Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs)
The CSLC strives to support all languages on campus, including those that do not have a home department or program. Each year, the CSLC facilitates the arrival of 6-10 Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) to lead language sections for Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs). All LCTL courses are taught at both undergraduate and graduate level.
Our FLTA instructors bring an invaluable diversity to our classrooms by providing cultural "insider" perspectives, facilitating meaningful discussions, and sharing their ways of life with their students. Taking a LCTL course at Notre Dame is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Learn more about why students study LCTLs.
Spring 2024 Courses
The LCTL Course Format
Informed by feedback from the learners and instructors, the 2023-24 Academic Year marked a restructuring of LCTL courses at ND. All Swahili, Hindi, and Quechua courses are now variable credit hours. This allows our FLTAs to provide more differentiated instruction for small groups of students who can build their language courses around their busy schedules and other classes.
Imagine a few examples of this variation:
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Scenario A: An undergraduate first-year student grew up hearing Hindi at home. They think their speaking skills are decent, and usually only use Hindi to talk with relatives. They never learned to read and write because they felt like they didn't need to and there were no Hindi classes offered at their high school. At ND, their business program doesn't require language study and their schedule is full, but they still want to take an hour or two of Hindi to practice reading/writing and surprise their parents in the spring.
- Possible Solution: This student chooses to meet with the Hindi Fulbright instructor at the beginning of the semester to assess their Hindi proficiency. They agree to enroll in 1 hour per week of intermediate/advanced conversation and 1 hour per week of reading/writing so they don't overload their courses or have scheduling conflicts.
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Scenario B: A busy Ph.D. student plans to conduct research in indigenous lands in the Andes but has no formal training in Quechua. They have picked up bits and pieces from self-study online but when they travelled last summer to Ecuador and Bolivia, they realized that their spoken skills were not nearly at the level that will be needed for future research. Between preparing for comprehensive exams, taking intensive reading courses, and teaching an undergraduate section, they can't fit 4 hours of language study per week into their schedule.
- Possible Solution: This student chooses to meet with the Quechua Fulbright instructor in the middle of fall semester. While it's too late to enroll in a fall course, the instructor invites them to some mini-sessions, tutoring events/tables, and gives them some resources to help keep up with the Quechua they've learned so far. In the spring, the student enrolls in 2 credits of Beginning Quechua II and does intensive study over the summer. Upon return, their proficiency level is high enough to join the intermediate/advanced Quechua conversation class for 1 hour per week.
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Possible Scenario C: An undergraduate sophomore has decided to delare a minor in Africana Studies, hoping to connect more with their ancestral roots. They took an AP Seminar in high school about the African Diaspora and plan to study abroad in Kenya next summer. Although English is widely spoken, they want to explore the culture, people, and identities more deeply, so they decide to enroll in Intro to Swahili.
- Possible Solution: This student meets with their academic advisor and decides to enroll in 3 credits of Swahili so they can work towards their college language requirements. After taking a full year of Swahili, they apply for and receive the Summer Language Abroad grant to do intensive language study in Kenya. When they return for their junior year, they've already established a decent network in Nairobi and have some good research ideas for their senior thesis.
Note: undergraduate students should plan to enroll in the full number of credit hours for Beginning I & II sections to fulfill language requirements on time, unless your academic advisor has suggested an alternative timeline.
Spring 2024 Course Offerings
Swahili
There are between 50 and 100 million speakers spread across different countries in eastern and southeastern Africa where it is a lingua franca. It is also an official language of the African Union. Knowledge of Swahili is a valuable skill for researchers, summer program students, missionaries, humanitarian workers, diplomats, medical professionals, and tourists.
| Course | Credits | Description | Crosslists |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beginning Swahili I |
1 to 3, variable |
This course is for learners who have not taken Swahilii before and are starting as complete beginners. Students will practice the four main linguistic skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the context of learning about the regions of Tannzania and Kenya, the role of the Swahili language in daily life. |
AFST 10577 |
|
Beginning Swahili II |
1 to 3, variable |
Building on Swahili I foundations, students will continue to practice the four main linguistic skill areas. Learns engage in role plays and simulated conversations, practice task-based writing, and gist listening. |
AFST 10581 |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Swahili Conversation |
1 to 2, variable |
As a traditionally spoken, learners of Swahili may choose to focus on honing their conversational skills. This class builds on the foundations covered in the first year of Swahili courses (at least 6 cr.) and continues to incorporate grammar structures with limited activities related to reading or writing in Swahili. Primary attention will be placed on listening comprehension and speaking/pronunciation. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
AFST 10578 |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Swahili Reading & Writing |
1 to 2, variable |
Like most languages, Swahili tends to be spoken more often that written in east Africa. For those who work with Swahili in an official capactity, reading and writing proficiency is crucial. This class will build on the foundations covered in the first year of Swahili courses and incorporate literature authored by Swahili speaking people. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
AFST 10550 |
|
Swahili Topics Seminar |
1 cr. |
This is a topics course that covers a variety of cultural learning discussions related to the Swahili-speaking people of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Learners have the opportunity to gain authentic insights, perspectives, and experiences from an international scholar. Conducted in English, no Swahili language proficiency required. |
AFST 10551 |
Quechua
Quechua is an ancient language dating back to the Incan Empire. Today, it is indigenous language spoken by approximately eight to ten million speakers, living primarily in the Andes regions of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Like many indigenous languages, Quechua is endangered; fewer and fewer people learn the language with each generation, so the number of speakers declines over time. Without intentional preservation, study, and attention, we could lose this beautiful language forever.
