Solent International Language Programme (Part Time)

Course overview

Better language skills are not only a way of broadening your own personal horizons; they also enhance your CV and your value to potential employers.

Because languages are so important, many of our degree and diploma courses offer you the chance to learn a language as part of your programme of study. By taking part in the University’s ‘Curriculum Plus’ scheme, you can learn a language as a beginner, at intermediate level, or as an advanced learner. You can also join in on a supplementary basis by taking a language in addition to your course.

A large number of courses at the University offer a language option as part of their curriculum. Individual course descriptions indicate whether a language option is available.     

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Course content

Our language courses are run as part of the University Language Programme. You can join as a beginner, at intermediate level, or as an advanced learner. The Language Programme is open to students from across the University; members of staff and members of the public are equally welcome to join as part-time students.

We offer, subject to demand:

• Chinese (Mandarin)
• French
• German
• Italian
• Spanish
• English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
• Introduction to Teaching English as a Foreign language.

Classes in Academic English, General English and Business English are available to students whose first language is not English. 

The University's Language Centre contains a Can-8 VirtualLab – a network-based interactive, multimedia language-learning facility, with audio, video, satellite and internet facilities. Use of this facility is integrated into our teaching programme, but is equally open to students who are not enrolled on language subjects.

Assessment

All the assessments are coursework based.

For beginners and intermediate courses, the assessments are a combination of task-based tests done in class and directed learning exercises. You do one test in each of the four main areas: listening, writing, speaking, and reading.

For higher levels the assessments are based on a portfolio in which you accumulate work of different kinds.

Special features

You can take the language you have chosen at the level that suits you. If you are a beginner, you do a beginner's course. If you are advanced, you work at an advanced level, and so on.

You can start a new language as a beginner, whether you start in the first, second or final year of your degree. The exact point at which option slots are available for language learning varies from course to course.

You meet new people with whom you do not come into contact in your other classes.  Students join the language programme from many different courses across the university. Language skills will help you to make a wider circle of friends and contacts, as well as improving your general level of communication. 

You can even take a language as 'supplementary studies' - in other words, as something extra that you do on top of your main course.

Attendance

Most language classes are for three hours a week at lower levels, and two hours a week at higher levels.

Special facilities

The Language Centre is open to all students and staff. It houses PCs, satellite and terrestrial television (including access to Teletext), audio-casette booths and a collection of video computer-based learning resources.

The Language Centre is the easiest point from which to gain access to the Can-8 multimedia language laboratory network, which has learning resources of various kinds. There is also a cassette-based language laboratory.

The Language Centre also has a collection of language courses and dictionaries.