Foreign Language Program
National American University’s language programs use a blend of the best of three language teaching approaches – immersion, grammatical, and situational – so that students have a solid foundation in all aspects of the language through an instructor-led online classroom.
These are the current foreign languages available:
- Spanish
- Arabic
- Mandarin
- Hindi
- French
- Russian
- Dari
- Farsi
- Portuguese
- Urdu
Courses
Language certificates (in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, French, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish) are designed to provide knowledge of oral and written communication skills in the language to broaden students’ understanding of the culture and study of regions in which the language is spoken. Students will have access to language resources (including vocabulary and scenarios) relevant to corporate and strategic security professions, providing them with extra vocabulary and practice in using the language in current or future career fields.
Outcomes:
Upon completion of this certificate, students will be able to do the following:
- Employ applied technological skill and information literacy skills to apply knowledge of current events, cultural issues, and history of the country in which the language is spoken.
- Demonstrate ability to think critically and problem-solve in comprehending main ideas and some details of straightforward, well-organized texts; uncomplicated stories about current, past, and future events; some details in announcements; and main ideas and basic facts from short reports on radio or television.
- Apply knowledge of the language in comprehending and responding to information about straightforward, well-organized, and factual short news reports, biographical information, descriptions, simple technical material, and familiar people, places and events.
- Apply awareness of the cultures and societies associated with the regions in which the language is spoken.
- Communicate to converse about familiar topics, interview an employee, arrange for job-related services (salary, qualifications, hours, specific duties), give and take simple phone messages, leave voicemail, report facts from television, radio, or newspaper, discuss a trip, and converse about an everyday past or upcoming event.
101 Beginning, Part I
101 is intended for students with no previous Language study or students with previous study who choose to start at the beginning. Students learn the alphabet, vocabulary, and grammar. This course aims to build foundational speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities, as well as knowledge of culture of the region. Students will have access to cutting-edge language resources (including vocabulary and scenarios) relevant to corporate and strategic security professions, providing students with added vocabulary and practice in using the language in current or future career fields. This course teaches Language (all regions).
102 Beginning, Part 2
102 is intended for students who have completed Language 101 or who test at the 0+/1 level of Language. This course aims to enhance speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities, as well as knowledge of region’s culture, learned in Language 101. Students will have access to cutting-edge language resources (including vocabulary and scenarios) relevant to corporate and strategic security professions, providing them with added vocabulary and practice in using the language in current or future career fields. This course teaches Language (all regions).
201 Intermediate, Part 1
201 is intended for students who have completed Language 102 or who test at the 1/1+ level of Language. This course aims to expand the oral and written communication skills acquired in earlier classes and to broaden students’ understanding of the culture and study of Language-speaking regions. Students will have access to language resources (including vocabulary and scenarios) relevant to corporate and strategic security professions, providing them with extra vocabulary and practice in using the language in current or future career fields. This course teaches Language (all regions).
202 Intermediate, Part 2
202 is intended for students who have completed Language 201 or who test at the 1+/2 level of Language. This course aims to further develop the oral and written communication skills acquired in earlier classes and to broaden students’ understanding of the culture and study of Language-speaking regions. Students will have access to language resources (including vocabulary and scenarios)
Why Learn a Language?
Knowing a foreign language can get you a job.
Do a quick search on USAjobs.com and you will immediately see how many positions are language designated. Mastering a language at NAU dramatically opens the job field and lets you apply to positions for which you might not otherwise be qualified.
Knowing a foreign language allows you to shape your career.
Don’t want to be assigned to a certain part of the world in your job? Master a language in the part of the world where you *do* want to serve. Showing language proficiency and interest in a region is a huge indicator of success, and employers know this.
Knowing a foreign language expands your horizons.
Language learning improves memory, listening, and critical thinking skills. Mastering a second language also brings with it a high level of personal satisfaction and achievement. Maybe you have friends or family that speak another language. Maybe you have always wanted to travel to a certain place and be able to converse with people there. Language proficiency brings with it a physical and personal level of satisfaction that is unique to other accomplishments.
We connect you NOW to the U.S. Government’s way of teaching and scoring languages.
At NAU, you’ll be training in the system you will likely go on to use in a strategic security profession. Because our program is built around the same technology that the U.S. military uses to train troops in foreign languages, the program also connects directly with the U.S. Government’s language scoring method.
We give you high-quality, for-credit courses at the right price.
Our language courses are priced the same as our BS courses, and taught and evaluated with the same level of rigor. The courses are accredited, and can be applied towards an undergraduate degree or a formal certificate in the language.
Program Characteristics
The language program at NAU utilizes several innovative teaching methods based on the latest research. Specifically, the program:
- Uses a sophisticated method for learning vocab and grammar that incorporates visual, tactile, audio, and experiential learning into a layered presentation system designed to maximize the natural process of memory formation.
- Includes real-world reading excerpts from the beginning of the language learning process, using a keyword learning method that helps students read for the gist much more rapidly.
- Requires the student to conduct cultural research, geolinguistic studies, historical language and culture analysis to give context and meaning to the language.
- Introduces natural conversation and dialogue at three distinct speeds so that students build audio-lingual and aural processing skills in the language simultaneously with the vocabulary.
- Provides frequent opportunities to apply the language to strategic security professions.
Course availability is subject to minimum class size requirements.
