Speaking to the World - New Languages Diploma

A new ANU Diploma of Languages will kick off in 2013, offering students better access to 17 languages at ANU, some not taught anywhere else in Australia.

Languages available in the new Diploma are: Ancient Greek, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese.

ANU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington said:

“You can study the Diploma either alongside a current degree or, if you have a previous degree, as a stand-alone program. 

“The new Diploma will suit:

• A bachelor student in a prescribed degree who wants to add a language.
• A graduate who wants to learn a language to further your employment prospects.
• A graduate who wants to learn a language, but not take on another full bachelors degree.

“Graduates can expect to find jobs in diplomacy, trade, national security and strategy, translation, language teaching, tourism, development and many other fields.

“The Diploma will be jointly run by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, which combines excellence in research and teaching in linguistics, modern European, Middle Eastern and Classical languages and the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, home to over 100 academics who are dedicated to investigating and learning about the people and languages of the Asia and Pacific region.

“As we await the issue of Ken Henry’s Asian Century report, ANU is embracing its national role, and taking the first steps towards making a broad range of Asian and European languages available online, to students studying at any Australian university.

“ANU has already rejuvenated our Sanskrit program via online provision, taking a language being studied by very small number of students to one being taken by around 30, across the world. 

“The study of language prepares students for the challenges of the increasingly multilingual and global world.

“The University’s high standard of teaching and research in this field is recognised by its performance in the 2012 QS World University Rankings, where ANU is ranked number one in Australia, and 18 in the world, for modern languages.”