External learners

Our courses are fully accessible to anyone aged 18 and above. If you are aged 16-17, it is possible to enrol in an online course, provided a risk assessment form has been completed beforehand. However, if you are an external learner (ie you are not a member of Oxford University and therefore do not have a University user account, known as a Single Sign On) we will need to set you up in our virtual learning environment, Canvas, as an external user. If you are intending to enrol on an online course with us, you will also need to download Microsoft Teams. This page guides you through these processes. 

If you wish to enrol on one of our courses as an External Learner, please email admin@lang.ox.ac.uk with the following details:

• Full name
• Email address and phone number
• The name of the course you wish to study (including Stage and Part)
• The start date and time of the course
• Your connection to Oxford University, if any (to determine course fee)
• Date of Birth (if under 18 years of age)
   

We will then provisionally enrol you onto the course and send you a link to the Oxford University Online Store for payment. Once payment is received, we will confirm your place on the course.

Canvas (our virtual learning environment)

We recommend that before enrolling on a course with us, you take our Placement Test. You can take the test online via the Virtual Language Centre in Canvas. We will need to give you access to this site, so please send an email to admin@lang.ox.ac.uk to ask for access to the Language Level Evaluation Tests, making sure to include your name and surname as well as the email address you will be using.

If you are a continuing student with us or if you are a beginner in the language you wish to study, you will not need to take a Placement Test, so we will set up your access to Canvas when you have enrolled on and paid for your course.

Once we have created your external Canvas user account, you will receive an email asking you to activate your account and set your own password. It is very important that you action this request promptly. 

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also required on Canvas for users with non-Oxford email addresses. Users need to use an authenticator app on a mobile or desktop device to generate a 6-digit code that they enter in Canvas when asked to verify their login, after entering their username and password. This helps protect users' personal information and the confidentiality of programme content.

If you have not already set up MFA, you will be prompted to do so when you next sign in to Canvas. You will need to complete the setup process before you can continue into Canvas. Please follow the steps below to get started.

1.Complete your Canvas registration: If you are creating your Canvas account for the first time, follow the registration email to set a password, then proceed to MFA setup. If you already have an account and are prompted to set up MFA, go directly to Step 2.

2. Install an authenticator app: Download Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator for free on your mobile device or computer. If you do not have a mobile device, you can use Zoho OneAuth as a desktop alternative.

3. Connect your authenticator to Canvas: When setting up MFA for the first time, scan the QR code displayed in Canvas using your authenticator app. Enter the generated 6-digit verification code in Canvas and select Verify. Zoho OneAuth users should enter the Secret Key instead.

4. Use your authenticator for future logins: You only need to scan the QR code once. On future logins, open the authenticator app, find your Canvas account, and enter the 6-digit code shown. Do not delete the authenticator app. You may select “Remember this computer” to reduce verification prompts.

5. Save your backup codes: Go to Account → Settings → Multi-Factor Authentication Backup Codes in Canvas. Print or securely save the codes so you can access your account if you lose your phone or your authenticator is unavailable.

6. Get help if you cannot access your code: If you have already set up MFA, do not scan another QR code. Use the code from your existing authenticator app. If you have lost or changed your device, deleted the app, or cannot access your original authenticator, contact digital.education@ctl.ox.ac.uk for assistance.

Microsoft Teams

If you enrol on one of our online courses, you will need to use Microsoft Teams (MS Teams).  For the best configuration, download the app and use it from a PC or a laptop so that you have easy access to all the tools included.

The video below shows you how to download MS Teams and how to then join your class - it also provides a short overview of some of the functionalities we use in MS Teams. 

As an external user, you will be a 'guest' in MS Teams. This means that you will not have access to the chat function or to the class recording directly from MS Teams. Your tutor knows this and they will download the class recording and upload it to Canvas for you to have access to the replay -  you will require a Microsoft account to access online recordings on Canvas. They will also save and share the chat notes. 

Technical Guidance

Whether you are joining us for an in-person course or for an online course, you will be working a lot with Canvas and using all its multimodality to support your learning and your practice. For this purpose, you will need to make sure that you have access to fast broadband and a good headset with a microphone. We recommend that you access Canvas via Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome; some functionalities do not work with some other browsers such as Safari, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge.