Learning a world language opens up your mind and allows you to be part of a global community, see the world from the perspective of others and effectively communicate across borders. Explore the resources below!
Brain Plasticity
Learning languages has many benefits for the brain.ÌýÌýhave shown a link between knowing more languages and brain plasticity, or the ability for the brain to grow and reorganize itself. Keep your brain healthy by learning a new language!
Intercultural Competence
Learning culture is a big part of learning a language. Through language classes and personal study, you can learn about a diverse range of cultures from around the world! This can include new art, music, media, and food! You can discover a new genre of music, your new favorite movie, or just a really tasty dish. This can help with intercultural competence, the ability to interact with and understand people from different cultures. Intercultural competence is increasingly important in our globalized world today, and learning a language can help.
Global Connections
Learning a new language can give you the opportunity to communicate with people around the world! Through the internet, study abroad, and travel you can interact with people using your target language that you couldn't have before. Language learning allows you to make friends globally and experience the world like never before!
World Travel
Language learning can create unique travel experiences! Speaking the language can allow you to interact with locals easier, so you can really experience and immerse yourself in the local culture! It can also allow you to go to places off the beaten track, where English might not be widely spoken. Travel is also a great opportunity to practice language in a real world environment.
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Earning a degree in a world language is particularly valuable if you plan to pursue a career in international affairs, politics, linguistics, world language education, translation and interpretation, hospitality and tourism, enlist in the Armed Forces, and much more.
Applied knowledge
- Critical thinking skills
- Thinks critically
- Thinks creatively
- Solves problems
- Plans and organizes
When taking a CU language course, you will be given many tasks that challenge you to think critically and creatively in a world language. You may for example be asked to research and create a poster on recycling strategies or a national sports event, or in more advanced courses, to read and reflect on a chapter in a novel. Learning independently outside of class will develop your ability to plan and organize your studies.
- Applied academic skills
- Interpretive and presentational world language skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking)
- Interpersonal communication skills (interacting in the language) Strategies and procedures for interpreting and translating
CU language courses will develop your interpretive and presentational communication skills, as you practice reading and listening, writing and speaking, as well as the interpersonal skills you will use to communicate freely and spontaneously in conversation.
Effective relationships
Personal
- Discipline and responsibility
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Independent work
- Willingness to learn
- Positive attitude and self-worth
Interpersonal
- Understands teamwork and works well with others
- Respects individual differences
The cross-cultural skills acquired in language courses include cultural knowledge about the countries or regions where the language is spoken, but also soft skills such as maintaining effective communication and flexibility to negotiate cultural differences.
Workplace skills
Communication skills
- Listens actively
- Communicates verbally
- Comprehends written and verbal communication
Information use
- Locates and organizes information
- Analyzes information
- Communicates information
Resource management
- Manages time and resources
Language studies provide good practice in active listening, making sense of communication in situations where not every word is understood, negotiating meaning with limited vocabulary, and making sure information is not miscommunicated because of language issues, which are all generalizable to good communication skills. Making good progress in language development relies on the successful management of the time and resources available.
Specific languages can be particularly useful to certain career paths. If you are a part of ROTC or wish to pursue a career in the U.S. Government, learning critical languages such as Arabic or Russian can be beneficial to your career goals, while choosing the languages of any other region of the world may set your CV apart. Learning other languages that are commonly spoken in the U.S., such as Spanish, can increase your job prospects within the country. Overall, there are many different career paths to consider when deciding which world language is right for you.
A minor in a world language is a great option for students who are not pursuing a major that requires a world language but want a minor to complement their field of studies. Students who wish to complete a minor in a world language should expect to complete a few 3000-level courses in that language, depending on the department’s requirements.
- CIA/FBI/NSA agents
- ESL instructors
- K-12 teachers
- Higher education instructors
- Translators
- Interpreters
- Business careers
- Administration
- Armed Forces
- Diplomacy
- IT technology
- Engineering
- Software development
- Musicology research
- PR and marketing
- Hospitality industry
- Journalism
- Development of legal, business, and technical content
- Development of websites in their market languages
- Meeting interpretation and translation
- Development of PR material, such as press releases
- Development of sales material, such as sales brochures and technical specifications
- Employee language training for employees who will interact with foreign markets
- Product and packaging adoption to new markets Sales and marketing
For American employers, use the (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Distinguished). For global employers, you will need to do some research to find out whether they prefer the ACTFL proficiency scale (Novice/Intermediate/Advanced/Superior) or another scale. In Europe, scales based on theÌý are commonly used (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2).
For government translation and interpreter positions, the are used to assess applicants. Another way to describe your language proficiency to an employer is to use Can-Do statements. Can-Do statements provide examples of what world language learners have learned to do at each proficiency level. Can-Do statements can help employers know what you are capable of doing in the workplace, whether this is basic translation and interpretation, holding an in-depth conversation, or giving presentations and talks in another language.
Learn more:
ALTEC is proud to offerÌýfree language tutoringÌýfor undergraduate students enrolled inÌýthe first three semestersÌýof seven (7) languages: American Sign Language (ASL), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian.
ALTECÌýis pleased to host and collaborate with CU partners on events. We invite you to join us and engage in upcoming activities!Ìý
Conversation Tables are casual gatherings to converse in a specific language. They are facilitated by language faculty and do not require an RSVP.Ìý ALTEC currently supports Conversation Tables in more than 14 languages.Ìý
Expand your cultural understanding with an ALTECÌýnon-credit language class:Ìýclasses are affordable and online.Ìý Currently, classes are offered in eight languages:Ìý
- American Sign Language
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Mandarin
- Spanish
The Modified Language Program (MLP),Ìýdeveloped at the University of ColoradoÌýBoulder over twenty years ago, offers Spanish language courses to students who demonstrate a need for curricular modifications.