The International Hospitality Industry Values Languages

Students require fluency in English and a second language to be awarded the SHA Diploma and commence fourth year ICHM Bachelor Degree studies.

Second language fluency is set at a minimum of ECFRL C1, ISLPR 3, Eurocentres Level 6 or equivalent. This ensures effectiveness in business and social settings, sensitivity to cultural aspects and business etiquette.

The second language is the student’s own choice. ICHM graduates pursue careers all over the world, requiring interaction with guests and staff from many countries. Depending on which region they expect to work in, ICHM graduates find some languages more useful than others.

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Additional Study

Students who do not already have a second language other than English are required to undertake additional language study, for students with English and fluency in a second language, additional study is optional.

As many students already have a second language and the choices are unrestricted for students who do require further language study, ICHM does not offer language study on-campus, but is able to assist students in arranging language tuition in Australia at the Vocational Language Learning Centre® and internationally with Eurocentres, or other approved language training. Students are free to choose how they undertake language study. A number of private tutors also offer language tuition to ICHM students out of class hours.

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Students can undertake their additional language study:

Prior to commencement at ICHM.

• This is popular with younger students who find themselves with a gap between finishing high school and starting at ICHM because of their age.

During the course at ICHM.

• Replace an industry placement semester with language study, either in Australia or as a total immersion program in another country. This is the preferred option of students with little or no prior language knowledge.
• Study part-time outside ICHM class hours in Adelaide. This is usually popular with students who already have substantial language knowledge, but need extra tuition to refresh or increase proficiency prior to formal testing. Students with little or no second language knowledge can also successfully reach fluency via part-time study, provided they start early enough.
• A combination of the above.

After the course

• Students have up to six years to complete all academic, Industry placement and language requirements.

Note: That students will not be able to formally graduate with the SHA Diploma until they provide suitable proof of fluency in the second language.

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The Vocational Language Learning Centre® in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney provide language tuition in a nurturing, fun, relaxed and results oriented environment, which encourages rapid success. The VLLC’s Fluency Focus Method™ means you learn your next language in the same way you learnt your first.

Students with no prior language knowledge undertake the VLLC’s accredited Certificate II and III courses, followed by the Hospitality Industry Language Proficiency program, which covers specialist industry topics and terminology. Languages include Mandarin, Japanese, Indonesian, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Greek.

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With eighteen locations across Europe and Japan, Eurocentres specialise in arranging total immersion language training. Students are encouraged to live with a host family in the region selected, alternative options are available.

Class sizes are small and teaching techniques include project and group work, computer assisted language learning programs, language labs and video. Eurocentres also organise a wide range of leisure time activities including sports, cultural events, parties and excursions. Languages include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian.

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