The University of Alabama has been nationally recognized for its Less Commonly Taught Languages since the 1980s. The Critical Languages Center is one of the biggest institutions of its kind in the South. Many UA students make use of the CLC to learn new languages and expand their interests in world cultures.
Our Mission
The overall mission of The University of Alabama Critical Languages Center is to provide the opportunity for as many students as possible to acquire communicative competence in various LCTL of the world. The CLC seeks to accomplish the following goals:
- To provide native or near native speakers of the target languages as language trainers.
- To provide learners with the tools to function successfully in a different language, culture, and social situation.
- To provide practical, real-world language materials to augment the learning environment to simulate life in the target countries.
- To ensure that students can continue studying the target language in the future by giving a strong foundation in the basic structure of each language.
- To provide the opportunity for the students to communicate with native speakers inside and outside the class as much as possible.
- To serve as a resource for cultural/language education to the faculty, staff, and students of The University of Alabama; and,
- To encourage students to learn to function respectfully in countries and cultures different from their own, as global citizens.
If you are interested in learning languages, you are welcome to contact us.