A levels for Languages degree at Oxbridge

Hi everyone,

I am interested taking a 'modern language (Spanish) combined with Arabic' degree at Oxbridge, but am unsure if what a levels would be suitable. I know I will take Spanish A level (obvi) but which combo would be the best for my stated degree at Oxbridge

1. SPANISH, ENGLISH LIT, MATHS
2. SPANISH ENGLISH LIT, GEOGRAPHY
3. SPANISH, ENGLISH LIT, BIOLOGY
4. SPANISH, GEOGRAPHY, MATHS BIOLOGY

Which one will give me best chance of gaining entry into Oxbridge for a "Spanish and Arabic degree"

Reply 1

Joy4457

English lit is a good option for languages. They will not be too fussed about the other options. Maths seems to also be popular option for modern languages.

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Any of those is fine but as above, English lit is useful specifically for Oxford as the European languages side of it there tends to largely emphasise literature and literary analysis I gather (being somewhat akin to an English lit degree except all the texts read are in your target language). So having some experience of literary analysis before starting is probably useful, although since it's not required clearly not indispensable.

Just aim to take whichever set of subjects you think you'll get the best results in really.

Reply 3

tiredgiraff

At Cambridge people have done such a range, it really doesn’t matter when it comes to getting in. I would say English Lit helps once you're actually here, though, as writing essays isn’t so overwhelming. Otherwise, so whatever you prefer so that revising doesn’t feel so overwhelming.

Reply 4

abigaillawrence9

Yeah I think any of those combinations are good because they're all traditionally academic subjects. I'd just pick the three that you're best at.

Reply 5

Ffion_Kellegher

Original post by 20aneely123

Hi everyone,
I am interested taking a 'modern language (Spanish) combined with Arabic' degree at Oxbridge, but am unsure if what a levels would be suitable. I know I will take Spanish A level (obvi) but which combo would be the best for my stated degree at Oxbridge
1. SPANISH, ENGLISH LIT, MATHS
2. SPANISH ENGLISH LIT, GEOGRAPHY
3. SPANISH, ENGLISH LIT, BIOLOGY
4. SPANISH, GEOGRAPHY, MATHS BIOLOGY
Which one will give me best chance of gaining entry into Oxbridge for a "Spanish and Arabic degree"

Hey!

I studied Spanish and Beginners' Russian at Oxford (Christ Church College). I would definitely recommend taking English lit, especially if you are thinking of applying to Oxford, as the MML courses at Oxford are very literature heavy (studying English lit is not only useful from the viewpoint of actually applying, but if you get accepted then you will find the course much easier if you have had lots of practice with essay writing and literary analysis).

In terms of whether you should choose Maths, Geography or Biology as your third option, I'd say go for the one that you enjoy the most and are best at! If you enjoy Maths and you are good at it then that would be a great option. But if not then any of these would be fine. I wouldn't worry too much about how Oxbridge will view this third option tbh - sure, if it were something like BTEC sport then I might have a different tune, but these are all good options and you need to remember that you will be studying them for two years so ideally you will choose the subject that is best for you.

On a related note, I have set up a thread called 'Oxbridge applicants for modern languages - 2025 entry' on The Student Room, where I recently posted some tips on preparing an application to study Modern Languages at Oxbridge - might be worth a read!

Let me know if you have any questions about the MML course at Oxford or the application process!

Ffion :smile: