Language and Communications Skills Courses

The Language and Communications Training Unit (LCTU) at New York Headquarters offers language and communication courses all year round to Secretariat staff and eligible participants. Prior registration is required.

The courses run in three terms throughout the year. Each term is preceded by a registration period that closes three weeks to one week before classes start, so that language instructors and learning environment administrators can make final arrangements for "live" and "virtual" classrooms, as well as group learning material.

The Term Brochures include the list of offered courses, by language and by UN level.
The Calendar gives a yearly overview of the registration period and course period.

The course offering is updated each term to meet evolving demands and learning needs of UN staff and colleagues. We consistently engage in creating, updating and improving our courses, ensuring they are in alignment with the United Nations Language Framework.

To start learning any time, self-study courses for language learning and communications skills development offer participants the flexibility to register and take courses according to their own schedule.

Prospective language learners must ensure they meet the LCTU eligibility criteria to participate in any course offered by the Language and Communications Training Unit.

The video-tutorial “Know more about registering for language learning” provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide to navigate the course offerings and other related steps for the registration process.

Video-tutorial: A complete overview to register for language learning

New York

Language-acquisition courses are mainly in-person or hybrid. These courses are offered locally and classes take place at the United Nations Learning Centre. Specialized courses are mainly online, with some classes in person.

The New York brochure complies all courses offered each term to New York-based participants who meet the eligibility criteria. They are listed by language and organized by UN level.

The brochure contains the course information necessary to complete registration, such as the LMS code, the course start date, and the schedule of "live" sessions.

To facilitate language learning for the largest possible number of people, individuals may register for a maximum of four courses per term, up to 50 hours of instruction, including only one language acquisition course (30 hours) with any specialized courses. Depending on eligibility, other restrictions may apply.

Prospective participants are encouraged to plan their registration and learning, and to enrol early in the designated registration period. Registered participants who find they are unable to commit to attending a course must promptly cancel their registration to enable others on waitlists to benefit from available seats.

New York Brochure

Course offerings for course participants based in New York

New York Term 1 (Jan-Mar)
New York Term 2 (Apr-July)
New York Term 3 (July-Aug)
New York Term 4 (Sept-Dec)

Global

Many specialized courses offered globally are online. The schedule corresponds to the New York time zone (EST).

The global brochure compiles all courses in a term that are offered globally by the Language and Communications Training Unit to participants who meet the eligibility criteria. They are listed by language and organized by UN level.

Language learners may consult offerings for language and communications training at their duty stations.

The global brochure contains the course information necessary to complete registration, such as the LMS code, the course start date and the schedule for the "live" sessions.

To facilitate language learning for the largest possible number of people, individuals may register for a maximum of four courses per term, up to 50 of instruction. Depending on eligibility, other criteria may apply.

Prospective participants are encouraged to plan their course registration and learning and to register early in the designated registration period. Registered participants who find they are unable to commit to attending their course(s) must promptly cancel their registration via Inspira to enable others who are waitlisted to benefit from available seats.

Global Brochure

Course offerings for participants based outside New York

Global Term 1 (Jan-Mar)
Global Term 2 (Apr-July)
Global Term 3 (July-Aug)
Global Term 4 (Sept-Dec)

Terms and Conditions

The Language and Communications Training Unit “Terms and Conditions of Service” provide detailed information on the following topics:

Training offerings: course types, eligibility factors, maximum number of courses
Registration: deadlines, restrictions, waiting lists, course fees
Language learners’ responsibilities: registration and cancellation duties, attendance and learning commitment.

Information about the registration and course period can be found in the Calendar. Scheduling details for each specific course are listed in the course brochures.

Contact

For general enquiries, the contact email is dos-cdots-lctu@un.org
For enquiries related to the CDOTS Campus learning environment, the contact email is cdotscampus@un.org
For technical support or assistance for placement tests, the Placement Test Form is the best way to contact us.
For questions related to registration for language and communication skills courses, the Registration Assistance Form is the best way to contact us.

The time needed to respond varies depending on the volume of enquiries and might require up to three business days.