Languages at MSU
The NLRC is one of many language-focused units at Michigan State University. Read and click the links below to learn more about how languages are studied and taught at MSU.
Funded by MSU’s College of Arts and Letters, the mission of the Center for Language Teaching Advancement is to “empower language educators, engage language learners, and enhance language learning and teaching practices.” CeLTA pursues this mission through a variety of initiatives, housing several grant initiatives (including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages Partnership and the National LCTL Resource Center), as well as running the Spanish Language Writing Center, the Community Language School, and offering a graduate certificate in college language teaching.
Through supporting the development of resources for LCTLs (such as Hindi, Swahili, Hebrew, and Portuguese) and Indigenous languages (Anishinaabemowin), the LCTL and Indigenous Languages Partnership creates sustainable models for language instruction. The partnership strengthens the professionals who are so crucial in the development and maintenance of LCTL and Indigenous language communities.
The Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching (MAFLT), established in 2012, is a fully online master’s program which trains language instructors through their degree program, certificate program, and public professional development.
Housed within CeLTA, the Community Language School (CLS) focuses on bringing language learning and cultural experiences to the broader community. CLS offers courses for both children and adults, local school outreach programs, and community cultural events.
The Department of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures (LiLaC) is an interdisciplinary department in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters. In addition to programs that focus on cultural studies and language teaching and learning, LiLaC has programs in linguistics and applied linguistics.
The Department of Romance and Classical Studies (RCS) is an interdisciplinary department in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters. RCS offers courses in cultural studies and languages, including French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Classical Greek and Latin.
The Online Language Teaching (OLT) initiative is a collaboration between the Center for Language Teaching Advancement and the English Language Center. OLT offers professional development in topics such as materials development, technology, and communicative tasks for online language instruction.
MSU’s English Language Center (ELC) provides English language instruction for a variety of purposes, as well as language educator training. While many ELC initiatives focus on the MSU community, others often reach beyond to impact language instruction beyond the local campus.
The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) was a federally funded language resource center housed at MSU from 1996 to 2018. CLEAR’s initiatives concentrated on research, materials development, and professional development, including guides for specific languages and a guide for creating World Language Day events. The archive of materials is available on the CLEAR website.