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Welcome to the Centre for Language Studies
The Centre for Language Studies provides a wide-range of modern language courses as part of students’ degree and as an extra-curricular activity. We also offer cultural modules to study abroad and exchange students.
Please note that the application for our language courses have now closed for the academic year 2020/2021. If you have made an application, please don't worry if you haven't heard back from us yet. We will be in contact with you before the course begins to let you know if we are able to offer you a place.
In the interest of fairness, we place students on courses using a 'lottery system'. Applicants who followed the correct application procedure before the deadline have been entered into the lottery. However, no one is guaranteed a place on a language course regardless of how early they apply, what programme stage they are in, etc. (Please also see the 'Languages outside your degree' tab under "What happens if a course is oversubscribed")
Foreign language skills and intercultural competences are highly valued by employers and, as the Confederation of British Industry states in its 2018 report, the need for language learning has been heightened by the UK’s departure from the European Union. Mastering more than one language will give you a competitive edge when you apply for graduate jobs later.
As well as learning the language itself, you will acquire a set of practical and personal skills such as effective and confident communication, listening skills, empathy and understanding others, team work, technological literacy, discipline and self-motivation. You will also develop your research and critical thinking skills.
Most importantly, learning a language is a gateway into another culture and this experience will help you to better understand your own.
Please see the links below for inspiration:
British Council video - benefits of learning a language
British Academy: Talk the talk
The Guardian: Special report on language learning
All Parliamentary Group: Manifesto for Languages
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language that goes to his heart.”
‒Nelson Mandela
“You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”
‒Geoffrey Willans
“Speaking only English is as much of a disadvantage as speaking no English.”
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages
The Centre for Language Studies offers three broad categories of course plus Study Abroad and Exchange Programme modules.
These language modules are taken for credit and offered as tailor-made courses in degree programmes focused on preparing students to work in a globalised workplace.
These courses are part of a wide-ranging programme of language courses offered at no cost to all students and members of staff at City.
Find out more about free languages at City, University of London
The extracurricular courses in languages are taught in the context of Business within the target cultures. They are designed for Cass Undergraduate students to learn a foreign language as a free standing module and do not provide any credit towards their degree.
Find out more about extracurricular language courses for Cass undergraduates
This programme offers courses for exchange and study abroad students. These students can take a language course as well as the following cultural programmes:
Centre for Language Studies
College Building, Room A129F
T: +44 (0)20 7040 4544
E: languages@city.ac.uk
We offer courses in French, German, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin at various levels. According to a report by the British Council these are the top five foreign languages most relevant to ‘the UK’s future prosperity and global standing’. We also offer Russian in certain programmes because of Russia’s geopolitical importance and the large number of native speakers it has.
Our programmes develop your communication skills in foreign languages as well as your cultural knowledge of how to live, work and be part of a culturally diverse global society.
Teaching is interactive and based on the communicative approach which emphasises practical use of the foreign language for effective communication.
All language courses are taught by native-speaker lecturers who are also linguists.
Please note that our courses are NOT for native speakers.
All our courses run over Term 1 and Term 2. You will have two face-to-face contact hours per week and there will be additional material on Moodle.
We develop and improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills on our modules as well as your understanding of the structure of the language. You will study events, topics and vocabulary relevant to everyday life and (on the LSP and Business programme) to your studies/ specialism. You will develop and deepen your cultural knowledge related to the countries where the language is spoken.
Each session deals with a mixture of skills. Classroom activities include: presentation/input, drilling, role-playing, pair and group work, work on pronunciation and intonation as well as grammar in context and if relevant, exercises related to script. Listening to audio clips and watching videos are also an important element in the class room. More comprehensive grammar exercises and reading texts will be set as homework, which you are required to complete regularly. All our language courses are assessed.
Please note that studying a language is a commitment and requires regular attendance and self-study.
Resources and generic course content will follow shortly. If you would like more practice outside your language class, you may want to join City’s Language Exchange Society.
Generally, we recommend to choose the language you think you may enjoy most as this is the best motivation for your learning. If you still cannot decide, you may find the information in this report interesting:
All our courses are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
Level | UK qualification (starting level) | Starting level | European level (CEFR) *working towards |
---|---|---|---|
Beginner | No prior knowledge necessary | No knowledge, apart from a few words maybe | A1 |
Lower intermediate | Pre-GCSE, or rusty GCSE | Basic understanding of language | A2 |
Upper intermediate | Good GCSE, rusty AS | Good understanding of language | B1 |
Advanced | A-level | Comfortable use of language | B2 |
This is only a general guide – lecturers will adapt their programme to the linguistic level of the students in the class.
If you have prior knowledge in the language you would like to study, we need to test your level in order to place you in the correct class. For this, we will ask you to take an online diagnostic test in which your passive language skills are assessed through multiple choice and gap filling exercises, as well as short texts. It takes about 30 minutes to complete and tasks relate to grammar, vocabulary and reading. There is no speaking or free writing involved. The test is designed for all levels, so if you cannot answer a question you should not worry but just go to the next one.
Please note that the application for our language courses have now closed for the academic year 2020/21. If you have made an application, please don't worry if you haven't heard back from us yet. we will be in contact with you before the course begins to let you know if we are able to offer you a place.
You may be offered to take a language module as part of your degree, for credit, either as a core module or as an elective. This option is available to most Undergraduate students in the School of Arts and Social Science. It depends on your degree course which language options are available to you and in which part(s) of your studies they are offered. Check with your department which pathway applies to you.
We offer European languages - French, German, Spanish and Russian and non-European languages - Arabic and Mandarin.
