Free language courses offered at UW

Applications are now being accepted for the University of Wyoming’s popular World Languages ​​and Cultures Program (WLCP) this semester. A total of 20 informal world languages ​​and cultures sessions are available for free via Zoom.

The WLCP is a volunteer and service-learning program that offers free world language and culture sessions to members of the UW community and those interested throughout the state.

The WLCP is committed to 21st century linguistic and cultural literacy to foster lifelong learning, appreciation, and enthusiasm for the world’s languages ​​and cultures. The program views language and culture as inseparable and strives to integrate the teaching and learning of both simultaneously. The mission is to provide access to adults who want to learn world languages ​​and gain awareness of world cultures in a non-formal setting.

Informal sessions in Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Georgian, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Kazakh, Russian, Sinhala, Spanish, Turkish, Uzbek and Yoruba, along with cultural aspects, begin on Monday, September 9 and end on Tuesday, December 10.

Classes will be offered virtually during the day and evening, typically once a week. To view the schedule or register for a class, visit www.uwyo.edu/wlcp/index.html. The schedule can also be found on Facebook.

Dilnoza Khasilova, a UW graduate who earned her PhD in literacy studies and is now a permanent visiting scholar at UW, developed the WLCP in 2013. The program was launched in 2014 with the help of the UW’s local and international communities, including UW graduate students, faculty, staff, and undergraduate exchange students who volunteered to teach their target languages ​​and cultures.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health guidelines, WLCP successfully transitioned to a virtual format in 2020. This adaptive measure has not only ensured the continuity of its educational offering, but has also yielded unexpected benefits.

“The shift to virtual sessions via Zoom, which was initially necessary due to the pandemic, has become a strategic advantage for the WLCP,” says Khasilova. “By adopting digital platforms, we have significantly expanded our reach and inclusivity.”

The WLCP offers opportunities to build a community of lifelong learners; develop intercultural understandings; provide service learning and teaching; develop volunteerism; leverage engagement and internationalization efforts; and provide linguistic and cultural exposure, says Khasilova.

WLCP volunteer facilitators include local and international students, faculty and staff, exchange students, Fulbright scholars, visiting scholars, community members, UW international alumni, and UW members who travel abroad or speak world languages.

Collaborators include the Associated Students of the UW; the UW Center for Student Engagement and Leadership; the College of Education; the Office of Global Engagement (International Students and Scholars, Education Abroad, Center for Global Studies); the Department of Modern and Classical Languages; the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; and the Middle East and North African and Arabic Studies Program.

For more information, please email [email protected] or visit www.uwyo.edu/wlcp/index.html.