About

Graduation at the senate house

The Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics

Historical Emergence

The formal study of modern languages at the University of Cambridge emerged during the early 20th century, building on earlier Readerships in Germanic and Romance languages. Its establishment was driven by a combination of scholarly enthusiasm, private generosity, and institutional reform. Over the decades the Faculty expanded from language-teaching into a broad research and teaching unit covering modern languages, literatures, linguistics, film and screen studies, and cultural studies.

Today the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics (MMLL) brings together a vibrant community of scholars, students, and staff engaged in the study of languages, literatures, linguistics and culture from across the world. The Faculty supports over 800 undergraduate students, around 140 MPhil (one-year taught) students, and approximately 170 PhD students, making it one of the largest humanities faculties at Cambridge. 

Key Markers of Distinction

Among the indicators of the Faculty’s standing:

  • The Faculty regularly appears near the top of university and research rankings for languages, literatures and linguistics.
  • The Faculty operates across a very wide range of language and cultural areas (French, German, Italian, Slavonic, Spanish & Portuguese, Modern Greek, Theoretical & Applied Linguistics, Film & Screen Studies) and is one of the largest humanities-faculties of its kind nationally.

Distinguished Fellows & Markers of Distinction

Several members of the Faculty have been elected as Fellows of the British Academy (FBA), a major national honour in the humanities and social sciences. For example:

  • Ian Roberts, Professor of Linguistics at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2007.
  • Robert S.C. Gordon, Serena Professor of Italian at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2015. 
  • Andrew J. Webber, Professor of Modern German and Comparative Culture at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2019. 
  • Charles Forsdick, Drapers Professor of French at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2021.
  • Ianthi Tsimpli, Professor of English and Applied Linguistics at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2021. 
  • Virginia Cox, Honorary Professor of Early Modern Italian Literature and Culture at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2022.
  • Emma Wilson, Professor of French Literature and the Visual Arts at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2022. 
  • Joanna Page, Professor of Latin American Studies at Cambridge, was elected FBA in 2025.

Governance

Overall academic responsibility for the governance of the Faculty is shared by the Chairs of Faculty: Prof JD Rhodes (2023-2027) and Charles Forsdick (2025-2029).

They are assisted by the Business Operations Manager and the Deputy Faculty Manager.

There are a number of Boards and Committees which manage and coordinate activities at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics.

The Faculty Board is the main body which oversees the work of the whole Faculty. A range of Faculty Committees report to the Faculty Board, including the Planning and Resources Committee, the Degree Committee, the Postgraduate Studies Committee, the Research Strategy Committee, the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.

Student engagement is an important aspect of governance at the Faculty. There are Staff Student Liaison Committees for each Section and Department, which comprise of student representatives and academic staff, and report to the Faculty Board. There is also a separate Postgraduate level Staff-Student Liaison Committee which reports to the Postgraduate Committee.

News and Events

What's going on in the world of MMLL? View our latest stories and successes.

Jobs

The Faculty is a fantastic place to work and study. If you would like to join us, this is where to check for our vacancies and opportunities.

Academic Visitors

Interested in becoming a Visiting Scholar at MMLL? Learn more about the requirements, what we have to offer you and how to apply.

Public engagement

We provide an Annual Lecture which is free of charge and open to everyone. It is part of the Cambridge Festival which offers many free events all over the city. 

Library

Read about the facilities at our Faculty Library.