Modern Languages Tailored courses

These courses aim to equip Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of the History Faculty with the necessary language skills to be able to study and research using the target language.  

The primary focus of the courses will be to develop the students’ core knowledge of lexis, morphology, grammar and syntax in order to acquire academic reading skills and sound language-learning strategies.  

Courses will also equip students with relevant listening skills in order to work from aural sources where required. Furthermore, the courses will also provide training in spoken production and interaction to support the students in developing their communication skills.

At the end of each stage, students should have reached the following thresholds:

Stage 1 aims to develop reading ability to CEFR level B1 – Listening at level A1 speaking at level Pre-A1.  It is expected that by the end of this course, students will be able to:

•     read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to their field of study with a satisfactory level of comprehension;
•     assess whether an article, report or review is on the required topic;
•     scan longer texts in order to locate desired information, and gather information from different parts of a text, or from different texts in order to fulfil a specific task.
•     understand in outline very simple information being explained in a predictable situation like a guided tour, provided the delivery is very slow and clear  
•     Introduce themselves, describe what they do, their field of study and personal interests as well as take part in very basic social interaction

Stage 2 aims to develop reading ability to CEFR level B2 – Listening at level B1 speaking at level B1.  It is expected that by the end of this course, students will be able to:

•     read with a large degree of independence with a broad active reading vocabulary, but may experience some difficulty with low-frequency idioms.
•     scan quickly through long and complex texts, locating relevant details.
•     understand articles and reports concerned with their topics of study and note particular stances or viewpoints adopted.
•     produce translations that closely follow the sentence and paragraph structure of the original text conveying the main points of the source text accurately
•     take notes as a list of key points during a straightforward lecture, provided the topic is familiar, and the lecture is both formulated in simple language and articulated clearly.
•     sustain a reasonably fluent straightforward description of subjects within their field of study, presenting it as a linear sequence of points.

Stage 3 aims to develop reading ability to CEFR level C1 – Listening at level B2 speaking at level B2.  It is expected that by the end of this course, students will be able to:

•     understand in detail lengthy, complex texts and a wide range of primary sources in non-standard / contemporary language, whether or not these relate to their own area of speciality, provided they can reread difficult sections and they have access to reference tools.
•     translate abstract texts in their field successfully conveying evaluative aspects and arguments, including many of the implications associated with them.
•     take accurate notes in meetings, seminars, documentaries on most matters likely to arise within their field of study.
•     interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction, and sustained relationships with users of the target language, quite possible and account for and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments.

Arabic for Historians Stage 1 is available in 2025/26.

This course supports the acquisition of Arabic reading skills for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Historians focusing on the history of the Arab world.
The course includes two hours per week of contact time with an Arabic language tutor at the Language Centre. The Language Centre classes run on Thursday from 11:00 to 13:00.

Enrolment for this course is via a bespoke language level evaluation test and application form. To apply, please click on the button below. This will take you to a dedicated Canvas container, where the application test is hosted. Please ensure that you take the test for Historians.

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday of Week 1.

ENROL

What is the difference between a Historians' language course and an Academic course?

The Historians courses have been designed in partnership with the History faculty and seek to equip you with both academic literacy in the target language and oral communication skills. These courses are designed to help you in your need to work with target language primary or secondary sources, these could be written or spoken. Our academic courses focus exclusively on reading for academic purposes, and they welcome students of a wide range of disciplines.

What is the difference between a historians' course and a general / Fast Track course?

General and Fast Track courses are non-specialist language courses offering a strong focus on communication skills and with a lesser emphasis on academic purposes. If you are very keen to develop or maintain your spoken communication skills, these courses may be closer to your needs.  The Fast Track course may be particularly useful if you are at a lower level and need to spend a period researching in a country where the target language is spoken.