Languages Across the Curriculum

The Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC) program is an initiative launched by the Office of the Vice Provost of International Affairs (OVPIA) and supported by the College of Arts & Sciences to add one-credit language sections to courses across the university. The goal of the Languages Across the Curriculum program is to move language instruction out of the traditional classroom and integrate it into disciplinary areas. These courses are taught entirely in the target language and are open to students at the intermediate level and above (for students new to the target language, Jumpstart courses provide an introduction). They are unique in that they incorporate both native and heritage speakers as well as learners of the language. The content of Languages Across the Curriculum classes is not traditional grammar, but rather field-specific academic discourse, specialized vocabulary, and technical terms drawn from the "parent" class. Some examples of Languages Across the Curriculum courses are Indonesian for Southeast Asian Politics, Italian for Baroque Violin Performance, Latin for Wine Culture, Portuguese for Inventions of Brazil, Spanish for Molecular Diagnostics, and Yoruba for Introduction to Africana Studies. 

Since the Languages Across the Curriculum program was launched in the spring of 2016, the LRC has set up over 85 courses in 14 languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin (conversational), Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Yoruba. These one credit co-requisite courses are attached to disciplinary courses across the humanities, natural, and social sciences in six colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences; Architecture, Art, and Planning; Arts and Sciences; Human Ecology; Industrial and Labor Relations; and Law. 

Students who are currently considering participating in a LAC section can find more details on the LAC FAQ page.

The formation of Cornell’s Languages Across the Curriculum program has also enabled Cornell to join the Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum (CLAC) Consortium as an institutional member. This gives Cornell the opportunity to join the growing national movement for Languages Across the Curriculum and to build institutional networks with other similar programs.  

The LRC is currently conducting research on the impact of this program with funding from an ACTFL Research Priorities Grant.

 

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