Writing and Communications
Continuing & Professional Education

World Languages

Part-time, in-class or online study tailored for:

  • spanish
  • italian
  • german
  • japanese
  • french
  • travellers
  • professionals

Learn­ing a lan­guage is more than mak­ing unusu­al sounds and learn­ing a new alphabet. 

It’s about com­mu­ni­cat­ing and under­stand­ing — it is a cul­tur­al experience.

Gain an edge on the expand­ing glob­al mar­ket and con­nect with new peo­ple through devel­op­ing com­pe­tence in a sec­ond language.

Do you have a pas­sion for lan­guages? Is your job or your vaca­tion trav­el tak­ing you to oth­er coun­tries? Would you like to have a bet­ter under­stand­ing of your her­itage or anoth­er cul­ture? Or do you need to pre­pare for Uni­ver­si­ty cred­it lan­guage courses?

Par­tic­i­pants in our cours­es come from all walks of life and have their own rea­sons for study­ing a sec­ond lan­guage: work, trav­el, cul­tur­al enrich­ment, friendship/​relationships, study abroad, her­itage, or liv­ing part of the year in anoth­er country.

                                                                   

No application or prerequisites required – just register in a course.

Learn and practice listening, reading, and writing skills.

Develop your vocabulary and perfect your pronunciation.

Explore aspects of the life and culture of different countries.

Open doors to a world of career and life possibilities.

Daytime, evening, and weekend courses held at Enterprise Square, downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

A note about COVID-19 measures

If you see a program on our website announced as an in-person or downtown Edmonton offering, please disregard the format—but not the program. Winter, Spring, and Summer 2021 courses have been converted to remote delivery platforms. Register for a course online or apply to a program via email, and keep learning!

  • Tuition is paid on a course-by-course basis as you reg­is­ter for your classes.
  • Some cours­es require a text­book at an addi­tion­al cost.
  • Eli­gi­ble for the Cana­da-Alber­ta Job Grant.
  • Cor­po­rate mul­ti-reg­is­tra­tion pack­ages are avail­able for most Exten­sion cours­es. Con­tact us at excorp@​ualberta.​ca for pre­ferred pricing.
Bursaries and funding opportunities
for Canadian residents: Canada Training Benefit Alberta employers & employees: Job Grant UAlberta alumni: PD Grant UAlberta employees: HRDF
Course planner schedule-at-a-glance

Register Today

Sign Language

Learn the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) in this course designed for those with little or no background in ASL. Acquire beginner-level, practical ASL communication skills on everyday topics, both to express yourself and understand conversational American Sign Language. Understand the crucial components of ASL and find out how to use non-manual grammar in ASL. Explore issues related to Deaf culture and the Deaf community. This class will be entirely conducted in ASL.
Feb 5
Online learning, synchronous
Rouzbeh Ghahreman
Details & registration
May 4
Online learning, synchronous
Rouzbeh Ghahreman
Details & registration
Improve your basic American Sign Language skills in this course designed for those who completed the ASL 1 course. Carry on conversations in ASL on everyday topics such as family, activities, and interests. Further develop your ASL receptive and expressive skills, and learn how to use storytelling in ASL. This class will be entirely conducted in ASL.
Apr 26
Online learning, synchronous
Rouzbeh Ghahreman
Details & registration

