There are thirteen courses for teachers in the summer. Around 1000 enrol each term for Modern Languages courses which are offered in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese. IALS also provides tailor-made language courses in Scotland and beyond. These Services for Business and Industry are offered in a wide range of languages including Dutch, Chinese and Russian, as well as interpreting, translation services and cultural briefing for individuals and companies. IALS is involved in a wide range of language studies.
Research is carried out into the teaching and learning of languages.
This research is reported initially in Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, jointly published with the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics . Other publications include audio, video, and text materials. IALS offers attachments for individual scholars or small groups to research specific projects. IALS staff provide consultancies to organisations and government departments both in the UK and overseas. Recent consultancies have been conducted for the British Council, the Department for International Development and the Department of Education, Hong Kong.