Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
|

2019 - 2020 Programme

Languages

For more than 20 years Saint-Louis University, Brussels and its Faculty of Law have understood the importance - in the modern era - of being proficient in languages other than French.

The 3-year bilingual Degrees in law that Saint-Louis is able to offer today are unique in the academic landscape of French-speaking Belgium. Two bilingual Degree programmes are available: French / English or French / Dutch. Moreover, in the same way as for the unilingual programme, each bilingual programme also includes, as a matter of principle, a 3rd language component (either Dutch or English). Students may even choose to study a 3rd language in even more depth by selecting the ‘third language option’ ("trilingual stream"). Under this option, students can, at the start of their 2nd standard annual programme block, add* a selection of courses (either standard language courses or courses taught in their other germanophone language), to their bilingual programme.

*The bilingual/trilingual approach involves replacing a selection of units taught in French with their equivalents taught in Dutch and/or in English. (For further details refer to the programme descriptions on the relevant pages of this site).

Students wishing to follow the unilingual programme nonetheless receive high quality language training because both traditional language courses and courses taught in foreign languages are also an integral part of their programme. As part of their first year standard programme block for example, students are required to follow a traditional foreign language course in a commonly used language; in their second year they are required to take a foreign language legal terminology course, including learning activities in ‘legal English’ and ‘legal Dutch’; while as part of their third year standard programme block they are required to follow a course unit taught in either in Dutch or English.

Languages in the unilingual option

As part of the first year standard annual programme block ‘unilingual’ students follow either an English or a Dutch standard language course for two hours per week over the entire year. These traditional language courses are taught to small groups and aim to develop reading and listening comprehension skills - as well as provide an opportunity to enhance speaking skills.

A language test is organised during the first week of the academic year to determine students’ level of proficiency. This test includes a translation exercise (foreign language into French) and a text summarising task.

Students who score 16/20 on this test are deemed to have satisfied the language requirements and are consequently exempted from following a traditional language course. The mark obtained is added to the student’s marks for the year at the academic jury review in June.

Students who score between 12 and 16/20 are required to further improve their language skills and, hence, to follow an advanced traditional language course in a commonly used language.

Students who score less than 12/20 are required to follow a standard language course in a commonly used language.

In the second year standard programme block students follow a foreign language (FL) legal terminologies course.

For students having chosen Dutch as their commonly used language in the first year programme block the second year foreign language legal terminologies course includes the learning activity ‘Legal Dutch’ (2nd language - 45hrs) as well as the learning activity ‘Reading English legal texts’ (3rd language - 30hrs). For students having chosen English as their commonly used language in the first year programme block the second year foreign language legal terminologies course includes the learning activity ‘Legal English’ (2nd language - 45 hrs) as well as the learning activity ‘Reading Dutch legal texts’ (3rd language - 30 hrs).

The foreign language Legal Terminologies Course Unit, which is taught in each of the 2nd and 3rd target foreign languages, includes the study of legal vocabulary and expressions, as well as close reading of legal texts. It aims to give students the skills they need to consult and understand legal documentation in their target foreign language(s).

Students are required to take a test at the beginning of their second year. Students achieving a score of 16/20 are exempted from the learning activity ‘Reading Legal Texts in a 3rd Language’ (either the Reading Dutch Legal Texts or the Reading English Legal Texts, whichever is applicable).

Students who can show that they have studied neither Dutch nor English during their previous studies may submit a request to study a different 3rd language (with priority given to German).

Languages in the multilingual programmes

Students on multilingual law programmes follow some of their courses in their 2nd language, either in English or in Dutch. These courses are equivalent to the ones taught in French in the unilingual programme. For the French-English Programme, all courses are taught at Saint-Louis University. For the French-Dutch Programme, students follow some of their courses in the lecture theatres at the KU Leuven-Campus Brussel, located at rue d’Assaut (a 10-minute walk from Saint-Louis University). 

The multilingual Degree programmes do not imply an increase in the total hourly workload. Immersion in the chosen second language is gradual: the number of courses followed in English or in Dutch increases gradually throughout the programme.

Students are required to take a test during the first week of the academic year in order to determine their level of proficiency in their second language. This test involves two exercises, one in translation and one in text summarising.

Students who score over 14/20 are allowed to enrol in the bilingual programmes and are also exempted from following a commonly used language course as part of their first year block. The grade obtained is added to their grades for the year at the academic jury review in June.

Students who score between 12/20 and 14/20 are allowed to enrol in the bilingual programmes but are required to improve their language skills and, hence, follow an advanced commonly used language course unit as part of their first year programme block.

Students who score less than 12/20 are allowed to enrol in the bilingual programmes but have to follow a commonly used language course unit as part of their first year programme block.

First year students experiencing persistent difficulties may, up to the start of February, switch to the unilingual programme.

As for the unilingual programme, each of the bilingual programmes includes compulsory 3rd language teaching. In practice this means that as part of their second year programme block students on the French-Dutch Programme follow the course unit ‘Reading English Legal Texts’, while in their second year programme block students on the French-English Programme follow the course unit ‘Reading Dutch Legal Texts’. Students on the unilingual Programme are required to take a test before the start of the second year block. Where a student obtains a score of 16/20 or more they are exempted from attending the 3rd language course unit (either the Reading Dutch Legal Texts or the Reading English Legal Texts, whichever is applicable). Students who can show that they have studied neither Dutch nor English during their previous studies may submit a request to study a learning activity in a different 3rd language (with priority given to German).

Students on the bilingual programmes may study their 3rd language more intensely by choosing the 3rd language option (trilingual stream). Under this option students can, at the start of their 2nd standard annual programme block, add a selection of courses (either standard language courses or courses taught in the other germanophone language), to their bilingual programme.