The Center for Language Studies' (CLS) Certificate in Intercultural Competence acknowledges that in an ever more interconnected world and society, with more opportunities for collaboration as well as situations of conflict, students need to understand and respect other cultures. By approaching language study, area studies courses and experiential learning through a critical lens focused on developing intercultural competence, students prepare themselves for a future after Brown working with people from all over the world, be it in industry, business, the university or in social justice work, anywhere where multicultural and multilingual groups work together.
Certificate Requirements:
| Core Courses | 1.5 | |
| Theory and Practice of Intercultural Competence | ||
To be taken before the experiential learning component. Offered in both spring and fall semester. | ||
LANG 1400 | Language Practicum in Intercultural Competence | |
To be completed alongside the internship or study away experience. The experiential learning component must focus on the same language community as the elective coursework. This non-credit course is a prerequisite for enrolling in the capstone LANG1800. | ||
LANG 1800 | Capstone Seminar in Intercultural Competence | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Language Study: Choose 2 courses taught in the same language and in the language needed for the experiential learning component from the list of electives. Courses marked with an asterisk that should count toward this requirement must be taught in the target language. | 2 | |
| Second-Year Arabic (and above*) | ||
| Intermediate German I (and above*) | ||
| Intermediate Hindi-Urdu (and above*) | ||
| Swahili I (and above*) | ||
| Beginning Nahuatl (and above*) | ||
| Intermediate Persian Language and Culture (and above*) | ||
| American Sign Language IV (and above*) | ||
| Intermediate Turkish (and above*) | ||
| Introduction to Yoruba II (and above*) | ||
Independent Studies related to language learning. These may be in various languages and students must take two semesters of the same language. Please consult with the CIC Advisor for initial approval. | ||
| Area Perspectives Course: Please choose 1 course to deepen your knowledge of one area and/or to bring together your interest in languages with other relevant academic interests. | 1 | |
| Sound and Symbols: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology | ||
| Language and Migration | ||
| Indian Issues in Anthropological Perspective | ||
| Language and Power | ||
| Indigenous Languages of the Americas: An Introduction | ||
ARAB 0700 and above | ||
| Linguistic Variation and Universals | ||
| Information Theory in Language | ||
| Pragmatics | ||
| Learning Compositional Language | ||
| Language Processing in Humans and Machines | ||
| Logic in Language and Thought | ||
GRMN 0500 and above | ||
| Berlin: Architecture, Politics and Memory | ||
| Modern Middle East Roots: 1492 to the Present | ||
| 'Neither of the East nor West': The Ottoman Empire | ||
| Religion and European Colonialism, 1700-1900 | ||
| America and the Middle East: Histories of Connection and Exchange | ||
| Rwanda Past and Present | ||
| Iran and the Islamic Revolution | ||
| The Middle East in Berlin: Urban Spaces and Voices | ||
| Pathology to Power: Disability, Health and Community | ||
| Modern Iran: Literature, Media & Pop Culture | ||
| Understanding Modern Turkey Through Film and Literature | ||
| Istanbul, Global Metropolis | ||
| Introductory Ottoman Turkish I | ||
| Berlin: Global Metropolis (1945-2020) | ||
Additional courses may count towards the area perspectives requirement, please see the CIC faculty advisor for approval. | ||
| Experiential Learning Component | ||
| Students are encouraged to consult with the CIC Faculty Advisor to gain approval before the start of the Experiential Learning Component. Students may however gain credit after completion with appropriate approval. Students will need to keep track of time and present documentation from a supervisor of hours completed. Students choose one of the following experiential learning opportunities: | ||
International internships require use of the language students are studying for the language study elective and must include engagement with the community. The internship must be of at least 4 weeks and equal a total of 60 hours. | ||
Study Abroad in a country in which a language other than English is used, must be at a university where courses are offered in the language the student has chosen for their language study elective, must include enrollment in at least one course taught in the language the student has chosen for their elective and must be for a period of one semester or at least 4 weeks in the summer. | ||
Domestic internships require use of and significant exposure to the language the student is studying for their language study elective. Students will intern for one semester or at least 4 weeks in the summer for a minimum of 60 hours. | ||
| Total Credits | 4.5 | |
For a list of languages currently participating in the certificate, please see the CLS Website