If you’ve ever thought about learning a new language but weren’t sure where to begin, our new revamped beginner language courses may be for you. At the CAE, we’re introducing a new approach by focusing some of our ‘Elementary 1’ short courses into two distinct streams.
The aim? To make language learning more accessible, customisable and aligned with what you really want to get out of a course.
One stream is dedicated to ‘Everyday Vocabulary and Cultural Insights’, and the other on things like alphabet, pronunciation, grammar, script and sentence structure. These new streams will be available in Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
This structure allows you to tailor your learning experience based on your interests and goals. Whether you want to dig deep into grammar and pronunciation, or you’re more excited about speaking and conversation – there’s now a course that’s perfect for you.
CAE Programs Coordinator, Luis says the goal is to give people options.
“Some students want to focus on the basics, like learning the script for character-based languages and how to pronounce words, without committing to a full course. Others want to dive into everyday language and get a feel for the culture.”
Flexibility and efficiency
This new modular format offers you more than just choice – it opens the door to greater flexibility in how you learn a language. You can take one module or both, and even complete them in a faster timeframe than a traditional course allows.
“Splitting things up also makes it more affordable, and for anyone who’s keen to study more than once a week (or finish before the year ends), this schedule works out better.”
The two modules together cover the same ground as our traditional ‘Elementary 1’ short courses. That means you can still get a solid foundation in the language, but will now have more control over how you build that foundation.
Everyday language with a cultural twist
‘Everyday Vocabulary and Cultural Insights’ goes beyond basic phrases. It’s designed to give you practical language skills you can use in everyday life – at work, socially, or when you’re travelling. Most importantly, it provides context for your conversations.
“You’ll learn words and phrases for work, socialising, and daily life, plus some interesting cultural tips that help you feel comfortable using the language outside of travel.”
These courses differ from CAE’s popular ‘For Travellers’ language courses, which are focused on holiday essentials like booking hotels, getting directions and ordering food. ‘Everyday Vocabulary and Cultural Insights’ takes a broader view, helping you navigate cultural nuances so that you feel comfortable using the language outside of travel.
“Students might find out why people greet each other a certain way, common ‘dos and don’ts’, how to handle invitations, food customs (like what not to do at the table), and even little things like gestures or how to politely say ‘no’ or ‘thank you’,” Luis says.
“It’s about helping students feel confident in new situations, not just knowing words.”
Beginner-friendly!
Importantly, both modules are suitable for complete beginners – no prior knowledge is required. Whether you’re new to language learning or are returning after a break, you can start with the stream that suits your style.
“Both are designed for people who’ve never studied the language before. You can choose the module that fits your interest – or do both!”
So, if you’ve been putting off learning a language because of time, or you simply didn’t know where to start, this is the perfect opportunity to jump in. With the freedom to focus on what matters to you, our new languages format will help you gain real-world language skills – and give you the cultural confidence to use them.