French

In this hands-on workshop, you'll explore the rules of French pronunciation, acquire some foundational vocabulary, understand the differences between written and spoken French, and be introduced to grammar structures you'll need to communicate at a basic level. Work on essentials such as days of the week, numbers, introductions, ordering meals, and others. Learn words tailored to you specific needs - tourism, business, wine tasting, etc. Get useful pointers on the rules of French etiquette.
Mar 30
Online learning, synchronous
Karima Afchar
Details & registration
The language of instruction in French Level I will be primarily English, but students will have ample opportunity to practice their French. In addition to the grammar covered in Chapters 1 through 5 in En bons termes, we will cover the following vocabulary and conversational topics: greetings, food, ordering a meal, seasons/time, directions, dates, the rooms in a house, classroom/office vocabulary, age, the family, parts of the body and health.
Feb 8
Online learning, synchronous
Karima Afchar
Details & registration
Apr 29
Online learning, synchronous
Karima Afchar
Details & registration
A basic knowledge of French is required in French Level II. The language of instruction is primarily French. In addition to the grammar covered in Chapters 6 through 9 and a portion of Chapter 14 (14.1, 14.2, 14.3) in En bons termes, we will cover the following conversational topics: shopping/clothing, professions, leisure- sports/hobbies/entertainment and travel. Completion of EXGEN 3114 is strongly recommended.
Jan 25
Online learning, synchronous
Karima Afchar
Details & registration
Jul 13
Online learning, synchronous
Karima Afchar
Details & registration
Take your language skills to the next level as you become comfortable with reading short articles, carrying on basic conversations, and following instructions entirely in French. Gather new vocabulary and practice conversation topics such as arts and entertainment, lifestyle and culture, and health habits. Learn how to express your opinion on issues like politics, family, and others. Instruction is primarily in French; grammar concepts are explained in English. Completion of EXGEN 3109 is strongly recommended.
Les étudiants devront être capables de tenir une conversation dans la plupart des situations de la vie quotidienne. L'enseignement sera donné exclusivement en français. Les chapitres de grammaire abordés seront les chapitres 15 à 17. Les sujets de conversation seront les suivants: initiation à la littérature francophone, les nouvelles techniques, l'environnement. D'autres sujets de conversation seront également étudiés selon les intérêts des étudiants. Completion of EXGEN 3139 is strongly recommended.
Apr 20
Online learning, synchronous
Lucie Wallace
Details & registration
Les étudiants devront être capables de tenir une conversation dans toutes les situations de la vie privée ou professionnelle. L'enseignement sera donné exclusivement en français. Les chapitres de grammaire abordés seront les suivants: chapitres 18 à 22. Les sujets de conversation seront: les différents aspects de la culture francophone, rédiger un curriculum vitae et une lettre de demande. D'autres sujets de conversation seront également choisis en fonction des intérêts des étudiants. Completion of EXGEN 3247 is strongly recommended.

German

Aimed at those with very little or no background in German. It takes a task-based approach to learning using practical situations from everyday life. Get introduced to common expressions and acquire vocabulary in topics such as: greetings, introductions, ordering food, time of day, shopping, compliments and more. Discuss the culture of German-speaking countries and learn about basic pronunciation rules, the use of verbs, the use of present tense and past tense, sentence structure, and the use of cases. German I covers level A1.1 of the European CEFR-scale.
Jan 25
Online learning, synchronous
Richard Feddersen
Details & registration
Aimed at those with some background in German, this course takes a task-based, communicative approach to learning that is focused on practical situations from everyday life. Practice conversational topics such as hobbies and leisure, directions, public transit, being sick and making a doctor's appointment, staying at a hotel, and more. Discuss the culture of German-speaking countries and learn about pronunciation rules, the past tense, prepositions, conjunctions, and the use of the dative case. German 2 covers level A1.2 of the European CEFR-scale.
Feb 8
Online learning, synchronous
Richard Feddersen
Details & registration

