World Languages
Olympic College offers American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish courses. Click on any of the tiles below to see the plan of study.
What to expect?
Learning a foreign language, you will develop four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Learning the visual language of American Sign Language, you will acquire the necessary reception and expression. The study of a new language will enhance your consciousness of your native language.
In the process of the language acquisition, you will also live the culture of that language. This will lead you to observe and contrast the new culture and your own with multicultural awareness. You will develop critical thinking as you gain cultural insight in the appreciation of the multiple expressions of another culture.
Academic Programs
Olympic College offers American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish courses. Click any of the tiles to see more information about these programs in our catalog and the Associate in Arts-Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA) programs that are available to you.
Why learn a foreign language?
- Broaden your career opportunities
- Communicate with individuals of diverse backgrounds
- Appreciate foreign literature, film, music and other arts
- Gain cultural insight
- Increase your global perspective
- Improve your perception of American culture
- Improve your native language skill
As you explore the language and the culture, you will have other experiences that will contribute to your enrichment such as group collaboration and learning how to learn.
Who should take a World Language?
Who should take a World Language?
World Language courses are for students who wish to major in a language and complete a four-year degree, and also for students who will major in another field, but have an interest in a language.
You are going to take a World Language because:
- You want to fulfill the transfer requirement of four-year institutions.
Attention: Many four-year universities require two quarters of a language to transfer, but require three quarters to graduate. It is wise to take the three courses at Olympic College and save in costs. - You need to fulfill the humanities distribution requirement for an Associate degree or you choose the language as an elective course.
- You wish to learn a language for personal enrichment: for travel or recovery of your family’s cultural heritage.
How to be Successful in Spanish Class
How to be Successful in Spanish Class
Olympic College students share advice for how to succeed in learning Spanish.
Faculty Advisors
Every student is assigned an advising team consisting of your Student Success Coach and Faculty Advisor. Your Faculty Advisor is determined once you decide on your specific academic program. The following professors are Faculty Advisors for Communication Studies.
Academic Division
World Languages is part of the Social Sciences & Humanities Division (SSH). Visit the SSH Division for more info, including support resources and services, and contact info for division staff and the dean. The Social Sciences & Humanities Division can assist you with:
- Advising
- Connecting with faculty
- Finding campus resources
- Support for procedural processes such as a grade appeal or student complaint.