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 to make sure your course is available. The majority of our evening language courses are in-person but some are online, and 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.

Book your place

Finding the correct level

Students who have successfully completed one of our courses should simply continue to the next one (e.g. from elementary 1, move to elementary 2 or from elementary 2 to intermediate 1 and so on).

Anyone who is not a beginner should try and judge their level against the Common European Framework. If the result is still not clear, we can arrange for you to discuss your level with a tutor. Please email eveninglanguage@st-andrews.ac.uk.

The Common European Framework for languages

Although not directly aligned with the Common European Framework, our courses can be looked at as falling into the following levels:

  • Beginner: Not yet attained a level
  • Elementary 1: A1
  • Elementary 2: A1 moving to A2
  • Intermediate 1: A2
  • Intermediate 2: A2 moving to B1
  • Intermediate 3: B1
  • Advanced: B1+

What is the Common European Framework and how do I find my level?

This is a measure of proficiency in different skills, designed to give a coherent picture of a learner’s language capacity. It is used for placement and the design of syllabi. The levels are usefully summarised in the self-assessment grid.

For a step by step guide to finding your own personal level, please use the tool to self-evaluate your language skills.