We are dedicated to helping everyone learn a language, regardless of their previous language-learning experience.

We offer undergraduate degrees in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish at both beginner and advanced levels, as well as Italian at the beginner level. In addition to our undergraduate degrees, we offer bite-sized language courses, that are open to everyone. Through our “Languages for All” courses, you can pick up a language you have studied previously, or start a new one. We have many years of experience teaching students who are learning a language for the first time, as part of, or in addition to their degree.

Language Modules

Our Part I language modules are open to minor students from other departments who wish to continue a language taken at A-Level, for their GCSEs, or who are completely new to languages (depending on availability on their degree scheme) - choose from Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Italian for the beginners/post-GCSE level.

You will acquire a strong base on which to build and develop familiarity with linguistic concepts and foster a ‘reflective attitude’ on how language works. This will enable you to develop your autonomous learning strategies. Our teaching encompasses a broad range of carefully thought-through activities that develop mixed forms of learning, as well as guided independent work, and an introduction to cultural aspects in context. At the end of the first year, you can choose to add Chinese, French, German and Spanish to your degree, whereas you can continue to study Italian as a minor (depending on availability on your degree scheme).

For more information about taking one of our language modules, please email global-affairs@lancaster.ac.uk.

Extracurricular Courses

Our Extracurricular courses are open to everyone - students who cannot take a language module, colleagues & members of the public. Our courses take place once a week in the evening during term time. They are taught in person and focus on developing communicative skills appropriate for each course level.

We currently offer the following languages:

• French, German, Spanish: beginners, intermediate & advanced level
• Dutch, Italian: beginners & intermediate level
• Arabic, Korean: beginners level

There are two main sessions per year, each lasting for 8 weeks:

• An ‘Autumn’ session in October-December
• A ‘Winter’ session in January-March.
• We may run a ‘Spring’ session with a more limited offer in April-June.

The indicative timetables for the ‘Autumn’ (w/c 21st October to w/c 9th December) and ‘Winter’ (w/c 27th January to w/c 17th March) sessions are available below. A certificate of attendance is issued by the School upon completion of the course, provided that students have attended 6 of the 8 classes.

Registration for these sessions is via the online store.

For specific questions about extracurricular courses, please email languagesforall@lancaster.ac.uk.

Courses in Chinese are offered by the Confucius Institute. Please visit Confucius Institute: Extracurricular Classes for more details on their offer.

Important information

Please note that any enrolment received later than one week after the start of a course will be considered as an enrolment for the following session (unless specifically agreed with the Languages for All team).

Information about who will teach your course is correct at the time of publication. In some cases changes may be necessary and unavoidable, such as staff changes due to illness or leaving the University.