Beginners in Spanish or Italian take an intensive language course in written and spoken language which brings them up to post-A-level standard as quickly as possible; written skills are developed through the production of small pieces of creative writing and a range of other activities, including online language learning and the use of materials taken from Italian and Spanish television and radio; oral teaching is conducted in small groups by native Italian and Spanish speakers; the School of Modern Languages also offers special training for linguists with its core skills module for language learners; at the end of the 1st year, students normally follow a 3-week summer programme in Italy or Spain, subsidised by the university.