Learn more about the course and some students’ experiences in a story published by the Language Institute.

Student projects/language learning resources

Book Reviews by students taking 670

Websites created by students to help other learners

Videos with tips for self-instructional language learning

An example of one student’s personal project: “ I am currently learning a very famous Xhosa song . This song is sung to young women who are about to marry. The British called it ‘the click song’ but it is called ‘Qongqthwane.’ This song is very challenging to sing so I have heard it and repeated it many times. I hope eventually I will sing it right.”

What are students saying about this course?

“I finally feel like I have access to resources and know how to tailor my language learning perfectly to meet my goals.”

– Regina Fuller, who studied Beginning Sierra Leonean Krio in 2016-17

“One of my friends asked everyone to say something that had been an important place of growth and/or something that had been giving them joy recently. And my first – honest! – answer to the question was just how much I am enjoying studying Luganda and how much intellectual growth I am getting from its study. Even when the weeks are bad, like this one, I know I am learning and I know it is expanding my understanding of Uganda and the world more broadly. How could that not bring me tons of joy?”

– Lauren Marino, doctoral student studying Advanced Luganda in 2016-17.

“Before enrolling in the course, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find resources in my target language, but African 671 is a near-constant source of inspiration for me. First, it encouraged me to take advantage of the resources immediately available to me- language-learning textbooks, direct sources in the target language, and L1 speakers in the local community-, but, more importantly, listening to my classmates describe their language-learning activities directed me to resources I might not have thought of on my own, including Peace Corps manuals, national radio stations and news sites, and television shows, music videos, and cooking shows! Although we may not all be studying the same language, as is often the case, we are mutually learning to study a language. And having this sounding board to bounce ideas off of and to garner new ones is perhaps the best resource African 671 has to offer. Finally, the class is also arranged, so that if students cannot find the desired resources within their target language or that accommodate their learning styles, they are always encouraged to invent their own, as evidenced in our language-learning websites, as well as our own unique systems for tracking our personal goals and assessing our progress.”

– Kathryn Mara, doctoral student who studied Kinyarwanda for two years, at the Intermediate and Advanced levels

“Over the last year the 670 readings and discussion topics have really helped me become much better at one of my part-time jobs! I tutor a seventh grader … who was failing all of his classes when we first met. His teachers had basically given up on him and were convinced he had some sort of learning disability. However, I started working with [him] as I was discovering my own learning style and strategies to language learning that worked best for me in your class, and I think it made more sensitive to and aware of [his] responses to particular activities. It soon became apparent which approaches to learning and retaining information worked best for [him], and I tailored my approach to tutoring to compliment his needs. At the beginning of each week [he] makes a list of all the things he needs/wants to accomplish that week, and beneath each task I have him write out the specific things he needs to do to earn a B or better on that assignment (his personal goal). I feel like I channel [Dr. Thompson] each week, when I say, “studying for your spelling test for 30 minutes is too vague. How will you study? What activities will you do?” And sure enough he will come up with 3-4 great, concrete, ideas. Since incorporating this exercise into his weekly routine, [he] has totally turned things around and is earning all As and Bs. It has been really exciting to watch… I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to be part of this course, and it has helped me far beyond my own language learning.”

– Lindsay Ehrisman, doctoral student who studied Intermediate Luganda in 2014-15 and Advanced Luganda in 2015-16.