The European languages are offered as part of the Languages for Specific Purposes Programme (LSP), which means you will study the language in the context of your main degree in Journalism or Social Science. The vocabulary and topics will be related to the world of Media, Social Science and Culture to make the syllabus more relevant to you.
The non-European languages are offered as part of the Languages for Breadth Module Programme (LBM), which means the language is taught for general purposes.
You can either start a language from scratch or you can build on your existing knowledge.
The module will be worth 15 credits per year. It will be studied over Term 1 and Term 2 with assessments during and at the end of the year.
There will be one 2-hour session face-to-face teaching per week. Depending on language you choose, the class will take place either Tuesday 1pm-3pm or Tuesday 4pm-6pm. This slot is scheduled to suit your Undergraduate time-table.
In addition to this, we offer a voluntary support class for students who would like to have more practise. There will also be plenty of material on Moodle to support your self-study.
*Please note that French, German and Spanish at all levels are also available in the LBM programme (for general purposes). This is a fall back option in case we are unable to run one of the modules offered in the LSP programme. Should your chosen LSP module be cancelled due to low student recruitment, we can still place you in an LBM course if you wish.
The Centre for Language Studies at City University offers a wide range of modern language courses at various levels across the university, including free extracurricular courses.
All students at City (postgraduate and undergraduate) as well as City members of staff are eligible to apply for a free language course on the Languages for General Purposes Programme. However, there is high demand for the limited number of spaces available on the LGP courses. In the interest of fairness, we place students on courses using a ‘lottery system’.
If you are interested in taking a language as an extracurricular activity/ not for credit, you may want to register for a language course available on the Languages for General Purposes (LGP) programme.
These are the language options available:
The language is taught in the context of day-to-day use and a broad variety of topics will be studied.
Courses run over term 1 and term 2. There will be one 2-hour session face-to-face teaching per week.
The Beginner & Lower Intermediate level for all languages take place on Tuesday 4pm-6pm and the Upper Intermediate & Advanced level take place Thursday 4pm-6pm. There is no alternative to these slots.
Module assessment is 100% coursework. Upon successful completion of your language course, you will receive a certificate to demonstrate your level of proficiency. The course is not part of your degree and marks do not count towards it.
All City students and staff may apply to take this free-standing module at no extra cost but note that these courses are very popular and spaces are limited – not all applicants may be accommodated.
Please note that the application for our language courses have now closed for the academic year 2020/21. If you have made an application, please don’t worry if you haven’t heard back from us yet. We will be in contact with you before the course begins to let you know if we are able to offer you a place.
If a course is oversubscribed we apply the following rules:
Learning a language is a commitment. Please only apply for a free/extracurricular language course, if you are sure you can complete it. Otherwise you are potentially taking the place of a student with genuine interest in studying a language.
All Cass Undergraduate students regardless of their year of study can apply for course(s) on this programme which is specifically designed for business purposes.
For undergraduates studying at Cass Business School, we offer language courses in addition to your degree.
You have the opportunity to study a foreign language in the context of Business. We will develop and improve your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as your understanding of the structure of the language. To make the syllabus more relevant to you, much of the vocabulary and topics will be related to the world of Business and Finance.
You can either start a language from scratch or you can build on your existing knowledge.
The courses will only run if there is sufficient demand. If a course is oversubscribed, the above mentioned rules apply.
Courses run over Term 1 and Term 2. There will be one 2-hour session face-to-face teaching per week.
Most courses run on Mondays 2pm-4pm or on Wednesdays 4pm-6pm with a few exceptions in the evenings from 6pm-8pm. These slots should suit your Undergraduate time-table.
Module assessment is 100% coursework. You will also have the opportunity to complete an online language portfolio during your course.
Upon successful completion of your language course, you will receive a certificate to demonstrate your level of proficiency. The course is not part of your degree and marks do not count towards it.
ONLY undergraduate students studying at Cass Business School (regardless of their year of study) and UG-Cass exchange students are eligible to take these courses. Postgraduate student studying at Cass Business School can join the LGP courses.
Please note that the application for our language courses have now closed for the academic year 2020/21. If you have made an application, please don't worry if you haven't heard back from us yet. We will be in contact with you before the course begins to let you know if we are able to offer you a place.
This programme offers courses for exchange and study abroad students. These students can take a language course as well as the following cultural programmes:
This module provides an introduction to the Performing Arts in London relevant in particular for short-term visiting students.
Students, accompanied by their lecturer, will attend performances covering these art forms.
This module provides students with an insight into the development of modern London through its history and its historical landmarks.
This course is designed for undergraduate students at Cass Business School as well as exchange students who want to understand European business culture in the context of the European Union (EU) and its relevance within the globalisation of our economies and societies. It is taught in English and does not require the understanding of any language other than English.
Language Studies were introduced to City University in 1990 to present languages across the curriculum; to provide language support for international students; and develop external language activities and links with professional bodies.
In 2009 Language Studies was re-organised and two Centres were created, one for the study of Translation and the present Centre for Language Studies as a provider of foreign language programmes across the Institution.
The Centre for Language Studies is running from the School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS). We provide a wide range of language courses across the university, for credit and as an extracurricular activity. We also run cultural modules, mainly to study abroad and exchange students.
The Centre staff's research interests focus on Educational Research, particularly on policies within Higher Education, their effects on teaching and learning, assessment of language skills and the use of technology to this effect.
For administrative and general enquiries please email the Centre for Language Studies or call on 020 7040 4544
For academic and assessment enquiries (excluding the diagnostic test) please email Svenja Erich or call on 020 7040 3164