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About us

LSE is a centre for the study of the social sciences and this is reflected in its Language Centre.

Our courses focus on language and society, encouraging you to learn how to use language in the contexts you would like to live, study and work in. We teach people to speak languages, but also teach about language (socio-linguistics and intercultural communication) and offer a range of courses on literature and society.

Our mission

  • The provision of two, 4-year, undergraduate programmes that include a year studying abroad.
  • The provision of an institution-wide programme that offers students the chance to study languages, linguistics and literature within their degrees, and a wide range of languages beyond their degree study
  • The teaching of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to current LSE students to support their academic studies
  • The language programme has these core areas of activity:
    • Tuition in modern languages, literature and linguistics that form part of Language Centre undergraduate programmes.
    • Tuition in modern languages, literature and linguistics that form part of other degree programmes across LSE.
    • Tuition in modern languages in addition to students’ degree studies.
    • English for Academic Purposes (EAP) tuition to support students’ degree studies.
    • Specialist provision that generates revenue for the School

Structure of the centre

Satisfaction surveys and positive feedback

  • We are dedicated to monitoring and improving the service we provide.
  • Our undergraduate courses are surveyed by the LSE Teaching Quality Assurance and Review Office (TQARO).
  • The postive feedback reported here from our satisfaction surveys here are from our English for Academic Purposes presessional programme; English for Academic Purposes insessional programme and our non degree language courses.
  • We ask people to rate our courses as either 'excellent', 'very good', 'good', 'satisfactory' or 'unsatisfactory'.
  • We class positive feedback as either 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good'.
Postitive feedback from Language Centre satsfaction surveys
Positive feedback 2023/4 2022/3 2021/2 2020/1 2019/0 2018/9 2017/8
2016/7
non-degree language courses 92.69% 92.93% 81.96% 88.38% 79.70% 85.66% 76.50% 81.00%
EAP presessional programme 100% 90.91% 86.11% N/A 96.00% 93.90% 81.50% 80.00%
EAP insessional programme 98.29% 99.07% 92.86% 95.08% 89.36% 87.90% 92.80% 80.00%

Please remember, if you prefer to speak to someone in person and are registered on a course with us, you can always speak with your teacher or go to office hours for the course in question. You can give them your feedback or talk about anything that concerns you about your course or language learning in general.

Service complaints procedure (non degree programmes)

  • We hope that you will be happy with your chosen course but if any circumstances arise with which you are not happy then procedures are outlined below.

  • Where possible you should, in the first instance, try to resolve the complaint through discussion with those directly involved in the subject matter of the complaint. A list of LSE Language Centre staff can be found on our people page.

  • If you have already contacted those directly involved in the subject matter of the complaint, or prefer not to, you can contact the Language Centre Manager (John Heyworth j.heyworth@lse.ac.uk) who can advise further.

  • If it becomes clear that the informal stage is not going to be effective formal stages below should be instigated at the earliest opportunity.

  • Formal stage: current LSE students should follow the Service Complaints Procedure. This procedure applies to services not directly related to the School’s core provision of teaching, learning, research and supervision and does not apply to policy or policy decisions of the School.

  • Formal stage: if you are not a current LSE student please contact the Language Centre Manager (John Heyworth j.heyworth@lse.ac.uk) to register your complaint.

Service standards

 

service level agreements
Description Performance target  Measurement
Document authentication To establish needs within 5 working days Accounts and client records
Translation Depends on size of work. Targets set with each individual client Accounts and client records
Proofreading Depends on size of work. Targets set with each individual client Accounts and client records
Dealing with general enquiries Response within 24 working hours Repeat calls/contact from client
Dealing with specific enquiries Response within 72 woking hours, from a Language Co-ordinator or Assistant Co-ordinator Repeat calls/contact from client
Provision on degree courses High level of positive feedback Feedback during courses. TQARO suverys
Provision of EAP courses High level of positive feedback Feedback during courses. Annual Language Centre Satisfaction Survey.
Provision of non degree courses High level of positive feedback Feedback during courses. Annual Language Centre Satisfaction Survey.