Evening language courses

The University of St Andrews offers evening language courses throughout the academic year. Courses are offered to students at all levels of study, from beginners to advanced learners.

The evening language courses last for ten weeks, and as a student, you will attend one class per week. All classes last for 2 hours.

Students should note that the modules offered in the evening language courses are not part of any degree pathway and may not be used as credit counting towards a degree programme.

How to book a place

Follow these steps to book a place in one of our evening language courses:

1. Look at the course descriptions and the level of study guidance below to estimate your level in the language you are interested in. This is especially important if you are not a beginner and have not taken an evening language course at the University of St Andrews before. If you are unsure what your level is, you can email eveninglanguage@st-andrews.ac.uk to discuss this with a tutor.

2. Check the Timetable for Semester 1 2022-2023 (PDF) to make sure your course is available. The majority of our evening language courses are in-person but some are online. Online courses are marked on the timetable.

3. Have your University username and student ID number ready, you will need them to make a booking.

Don't have a University username and a student ID number?

If you do not have a University username and a student ID number, you must complete the evening languages registration form. We will email you a username and an ID number in two working days to allow you to book your place.

The booking deadline is Friday 23 September 2022, 5pm. You should book early to secure your place as there are limited spaces available on each course.

Book your place

Language courses typically available, include:

Arabic
- Arabic - Beginner (PDF)
- Arabic - Elementary (PDF)
- Arabic - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- Arabic - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
Chinese
- Chinese - Beginner (PDF)
- Chinese - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Chinese - Elementary 2 (PDF)
- Chinese - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- Chinese - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- Chinese - Intermediate 3 (PDF)
- Chinese - Advanced (PDF)
French
- French - Beginner (PDF)
- French - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- French - Elementary 2 (PDF)
- French - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- French - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- French - Intermediate 3 (PDF)
- French - Advanced (PDF)
Gaelic
- Gaelic - Beginner (PDF)
- Gaelic - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Gaelic - Intermediate (PDF)
- Gaelic - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
German
- German - Beginner (PDF)
- German - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- German - Elementary 2 (PDF)
- German - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- German - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- German - Advanced (PDF)
Italian
- Italian - Beginner (PDF)
- Italian - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Italian - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- Italian - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- Italian - Intermediate 3 (PDF)
- Italian - Advanced (PDF)
Japanese
- Japanese - Beginner (PDF)
- Japanese - Elementary (PDF)
- Japanese - Intermediate (PDF)
Latin
- Latin - Beginners (PDF)
- Latin - Elementary (PDF)
Portuguese
- Portuguese - Beginner (PDF)
- Portuguese - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Portuguese - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- Portuguese - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- Portuguese - Intermediate 3 (PDF)
Russian
- Russian - Beginner (PDF)
- Russian - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Russian - Elementary 2 (PDF)
Spanish
- Spanish - Beginner (PDF)
- Spanish - Elementary 1 (PDF)
- Spanish - Elementary 2 (PDF)
- Spanish - Intermediate 1 (PDF)
- Spanish - Intermediate 2 (PDF)
- Spanish - Intermediate 3 (PDF)
- Spanish - Advanced (PDF)
Ukrainian
- Ukrainian - Beginner (PDF)
- Ukrainian - Elementary (PDF)
The evening language courses are extremely popular, and the University tries to respond to this demand with the courses and levels that are offered. However, due to timetabling restrictions, not every level of study is available for every language each semester.
There are four different levels of study for students of differing abilities. These levels correspond to various levels on the common European framework:
- Beginner courses are for complete beginners with no previous knowledge of the language.
- Elementary courses correspond to level A1 on the common European framework.
- Intermediate courses correspond to levels A2 to B1 on the common European framework.
- Advanced courses correspond to levels B2 and upwards on the common European framework.
When you enrol for an evening language course at the University of St Andrews, you should think carefully about which level of course best suits your current knowledge of the language. It is important not to choose courses that will either be too easy or too difficult for you. You may enrol in any of the levels listed above even if you have not previously attended our classes.
Generally, withdrawals are not permitted. There is no facility for ‘sampling’ classes. While the module can be removed from a student’s transcript, this does not remove the obligation to pay. There may be some exceptions as noted below.
1. Any participant who sends confirmation by email of an intention to withdraw from a course before the first meeting of the class may have the obligation to pay removed or the fee refunded.
2. Should a participant become ill (or be in a position where he or she has to care for a sick person) to the extent that he or she cannot continue with the course, a refund may be considered. Certification may be requested (there is no refund available for lessons missed due to minor ailments).
No refunds will be made should a student enrol for a level that is unsuitable (for example, a beginner enrolling for an elementary class, or an advanced student for an intermediate group) simply because there is no group available at a more appropriate level.
All teachers have different teaching styles, and some languages (particularly those which require the learning of a non-Roman alphabet) require different approaches. The teachers will conduct their classes according to the course descriptions on this website.

Should any participant feel that this is not the case and that the teacher is deviating from the course description, the procedure for complaint is as follows:
1. Discuss the matter with the teacher.
2. If not satisfied with the response, send an email with details of the complaint to afa@st-andrews.ac.uk.
On investigation of any complaint, it may be necessary to have a meeting with the complainant, the teacher and the course director to decide on any future action.

Evening language courses

How to book a place

Don't have a University username and a student ID number?

Course descriptions

Level of study

Course fee

Withdrawal procedures

Complaints procedures