UWLP: Frequently Asked Questions

You must be a current Newcastle University student. This can be at undergraduate or postgraduate level. 

Your own School may have restrictions on extra-credit modules, so you must check with your Degree Programme Director that you are eligible before applying to the UWLP.

You should also consider carefully if you have the time spare and the dedication to learn a new language. Learning a new language can be great fun but it also requires time, patience, and a lot of effort.

Many students often misjudge the amount of study time they will need to dedicate to their language modules and eventually decide to drop out. Unfortunately, this means that many places on the programme are wasted as a result.

Whilst we'd love to have you on the programme, it is important for us to be honest and ask you to consider first whether you can afford the time and commitment.

No, the UWLP is free for all undergraduate and postgraduate students currently registered at Newcastle University. The modules are funded by the University itself. All that we ask is that you show your commitment by attending the module regularly, engaging with the assessments and borrowing/purchasing the recommended coursebook.

Please note: As our funding depends entirely on the number of students engaged in our courses, we will be unable to remove you from the programme after the first two weeks. This applies even if you decide to stop attending later in the semester. This is important as your transcript will show a failed mark next to the UWLP module you are enrolled on if you decide to drop out and do not complete the assessment.

Once you have taken the time to consider if you have the time and commitment required for learning a new language, please fill out the form linked on our website under the 'How to Apply' section. 

We will process your application and confirm whether you have a place starting from June.

Students who register in Semester 1 will automatically be enrolled for entry in both semesters. You will be given the opportunity to withdraw before the start of Semester 2 if you do not wish to continue.

Please do not submit multiple applications - please e-mail us at uwlp@newcastle.ac.uk if you need to make any changes to your application or have any questions.

We do not offer English classes for non-native speakers.

If you are a current student, you could look into the in-sessional English courses that are offered by INTO Newcastle.

Students can only take one UWLP module per semester. This is to ensure that as many students as possible have a chance to study with us.

This does not mean that you cannot study different languages at different times, though. For example, if you studied Beginners Italian in first year but would like to give learning Arabic a go in second year, this would be absolutely fine.

All modules are subject to student demand; therefore, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee that you will be given a place on your first choice course if you apply.

Language classes must reach a minimum student demand in order to run. Students will then be allocated places on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once all groups are full, further applicants will be placed on a waiting list and will be offered a place on their second choice course where possible. We will do our best to find a suitable place for you so that you do not miss out.

All modules on the University-Wide Language Programme are assessed in a similar way. The assessment consists of two tasks as below:

The date and time of the assessment will be set by your teacher. Preparing for your assessments shouldn’t be too time-consuming, but if for some reason you struggle to complete them, you should contact your teacher as there may be ways to accommodate you so you don’t get a fail for your module.

To pass your UWLP module, you must achieve an overall grade of 40% or above. If you do not reach this grade, your transcript will show a fail for the module.

Speaking and Listening Task

For lower levels, this assessment is usually a role-play, or short conversation based on situations that you have practiced in the module, or a given topic (details on Canvas). It lasts a few minutes and is usually done in class, with some preparation time. For lower intermediate and above, you may need to give a short presentation followed by some questions.  

This assessment is usually done in class. 

Reading and Writing Task

This assessment usually involves writing a letter, email, or (at higher levels) a summary or essay that includes specific information from a document in the target language. You may need to demonstrate understanding of the grammar points covered in the module. Tasks might differ slightly for East Asian languages; your teacher will provide more details.  

This assessment is usually done at home, in your own time.

No, UWLP classes are held in person. Students must be able to attend on campus as we do not hold any classes in a hybrid fashion.

We are unable to provide access to the class materials unless you are registered for the programme; however, you may wish to join the Language Resource Centre (LRC), which has self-study resources in over 100 languages, many of which are available remotely.

UWLP teaching begins in the second teaching week of the first semester, and in the first teaching week of the second semester.

UWLP classes take place throughout the week depending on the language.

Classes take place:

• Mondays-Fridays after 5pm
• Wednesday afternoons from 1pm
• Friday afternoons from 1pm

For popular languages, we usually run multiple groups at different times in the week to enable as many students as possible to study with us. Classes that run on Friday afternoons will have another group timetabled elsewhere in the week.

If you are likely to miss some contact hours on a regular basis, please get in touch with us so that we can see how we can accommodate your situation.

Please send an e-mail to your class teacher and copy uwlp@newcastle.ac.uk in to inform us that you will not be able to attend your class. We will mark you as an authorised absence on our attendance records.

Once you have recovered, please catch up on any missed content via Canvas.

You can withdraw from a module on the UWLP within the first two weeks of teaching.

If you are considering withdrawing, please do this as soon as possible so your space can be offered to another student. Withdrawals after the first two weeks of teaching are not permitted. If you do not withdraw on time, you will have to take the assessments and pass in order to not receive a 'Fail' on your transcript.

Once you have completed the first semester of teaching and successfully passed, you will be automatically enrolled onto the second semester module. If you do not wish to continue, you will be given the opportunity to withdraw again at the beginning of the second semester.