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. Beginner classes last for 1.5 hours, and all other 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.
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We are closed for bookings for semester 1. The timetable for semester 2 will be available from early November and we will also open for bookings at that time.
The language courses that are typically available, include:
- Arabic (PDF)
- Chinese (Mandarin) (PDF)
- French (PDF)
- German (PDF)
- Italian (PDF)
- Japanese (PDF)
- Portuguese (PDF)
- Russian (PDF)
- Spanish (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.
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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.
The University also offers some courses labelled 'elementary 2' or 'intermediate 2'. You may want to consider these classes if you have already taken an elementary or intermediate course but you do not feel ready to move up to the next level. You may also enrol in these courses even if you have not previously attended our classes.
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Each evening language course (10 lessons) costs £110.
You may be eligible for ILA funding if you are studying Gaelic. You can find out more at Individual Learning Account – Scotland.
Each semester St Leonard’s Postgraduate College offers 15 part-funded places for doctoral students on an evening class of their choice. For more information on how to apply please visit St Leonard’s College.
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If you are a current, full-time student:
Go directly to online payments and pay for the course. You do not need to complete a form. You will receive email confirmation of your place on the course.
If you are not a full-time student (even if you have done courses with the University in the past):- Complete the Enrolment form (Semester 2) (PDF)
- Send it to:
Evening Languages
International Education Institute
University of St Andrews
Kinnessburn
Kennedy Gardens
St Andrews
KY16 9DJ - You will receive a generated number allowing you to enrol using the online payment system. (Alternatively, please attach a cheque for £110 made payable to ‘The University of St Andrews’ with the language and level you wish to enrol for on the back of the cheque.)
- You will receive an email confirmation of your place on the course.
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
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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:
- Discuss the matter with the teacher.
- 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.