Language as a Bridge to Other Disciplines
The Cultures and Language Across the Curriculum (CLAC) program at Duke University positions language use throughout the university by offering courses taught in languages other than English (LOTE) in schools such as global health, public policy, and environmental sciences. These course offerings invite students to use their knowledge and study of another language within their chosen discipline, internationalizing their studies of courses otherwise approached through English-only perspectives. Their relatively low-stakes approach to grading (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) and 1/2 credit structure make the courses appealing to pre-professional students who have more constricted schedules. As such, these courses do not compete with courses offered in the language departments, but rather complement their offerings. While not envisioned as a strategy to combat declining language enrollments, CLAC has contributed to language’s visibility across campus, infusing regional and international perspectives into a growing number of disciplines.
