The well-equipped Language Centre, located in Downing Place, runs courses in a number of languages intended to provide "languages for all" within the University community and beyond. The Centre's Cambridge University Language Programmes (CULP) provide courses in seventeen languages (Arabic, British Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, Korean, Modern Greek, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish). The Academic Development and Training for International Students (ADTIS) programme is meanwhile designed to help students improve their English and academic skills.

The Language Centre charges fees for some of its courses. Selwyn students who complete such a course become eligible for a 50% reimbursement of the value of such course fees as are paid by the student, on production of the receipt and a copy of the certificate issued by the Language Centre. Please submit these to the Tutorial Office Manager.

The Language Centre also incorporates an Independent Learning Centre with audio-visual materials in an unrivalled range of languages. Anyone interested in using these facilities should visit the Enquiry Point located in the Centre. Those reading Modern Languages or Asian & Middle Eastern Studies are given tours of the Centre as part of their Faculty’s induction process. 

Finally, the Language Centre provides online language learning materials for University of Cambridge users. Resources include audios, videos, text, image and interactive exercises in a range of languages. There is an online catalogue of resources accessible from computers connected to the University network.

In addition to the Language Centre, there may be other possibilities for language learning as part of your course. Consult your Director of Studies to check whether your course offers any of those.