Language Express

Engaging, flexible and interactive, our evening Language Express courses will make you progress in your chosen language in no time. By focussing on conversational skills, our classes are recommended for students, staff, and anyone else wanting to learn a language from beginners' level.
Flags waving in the breeze.

Our language courses not only provide you with communication skills, but also allow you to gain basic intercultural skills. As part of our Language Express courses, you will develop essential knowledge and understanding of the cultural contexts in which your chosen language is spoken.

The evening Language Express courses run for twenty weeks across the Autumn and Spring terms with the exception of Ukrainian, which will be a ten week course. You will be required to attend one two-hour class per week.

Language Express courses are not credit-bearing and will not count towards your degree programme. A minimum number of participants is required in order for course(s) to run and all courses will be held online for 2023-2024 with the exception of Russian which will be taught face-to-face at the Canterbury campus.

Cost per module (2023/2024)

  • Students: £200 (If you are doing a Year In a Language, you may take a Language Express course for free)
  • Staff: £300  
  • External participants: £300

Book your place on your chosen course here.

Language Express courses

Code Module Level Location Date and time
  Arabic A1 Beginners Online Wednesday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0210 French A1 Beginners Online Thursday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0310 German A1 Beginners Online Monday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0410 Italian A1 Beginners Online Tuesday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0510 Japanese A1 Beginners Online Thursday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0610 Mandarin A1 Beginners Online Tuesday 18.00 - 20.00
LEXP0910

Russian A1

Beginners

In person

Tuesday 18.00 - 20.00

LEXP1010 Spanish A1 Beginners Online Monday 18.00 - 20.00
  Ukrainian A1 Beginners Online

Wednesday 18.00 - 20.00

Language Express Student Success Fund

Research coming from the Student Success Team shows that students that engage in hobbies and spend their free time productively often achieve better results in their studies. And one hobby in particular might win out above all the rest: learning a new language.

Countless studies have shown that learning a second language boosts brain cognition to the extent that those who are bilingual can handle new situations better, and are able to quickly come up with creative solutions when presented with a problem. Learning a new language can teach you soft skills (like presentation skills and communications skills) that will give you those key transferrable skills that are needed to succeed in today’s job market. On top of that, it will improve your memory and your concentration, meaning you’ll see improvements in your studies in other academic subjects too!

This year we are piloting the Student Success Language Express Fund, and trialling whether this research can support us in closing current attainment gaps in the Division of Arts & Humanities.

The Student Success Language Express Fund offers students from a BAME background entering Stage 2 of their Programme of Study the opportunity to join a beginners language course based in our Language Centre.

Students benefiting from the Student Success Fund will be monitored over the course of the year by the Student Success team, however this is only to evaluate whether engaging in a productive hobby such as language learning will have an impact on the academic performance of the students. There is no minimum attendance requirement, however your attendance will be monitored throughout the academic year.

To apply for funding please fill out this Microsoft Form that will send your application to the Student Success and Attainment Manager for the Division of Arts & Humanities and the Student Success team. Following your application, you will be contacted and offered a place on your choice language class. Funding requests need to be received by midnight on Friday 29th September to be considered for classes starting this academic year.  

More information

Find out more about the criteria via the University's Talent and Organisational Development website.

Interested in signing up to one of the Language Express courses? Please get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact ArtsHumsUGandPGT@kent.ac.uk.

For further information about how data is processed at Kent, including your data rights and who to contact if you have a complaint: if you are a student please see the Student Enrolment Privacy Notice, for staff please see the HR Privacy Notice and for members of the public please see the Privacy Notice for Language Express.

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