Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO) Program

Director:

The Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO) program is designed for self-motivated and disciplined students who want to learn a language not taught through the regular curriculum at Grinnell in order to prepare for an off-campus study program or to enrich their liberal arts education.

The program provides a two-semester sequence of beginning level self-instructional study in a variety of languages, including but not limited to, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Hindi, Czech, and Kiswahili. The specific languages offered depend on the number of students interested and the availability of materials and native tutors.

Interested students must apply to the ALSO program via the share-point website; they should provide a compelling reason for studying their chosen language (study abroad, enrichment of a major or concentration) as well as two references who will speak to their capacity for self-directed study. Prerequisite: second-year standing, a cumulative grade point average of 2.75, experience learning a foreign language (at least 3 years in high school or 1 at Grinnell) or coursework in Linguistics.

Students accepted to the program are expected to set up and adhere to a schedule of intensive daily individual study, supplemented by three practice sessions per week conducted by a native speaker of the language. Student learners use online language learning materials and assessments to track their progress. Tutors, trained and monitored by the director, lead groups in practicing assigned material and develop listening comprehension and speaking skills.

Students are formally assessed twice a semester in an oral evaluation conducted by an outside examiner, a qualified instructor or testor of the designated language. Final grades are assigned based on class participation, completion of self-instructional materials online, and the outcome of these formal oral evaluations. ALSO courses use the current grading scale without the S/D/F option. Auditing is not an option.