Residency requirements for Languages
Introduction
For registration in languages such as French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish, applicants must have lived abroad in a country where the language/s are spoken, during which they must have fully participated in the culture of the country and immersed themselves in the target language.
The residency requirement for candidates registering a first language is 6 months, normally in blocks of at least 3 months.
The residency requirement for candidates registering a second, or subsequent, language is 3 months, normally in blocks of at least 4 weeks.
The period of 3/6 months may be taken at any time after leaving school and shall consist of 3/6 months in a country where the language is spoken, to be undertaken either continuously or in such instalments as GTC Scotland may approve.
Types of residence normally acceptable
- Work in Colonies de Vacances
- Hotel or restaurant work
- “Au pair” jobs
- Residence with a family
- Work with an organisation such as Caisses D’Allocations Familiales in their welfare, social or educational projects
- ‘Intensive courses’ completed in the required country (where in excess of 30 hours per week are spent on a course, the course may count for double the number of weeks spent in that country)
Types of residence that are not acceptable
- Coach tours
- Joining a family holiday
- Hitch-hiking with an English-speaking friend
- Any activity where too much contact with people with English as their first language is likely
Evidence that should be submitted
You should submit a statement from a university, course organiser, employer, or a senior member of a family you lived with, confirming dates of residence.
The statement should make it clear that all conversation was conducted in the language in question and give an indication of the degree of fluency of the student.
The evidence of a passport or travel documents is not acceptable except when it confirms that a student took up residence for a few days either before or after the period covered by the statement.