Languages
English may be the language of the business world but studying a second language can give you a huge advantage when it comes to job hunting.
It also opens up exciting opportunities for working abroad.
Which languages can I study?
You can study the following languages at the University of Hertfordshire
| Language | Beginners | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | Yes | Yes |
Yes |
| German | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Italian | Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Spanish | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Japanese | Yes |
No | No |
| Mandarin Chinese | Yes |
No | No |
What level am I?
Beginners = No prior knowledge/ less than GCSE grade C
Intermediate = GCSE grade A* –C or A1 grade D or E or equivalent
Advanced = A2 pass or equivalent
You can only join a language class at an appropriate level for you. For example:
- Applicant 1 has GCSE German grade C or above, so he is only eligible for intermediate level.
- Applicant 2 has A level Italian. She isn’t eligible to take Italian as we don’t offer it at advanced level.
- Applicant 3 has lived in a French speaking country and studied at secondary school level in French. He isn’t eligible to take French as he’s already achieved advanced level.
How will I study?
Our classes usually start with an interactive lecture, followed by the opportunity to practise in small-group seminars and language lab sessions. You’ll also be given tasks to work on at home each week.
Spending a year abroad
As part of your studies, you can also spend a year in a country where your chosen language is spoken, studying at one of our partner universities and / or working.Learn more about spending a year abroad.
Careers
Learning a foreign language at any level can really open up your career opportunities, and it’s not just specialist occupations like translation, interpreting and teaching which you can go into.Practically any job can involve languages, whether it’s based in the UK or overseas. You could work in law, banking or insurance; the media, creative industries or PR; marketing, the civil service or manufacturing.
Short courses
You can also study language more informally on one of our short courses, open to members of the public, staff and students alike.
Find out more
Contact our Admissions Team for more information.