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Vanderbilt Center for Languages

Language Practice

The Vanderbilt Center for Languages provides an attractive variety of opportunities for students to practice their language skills outside of the classroom.  Activities like these play an essential role in advancing their language skills, facilitating interesting exchanges and getting to know students with similar interests and experiences.

Language Tables

Co-hosted by faculty and students, weekly language tables offer regular conversational practice with native

speakers and language learners of all proficiency levels. Language Tables are held in the following languages:

 

  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • French
  • French Tagalog
  • German
  • Haitian Creole
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi-Urdu
  • Sanskrit
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • K’iche’ Maya
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish

At these informal, drop-in sessions, participants come together to talk, learn, practice, and build community. Language Tables can also serve as tutoring sessions for anyone who needs support in their coursework. All in the Vanderbilt community are welcome to join any time, and no signup is required. Fall semester Language Tables and tutoring services begin the first week of September.

If you are interested in participating as a co-host or want to ask a question, please contact Professor David Johnson, Language Table Coordinator.

Tutoring and Conversation Hours

The VCL offers both tutoring and conversational opportunity for many languages taught on campus. These sessions are generally held in the VCL office. While tutoring is a more structured and targeted form of help, our conversation hours are a less formal social gathering that gives students an opportunity to practice a language with others. For those sessions that are tutoring and conversation combined, the host will gauge the need of specific attendees.

Fall 2023 Schedule

 

T = Tutoring only, C = Conversation only, T/C = Both Tutoring and Conversation

Arabic

Hosted By: Henry Yusem
Mondays (T/C) (2:30-3:30pm) & Thursdays (T/C) (3:30-4:30pm)

Chinese

Hosted By: Watermelon (Song Yuan Feng)
Wednesdays & Thursdays (T/C) (3:00-4:00pm)

French

Hosted By: Younes Moursal
Thursdays (T) (9:30-10:30am) & Fridays (T) (3:00-4:00pm)

Hosted By: Alexis Finet
Cafe Française Wednesdays (C) (3:00-4:00pm)

German

Hosted By: Courtney Rehkamp
Mondays (C) (2:00-3:00pm) & Tuesdays (T) (10:00-11:00am)

Haitian Creole

Hosted By: Laurent Lochard
Tuesdays (T/C) (3:00-5:00pm)

Hebrew

Hosted By: Zoey Shacham
Tuesdays (T/C) (3:00-4:00pm) & Fridays (T/C) (1:15-2:15pm)

Hindi

Hosted By: Min Kalasikam
Fridays (T/C) (12:00-1:00pm)

Urdu

Hosted By: Shahbano Raza
Fridays (T/C) (1:30-2:30pm)

Italian

Hosted By: Elena Sergio
Wednesdays (T/C) (1:35-2:30pm)

Japanese

Hosted By: Melumo Togashi
Mondays & Tuesdays (T/C) (3:30-4:30pm)

Korean
Hosted By: Ejew Kim
Wednesdays (T) (2:30-4:30pm)

Portuguese

Hosted By: Margaret Kelly
Mondays (C) (3:30-4:30pm) & (T) (4:30-5:30pm)

Russian

Hosted By: Courtney Ellis
Mondays (T/C) (4:00-6:00pm)

Spanish

Tutoring Hosted By: Amarilis Ortiz with appointment only! Click here to schedule.
Tuesdays (T) (2:45-4:45), Wednesdays (T) (10:00-12:00pm), Thursdays (T) (2:45-4:45pm)

Conversation Hosted By: Bear Anthony
Fridays (C) (12:00-1:00pm)