Critical Languages

Pagoda

Interested in starting a new language at the University of Connecticut?

The University of Connecticut offers self-instruction in Hindi, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian, with a minimum of six students sign up, funds permitting.

We also offer traditional classroom instruction in Arabic, American Sign Language, Chinese, Japanese, Modern Greek and Modern Irish.

The courses are offered for three credits per semester.

However, please be advised that these courses will not be offered with fewer than six students per section and therefore we cannot guarantee that you will be able to fulfill the university’s Foreign Language requirement through the Critical Languages Program. In addition, enrollment permission will only be granted to students with sophomore standing or above.

Self Instruction

What does self-instruction mean? Self-instruction means that you meet with a conversation partner (CP) who is a native speaker of the language for two hours per week. In addition to participating in these meetings you are required to study about four hours per week on your own. At the end of the semester you will take a final exam, for which you are prepared over the course of the semester.

With two Apple computer labs, wireless iBook laptops, iPods, iSights, digital cameras, camcorders and a web-based storage system available to you, you will have the opportunity to use cutting edge technologies to improve your language skills, interact with native speakers throughout the world and create a portfolio of your multimedia work.

Contact

If you are interested, bring or e-mail an unofficial transcript and a note from your academic advisor supporting your taking this program to Professor Florence Marsal, Director of the Critical Languages Program, Oak Hall 251: florence.marsal@uconn.edu