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Language course at uni - will I need to do a HE access course?

Hey everyone,

Sorry if this has been asked before - I’m new to the student room and just thought I’d post a question and see if anyone can help.

I want to apply for a modern languages and culture studies course for September 2020. However I don’t have a GCSE or A level in the language I want to study at uni (Spanish)

I’ve travelled a lot since leaving sixth form, living in different countries for several months at a time - including Spain for 6 months. There, I enrolled in a Spanish course where I received a certificate from Cervantes. I also lived with 2 Spanish guys who didn’t speak any English so I found myself improving very fast.

Some of the courses have said in their prospectuses that you can even enrol being a complete beginner in the language.

My other A level results were shocking. The usual entry requirements for language courses are AAB or ABB.

So my question is, do you think I have a strong enough chance to be accepted onto a course with the experience I have? Or would I need to do an access course first? I have no issue doing this, but it just seems there’s no access courses actually tailored for modern languages.

Thanks for any help or advice!
(edited 4 years ago)
Doing a HE access course will increase your chances of getting in and may be a good experience since you will experience work which is often similar to what is given by universities. It helps doing a course linked to the university course you want to do but having to write essays and referencing in certain ways are useful skills for university so it will still help even if you do an access course different to your university course. You could ask the universities your interested in if there are any access courses they particularly like or they know that do Spanish. I have been doing a course linked to horses which is quite a specialist area so there are probably so linked to language somewhere (or you could do one relating to something like Spanish culture which could be used to help with your understanding of Spain). It will depend on how many people are interested in the course and how good their personal statements and grades are to if you can get in on what you have.
Original post by ellie_kxx
Hey everyone,

Sorry if this has been asked before - I’m new to the student room and just thought I’d post a question and see if anyone can help.

I want to apply for a modern languages and culture studies course for September 2020. However I don’t have a GCSE or A level in the language I want to study at uni (Spanish)

I’ve travelled a lot since leaving sixth form, living in different countries for several months at a time - including Spain for 6 months. There, I enrolled in a Spanish course where I received a certificate from Cervantes. I also lived with 2 Spanish guys who didn’t speak any English so I found myself improving very fast.

Some of the courses have said in their prospectuses that you can even enrol being a complete beginner in the language.

My other A level results were shocking. The usual entry requirements for language courses are AAB or ABB.

So my question is, do you think I have a strong enough chance to be accepted onto a course with the experience I have? Or would I need to do an access course first? I have no issue doing this, but it just seems there’s no access courses actually tailored for modern languages.

Thanks for any help or advice!


Hi Ellie, If you want to study at a Russell Group University, as far as I have enquired,they will require AAB at A Level. They have said they would accept an Access to HE Diploma but it would need to include your first language to have been studied at Level 3 and to be 15 credits. I cannot find an Access Course anywhere that has languages. My question therefore has been 'Could I complete an Access to HE course and study a language separately alongside it?' I have been advised to contact the Head of Faculty at the university I wish to go to to find the answer. Hope this helps.
Reply 3
Original post by Twinkle64
Hi Ellie, If you want to study at a Russell Group University, as far as I have enquired,they will require AAB at A Level. They have said they would accept an Access to HE Diploma but it would need to include your first language to have been studied at Level 3 and to be 15 credits. I cannot find an Access Course anywhere that has languages. My question therefore has been 'Could I complete an Access to HE course and study a language separately alongside it?' I have been advised to contact the Head of Faculty at the university I wish to go to to find the answer. Hope this helps.

Thanks so much, that’s very helpful! I might also mention that I have contacted several different uni’s and one has got back to me (university of Reading) to say their Spanish course doesn’t have any specific requirements in terms of HE access courses - so I can choose whichever course interests me and it will still help me get a place on their Spanish course.
(edited 4 years ago)

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