Every semester so far, I have taken a language course as it provides a break in my day with a more interactive and conversational class. At Cornell, you may need to fulfill a language requirement depending on your college. I love learning languages and knew that taking language classes would be an important part of my college experience. I have taken intensive beginner Italian, intermediate Portuguese, and beginner Chinese. Each of my classes has been taught by a native professor. Every class, even level one, starts from the very first day, speaking entirely in the language. So, while in Portuguese and Italian, I could at first rely on my knowledge of Spanish to understand my professor, in Chinese, I had to rely on context clues.   

Chinese 

Chinese classes meet seven times a week, including a “lab” class taught in English to explain grammar and cultural context twice a week and a lecture focused on daily conversation practice. Last semester, four professors taught my Chinese class to help us understand different accents and regional phrases. We practice conversation through activities such as pretending to call a classmate on the phone, ordering and serving a classmate food, bargaining at a market, and inviting guests into your home (offering refreshments and engaging them in conversation). Sometimes, we practice by going into the hallway and knocking on the classroom door, pretending to be waiting outside someone’s home. I enjoy these activities because they make me feel confident in my ability to talk to someone; every day, I put my speaking ability and listening comprehension to the test. After this semester, if I choose to, I will be ready to study abroad after taking only two semesters of beginner Chinese, which shows how much the professors teach us in only two semesters.

Italian 

As an intensive elementary Italian course, my class met every day. We would start each class by walking around the room, greeting our classmates, and having short conversations before discussing a movie we had watched, reading about an attraction in Italy, an aspect of Italian culture, or learning a grammar concept.

Portuguese 

As it was a higher-level class, my work for Portuguese involved giving several presentations throughout both semesters on movies, literature, and culture. In my second semester of Portuguese, I watched a new movie every week and wrote a paper on the topic. We also discussed each movie in class and completed in-class projects on the subject. As a part of our requirements to complete the course, we also had to attend a certain number of events per semester. For my events, I participated in a book club where I read and discussed a book in Portuguese, attended a Deixa Sambar performance (Cornell’s Brazilian samba drumming ensemble), and participated in a virtual exchange with a Brazilian student throughout the semester. We completed different activities and discussed a range of topics, from our career interests to our hobbies and cultural celebrations in both English and Portuguese.   

Why I love learning languages at Cornell

Language classes are some of my favorite courses because being able to communicate in a new language allows me to connect with more people. Each class I have taken has also introduced me to new people across different majors, colleges, and class years at Cornell. I also like how practical a language class is, as I am developing a skill that I will be able to use someday. Languages also open so many more opportunities at Cornell and beyond, such as studying abroad, working in any field abroad, and volunteering as a translator with different Cornell clubs. Most importantly, for me, language classes are fun and provide a break from attending lectures throughout the rest of my day.