Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO)

Alternate Languge Study Option (ALSO)

Member of the Division of Humanities

Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO) program is not offered as a major or concentration at Grinnell College.

Alternate Language Study Option (ALSO) is a for-credit self-guided language learning program in which students work independently and with native speaking peers to learn a language not taught by Grinnell faculty. It is designed for highly motivated and disciplined students interested in language learning. ALSO is a great way to explore a less commonly taught language, prepare for off-campus study, or continue language learning upon returning from abroad.

ALSO program emphasizes interpersonal speaking skills and offers up to four semesters of beginning-intermediate self-instructional language study in a variety of languages. Popular languages include Korean and Brazilian Portuguese with many other languages available pending native-speaking tutor availability.

Students interested in Korean or Brazilian Portuguese may enroll directly in these languages. These language tracks are 2 credit hours.

Students interested in all other languages need to fill out a survey to obtain program director’s permission. This track is 1 credit hour and graded on the S/D/F basis only.

Students enrolled in the ALSO courses attend an orientation at the beginning of the semester to learn about the structure of the program, as well as tools and strategies for independent learning. During the semester, students:

follow the self-study guide
attend communicative sessions with a trained native-speaking peer tutor
complete regular assignments and self-assessments
complete an oral proficiency assessment at the end of the course (Brazilian Portuguese and Korean tracks only)