The new Five College Language Portal lists ALL languages offered among the Five Colleges with links to the offering department or program. There are over 60 languages offered in the consortium. Here is a link to the portal: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/languages
- The Five College Center for the Study of World Languages offers courses in over 35 less-commonly studied languages. Enrollment information is online here: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/fclang
Comprehensive “mentored” courses covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills are offered for:
- Hindi
- Swahili
- Turkish
- Persian
- Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian
Independent study courses focusing on oral skills development are offered in: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Bangla/Bengali, Burmese, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Filipino/Tagalog, Georgian, Modern Greek, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Modern Irish, Khmer, Malay, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Pashto, Romanian, Shona, Sinhala, Thai, Tibetan, Twi, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wolof, Zulu (other languages may be added; sometimes language availability changes)
FAQ about Five College Center for the Study of World Language Courses
How does a student register? All languages offered by the center require submission of a brief application. Depending upon the language, students also have to either complete an online orientation tutorial or schedule an interview/conversation about how the course will work. When Hampshire students are admitted, students sign a learning contract, receive a signed instructor permission form from the center, and do a Five College request for the course through the HUB. (The campus for the request is UMass; the department is “Five College Center for the Study of World Languages”. )
Application details are online here: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/fclang
When and where do sessions meet? Courses meet across all five campuses. When Fall 2015 pre-registration information is posted in late March, there will be some pre-determined times/locations listed for the most highly enrolled courses, such as beginning level courses in Hindi, Swahili, Turkish and Persian. For other courses, students will submit schedule information after pre-registration and will be assigned permanent session times and locations that work with their schedules.
What is the course format? Five College Center for the Study of World Language courses are offered using one-on-one tutorials and small group conversation sessions. The session formats vary by language. Each course has an established syllabus; mentored courses also have detailed study guides. Some students choose to work faster than the assigned syllabus in order to meet personal goals. This is fine and can be discussed with the program director.
What if I already have experience with the language I want to study? File an application and the program director will work with you to arrange for placement in an appropriate course.
I am looking at the online course catalog and only see lower-level courses in the language I want, do you offer higher-level courses? For many languages, the center can arrange intermediate and advanced courses on a case by case basis. Students who need something other than what is listed online should contact center staff about the options for their language. The earlier such contact is made, the more likely we are to be able to make a course possible.
Is there a fee for taking these courses? Enrollment for these courses is covered by regular tuition for Five College students who are matriculated for a degree. There are no special course fees. Students enroll in these courses in the same way as for other academic courses in the Five College Consortium.
Advisors and students should feel free to call the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages with questions. Our number is 413-542-5264; or email fclang@fivecolleges.edu. You can also stop by the new center in downtown Amherst at 79 South Pleasant St. (right beside Collective Copies).
