Designed to enrich the knowledge of a language and its culture, these courses are taught by native speakers with a focus on enhancing fluency and accuracy of expression.
Languages available at the IML-UQ include Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Chinese Mandarin, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, French, Greek, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese amongst many others.
IML-UQ still meets the language service needs of the corporate sector, small businesses, government departments and community organisations.
IML-UQ also provides a vehicle for UQ students to remain connected with its alumni in a meaningful way over the decades in which they are no longer engaged in more formal study.
This is clearly an important educational development, since it provides machinery for the study of foreign languages that have a cultural and commercial value for the State, and for which no provision is made in secondary schools for Junior, Senior, and Matriculation purposes.
New prospects in international commerce and tourism and the evolution of a cosmopolitan Australian society through post-war immigration were reflected in the diversification of language courses.
On 23 April 1934, resolutions to create a constitution and rules were passed by IML-UQ Joint Sub-Committee of the Faculties of Arts and Commerce.
The main priority was to establish IML-UQ as a provider of ‘adult education’, where courses would not enter ‘deeply into literature’ but focus on a ‘good working knowledge’ for practical application; followed by the expectation to satisfy requirements set for honours students in the Faculty of Commerce; and lastly to provide access to languages for which there was no provision in schools for Junior, Senior and Matriculation purposes.
In response to the increasing trend of global business, IML-UQ now includes a translation and interpreting service appropriate to the international market inclusive of local cultural needs.
Languages currently taught at IML-UQ are: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek (Modern), Hebrew (Modern), Hindi, Indonesian, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese.
IML-UQ offers one-on-one and small group private tuition in most languages customised for business, government departments, companies, travel preparation, research, personal development and cross-cultural communication.
The courses are taught by native speakers with a focus on enhancing fluency and accuracy of expression, with content based on themes and topics specified in the QSA Senior Syllabus.