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Summer Language Institute offers Arabic and French

DU’s Center for World Languages and Cultures and the Department of Languages and Literatures have teamed up to establish the Summer Language Institute.

Roughly translated, that means students will for the first time be able to dive into an immersive language learning experience during summer quarter.

The Institute is designed to provide one quarter’s worth of language credit in each three-week session while providing students with extracurricular activities that might not be typical in traditional class settings. Arabic and French will be offered this summer.

“The students will go on field trips, attend cultural events and engage intensively in conversation practice in their target language,” says Kathy Mahnke, director of center. “We also hope to set up each student with a mentor who is fluent in the language the student is studying.”

Mahnke says one field trip might include a visit to a local cooking school where students will cook a dish from the language and culture they’re studying. She also hopes to draw on DU’s international population to provide guest speakers and discussion leaders to share cultural and political insights about the countries they’re from.

“This is very exciting for us,” Mahnke says. “This year’s institute allows us to provide language and culture learning opportunities in a rich and varied format for a wide range of learners. It will aid in the creation of an enduring community of language learners and teachers that complements the already robust language programs on the DU campus.”

While courses are open to the entire DU community, qualified undergraduates can take the Arabic or French sequence and complete their entire language requirement during the summer if desired. DU graduate students will be offered practice proficiency tests in order to help them complete their requirements as well.

For those who would prefer not to take the courses for credit, there is a non-credit option which costs less than half the regular tuition. Further information can be found at the the center’s website.

Summer session registration begins April 11.

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