Learn a New Language at GRC!
Language is the road map of culture.
Green River's Foreign Language Department is unique in our region. It offers outstanding instruction in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, both at the beginners and the intermediate/advanced levels. Our small classroom setting allows very direct interactions among students and with the instructors, using free or low-cost textbooks. Our faculty are devoted to teaching and are highly trained in immersing students in the target language, so that they can truly work toward fluency. The department teaches languages in context: students are exposed not only to vocabulary and grammar, but to the social, historical, and cultural contexts in which these languages function all over the world. The department manages a Language Center providing enrolled students free access to tutors who can help with homework and comprehension outside of the classroom. The department also offers a series of courses (taught in English) that deal with the Life and Culture of most of the countries where these Foreign Languages are spoken (for example, Japanese Life and Culture, the French and Francophone world, Latin America in Film, etc.) Students in our program can take the Global Seal of Biliteracy exam for free which will enhance their credentials in the workplace or to transfer. Students can also participate in COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) virtual exchanges in select classes.
All our courses satisfy the AA requirement for Humanities/Fine Arts/English. Several of our courses satisfy the Diversity requirement and several are part of the Asian Studies Concentration, the Hispanic Studies Concentration, or the Global Studies Concentration.
- Foreign Language Requirements at other universities.
- Green River classes you may take to meet specific high school diploma requirements.
- *Heritage and Native Speakers cannot register for introductory Spanish (121, 122, 123), it is too boring for them and they actually do worse than if they are placed at the correct level of intermediate (level 4, Spanish 221 at least). The rest of the class is also intimidated by them and they don't want to talk. Intermediate is perfect because we start all over again with grammar from the beginning and also bring in short pieces of literature and film and have interesting discussions about the cultures of the Spanish speaking world.
- One year in high school or one quarter in college of Spanish, French, German, Japanese Arabic places in 122 or level 2.
- Two years in high school or two quarters in college of Spanish, French, German, Japanese Arabic places in 123 or level 3.
- Three years in high school or three quarters in college of Spanish, French, German, Japanese places in 221 or level 4.
- Four years in high school or 4 quarters in college of Spanish, French, German, Japanese places in 222 or level 5.
- For Spanish contact: emommer@greenriver.edu and I can get them placed in the appropriate course. We also offer Film and Literature courses in Spanish above Spanish 223 (level 6). Most heritage speakers come in with no formal class experience in Spanish (but they do speak it and somewhat write it at different levels) so, we normally start them in Spanish 221 (level 4) so that they can get some formal grammar, discussion and essay composition practice before sending them to literature or film course
- Heritage Speakers of:
- Japanese, please contact Josh Kessler jkessler@greenriver.edu
- French, please contact Lisa Luengo lluengo@greenriver.edu
Spanish
Learn to read, write, and converse in the official language of 21 countries!
Japanese
Spoken by nearly 128 million people, the Japanese language is one of the world's major languages.
French
Learn to read, write, and converse in a language that has been a vehicle for some of the world's most imaginative, influential storytellers.
German
One of the major languages of the world, German is the most spoken native language within the European Union.
Arabic
A Semitic language, Arabic is spoken in a large geographic area including North Africa, most of the Arabian Peninsula, and other parts of the Middle East.