ELECTIVE LANGUAGE COURSES - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Will I receive a language certificate at the end of the semester / for Erasmus?
Unfortunately, we are not authorized to issue certificates. The courses you have taken will be included in your transcript and that will be enough for the Erasmus procedures.
2. I am a student who did not finish the level required by the Erasmus program at ITU. Can I still get a certificate to use for an Erasmus program by taking a placement test prepared by you?
There is no such procedure for elective languages taught in the School of Foreign Languages.
3. I don't know the language at all. Which level should I start from?
If you don't know the language, 101 is the only course you can start with.
4. I am not able to choose the course suitable for my level (its quota is full or the hours do not fit my schedule, etc.), can I choose a higher-level course instead?
Although the university does not prevent you from joining an advanced level without completing the previous one (eg. attending 102 without taking 101 classes, etc.) we strongly recommend that you start from beginner level and move upwards. If you need to take the 202 or 301 exam as soon as possible for different reasons (applying to a foreign university, Erasmus, etc.), you should ALWAYS contact the lecturer to discuss what is required to catch up instead of directly enrolling in the class.
5. I do not have a language certificate, I have not attended any training. I self-educated myself using phone or computer applications and similar means. Which level should I start from?
Language learning is a social work and applications for the development of many different skills in our course are carried out within the framework of EU language learning standards. Research shows that in case of self-teaching, one or more of certain language abilities (reading, speaking, writing, listening) are often missed out. At the same time, it was observed that students who were not at the same level with the rest of the class both caused the collaborative studies in class to be inefficient and lost their self-confidence in language learning. For this reason, students who have not received language education in an official institution before must start at 101 level.
6. In my previous education life (Middle School, High School) I learned this language by taking private lessons or by residing in a country where this language was spoken for a medium or long term. Which level should I apply for?
In this case, you need to contact the lecturer who teaches the lesson.
7. I completed a certain level for a language within ITU before, but I want to enroll in a higher level instead of the next one, is this possible?
Skipping a course will only be possible if you pass the test conducted by your teacher to determine if you meet the requirements of the level you want to enroll.
8. Quotas are full, I cannot register for a course. Can I attend the course as a guest?
In order to offer the opportunity to learn a second foreign language to as many students as possible, the quotas are kept at the highest possible level, but since language learning is a multilateral education setting that takes place through interaction, it becomes inefficient when it exceeds a certain number of students. For this reason, guest students are not accepted to ensure equality and justice.
9. I am a master / PhD student. Can I attend your lesson?
With the approval of your advisor, you can register for the course through student affairs. Or you can contact the instructor of the lesson and come to the lesson as a guest. (Quotas apply)
10. What do I need for Erasmus program?
Please contact the Erasmus office.
11. I want to apply for Erasmus program, which course should I choose?
You have to complete A2 level at least, which means you need to pass 202.
12. Are the courses I take here transferrable in universities in Germany / France / Italy / Spain?
The answer is yes for many universities. You still need to contact and verify this information with the other institution before your application.
13. What are the books used in the courses and other requirements?
See the section on elective languages on the School of Foreign Languages website.
14. Is attendance compulsory?
There is a 70% attendance requirement in our courses.
15. I am a prep program student, can I follow elective language courses?
Prep students cannot take our lessons.
16. How can I enroll for classes?
You can enroll on the system during the course selection week.
17. How many levels do the elective foreign language courses consist of?
Our courses consist of 6 levels (101-102, 201-202, 301-302), 7 levels in German (401).
18. What are the level equivalents of the courses in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)?
101 - 102 = A1
201 - 202 = A2
301 - 302 = B1
401: B1 +
19. Who can apply for 102 course?
• Students who have completed 101 course or those who can prove in writing that they have received equivalent education (A1.1) from an official institution can apply. This course is for students who have studied the language for at least 40 hours.
Who can apply for 201 course?
• Students who have completed 102 course or those who can prove in writing that they have received equivalent education (A1.2) from an official institution can apply. This course is suitable for students who have studied the language for at least 80 hours.
Who can apply for 202 course?
Students who have completed 201 course or those who can prove in writing that they have received equivalent education (A2.1) from an official institution can apply. This course is suitable for students who have studied the language for at least 120 hours.
Who can apply for the 301 course?
• Students who have completed 202 course or those who can prove in writing that they have received equivalent education (A2.2) from an official institution can apply. This course is suitable for students who have studied the language for at least 160 hours.
Who can apply for 302 course?
• Students who have completed 301 course or those who can prove in writing that they have received equivalent education (B1.1) from an official institution can apply. This course is suitable for students who have studied the language for at least 200 hours.
20. Are there any prerequisites for attending classes?
No, there are no prerequisites to enroll in our courses.
21. What are the requirements to pass?
You need to fulfill the attendance requirement and have an average grade of 50% from all evaluations.
22. Can a 4-hour lesson be divided into two sessions?
Unfortunately, we can offer classes for all the students on a single fixed day.
23. How can my name be added to Ninova if I register after the course withdrawal week?
If you enroll for the course during the add-drop week, the instructor will check the list and add you. If this does not happen due to the number of students we have each semester, you can contact the instructor of that class and ask them to enroll you. Remember to send them your full name, surname and student number.
24. What is the method for taking attendance?
Attendance is taken at the beginning and end of each lesson. This helps students to follow the whole lesson. During online training, some flexibility is allowed due to technical issues. In any case, if for some reason you are unable to attend a lecture, you can always contact the instructor via email. If you attend only one part of the lesson, only 2 hours of attendance will be recorded.
Frequently asked questions about learning Chinese
1) Is Mandarin Chinese difficult to learn?
Chinese is perhaps known as the most difficult language in the world. Writing Chinese characters is particularly difficult. However, it is not necessary to know how to read and write Chinese characters to speak Chinese. Moreover, grammar is really easy to understand as there are no tenses, cases or gender differences in Chinese grammar.
2) Which kind of Chinese will be taught?
Mandarin, Wu, Yue, Xiang, Min, Hakka, and Gan are dialects spoken in certain regions and they are collectively referred to as Chinese. In our courses, Mandarin Chinese will be taught as Mandarin is the official language of Taiwan, China and Singapore.
3) Will traditional or simplified Chinese characters be taught?
Both character sets will be taught.
4) How many Chinese characters will be taught?
Approximately 120-150 Chinese characters will be taught at each level.
5) What is Pinyin?
Pinyin is a useful tool for learning Chinese pronunciation. It is an effective way to represent Chinese sounds with Latin characters; therefore, Pinyin can be fully learned within a few hours.