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Study Languages at SETU
Why study Languages at SETU?

Why study Languages at SETU?

At SETU in Waterford, we offer the opportunity to study Chinese, French, Gaeilge, German, Italian or Spanish or at a variety of different levels across a broad range of our programmes. 

Studying a language opens a world of opportunities that greatly enhances your skill set and in an increasingly interconnected world, speaking a second language will make you highly employable in the jobs market.  

Benefits of learning languages

Benefits of learning languages

  • Language learning increases your cognitive skills
  • Language learning improves your communication and interpersonal skills
  • Language learning increases your intercultural skills
  • Language learning improves your decision-making skills
  • Bilingual people focus better on tasks, they display increased concentration and are more skilful at focusing on relevant information
  • Learning a foreign language makes you more creative
  • Travelling around the world becomes easier when you speak more than one language  
  • Your metalinguistic awareness increases when learning another language and it becomes easier to learn others.

Video: Study Languages at SETU

Languages are offered as part of/as an elective module on the following undergraduate programmes at SETU:

Humanities

CourseLanguage offered
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) French, Spanish
BA (Hons) in PsychologyFrench, Spanish
BA (Hons) in Hospitality ManagementFrench, German, Italian, Spanish
Bachelor of Business in Tourism & Hospitality Services French, German, Italian, Spanish
BA (Hons) in Arts in Culinary Arts Spanish
Higher Certificate in Arts in Culinary ArtsSpanish

Business

CourseLanguage offered
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Common Entry)Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Economics & Finance) Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Human Resource Management)Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Management) Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Accounting) Chinese, French, German, Spanish
Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Marketing)Chinese, French, German, Spanish
BA (Hons) in International BusinessChinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Engineering

CourseLanguage offered
BSc (Hons) in Quantity SurveyingSpanish
BSc (Hons) in Construction Management & EngineeringSpanish

Science

CourseLanguage offered
BSc in Software Systems DevelopmentGerman
BSc (Hons) in Software Systems DevelopmentGerman

Students can choose to spend one or two semesters (depending on the programme) studying at one of SETU's partner universities in Europe or in other destinations worldwide. You choose!

SETU has links with Montpellier, Lille, Rome, Berlin, Ancona, and many more European universities.

Past students have even studied in China, in Beijing Institute of Technology, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, and Qingdao University.

Ireland's 'National Skills Strategy 2025' lists foreign languages and cultural awareness among the cross-sectoral skills which improve an individual’s employability and enable occupational mobility. Spending a period of time studying abroad opens a world of opportunities that greatly enhances your skill-set and in an increasingly interconnected world, speaking a second language will make you highly employable in the jobs market.

Students who choose to study at one of our European partner universities can apply for Erasmus+ funding to help defray some of the costs associated with moving abroad.

Click here for more information about Study Abroad. 

Many of our staff are native speakers and many are involved in innovative research in teaching and learning or in areas of literature and culture.

Head of Department of Arts

Chinese

English as a second language

French

Gaeilge

German

Italian

Spanish

Reports on the benefits of learning a language             

Graduates with language skills have been identified in several national and international reports as increasingly in demand by employers.

  • The National Employer Survey 2015 showed that approximately one quarter of employers indicated that they had a specific requirement for foreign language proficiency skills in their organisation. 
  • The National Skills Strategy 2025 lists foreign languages and cultural awareness among the cross-sectoral skills which improve an individual’s employability and enable occupational mobility.
  • The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) report on the skills required to trade internationally both in existing and emerging export markets highlights foreign languages and cultural awareness as key graduate attributes.

Links to useful reports

Social media

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Sources: Department of Education and Skills, Government of Ireland, British Council, University of Chicago, Illinois State University.