FAQ

Beginning in academic year 2022-23, American Sign Language will be offered as a Self-Instructional Languages Program course.

American Sign Language, Hebrew, Hindi-Urdu, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, and Swahili for one year of elementary study.

Language study compliments academic majors, broadens area studies and supports heritage learners. It may also serve as a preparation for study or research abroad. Or you may just enjoy the challenge of learning a new language.

The coursework involves intensive study in an independent format. Unlike a traditional language class where the instructor teaches five days a week, students are expected to cover much of the material on their own. The language group then meets 2x/week for one-hour review sessions with a tutor to practice the target language.

Lots. At least five hours study of the textbook and workbook plus use of any multimedia materials and two hours of review with a tutor. In short, the same amount of time you would spend in any regularly taught 101 – 102 language class.

The tutors are generally native speakers who live in the community or in some cases undergraduate teaching assistants. Review sessions are sometimes conducted via videoconferencing technology with a tutor at another institution. Tutors are resources for spoken practice and modeling of language use.

They are professors at universities where full-fledged programs in the target language are taught. The consultants recommend the textbook - workbook, provide the syllabus, assess your progress through written and oral examination, and grade your work.

Participation, written and oral mid-term and final exams plus an independent writing project each semester all count toward your course grade.

All language courses at the College are year-long, meaning “the work of two semesters constitutes an integral, indivisible course.”

Yes, the course may be taken as a graded fifth course.

In this case, a pre-test will be required to determine your level.

A consecutive year of intermediate language study will be considered only upon petition of those students completing a full year of elementary study with the Self-Instructional Languages Program and as long as a minimum of two students continue their language study.

There is no course in January, though students will be encouraged to continue their engagement with the target language.

The program can only field a limited number of courses per year. Many requests are received for other languages, for which references to online resources will be provided.