Language training

Guidance for DDP students who want to take a foreign language module with the Modern Languages Teaching Centre and how to apply.

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Modern Languages Teaching Centre courses

The Modern Languages Teaching Centre (MLTC) offers an institution-wide programme in Arabic, French, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Visit the MLTC website to find out more about modules/levels, course content, and class times. You may take MLTC modules during your DDP, but you must satisfy the following criteria:

  1. Your supervisor approves of your request to study a language module and can confirm that the language is relevant to your doctoral research. The MLTC will contact your supervisor directly to obtain this information. Therefore you should obtain their consent before you apply to enrol on MLTC modules. You must also ensure this training is logged on your DDP development plan.
  2. You are going to undertake research in another country and need to be able to comprehend/communicate in that particular language.
  3. If you regularly need to translate text from your selected language into English etc.

Visit the MLTC website

How to apply to take an MLTC language module

You must apply directly to the MLTC to take a language module via an online application form. Applications will remain open until the end of week 3 of each term, but you should apply as early as possible as MLTC courses are very popular and they cannot guarantee places in their classes.

You must be registered by MLTC staff and cannot just turn up to the class. Once you have registered with MLTC, they will inform the DDP Team of your registration, who will add the module(s) to your main university record.

All enquiries regarding MLTC modules should be sent to mltc@sheffield.ac.uk.

Doctoral Development Programme students enrolling on MLTC modules

DDP students enrolling on language modules must:

  • Attend a minimum of 70% of classes
  • Complete both sets of essential homework set by your tutor
  • Complete an independent study record

Students who fail to meet all these criteria may be prevented from enrolling on an MLTC course as a DDP student in the future. For example, students who fail to meet the criteria would have to pay for any language modules they take in the future.

Students will be asked in week 6 of each semester if they wish to take the end-of-term exam.

DDP students who decide to drop the module must let the MLTC know and not just stop attending. MLTC courses are very popular and by dropping the module without informing the MLTC, students are preventing others from studying a language.

School of East Asian Studies 

The School of East Asian Studies offers non-specialist language courses in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

You must seek approval from your supervisor and the module provider before you apply to enrol on any of these modules and ensure this training is logged on your DDP development plan.

Visit the EAS directory of modules to find out more about the course content

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