Get Ready to Go - Study Abroad - University of Leeds

Pre-sessional Language Courses
(Language courses taken prior to the period abroad)
Studying abroad in Europe is for all students, both linguists and non-linguists. It is an excellent opportunity to
develop language skills and discover another culture and way of life. This acquisition of knowledge and the
broadening of your own perspective will make your employability profile more attractive and will enable you to
work and travel abroad in years to come.
It is not always expected that students will be completely fluent in a language before they go overseas – after all
this is one of the benefits of going in the first place – however it is advisable that you make as much effort as you
can to learn or refresh the language of your host country before you go.
Students, who are not studying a foreign language as part of your degree programme, will receive the Erasmus
grant for the time you spend on a pre-sessional course, providing this does not make your overall stay abroad
more than the maximum 10 months of grant funding. It is essential that you provide the SAO with a certificate of
attendance so that funding can be provided for this additional period of study. Language preparation must be
delivered by a recognised provider of language-training and be held in the host country immediately prior to the
study period.
Some of the options available are:
EILC’s (Erasmus Intensive Language Course)
Erasmus students can participate in Erasmus Intensive Language Courses, which are organised by the Erasmus
Council in your host country. Some of the benefits are:
4 – 8 weeks of intensive teaching in the host country; including cultural trips
Courses taught at Beginner or Intermediate level
Free of charge (although you’ll be expected to pay a small amount for accommodation)
Highly recommended by past Erasmus students!!
EILC’s are offered in the following countries
Belgium (Flemish Community), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Sweden and Turkey.
If you wish to participate in an EILC then take a look at the following website to see if any of the courses in the
host country are being run at a convenient time for you. Generally the courses are run in the summer prior to the
start of your academic year but some courses are also run in January/ February for students studying abroad in
the second semester.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.htm
An application form can be downloaded from the above website. You’ll need to complete the application and
provide an electronic copy to the Study Abroad Office who will send the application to the organising institution
with confirmation that you’ll be studying abroad on the Erasmus programme.
Language Courses provided by the host institution
You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of any language courses that many European universities offer
before the start of session. These are often free of charge to Erasmus students and provide an excellent
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