Restructuring Language Education at Corvinus

Corvinus places a strong emphasis on language skills, and the expectations for language competences in the degree programmes remain high and unchanged. The university’s strategic goal is to increase the proportion of English language courses in its degree portfolio. Currently, more than half of all bachelor’s programmes at Corvinus are in English or are also available in English, and almost two-thirds of master’s programmes are in English or are also available in English. To this end, it encourages students to actively use their foreign language competences before they start working and during their studies. Accordingly, the University’s Centre for Foreign Language Education and Research will adopt a new strategy to provide students with an even more complex language education, in addition to the high level of service it has provided so far. At Corvinus, depending on the study programme, knowledge of one or two languages is required to obtain a degree. If one language is a prerequisite, then two tier lessons per week for two semesters are free of charge, and if two languages are a prerequisite, then four tier lessons per week for four semesters are free of charge. The English language diploma is a much better indicator of language competence than the language exam itself.  

At the same time, the university has also reviewed the future of the Corvinus Language Examination Centre, and as it is not integrally linked to the university’s core education and research activities in the strict sense, and there is no economic justification for maintaining it, the Corvinus management has decided not to renew the accreditation of the centre this year, which is due for renewal every two years. Students who have already registered for the October and subsequent language examination dates have already been contacted by the university and are in the process of negotiating a full refund of the fees already paid. They will be able to take their exams at one of the many institutions in the Hungarian language examination market. The language teachers working in the language examination centre will continue to be employed by Corvinus in language teaching, while administrative colleagues will continue their work in other areas of the university.   

International studies students will continue to have the opportunity to test their language skills, as the study programme requires language competence that can be acquired through a language examination in economics or law, in addition to international relations.  

As of 1 September, the Director of the Examination Centre, József Erdei, took over the management of the Corvinus Centre for Foreign Language Education and Research.   

The University’s management would like to thank the retiring Director of the Centre for Foreign Language Education and Research, Ágota Dobos, for her decades of successful leadership and her continued professional activity as a language teacher and as a study programme leader in the International Preparatory Programme.