| Course | Credits | Description | Crosslists |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beginning Quechua I |
1 to 3, variable |
This course is for learners who have not taken Quechua before and are starting as complete beginners. Students will practice the four main linguistic skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the context of learning about the Quechua people, culture in the Andes mountains, and more. |
LLRO 11301/61301 |
|
Beginning Quechua II |
1 to 3, variable |
Building on Quechua I foundations, students will continue to practice the four main linguistic skill areas. Learners engage in role plays and simulated conversations, practice task-based writing, and gist listening. |
LLRO 11302/61302 |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Quechua Conversation |
1 to 2, variable |
For learners who have completed 3 credits of Quechua I. This class will build on the foundations covered in the first year of Quechua courses and continue to incorporate grammar structures with limited activities related to reading or writing in Quechua. Primary attention will be placed on listening comprehension and speaking/pronunciation for day-to-day use in each student's context. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
LLRO 11303/61303 |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Quechua Reading & Writing |
1 to 2, variable |
Although Quechua is a traditionally spoken indigenous language, reading and writing can be empowering and important for documenting endangered languages. This class will build on the foundations covered in the first year of Quechua courses and incorporate literature authored by Quechua people. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
LLRO 11304/61304 |
|
Quechua Topics Seminar |
1 cr. |
This is a topics course that covers a variety of cultural learning lectures and discussions related to the Quechua indigenous people. Led by our visiting Fulbright instructor, participants will have the opportunity to gain authentic insights, perspectives, and experiences from a Quechua person. Conducted in English, no Quechua language proficiency required. |
LLRO 11305/61305 |
Hindi
Hindi is the fourth most commonly spoken language in the world and is the preferred official language of India. Although English is also technically an official language in India, for any of our students who plan to work and travel in the country--you should plan on using Hindi for your day-to-day activities like shopping, going out with friends/meeting new people, and working (depending on your field). With a significant growing tech and business sector, Hindi is a competitive language for commerce and technology.
| Course | Credits | Description | Crosslists |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beginning Hindi I |
1 to 3, variable |
This course is for learners who have not taken Hindi before and are starting as complete beginners. Students will practice the four main linguistic skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the context of learning about the regions of India, the role of the Hindi language in daily life, and more. |
ASIA 17001 |
|
Beginning Hindi II |
1 to 3, variable |
Building on Hindi I foundations, students will continue to practice the four main linguistic skill areas. Learners engage in role plays and simulated conversations, practice task-based writing, and gist listening. |
ASIA 10154 |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Hindi Conversation |
1 to 2, variable |
This course is for learners who have completed Beginning Hindi I and II or have prior knowledge of Hindi. Hindi Conversation builds on the core competences established in Beginning Hindi, but focues on aural and oral (listening and speaking) skills with limited reading/writing. This class is also intended for heritage learners who want to build confidence in their spoken Hindi skills--enhancing fluency, building vocabulary, and incorporating more complex sentence structures. Primary attention will be placed on listening comprehension and speaking/pronunciation. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
Crosslist pending |
|
Intermediate/Advanced Hindi Reading & Writing |
1 to 2, variable |
This course is for learners who have completed Beginning Hindi I and II but focues on written language skills (reading and writing) with limited speech-based language learning. This class is also intended for heritage learners who are confident in their spoken Hindi but need to become more proficient in the written language, including grammar and different registers (from modern writing to ancient texts). Primary attention will be placed on reading comprehension and writing/spelling. Repeatable for advanced learners. |
Crosslist pending |
|
Hindi Topics Seminar |
1 cr. |
This is a topics course that covers a variety of cultural learning lectures and discussions related to the Hindi language and/or Indian people. Led by our visiting Fulbright instructor, participants will have the opportunity to gain authentic insights, perspectives, and experiences from an Indian national and native Hindi speaker. Conducted in English, no Hindi language proficiency required. |
Crosslist pending |
Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) courses have particular value for students who:
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Plan to conduct research in a country or region where an LCTL is spoken
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Wish to work with global governmental agencies or a nonprofit organizations after graduating
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Grew up speaking a LCTL at home and wish to formally study the language/gain literacy skills
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Intend to travel to or work in communities where a LCTL is often used, domestically or abroad
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Hope to expand their horizons and deepen their cultural understandings by learning from a Fulbright instructor
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Want to take advantage of the LCTL small class sizes, flexible curricula, and/or start a language that they didn't have access to before
Did you know?
The U.S. government seeks speakers of less commonly taught languages—sometimes called critical languages. This is because these languages are important to U.S. security interests.
Learning Swahili has not only been an intellectual highlight of my experience at Notre Dame, it has opened a world of possibilities for me. As an anthropology major, I now have the skills to undertake future fieldwork in East Africa. Swahili has been the launchpad to get me to Zanzibar where I am now, continuing to learn the language through the CSLC's SLA program. It has enabled me to conduct original research for my senior thesis, an important step for a future PhD program.
-Nyakeh Tuchscherer ‘21