Why Study Languages

You’ve finished school. You want to do something exciting with your life. You’re told that « the world is your oyster »   How much of that world you explore is up to you. How you go about it is up to us.

By offering you the opportunity to study a language on almost any course you decide to do at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, we can put you on the track of discovering at least some of the multilingual world that is your oyster.

Did you know that..

• Nearly 50% of all Europeans can take part in a conversation in a language that is not their mother tongue, but that in Ireland only 12% of people speak a second European language ?
• In a recent survey on the use of languages in business, it was revealed that 38% of Irish companies experienced language barriers in trading with French, German and Spanish-speaking countries ?
• 1.5 million tourists whose mother tongue is not English visited Ireland in 2003 ?

Just think !   By studying a language you could…

• Welcome some of those 1.5 million tourists to Ireland in their own language, and make a living out of it.
• Spend a college year or semester studying in one of our partner colleges in the EU.
• Boast on your CV of the work placement you did in your favourite European city.
• Communicate with much of the 75% of the world’s population that does not speak English while on that post-college round-the-world trip.
• Consult the appointments pages of a Spanish newspaper if you like the idea of a siesta in the middle of your working day.
• Represent your company at a cutting edge trade fair in Germany.
• Export shellfish to the best seafood restaurants in France.

WHY IT TRALEE ?

I.T.T. is committed to providing the greatest possible number of students with an opportunity to acquire and develop skills in other E.U. languages regardless of their prior level of linguistic achievement.

How do we achieve this?

If you choose to study a language, you will be assigned to one of two language streams on the basis of your existing level in that language. If you are a beginner, or have attained a C1 or lower in Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level, then our general language level  French/German/Spanish is for you. The higher stream Advanced French/German is appropriate for you if you have taken the Leaving Certificate at Higher Level or have attained a B3 or higher on an Ordinary Level paper. You will then progress through the various stages of the stream to which you are assigned.

How did we decide on the cut-off point?

The cut-off point for assigning students to their appropriate level has been determined by reference to Department of Education guidelines, which outline language competency at the various levels of attainment in the Leaving Certificate. Special provision is made for students who have not recently sat the Leaving Certificate but who have been admitted to the course based on other criteria.

What happens if I find the level too high or too low?

A procedure has been put in place to allow you to change streams before an agreed date in the first year, should the level to which you have been assigned prove to be too easy or too difficult.

What will my transcript say when I graduate?

The level of language studied will be clearly indicated on the your transcript so that prospective employers will have no difficulty in predicting your level of competence in the language.