The Queen’s College Translation Exchange runs a Creative Translation Ambassadors programme for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Oxford. We train selected students to design and lead their own creative translation workshops in local schools. As an Ambassador, you’ll be part of the QTE family, meaning you can take part in our other projects, including our national translation prize for schools, blog writing, and book clubs.
Applications for our 2025-26 programme have now closed. We will next be recruiting Ambassadors in early Michaelmas Term 2026. Details on how to apply will be published here over the summer.
What is the Creative Translation Ambassadors programme?
The programme is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at Oxford. The only prerequisite is that you know at least one language other than English (no need to be fluent!) and that you love languages and are keen to share that with others.
Creative Translation Ambassadors deliver their own creative translation workshops in local state primary and secondary schools. Creative Translation is an inclusive approach to language learning that raises academic and professional aspiration for pupils of Modern Languages and provides the inspiring literary and cultural content that is limited in the current MFL curriculum.
Activities are accessible to students of all levels, and capitalise on pupils’ diverse backgrounds and languages, with specific benefits for pupils who have English as an Additional Language. Creative Translation is a method that recognises multilingualism as a social justice issue.
Through the Creative Translation Ambassadors training programme, participating undergraduates and postgraduates develop and practise numerous professional skills, including presentation and public speaking, teamwork, leadership and negotiation. It also connects students to their local community and fuels a civic mission to support widening participation and language-learning.
“I loved seeing how motivated the students were to engage in translation, especially when they had a heritage language they spoke at home – I found that really heart-warming and inspiring. I would really recommend the experience to anyone interested in outreach, languages, translation or teaching.”
“I really enjoyed meeting other people in Oxford who were interested in translation and being part of an active community. I also really enjoyed the training that encouraged me to think critically about my translation practice and how that would apply to teaching.”
“There are so many varied and great opportunities to get involved in things related to your love for languages whilst contributing towards promoting the value of learning languages.”