Learn a new language!
There are many reasons to learn a new language. Maybe you plan to travel abroad and want a deeper, more authentic travel experience; or perhaps you have family or friends who speak another language and you want to learn about their culture. It could be you want to improve your career prospects to get an edge on your competitors. Or maybe you just want to see the looks of surprise, respect and admiration when you respond to someone in their native language.
Whether you're a student, professional, retiree or stay-at-home parent, you can learn a new language in a friendly, supportive learning atmosphere. All language courses offered by Continuing Studies are subject to enrollment. Please register early and invite a friend to join you!
We offer courses in the following languages:
Arabic
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Ukrainian
Every term we offer courses in a variety of languages and levels, but if the specific language you are looking for is not currently being offered, please contact us for more information and to express your interest.
We also offer a certificate in American Sign Language for UVic undergraduate students in partnership with the Department of Linguistics, and a Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization.
Build your confidence
Honing your skills in another language is like doing yoga or becoming proficient on a musical instrument—it can take a bit of practice. In our World Languages courses, there is no pressure to move up from one level to the next. You can repeat the same level as many times as you like to build your confidence, and our instructors will keep the content fresh and interesting for you each time.
Experienced instructors
Our language courses are taught by experienced instructors, many of whom are native speakers of the languages they teach. The courses are entertaining and interactive, with lots of opportunity for verbal language practice.
- Arabic - Level 1
- Arabic - Level 2
- Arabic - Level 3
- Cantonese - Level 1
- Dutch - Level 1
- Dutch - Level 2
- Dutch - Level 3
- German - Level 1
- German - Level 2
- German - Level 3
- German - Level 4
- Italian - Level 1
- Italian - Level 2
- Italian - Level 3
- Italian - Level 4
- Japanese - Level 1
- Japanese - Level 2
- Japanese - Level 3
- Japanese - Level 4
- Korean - Level 1
- Korean - Level 2
- Korean - Level 3
- Mandarin - Level 1
- Mandarin - Level 2
- Mandarin - Level 3
- Mandarin - Level 4
- Polish - Level 1
- Polish - Level 2
- Portuguese - Level 1
- Portuguese - Level 2
- Portuguese - Level 3
- Punjabi - Level 1
- Russian - Level 1
- Russian - Level 2
- Russian - Level 3
- Spanish - Level 1
- Spanish - Level 2
- Spanish - Level 3
- Spanish - Level 4
- Tagalog (Filipino) - Level 1
- Ukrainian - Level 1
- Ukrainian - Level 2
American Sign Language
The American Sign Language (ASL) program will help you develop a new form of communication and earn the ASL certificate.
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Indigenous Language Revitalization
The Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization (CILR) program provides a strong foundation of knowledge and skills to develop practical strategies for local language revitalization initiatives—initiatives that are responsive to the unique needs of each Indigenous nation and organization partnered with.
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If optimism was a person, it would be program coordinator Philippe Provencher. He goes with the flow of life and believes everything works out as it’s supposed to.
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Inspiration and safety: that's what brought instructor Alla Dudka to teach the Ukrainian language with Continuing Studies at UVic in 2023. To escape the war in Ukraine, she moved to Canada to explore new opportunities and see what directions she could take her teaching career.
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For instructor Annie Poirier, travelling is also about connecting with new people, something that learning a language has the power to unlock. When I travel, I can talk with everybody. In French, in English [or] in Spanish. This ability, she says, makes it easier for her to make friends.
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World Languages instructors Maria Elena Cuervo-Lorens and Estelle Kurier were among the first of our instructors to make the switch to the online delivery style. Learn more about these two fascinating instructors.
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While the pandemic may have put a damper on some learners' spirits, people like Susan Purney Mark have been able to take advantage of its silver linings by completing the Beginner Spanish language course through Continuing Studies at UVic.
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There are lots of reasons for people to want to learn a new language, but science is also discovering some new, rather surprising benefits of being bilingual!
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By Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke, Dean, Continuing Studies When Joanne and Mike Rada retired, they weren't quite ready for a quiet home and settled life.
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with instructor Jaerang Lee By Therese Eley, Marketing Services For Jaerang Lee, Continuing Studies at UVic is like a home. "It's the first place, when I came to Canada, that welcomed me.
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Jan Henry is a recent graduate of the French Language Diploma Program. Her journey began in 1988 and, with many life experiences in between, managed to return and graduate from the program in 2018!
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Lauren joined the Division of Continuing Studies a year ago as our French and World Languages Program Coordinator, and when asked what she's enjoyed most about her job, she said "It's difficult to pick just one thing… I work with such smart, innovative people and good souls in the division, and right from the start I really felt like the leadership team, staff and instructors were on my side.
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Known for his quick wit, and his love of language and music, Didier Bergeret was one of the kindest, most compassionate souls you would ever have the pleasure to meet. You couldn’t help but be drawn to his selfless nature and big boisterous personality, one that always seemed to fall on the side of optimism.
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"My language, my heart" is a CBC news story about four Inuit women who are fighting to keep their language alive. Inuinnaqtun (pronounced ee-NOO-ee-NAHK-toon) is traditionally spoken in three Inuit communities in the Western Arctic: Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Ulukhaktok.
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Ye “Dawn” Yuan has been teaching courses at Continuing Studies since January 2011. She has a real passion for teaching and sharing her language and culture.
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