Being familiar or fluent in a language other than English offers enormous benefits, both from an employability perspective and in life generally. The University and the School strongly support students learning a language both as part of your studies, and/or as an extra part of your time at Kent. There are lots of options available to you, and you can find out more about each of them below.
Languages as a Wild Module
Adding a foreign language to your undergraduate degree is an enjoyable and stimulating way to improve your employability. As part of your degree, you can choose (where the rubric for your programme permits) to take wild modules, which is any module outside your home School. In this way, you can choose from a range of language modules delivered by the Centre for English and World Languages (CEWL) and the School for European Culture and Languages (SECL).
Below, you will find information about the different languages taught by the Centre for English and World Languages. For more information about the languages taught by SECL – French, German, Italian, and Spanish – see the list of Wild modules on the Undergraduate Office’s website.
Current Languages Available from CEWL:
Arabic is spoken as a first language by more than 300 million people in a number of countries in Southwest Asia and North Africa. It is also regularly used as a second language by millions of residents of Arab descent in North America and Europe. Learning Arabic will give you access to the varied range of vibrant cultures and civilizations which comprise the Arab world. Studying Arabic also opens valuable employment opportunities and makes potential job hunters competitive both in the private and public sectors.
Whether you are intrigued by Japanese film, comic books, karaoke and Emoji or have a passion for Asian Studies, learning Japanese offers the chance to understand a vibrant and exciting culture. Learning Japanese can also broaden your view on the customs that other Asian countries have in common with Japan, this might include religion, ethics, and aesthetics. An understanding of Asian cultures also gives you the chance to see the world from a very different standpoint.
Some of the biggest global businesses have their roots in Japan. They are also often renowned for innovation and efficiency. Household names like Hitachi, Honda, Sony, Mitsubishi, and Toyota have long led the way in many fields.
Mandarin is the official language of Mainland China. The various dialects of Chinese make it the most widely spoken language in the world. It is also the official language of Taiwan, and one of the official languages of Singapore. Mandarin is also commonly used in many of the Overseas Chinese communities throughout the world. With a rich and vibrant history, Chinese culture has a great deal to offer. Whether you have a particular curiosity for history, architecture, music, or cuisine understanding Mandarin will help you to learn more about Chinese culture. Through studying Mandarin you will be able to communicate with more people than any other language – this includes English. Very few Westerners have skills in Chinese which means there is a higher demand for Mandarin skills in business and international communications. China is already a global economic superpower as a result of new policies which have welcomed foreign investment. Consequently, people with Chinese skills are valuable to business.
Russian is spoken in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is also a widely-spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia. Russian is also still used in many of the other countries that are former republics of the USSR. Geographically, Russia is the world’s biggest country. Stretching across two continents, it is nearly twice the size of the United States and China. Globally, it is estimated that there are approximately 280 million speakers of Russian, 145 million of whom are first language speakers. Culturally, Russia has produced some of the some of the world’s most famous composers such as Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Rachmaninoff. Russia is also renowned for its ballet and Russian literature has gained international respect through writers such as Tolstoy and Chekhov.
For further information on the CEWL’s language modules, see the online module catalogue or contact CEWL cewl@kent.ac.uk
Languages as an Extra
Languages as an Extra allows you to study one of CEWL’s credit-bearing language modules as an extra-curricular module. This means the module will not count towards your degree, and does not interfere with your credit choices for your degree programme. There is a one-time fee to pay for taking an extra-curricular module in this way – in 2016/2017, the course fee is £225 per module per term. To find out more please visit the ‘Language as extra’ webpage in CEWL or contact CEWL.
Language Express
As the name implies, Language Express is a suite of world language courses (not modules, like those covered above) run by the Centre for English and World Languages, which are available to all students and staff. Courses run from October for the full academic year, or from January through the Spring term. Languages taught include most European languages, Arabic, Japanese, Russian, and others. There is a fee for taking these courses, but if you are considering studying abroad for a year, or would just like to study a language, you are encouraged to find out more at http://www.kent.ac.uk/cewl/courses/world/language-express/.