“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
What is a World Language?
All languages are World Languages! We use the term to convey the extraordinary richness of humankind’s linguistic heritage, past and present. Every language represents community, history, and particular understandings of, and relationships to, ourselves, others and the world.
At SLCC we are committed to celebrating language, and to honoring Utah’s and the Salt Lake Valley’s linguistic diversity. SLCC offers language courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Nahuatl, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Why study Languages?
Bilingualism and multiculturalism are more important than ever. Learning and advancing in the study of another language gives us invaluable insights regarding identity, perception, and culture. And celebrating and developing our cultural and linguistic capital with others is an empowering experience!
Importantly, Language courses also prepare us to compete successfully in a rapidly evolving workplace. Currently, bilingual employees enjoy more job opportunities and can earn 5-20% more than their monolingual counterparts, whatever their line of work. The financial benefits increase over time. Sophisticated ability in cross-cultural communication, and ethical and socially-minded interpersonal skills, will be key as workforce needs evolve in the coming years.
Use these links to find out more about the benefits of language learning:
- 5 Essential Soft Skills In the Workplace (indeed.com)
- Soft Skills Are Essential To The Future Of Work (forbes.com)
- The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain - YouTube
- The Future of Jobs Report 2020
Why SLCC?
Completing through LANG 2020 (the fourth semester of a language) at SLCC will meet the B.A. requirement at most of Utah’s 4-year colleges and universities (and many outside of Utah as well). The courses cost less at SLCC, and having the language requirement done before you transfer will free up more time for the more advanced courses in your major.
Utah’s four-year colleges and universities offer majors and minors in the languages we teach at SLCC. Your language classes here will prepare you for them!
- University of Utah
- Utah Valley University
- Utah State University
- Weber State University
- Southern Utah University
- Utah Tech University
Note
- Transferring to the U? You will mostly likely choose between a B.A. and a B.S. Having 2020-level language on your transcript will meet the B.A. requirement. If you choose a B.S., be aware that you’ll need to complete 2 upper-level QI courses at the U.
- Students transferring to the University of Utah with two semesters of Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Nahuatl are eligible to apply for a U.S. Dept. of Education FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship. These fellowships are also available to students in a program that combines any modern foreign language training with area or international studies.
- FLAS scholarships can be obtained at a variety of American universities for many other languages. Google “flas scholarship” plus the language that interests you. Example: flas scholarship Swahili.”