Italian

In this introductory course you will become acquainted with everyday Italian conversation through oral practice, basic grammar instruction, and pronunciation drills. By the end of the course you will be able to competently introduce yourself and others and will be able to pose questions on personal information as well as respond to analogous questions (place of residency, people whom you know, what you possess). You will easily be able to interact at an elementary level of Italian as long as the speaker enunciates slowly, clearly and is willing to be collaborative and supportive in the learning experience.
Requiring a reasonable command of basic Italian structure, this course will focus on helping you develop conversational skills. Understand isolated, frequently used sentence's and expressions relative to time and place and of immediate importance to you. [For example, basic information on the person and family, abilities, local geography, and the work place]. Be successful in expressing in simple terms aspects of your life and of your surroundings. Completion of EXGEN 3116 is strongly recommended.
Mar 1
Online learning, synchronous
Antonella Ciancibello
Details & registration
Build on your ability to carry on a simple conversation in Italian through this course, which will stress the development of a more comprehensive vocabulary and idiom, specifically in speaking. Comprehend the essential points of clear messages on familiar topics such as work, school, free time, et cetera. After Level III you should be able to hold your own when travelling to a region where people speak the language. Construct simple, coherent passages on topics that are either familiar or of interest. You will be able to: describe experiences, events, dreams, wishes, ambitions; elaborate on reasons; give explanations on opinions and projects. Completion of EXGEN 3117 is strongly recommended.

Japanese

The objective of Japanese I is to provide a solid foundation in the knowledge and skill required to speak functional Japanese. After completing this course you will be able to survive day-to-day situations in Japan such as greetings, introductions, counting, asking and giving simple information, shopping, and so on.
The course will start with a review of basic sentence structure, vocabulary, and useful daily expressions and move on to more complex grammatical rules, especially the inflection of verbs and adjectives. We will increase our vocabulary and special idiomatic expressions used in daily life in Japan. English will be used to explain grammatical points only. You will be encouraged to use the target language as much as possible. Upon completion of this course you will be able to handle day to day situations in Japan with more ease. You will be able to express your feelings and ideas on certain topics with more confidence. Completion of EXGEN 3138 is strongly recommended.
May 4
Online learning, synchronous
Mineko Koto
Details & registration
Expand your everyday communication skills, learn more advanced Kanji, and increase your command of idiom, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing. The main focus will be on oral Japanese, but in order to enhance your communicative skills, we will learn further complex verb sentences and idiomatic expressions. Completion of EXGEN 3143 is strongly recommended.
May 4
Online learning, synchronous
Mineko Koto
Details & registration

Spanish

This introduction to Spanish uses group work, exercises, and activities to practice vocabulary and structures in a conversational context. The basic elements include pronunciation, numbers, time and dates, greetings, descriptions, and basic sentence structure.
May 3
Online learning, synchronous
Hansy Herrera
Details & registration
The continuation of basic Spanish uses group work, exercises, and activities to practice vocabulary and structures in a conversational context. Beginning with a review of material from Spanish I, this course covers vocabulary for dining and travel, health, business conversation, and grammar related to forms of the present tense and reflexive verbs. Completion of EXCPE 3001 is strongly recommended.
Jul 5
Online learning, synchronous
Teresa Castro-Albarracin
Details & registration
Participants will develop communicative competence through activities related to travel, business, and culture. Material will be reviewed from the two previous modules before moving on to learning the two past tenses (preterit and imperfect). There will be practice reading, understanding, and telling stories, as well as descriptions of past events. Basic techniques for speaking, listening,and reading are included as well as a brief introduction in Spanish to the world of global trade. Completion of EXCPE 3002 is strongly recommended.
Jan 18
Online learning, synchronous
Ivonne Quintero
Details & registration
Participants will explore how to interact in the Spanish world by consolidating what has already been learned, expanding this knowledge into new areas. Students will review and build upon vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar (including present, preterit, imperfect, present perfect, and future tenses). The conditional mode is reviewed and the subjunctive is introduced and practiced in the present tense forms through the use of impersonal expressions, reflexive verse, and commands. Cultural aspects such as shipping, meeting people, exploring cities, and doing business will be focused on throughout. Completion of EXCPE 3003 is strongly recommended.
Participants will explore the Hispanic world by enjoying its arts and entertainment while studying the present and past tenses of the subjunctive mode. Learn about celebrations, housing, and stories while discovering the three main concepts of subjunctive and developing your level of comprehension, writing, and conversational skills. Completion of EXCPE 3004 is strongly recommended.

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