Since 1982, Detroit Mercy has had the Language and Cultural Training Program, which offers corporate, private and community-based language instruction in and around the Detroit area. The program offers classes on or off campus and in either a one-to-one or group format.
This program is not just for those who may speak another language outside of English but for those who are interested in taking up a language as part of enhancing their knowledge especially in a community as diverse as ours.
“We provide language coursework for students,” said Lara Wasner, Director of Language and Cultural Training. “We have many language options for students to pick from and many of the language programs can be taken as part of a certificate program, which includes four semesters of language study, and students can take up to four semesters if they have never taken the language before.”
The program content consists of written and verbal instruction/response, interspersed dialogue, interspersed pictorials and continued engagement to increase language retention and fluency. Classes for non-academics are individualized to meet certain timeframes and needs. Classes for academic credit are flexible with several semester-length options available.
“We accommodate students by allowing them to take a placement exam,” Wasner said. “Sometimes a student who has had three or four years of Spanish in high school can be placed into the third semester of language study and only need two courses to then get the language certificate.”
As stated, many students who decide to take a language course make that decision based on wanting to enhance their knowledge.
“I chose to take a language course to further my knowledge and to get better acquainted with the Spanish language,” said Soraya Puterto-Khalil, a nursing student at UDM “I also have dual citizenship in Spain, so I’ll take any opportunity to get better at the language.”
Although these courses may be for those who might not speak the language fluently, if you are fluent there is sort of an advantage within the program.
“We often have heritage speakers, those who have spoken the language growing up,” Wasner said. “They would still take a placement exam and sometimes they might place out of our lower language of study and into something higher. The benefits of that are not only that they can get their certificate quicker but can advance and get placement credits which can help towards their degree.”
The Language and Cultural Training Program prepares learners to become more engaged citizens by helping them communicate effectively in more than one language.
“I have enjoyed connecting this language to different cultures around the world because it has improved my speaking, writing and reading skills in the Spanish language,” Puerto-Khalil said.
This program can help broaden your perspective of the world and shows the importance of cultural understanding.
“I enjoy all of it. I enjoy working with teachers who come from different language and cultural backgrounds and what I have come to discover from my 25 years of working with this program is just how dynamic it is, and it comes from our instructors,” Wasner said.
