Languages for All

We offer modules at beginner and post-beginner level. It gives you the opportunity to:

• take up a new language in a very focused, purpose-driven way, concentrating on communication skills     
• increase your language skills so that you can cope with living, studying or working abroad for a short time (while English is still the predominant language).

How you learn

Language Express is taught through two hours of evening classes per week (usually 6-8pm, with a small number of classes from 4-6pm) which will not conflict with your studies.

Classes are designed to be accompanied by a course book and are communicative in nature. This means that there will be group activities and pair work, as well as games, listening exercises, speaking role-plays, reading, writing and grammar exercises.

Classes are held either on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. When you register you’ll be allocated to a group randomly and will only be allowed to change groups in exceptional circumstances.

What you learn

The lessons are specifically tailored to help you study or live in another country, with the aim that:

• after one year you would be able to cope with a short stay in the country (for a conference, short course or summer school)
• after two years you would be able to cope with living in the country (for a study abroad year, for example) but studying or working in English.

If you have studied an A Level in the language, or have lived in the country for a period of time, these courses will be too basic for you and you may be removed from the course. If you’re too advanced for these courses, you could learn something new instead.

How you're assessed

You'll be assessed through class tests of your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. If you successfully complete a module, you can request a certification letter with details of your achievement. Your completion can also contribute to the Big Essex Award.

Fees

All students are entitled to one fully-subsidised Languages for All module alongside their degree course regardless of their year of study. If you would like to learn more than one language on your first year with LfA or continue learning in subsequent years then a fee is payable, the fee for the 2021-22 academic year is £280.

It gives you the opportunity to:

• study a language at your own level and pace but receive support and guidance from native speakers of the language
• increase your language skills so that you can deal with a range of situations when travelling abroad.

How you learn

Using well-established academic language learning software from Rosetta Stone, you can study French, German or Spanish at any level from beginner to advanced. After an initial assessment to establish your level, your language lecturer will develop a tailor-made learning programme for you.

The initial induction session gives you the chance to meet your lecturer and learn how to use the Rosetta Stone software. You'll be expected to do between two and three hours of online exercises per week in order to progress to a sufficient standard. Your tutor will assign weekly lessons that you have to complete - how and when you undertake your study is up to you.

Don’t worry about being left on your own. Your lecturer will monitor your progress and support is available to you throughout the course.

What you learn

Your proficiency level will be assessed by an initial placement test through the Rosetta Stone software and weekly lessons will be assigned by your tutor based on your level.

Courses range from complete beginners (A1) through to fluency (C1). The content of each level combines a mixture of language relating to everyday use and with professional situations.

How you're assessed

You have two assessments - one written and one oral, which you complete in the first and second term. You also complete a portfolio of online work with Rosetta Stone.

The assessments and portfolio consist of different tasks designed to determine your overall language proficiency in different areas of language learning. If you successfully complete a module, you can request a certification letter with details of your achievement. Your completion can also contribute to the Big Essex Award.

Fees

All students are entitled to one fully-subsidised Languages for All module alongside their degree course regardless of their year of study. If you would like to learn more than one language on your first year with LfA or continue learning in subsequent years then a fee is payable. This fee was £280 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Language Express

You can study Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, or Spanish.

Choosing the right level

• Beginner 1 modules are beginner classes if you have no previous knowledge of the language.
• Beginner 2 modules are post-beginner classes that aim to finish with A1 proficiency level. These are suitable if you have taken Level 1 or have studied the language at GCSE (or equivalent).

Our yearly course summaries help you choose the right level:

• Arabic 1 (.pdf)
• Arabic 2 (.pdf)
• Chinese 1 (.pdf)
• Chinese 2 (.pdf)
• French 1 (.pdf)
• French 2 (.pdf)
• German 1 (.pdf)
• German 2 (.pdf)
• Japanese 1 (.pdf)
• Japanese 2 (.pdf)
• Russian 1 (.pdf)
• Russian 2 (.pdf)
• Spanish 1 (.pdf)
• Spanish 2 (.pdf)

Language Portfolio

You can study French, German, or Spanish through flexible web-based learning alongside your degree.

Language Express

You can learn French, German or Spanish.

Our beginner 1 modules are beginner classes if you have no previous knowledge of the language.

Our yearly course summaries outline what you'll learn:

• French 1 (.pdf)
• German 1 (.pdf)
• Spanish 1 (.pdf)

Language Portfolio

You can learn a language at a time and pace that suits you by studying French, German or Spanish through flexible web-based learning alongside your degree.

Language Portfolio

You can learn a language at a time and pace that suits you by studying French, German or Spanish through flexible web-based learning alongside your degree.