School of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Welcome to the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about starting or returning to your studies. 

Scroll to the section that applies to you – new student, returning student or taught postgraduate student. We’ve also included some helpful links at the bottom to direct you to anything else you might need.

If you’re a postgraduate researcher, find your faculty welcome and induction information to help you get started.

I’m a new student          

What do I need to do before I arrive?

If there are any specific things you need to do before you arrive, you will be contacted directly by members of your subject area, so keep an eye on your email.

How will I meet my academic personal tutor? How will academic personal tutoring work?

You will be contacted by your Academic Personal Tutor and they will arrange to meet you during Introduction week.

Where can I go for support?

Where do I turn if I need extra academic support?

Your Academic Personal Tutor is the best person to contact for extra academic support, and they will be able to guide you to other resources too.

How will I find out more about my programme?

You will be invited to an induction meeting that will tell you about each component of your programme, so you might have more than one meeting. If you are a single honours student you will attend just one meeting. These meetings are run by the tutors who will be teaching your programme and who can provide you with all relevant details. Please note these meetings are in addition to the School Welcome Meetings.

How will I get to know other students?

We will be organising different activities to help you meet your colleagues and members of staff and you will be invited to a range of different events once you have joined us.  There are also a number of different Buddy Schemes that you can sign up to at the University.  These can connect you with other students and can be a great way to meet people and make friends or other useful connections (like study buddies). The University Buddy Scheme is open to all students across the University, Connections: the Lifelong Learning Centre’s Buddy Scheme is specifically for mature students, and you can also join the Faculty of AHC Buddy Scheme which is exclusively for students of Arts, Humanities and Cultures.

What welcome activities do you have planned to welcome me to the school of Languages, Cultures and Societies?

You will arrive in time for the week starting 25 September and you will be invited to a school welcome meeting on your first day. During this meeting we will provide you with up-to-date information about what is happening and when. Please note that your teaching will start in the following week.

Are there any specialist software or systems that I need for my programme and where do I find out information about it?

Any specialist equipment that you need to use will be fully explained to you as part of your module teaching.

Where can I access resources for my degree?  

We will provide you with everything you need to succeed on your programme, and this will be discussed with you during teaching sessions.

Do I need to provide my core reading texts?

Each module tutor will discuss the reading requirements with you. For some modules you might be guided to a key text, but these are usually available electronically, so there is no need to buy lots of books before you arrive.

What facilities are available for my course, and how can I take advantage of them?

We have many study spaces you can book onto and use.

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer?

Our course reps collect feedback about modules, programmes and all aspects of teaching and they form a vital link between student feedback and all our future plans for teaching. We will be asking for volunteer course reps in the first few weeks of teaching, so listen out for these important opportunities.

Are there any societies I can join for the school/programme?

Your individual subject areas will tell you all about the societies that are connected with the subjects you are studying. Do join these groups to make sure you start to develop social contacts as early as possible.

Are there any peer mentoring schemes operating in my school?

Yes.  Peer mentors are current students who you can ask questions and get advice from.  They’ll share useful knowledge, information and insights with you that can help you to better manage your transition into University.  Through them, you’ll also have chance to meet and connect with other students in your School. You can sign up for a peer mentor using this form.

How does assessment work on my programme?

You will be assessed using a range of tasks and approaches. Each module leader will explain the assessment pattern on the module they teach. There is full support on academic skills available to you via the skills@library webpages and key skills teaching will also take place in your core modules.

I’m a returning student

What do I need to do before I arrive?

If there are any specific things you need to do before you arrive, you will be contacted directly by members of your subject area, so keep an eye on your email.

How will I meet my academic personal tutor? 

You will be contacted by your Academic Personal Tutor and they will arrange to meet you during Introduction week.

Where can I go for support?

Where do I turn if I need extra academic support?

Your Academic Personal Tutor is the best person to contact for extra academic support, and they will be able to guide you to other resources too.

How will I get to know other students?

We will be organising different activities to help you meet your colleagues and members of staff and you will be invited to a range of different events once you have joined us.  There are also a number of different Buddy Schemes that you can sign up to at the University.  These can connect you with other students and can be a great way to meet people and make friends or other useful connections (like study buddies). The University Buddy Scheme is open to all students across the University, Connections: the Lifelong Learning Centre’s Buddy Scheme is specifically for mature students, and you can also join the Faculty of AHC Buddy Scheme which is exclusively for students of Arts, Humanities and Cultures.

What facilities are available for my course, and how can I take advantage of them?

We have many study spaces you can book onto and use.

What is the role of course representative and how do I volunteer?

As you will already know, our course reps collect feedback about modules, programmes and all aspects of teaching and they form a vital link between student feedback and all our future plans for teaching. We will be asking for volunteer course reps in the first few weeks of teaching, so listen out for these important opportunities.

Are there any societies I can join for the school/programme?

Now we are on campus, you might want to listen out for information about school societies. Your individual subject areas will tell you all about the societies that are connected with the subjects you are studying. Do join these groups to make sure you start to develop your social contacts.

Are there any peer mentoring schemes operating in my school?

Yes.  Peer mentors are current students who you can ask questions and get advice from.  They’ll share useful knowledge, information and insights with you that can help you to better manage your transition into University.  Through them, you’ll also have chance to meet and connect with other students in your School.  You can sign up for a peer mentor using this form.

I’m a postgraduate student

What do I need to do before I arrive?

