Regent’s University London Language Standalone Program

Study abroad is studying or working as a student in a different country, either virtually or in person to broaden your academic, cultural, and social horizons. Study abroad is what we do!

SAF is part of IES Abroad, a not-for-profit provider founded in 1950 with 140+ study abroad and internship programs around the world for college/university students. 

With our comprehensive study abroad application support, advice, and orientations, we make the process as simple as possible. Our close relationship with home and host universities should give you peace of mind, knowing your choice to study through SAF ensures you're safe and secure every step of the way. We guarantee housing for the duration of your study abroad adventure and are available whenever you need us, on the ground, to support you in every part of your experience.

Before you settle on a single program, consider what appeals most to you: a small or large campus, language development or for-credit study, academic prestige or building relationships and experiences, and many other factors. This website includes many useful tools, such as our Program Finder, to help you understand which program might be best for you. You can also connect with SAF's Study Counselors, youro parents, and home university staff to help you in your decision. SAF is here for you, too!

With decades supporting international study, we have gathered thousands of stories from SAF Scholars in hundreds of cities. For each destination, we have student blogs and location articles to help you in your decision. You may also be able to reach out to SAF Alumni or an SAF Student Counselor who can give you all the tips and helpful information you need as you prepare for life overseas.

Many host universities offer both merit- and need-based scholarships to short-term visiting students, often made available exclusively through the Study Abroad Foundation and applied in the SAF Program Fees. For more information on scholarships, see our scholarships page. If you're interested in university scholarships, discuss your goals with your SAF Student Counsellor.

For both SAF and IES Abroad, student health and safety is at the forefront of all we do. All SAF Program Fees include a mandatory health insurance policy. You submit a medical form to SAF as part of your application so our student affairs staff on-site have up-to-date information and can support your health and medical needs while abroad.  You can also read more information about our health and safety protocols. 

 Some SAF projects include escorted short-term tours, which are included automatically in the program's fee. Semester programs rarely include additional trips outside of the regular curriculum because each person has their own destination and travel requirements.

We love connecting students with our alumni! Our student blog and global ambassadors give you a comprehensive glimpse at the study abroad experience. SAF Alumni are often at recruitment seminars and webinars, so you can chat with them. If you would like a conversation with a SAF Alum, reach out to us to find out about next steps.

Pathway programs are for students aspiring to join for-credit academic study abroad but need to work on their language skills and proficiency to meet the host university’s language requirements. Language pathway students generally must take and pass a non-credit language course before leading into a full-credit semester in their academic discipline. Read more in our blog: who are study abroad pathway programs right for?

Standalone programs are for students of any language-proficiency level. These generally non-credit programs focus solely on language learning and improvement. There is no academic pathway associated with standalone language programs. Standalone courses are usually organized and run by the host university’s campus language center.

Concurrent programs are for students who just missed the language requirements. These partial-credit language courses run alongside academic courses to elevate language proficiency during summer or semester programming. Read more in our blog: who are study abroad pathway programs right for?

Standalone programs are typically for absolute beginners of the language, giving students an immersive introduction.

Pathway program students are usually very close to academic-level proficiency but need consistent, immersive language study before joining a full academic program. Intermediate to advanced. Read about SAF program language requirements.

Concurrent program students may have only just missed the institution’s language requirement for full academic study—or feel they would benefit from subject-specific language learning to complement their academic study. Very high intermediate to advanced. 

This depends on your current proficiency. Simply being in the country and actively engaging with academic discussion, reading, listening, and learning, your language skills will improve. 

It also depends on how long you are able to study abroad. If you only have a summer break, a standalone course is a good starting point.

A semester stay would enable you to enroll on a concurrent program—improving your language alongside gaining academic credit.

If you can commit to an academic or calendar year, you have more scope to consider what would work best for you: Would you prefer to elevate your language proficiency before joining academic classes? Choose the language pathway option. If you’re excited to start academic classes and your language proficiency is very close to advanced, you can consider concurrent programs.
 

Any language program will enhance your study abroad experience, giving you strong language skills to engage with lectures, seminars, and discussions. There are many language programs that focus on vocabulary and grammars needed in specific disciplines, taking you deeper into the subject matter.

Advanced immersive language classes also inspire a more authentic grasp of the target language, making it easier to network, build friendships, navigate daily life, and become more culturally aware.
 

Immersive language programs accelerate language learning far beyond traditional classroom settings. By using language every day, in every interaction, conversational fluency will improve very quickly. Listening skills also sharpen as you are exposed to various accents, speaking speeds, and colloquial expressions home classrooms simply can’t replicate. 

As you gain confidence and build friendships, you start to mimic native speakers—and speed your own speech, especially when you feel comfortable making mistakes or working around words or phrases you don’t know.
 

Each institution is different. Language programs are mainly run by expert language teachers whose specialty is teaching their native language to additional language learners.

You can expect considerable time in the classroom, working in groups or pairs on improving your academic speaking, note-taking, and presentation skills. You are also likely to explore listening skills and practice the phonetics of speech as well as colloquial use.

Some institutions offer general language courses with a focus on general academic development; others offer modules that target specific language needs or personal or academic interests.

Every SAF partner institution that offers language programs houses language students in a homestay. Homestays immerse you in authentic daily conversation—you chat over breakfast and have evening discussions about what you did during the day and what your plans are for the next day or the weekend. You might even get into academic discussion. You are more likely to absorb natural speech patterns, colloquialisms, and cultural nuances that textbooks miss. 

Host families provide a safe space to practice without judgment while correcting mistakes naturally. By living with locals, you communicate in the target language to explain preferences, share stories, even navigate culturally different household routines. Such constant, meaningful interaction in a supportive environment accelerates your fluency.