What do I do if I cannot decide which level will suit me best?
What will we cover in the course?
Will I receive a qualification at the end of my course?
What do I do if I enrol and then find the class is the wrong level for me?
What does 'Level 1 Intensive' mean?
Do you offer courses that are more intensive?
When can I enrol for a course?
Can I join a course that is already underway?
What if I know I will not be able to attend all the sessions?
Will I be able to use the Language Learning Centre?
How many people will there be in each class?
How do I qualify for the reduced fee?
Can fees be paid in instalments?
What do I do if I cannot decide which level will suit me best?
General descriptions of the different levels of our courses can be found on Which level? If you find that these do not help you, it can often be useful to read the course descriptions for the courses, as they provide more specific detail on the aspects of the language that will be studied. As a very general guide: Level 1 is for people with zero knowledge of the language; at level 2, people will normally have done some previous study at school, but they have become rusty; Level 3 learners will have more confidence at basic level, perhaps having studied more recently; Level 4 equates roughly to people who were of a higher education standard but are rusty; Level 5 is for people with higher education standard in the language and above. Should you need further guidance, the Open Courses Convenor, Yolanda Cerda, is available for consultation and advice on 01273 876533 or by email.
What will we cover in the course?
On the pages of course listings you should find a link to a description for each course. These show the specific aspects of the language that will be covered during the course. Should you have trouble downloading the files, please contact the Open Course Coordinator who will be happy to provide a hard copy.
Will I receive a qualification at the end of my course?
You will receive a certificate confirming your completion of a course with the Sussex Centre for Language Studies.
What do I do if I enrol and then find the class is the wrong level for me?
If you find once you are on a course that it is not the right level for you, we will do our best to transfer you up or down as appropriate. However, this will obviously be subject to a place being available in the alternative course. If you are unsure about your level before enrolling, please see the relevant question in this FAQ for guidance.
What does 'Level 1 – Intensive Beginners' mean?
The majority of our courses commencing in September/October meet once per week for an hour and a half during both the autumn and spring terms. However, as some people prefer to have a more intensive introduction to the language, for French we also offer a 'Level 1 - Intensive Beginners' course. This course is initially for the autumn term only and meets twice per week for an hour and a half each time. We then offer to continue the course into the spring term after this intensive start, becoming only once per week. An additional fee is payable for the spring term and it is subject to sufficient interest from the group in continuing.
Do you offer courses that are more intensive?
The majority of our courses meet once per week for an hour and a half. We also offer an intensive course in French, which commences in September/October and meets twice per week for the first term. We do not currently offer any courses more intensive than this.
When can I enrol for a course?
Enrolment for our courses is normally possible once our timetable has been published. For courses commencing in October, this is normally during July. For courses commencing in January, it is usually November. We continue to accept enrolments up until a week before the start of the courses.
Can I join a course that is already underway?
For most courses, we can continue to accept new learners up to approximately three weeks after the start of the course. This can vary according to the language and level of course, and is subject to places still being available. We cannot normally offer a reduction in the fee for people who join a course late.
For the two-term courses (autumn and spring), it is also sometimes possible to join a course at their natural mid-point during the Christmas vacation. This will be assessed on a course by course basis, please enquire with the Open Course Coordinator for details.
What if I know I will not be able to attend all the sessions?
As the Open Courses are fee-paying adult education classes, attendance is not compulsory. However, your progress will obviously be limited if you do not attend regularly or complete the preparation set between classes. If you are unable to attend a class, you can contact the Open Course Coordinator who will be able to pass a message on to your tutor. Because of the large number of learners on the Open Courses, it is not always possible for tutors to provide copies of work that is missed by a learner's absence. We recommend in such cases that learners be in contact with their classmates so that they can catch up on any work that they have missed.
Will I be able to use the Language Learning Centre?
If you are currently a member of staff or a student at Sussex, you are already entitled to use the facilities at the Language Learning Centre for solo study. If you are not currently a member of the university in this way, you may be entitled to access to some of the facilities as an Open Course learner. Please contact the Language Learning Centre for specific details.
How many people will there be in each class?
The minimum number in our groups is usually 8, and the maximum number in any group is 16 people.
How do I qualify for the reduced fee?
Our reduced fee is available to: full-time students; staff of the University of Sussex; alumni of the University of Sussex; those whose sole source of income is some form of state benefit; people who are retired and on state pension only. If you fall into one of these categories, you are eligible to pay the reduced fee. Otherwise, the full fee should be paid. Please note that the full fee also therefore applies to part-time students.
Can fees be paid in instalments?
Unfortunately we do not offer the facility to pay fees in instalments. The fee advertised for the course must be paid in full at the time of enrolment. Payment is possible by cheque, credit/debit card or cash. Cash payments must be made in person (please do not post cash) and with the correct money.