If you studied a long time ago and have already forgotten most of it, yes. But if your level is higher than that of the group, then no. It would be unfair to the group and to you, as you will be bored and waste your time doing something you are already good at.

Besides, language courses are quite expensive, so why not take advantage of learning a higher level? 

No, you can’t. The STARS course is only an introductory course and you will soon be doing new things in Elementary I. Do not skip the first weeks as new content will be covered during these as well.

For Elementary I, no.

For other levels, yes, if you have not studied the previous level with us.  Placement tests will run virtually during the first week of the semester. Please feel free to contact Dr. Renia Lopez via renia.lopez@polyu.edu.hk for more details.

If you are an ENGL student or a student of the Minor in European Studies, maybe yes (we will need to check every case). You will need to have studied at a higher level institution recognised by PolyU (for example, if you studied a language while you were on exchange), and the number of taught hours you had should be around 39.
Contact Dr. Anne Schluter, Exchange Officer, anne.schluter@polyu.edu.hk, for any matters regarding credit transfer if you are an ENGL or European Studies Minor.

Students from some faculties have this problem. Don’t worry, join the class for the first two weeks and then register during the add/drop period. Please contact the relevant teacher for each subject. Talk to your teacher the first week and explain your situation. This is very important because if the subject is over-subscribed we might not be able to do much, so your teacher will make a note of your name. If after the add/drop period you still cannot register we will help you do it manually.

Check out availability for another group.
If all groups are full, don’t worry, please contact the relevant teacher for each subject to join the class for the first two weeks and then register during the add/drop period when additional spaces will become available. 
Talk to your teacher the first week and explain your situation. This is very important because if the subject is over-subscribed we might not be able to do much, so your teacher will make a note of your name. If after the add/drop period you still cannot register we will help you do it manually.

In the past, we have been able to open extra groups if there were enough students. But you need to tell us, otherwise we don’t know what the ‘oversubscription’ total is. Talk to your teacher.

See if there is another group you can join. Contact the language teacher and explain the situation. If you can join another group then we will change you manually. If all groups clash with core subjects then join the first week of class and talk to the teacher (sometimes we can change the time of lessons, if the group is small, or open a new group, if it is very large).  Please contact the relevant teacher for each subject .

We follow the levels set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. Click here for more information. Germany, France and Spain’s Language Institutions have all developed curricula and exams based on the requirements set by the CEFR. We follow these.

The level A1 is covered in about 80 hours (two semesters), and the level A2 in another 80 hours or so.  After finishing a level A1 you are capable of finding your way around, talk about yourself, your family, your city. After finishing a level A2 you can have a (simple) conversation. To study a content subject in the foreign language you are required a B2 level and a C2 is as close to native as you can get.

No, we do not issue certificates. If you are interested in taking the official exam of the Goethe Institut (Germany), Alliance Française (France) or Instituto Cervantes (Spain), let your teacher know. Every year we have a number of students taking these tests, so your teacher will be able to help you prepare for it and also let you know what level to go for.

Great, that is the best way to improve your language abilities. Depending on your department you might have access to exchange programmes in these countries. The university also has exchange programmes there. Take advantage of these opportunities and start learning the language before you go abroad. Your department should take into account the fact that you have been studying the language.

CAPS also offers WIE in some of these countries. Keep an eye on their calls.
Some of the European Consulates offer prizes (money) to the best language students which you can use to study and travel abroad. Your teachers will tell you about these.

Yes (except for ENGL2008): full-time taught postgraduate students can register subjects outside the curriculum, including undergraduate subjects, during the last two days of the Add/Drop Period. (Part-time postgraduate students or RPg students do not have this option).
ENGL2008 is always oversubscribed so it is only open to undergraduates.