Speaking to the world

The College of Arts and Sciences’ departments and global centers are particularly strong in teaching “less commonly taught languages.”

Xin chào. Zdravo. Habari. Pẹlẹ o. Na nga def.

Students enrolled in one of UNC’s classes in Vietnamese, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Swahili, Yoruba or Wolof recognize these words as “hello.” These global tongues are often called “less commonly taught languages” (LCTLs) — or languages other than English and the commonly taught European languages of German, French and Spanish. Building on UNC’s commitment to offering a global education, the College of Arts and Sciences’ departments and Title VI global centers are particularly strong in this area.

Christian Lentz, associate professor of geography and environment, said that just because these languages are less commonly taught, it does not mean they are less commonly spoken. He points out that Vietnamese, which he speaks, is the fifth-most spoken language in North Carolina other than English and is used by about 100 million people in Southeast Asia.

Claude A. Clegg III, chair of the department of African, African American and diaspora studies, noted that people of African descent comprise about one-fifth of the world’s population. “There are approximately 1.5 billion people living on the African continent,” said Clegg, who is the Lyle V. Jones Distinguished Professor. “For us to say we shouldn’t study any of those languages would be dismissing one-fifth of the people of the world.”

“Learning these languages is learning how to communicate with a very large segment of the world’s population,” Lentz added. “If you want to understand the fullness and richness of a society, you have to learn the language. It opens new doors, particularly for undergraduates.”

Clegg said that cultural literacy is an important part of the University’s mission.

“You can’t look at languages without looking at the larger cultural container in which the language is positioned and the historical context that gave shape to that,” he said. “Languages are connected to how people think about politics, family, relationships and spirituality.”

The benefits of language study

For heritage speakers — second- or third-generation Americans whose families speak the language at home — Carolina’s language offerings provide the opportunity to reconnect with family histories and cultures, said Adnan Džumhur, who teaches his native language, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian. The University is the only post-secondary institution in the Southeast teaching this language.

Becky Butler, assistant director for Southeast Asia initiatives at the Carolina Asia Center, believes that this type of language programming is a critical part of the state’s heritage as well.

“While the Vietnamese language is important globally and academically, it is also a vital piece of contemporary North Carolina history,” she said. Similarly, children of African and Bosnian immigrants in the community benefit from learning their native languages.

Undergraduates who are seeking to fulfill Carolina’s language requirement often find their way to LCTLs, which provide an entryway into cultural explorations.

“In my language classes, I have students who enroll because they are curious about the region or have friends who speak the language,” said Džumhur, associate director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies. “Students often then become interested in studying in the countries where the language is spoken.”

Students whose future careers may involve global connections also benefit from learning these languages. “If people want to pursue business opportunities without having language skills, how are they going to build meaningful relationships and discover new opportunities overseas?” asked Lentz.

Noreen McDonald, senior associate dean for social sciences and global programs in the College, recalled a recent visit from a U.S. Department of State delegation. “They told us that they are not able to fill positions at the desired level of language proficiency,” she said. “Creating a stronger pipeline gives students an advantage in applying for those types of jobs.”

Title VI centers open doors

The College’s strength in teaching LCTLs extends beyond the classroom into the work of the Title VI centers that help support language programming. This includes, for example, the African Studies Center, Carolina Asia Center and the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies. Funding from the U.S. Department of Education enables these national resource centers to offer programming on their regions to the University community and beyond.

“Because of our incredible faculty, we are able to provide opportunities for students and community members to see the world from new and nuanced perspectives,” Butler said.

In addition to underwriting advanced language classes, the centers sponsor programming, bring scholars to campus, fund faculty research and offer community outreach. The African Studies Center’s annual African Language Fair, for example, provides on-campus visibility for those languages. Funding for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships enables students to study abroad who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

In 2022, the Carolina Asia Center received a five-year grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support “Bringing Southeast Asia Home.” This broad initiative is aimed at expanding Southeast Asian studies at Carolina. The multi-pronged effort includes providing research opportunities for faculty, students and community members; strengthening ties with global partners; growing the regional network of scholars of Southeast Asia; adding more courses on the subject; increasing library holdings on the region; supporting postdoctoral scholars; and hosting speakers and workshops.

Record-producing scholarship winners

Thanks to Carolina’s strength in less commonly taught languages, a record number of Tar Heels have received Boren Awards and Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) in recent years. The former, provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, is for the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate or graduate students learning a language critical to American national security. The CLS program, offered by the U.S. Department of State, is an immersive opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to the United States’ engagement with the world.

“What is key to students being competitive for these national scholarships is that they are able to demonstrate they have the foundation in less commonly taught languages, and that when they return to campus, they are able to continue learning them,” said Džumhur, who is a Boren and CLS campus adviser.

By Michele Lynn.

Read how senior Mason Harkleroad used a Boren Award to study Mandarin in Taipei, Taiwan.