February 11, 2019: As part of its growing portfolio of community-focussed educational initiatives, Canadian University Dubai (CUD) is launching a new suite of beginners’ level French and Spanish language courses that will fast-track learners to conversational level in just seven to eight weeks.
First to launch on March 10th will be French for Beginners, which will be delivered over a seven week period in collaboration with the UAE’s only official French language certification centre, Alliance Française. The course will be taught across two evenings per week and take a fun and interactive approach to language learning.
The following month will see the launch of beginners’ level Spanish, a 30-hour course delivered over eight weeks, starting on April 15th. The course will be led by Dr. María Gómez-Amich, a fully qualified instructor for Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language, certified by Instituto Cervantes, the official awarding body on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education
The Spanish for Beginners course is designed to introduce students to the language and equip them with the ability to use a basic range of the most common conversational expressions. The course also prepares learners to take the A1 level Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language qualification.
Introducing the basics in a cultural context, both courses are ideal for learners looking to develop language skills for travel or simple business conversation. Incorporating all four communication skills – reading, writing, speaking and listening – graduates will be able to interact effectively in any social context and develop the foundations for further study in more advanced or business-level language skills.
Speaking about the launch, Prof. David Santandreu Calonge said, “With the introduction of these beginner level foreign language courses the University is moving into a new domain of educational and vocational initiatives that aim to support our local community here in the UAE. We are working with leaders in the field of language tuition to offer a curriculum that is both comprehensive and accessible to anyone wanting to grasp the basics of these languages in a short period of time.
“Living in the multicultural context of Dubai and with an increasingly globalised business environment, the social and professional benefits of learning another language are immense. We are particularly seeing a growing number of employment opportunities in the French language, which already has a strong presence in the wider MENA region. These courses are also an excellent opportunity for travellers planning a summer trip to parts of the French or Spanish-speaking word to enhance their tourist experience.”
Registration for both courses is now open; please click on the images for more information.