Conversational Languages Portal (List View)

The Beginning Scottish Gaelic series consists of three intoructory modules, introducing language and grammar in line with European fluency standard A1. Covering basic conversation, vocabulary building, introducing case structure, irregular verbs, and prepositional pronouns, this module will be using the A1 Inntrigeadh resources from SpeakGaelic.scot. Module 1 Class Delivery Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 1: New Friends Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 2: Places Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 3: Weather Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 4: Family Module 2 Class Delivery Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 5: Home Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 6: Time Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 7: Work Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 8: Time Off Module 3 Class Delivery Class 1 and 2 will cover Topic 9: Food & Drink Class 3 and 4 will cover Topic 10: Shopping Class 5 and 6 will cover Topic 11: Day-to-day Class 7 and 8 will cover Topic 12: Describing People After the 3-module opening series, students wishing to continue learning Scottish Gaelic can proceed to Gaelic Foundations 1. [show less]

Hei alle sammen! Hello everyone! Want to make good use of your spare time and learn something useful? How about Norwegian? It's quite easy to gain a basic level and the language has some very special traits you will love! We'll learn to introduce ourselves, use simple phrases, talk about everyday things and practise speaking in different common situations. Bonus: every lesson comes with bite-sized facts about Norwegian history and culture. Velkommen til Norge og norske språket! Welcome to Norway and the Norwegian language! Communicative language teaching - every lesson we'll practice words and phrases in specific contexts, with more focus on sentence and vocabulary building than grammatical content. 1: Introducing yourself, pronunciation basics 2: Basic activities, days and numbers 3: Professions, more activities 4: Family members, daily routine, telling time 5: Weekend plans, simple conversations 6: Food, clothes, where things are 7: Going shopping 8: Final practice [show less]

After completing the Quenya course, this ongoing Creative Quenya Translation group aims to take the Quenya learned in the course and apply it to more active creative endeavors: exploring the further poetic writings of Tolkien in Quenya, and translating classic texts into Quenya while working towards a conversational Quenya book. Prerequisite Note: This course is intended for students who have either completed Beginning Quenya or who already have a strong foundational understanding of Quenya. If you feel confident in your ability to engage with translation work and are comfortable navigating Quenya grammar and vocabulary, you're most welcome to join! [show less]

Are you planning to travel to Japan and would like to communicate and get by? This crash course is designed for the traveler who wants to interact with the locals. Learn to order with confidence at restaurants, buy at a konbini , and ask for directions without pulling out your phone. With guest speaker, Dr. Robert Steed, we will also also explore etiquette and cultural aspects, one phrase at a time. Get ready for a wonderful adventure! *Note: some familiarity with kana is is recommended when traveling in Japan, but is not required for this module. Class outline: Session 1: Greeting someone, saying thank you, expressing where you’re from, Kana practice. Session 2: Counting objects, days of the week, months, recognizing Kanji Session 3: Buying things, at the konbini, recognizing Kanji Session 4: Getting around, recognizing Kanji Session 5: Ordering Food Session 6: Arriving at a hotel and discovering the surroundings, recognizing Kanji Session 7: Emergencies and asking for help, recognizing Kanji Session 8: Putting it all together [show less]

One of the best methods for language learning is to read and discuss a text with friends in a relaxed setting. One can discuss the subject matter from a “literary” perspective, focusing on themes, character development, narrative styles, or from a “language-learner” perspective, focusing on new words, idioms, or syntax. Both discussion types allow us to get to know a text intimately. If one of your foreign languages is Modern German, consider joining SPACE’s German Book Club for a month, where we read German short stories or books and meet twice a week to discuss them—in either English or German! This module is aimed at the advanced beginner or intermediate level and seeks to meet the intellectual interests of the participants. Every month, the preceptor (Isaac Schendel) chooses a new text based on student interest and German level. Examples include: the novels of Hermann Hesse, the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, or the fairy tales of Johann Karl August Musäus. Feel free to send in any suggestions and be sure to bring along some Kaffee und Kuchen. [show less]

Would you like to learn what those strange symbols in the Dictionary mean? Do you wonder what are units of words or why a it is difficult to pronounce the French 'R' or Italian Trill? In this module, we will take a little walk in the music of meaningful sounds, their representations, interactions and transformations. In order to "see" the sounds, we will record them and analyze their structure. This is an introduction to the musical world of Phonetics where we will listen, speak, write, and visualize sounds and learn their names. [show less]

This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to begin studying Japanese. We will begin by learning Hiragana and Katakana and cover some basic grammatical structures. We will also cover some conversational Japanese and explore how it is used in anime, manga, and music. This Japanese module has the potential to grow into a series of beginner courses. Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people. [show less]

In this series we’ll study Japanese using different tools such as videos, games, and different exercises. We’ll explore different aspects of Japanese culture and work on more complex vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns. We’ll also watch lots of videos, play games, and read graded readers among other things. Note: Japanese Through Culture is for students who already have a basic level of Japanese. [show less]

What do Korean dramas, K-pop, webtoons, and Korean films all have in common? ... The Korean language! This module is for those who are ready to begin their journey in Korean. In this first step, we will learn to read the Korean alphabet (Hangeul), cover basic vocabulary, and begin exploring grammar and honorifics. We will be following a textbook, but will also spend time exploring song lyrics and a webtoon. The textbook we will be following is: Yonsei Korean 1-1 published by the Yonsei Korean Institute. Note: This course has the potential to become a series of modules for those who wish to pursue higher levels of proficiency. [show less]

A language that came into existence only 800-900 years ago out of need for interaction and turned into a romantic version of Indo-Aryan languages, Urdu has the capacity of beauty, sharing, absorption and depth. With an inventory of a large number of consonants and a set of simple vowels and Indo-Aryan sentence structure, Urdu has complexity which can only accompany poetic beauty and lexical opulence. We will study the script, sounds, and basic vocabulary as well as sentence structure and grammar; so next time you have tea with your Urdu speaking friends, you can have a conservation about music and food. [show less]