If there are any specific things you need to do before you arrive, you should have already been contacted by the manager of your MA degree programme with details of any pre-programme preparation tasks. Please keep an eye on your email for any upcoming correspondence from the manager of your MA degree programme.

How will I meet my academic personal tutor? How will academic personal tutoring work?

You will be contacted by your Academic Personal Tutor during induction week or shortly thereafter and he/she/they will then schedule a first tutorial with you. You will have a total of eight scheduled personal tutorials with your Academic Personal Tutor over the course of your studies, four in each semester. 

Where can I go for support? 

You can also contact your MA Programme Manager for academic support:

Arabic-English Translation MAA-ET

The Programme Manager is Dr Ahmed Elgindy. Email Ahmed Elgindy: A.Elgindy@leeds.ac.uk

Audiovisual Translation and Localisation MAAVTLoc

The Programme manager is Dr Carlo Eugeni. Email Carlo Eugeni: C.Eugeni@leeds.ac.uk

Applied Translation Studies (MAATS)

The Programme manager is Dr Callum Walker. Email Callum Walker: C.M.Walker@leeds.ac.uk

Business and Public Service Interpreting and Translation Studies (MABPSITS)

The Programme Manager is Lihong Pan. Email Lihong Pan: L.Pan1@leeds.ac.uk                             

Conference Interpreting and Translation Studies (MACITS)

The Programme Manager is Lihong Pan. Email Lihong Pan: L.Pan1@leeds.ac.uk                             

PGDip Applied Translation Studies

The Programme manager is Dr Callum Walker. Email Callum Walker: C.M.Walker@leeds.ac.uk

PGDip Business and Public Service Interpreting

The Programme Manager is Lihong Pan. Email Lihong Pan: L.Pan1@leeds.ac.uk                       

PGDip Conference Interpreting

The Programme Manager is Lihong Pan. Email Lihong Pan: L.Pan1@leeds.ac.uk                           

Film Studies

The Programme Manager is Dr Rachel Johnson. Email Rachel Johnson: R.Johnson@leeds.ac.uk

Professional Languages and Intercultural Studies (MAPLIS)

The Programme Manager is Dr Corinne Painter. Email Corinne Painter: c.j.painter@leeds.ac.uk

Linguistics

The Programme Manager is Dr Clare Wright. Email Clare Wright: C.E.M.wright@leeds.ac.uk

Linguistics and English Language Teaching (ELT)

The Programme Manager is Dr Clare Wright. Email Clare Wright: C.E.M.wright@leeds.ac.uk

How will I find out more about my programme?

You will be invited to an induction meeting for your MA degree programme during Induction Week. The meeting will be run by the MA Programme Manager who will provide you with relevant details about your degree programme. For future reference, you can also find information about your degree programme on the online Programme Catalogue.  

How will I get to know other students?

Each subject area will be organising different activities to help you meet your colleagues and members of staff, and you will be invited to a range of different events once you have joined us. The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures also hosts an Interconnections Project which is exclusively for postgraduates (Masters students and postgraduate researchers). Interconnections aims to create spaces where postgraduates can meet, relax and develop friendships across different disciplines through a series of social and cultural events both on and off campus.

What welcome activities do you have planned to welcome me to the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies?

You will arrive in Induction Week and you will be invited to a school PGT welcome meeting and MA-specific induction sessions. During these meeting we will provide you with more information about events and activities you can join. 

Your MA programme may also organise an icebreaker session, offering an opportunity for you to get to know your peers and tutors. 

Note that your teaching will start in the following week.

Are there any specialist software or systems that I need for my programme and where do I find out information about it?

Any specialist equipment that you need to use will be provided by the University and fully explained to you as part of your module teaching.

Where can I access resources for my studies?  

We will provide you with everything you need to succeed on your programme, and this will be discussed with you during teaching sessions.

Do I need to provide my core reading texts?  

Each module tutor will discuss the reading requirements with you. For some modules you might be guided to a key text, but these are usually available electronically, so there is no need to buy lots of books before you arrive.

What facilities are available for my course, and how can I take advantage of them?

We have many study spaces you can book onto and use.

Where relevant, students will have access to dedicated ICT facilities as part of their programme of study.

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer?

Our course representatives collect feedback about modules, programmes and all aspects of teaching and they form a vital link between student feedback and all our future plans for teaching. We will be asking for volunteer course reps in the first few weeks of teaching, so listen out for these important opportunities.

Are there any societies I can join for the school/programme?

Your individual subject areas will tell you all about the societies that are connected with the subjects you are studying. Do join these groups to make sure you start to develop social contacts as early as possible. You may also wish to join any of the many Leeds University Union societies.

Are there any peer mentoring schemes operating in my school?

Yes.  Peer mentors are current students who you can ask questions and get advice from.  They’ll share useful knowledge, information and insights with you that can help you to better manage your transition into University.  Through them, you’ll also have chance to meet and connect with other students in your School. You can sign up for a peer mentor using this form.

How does assessment work on my programme?

You will be assessed using a range of tasks and approaches. Each module leader will explain the assessment pattern on the module they teach. There is full support on academic skills available to you via the skills@library webpages, including amongst others on essay writing, oral presentations and exam preparation.

Where can I find relevant career information for postgraduate students? 

The university provides relevant career information through its Careers Centre, which offers a range of services, including drop-in guidance, CV checking and the organisation of recruitment fairs.

Additional careers information, including on jobs, summer internships and work placements, can be found on the LCS Employability website

School Minerva Organisation

Visit the School Minerva organisation.

Other useful links