linguists do English Lit A-level. Also it's worth reading some poetry as it's more easy stuff to put on PS and talk about at interview and you only have to read a handful of poems, rather than a whole novel or whatever. If you get a poem at interview, look at obvious stuff to start with - themes, images, similes/metaphors, alliteration etc, rhyme scheme, use of colour, tenses etc. It's worth looking at a few poems you haven't seen before, sometime before interviews, and seeing if you can pick out these things.
Filmwise try to watch another one or two - even with English subtitles. Something simple-ish and well-known like Amelie or La Haine is fine. Again, all proof of interest and using your initiative to go beyond the syllabus. Tbh more people will have proof of this on their PS than won't, so the more you can get the better - but as I said before, make sure you have things to say about EVERYTHING on your PS. Maybe get a friend or teacher to go through it and make a list of questions from it (but don't try to rehearse answers, just think through some ideas!) Are you having a mock interview?
And have you chosen a college?
*edit* just remembered if you go to project gutenberg there's the free text for a lot of french stuff in english and also in french, for example they have Phedre in both, so you could read them side by side...
I've just looked at the 2 posts you made in another thread before this one and I really do have to say that if you find lit boring you will HATE the oxford course. Really and truly with a passion. You have to like it to be motivated enough to get through the volume of lit and if you don't then you will struggle with Prelims (especially since you have so many of them). Also in the other posts you were talking about Cambridge - why the change? It seems the Cam course might be better suited to you since you can do Linguistics instead.
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