Arabic
The UM Department of Near Eastern Studies offers an impressive range of Arabic courses at all levels including Arabic for Academic, Communication, Business, and Islamic purposes. Its highly developed M.A. and Ph.D. graduate programs focus on the study of Arabic language, literature, and culture and the development of linguistic, literary and methodological skills necessary for scholarly research and classroom teaching.
Arabic Program:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/programs/arabic.html ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Armenian
Classical Armenian, as well as Modern Eastern and Western Armenian are taught on campus and the Armenian Summer Language Institute offers a unique opportunity to study the Armenian Language in Yerevan, Armenia in an intensive format while surrounded by Armenian culture and history.
Armenian Studies Program:
[ http://www.ii.umich.edu/asp/ ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Bengali
Bengali, also known as Bangla, is the national language of Bangladesh as well as one of the major languages of India (the number of people who claim it as their mother tongue there is second only to Hindi). Bengali is a member of the Indo-European family of languages and evolved from Sanskrit. It is one of the languages of the subcontinent of South Asia that came most directly under western influence and in turn contributed many items of vocabulary to English. There are substantial populations of Bengali speakers in seven other countries, including the US and UK, for a grand total of over 200 million people who regard it as their first language.
Why Study Bengali?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42022,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
Students learn the principal language of the former Yugoslavia. Students are simultaneously introduced to both the Latin and Cyrillic writing systems.
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/ ]
Czech
How about trying Czech? It may be a challenge, but can offer great rewards. You will never get lost in Prague when looking for a friendly pub. If you like humor, wit and irony, you will delight in reading Milan Kundera or Vaclav Havel. Czech is the language you will definitely enjoy!
Czech Program:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/undergrad/czech/ ]
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/ ]
Dutch
Do Dutch, profit much! Close to German, Dutch is much easier and the language closest to English. Over twenty million speak it worldwide, from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname to the Caribbean. Learn Dutch in small classes with an expert teacher, and become a fellow speaker with Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, and Anne Frank.
Why Study Dutch?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/dutch/why/ ]
Dutch and Flemish Studies:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/dutch/ ]
The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Filipino
Filipino is the language of more than 90% of Filipinos all over the world; the cultural thread that keeps them in touch with their roots and with each other. Filipino is based primarily on Tagalog, one of the major ethnic languages, and is characterized by an openness to borrowings from other Philippine ethnic and foreign languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and English. The Roman alphabet is used in writing Filipino.
Why Study Filipino?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22166_article_42053,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Hebrew
The modern Hebrew program (Hebrew and Jewish Cultural Studies) educates students in modern Hebrew language and literature. Sections exist for heritage learners as well as beginners. In the Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies program, instruction is given in Classical Hebrew as well as the literature, history, and culture of Ancient Israel and its neighbors.
Hebrew and Jewish Cultural Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~hjcs/ ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Hindi
Hindi is the national language of India. In Hindi courses, focus is on speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing the Devanagari (Hindi) script. In grammar and basic vocabulary, Urdu is very close to Hindi, but it is written in the Arabic script. Together, Hindi and Urdu are spoken by over 240 million people, making Hindi-Urdu the language with the fourth largest number of speakers in the world.
Why Study Hindi?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42031,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Indonesian
Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world and a country that is noted for the depth and diversity of its cultural traditions. With its 210 million speakers, Indonesian is the sixth most prevalently spoken of world languages. The syntactic and grammatical structures that characterize Indonesian make it an attractive and accessible Asian language for native speakers of English.
Why Study Indonesian?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22166_article_42036,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Kazak
Elementary Kazak will be offered at the University of Michigan via videoconferencing with Indiana University, one of the nation's leading centers for Central Asian studies. This innovative distance learning course affords U-M students the opportunity to begin study of this important language of Central Asia, a region with a rich history that is expected to have considerable strategic importance in the coming years.
Why Kazak?
[ http://www.indiana.edu/~college/foreignlanguage/kazakh/kazakh.shtml ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Modern Greek
Greek is spoken in a beautiful country blessed with famous islands, cosmopolitan cities, mythical landscapes, as well as monuments from the classical, Christian, medieval, Renaissance, and modern eras. Greece has been a favorite destination for adventurous souls. Many of the hardest and most important college subjects use Greek terms and ideas. Medicine, biology, architecture, philosophy, physics, science, geology, and mathematics, to mention a few, rely on Greek vocabulary and concepts.
Modern Greek Program:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/modgreek/ ]
The Department of Classical Studies:
[http://www.umich.edu/~classics/ ]
Ojibwe
This course serves as an introduction to the study of Ojibwe language and culture. The primary goal of this class is for each student to increase his or her knowledge about the Anishinaabe language and culture. This includes students who have no previous knowledge of the tribe as well as tribal members interested in learning more about their culture and language. Because Ojibwe is an endangered language, it is of utmost importance that we make sure the language is learned and used.
There are three levels of Ojibwe language and culture at the University of Michigan: Elementary, Intermediate, & Advanced. Each level has a first and second part that should be taken in sequence (i.e., AMCULT 222 and 223).
To find out more, visit:
Ojibwe
[ http://www.umich.edu/~ojibwe/ ]
Native American Studies:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/ac/native/ ]
The Program in American Culture:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/ac/ ]
Persian
The Department of Near Eastern Studies offers Persian language courses on all levels. They are part of a well developed program on Persian and Iranian language, literature, and culture designed to develop linguistic, literary, and methodological skills for scholarly research. Following elementary and intermediate course work, advanced language and text courses include Modern Persian fiction and expository prose, with oral and written practice in Persian, Classical Persian prose and poetry, and Persianate history through political and cultural texts, as well as topical seminars.
Persian Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/programs/persian.html ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Polish
Whether you're in Warsaw, N.Y. or London you'll find someone who speaks Polish! Become part of the tradition of Copernicus, Chopin and Lech Wa??sa and learn to speak the language of one of the largest countries in Europe. In Poland, you can hike in the beautiful Tatra Mountains, sail on the Baltic Sea, visit historical Krakow or work for multinational companies in a thriving, emerging economy. Poland has something for everyone!
Polish Program:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/undergrad/polish/ ]
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/ ]
Portuguese
With over 200 million speakers, Portuguese is the seventh most widely spoken language in the world. It is the official language of seven countries in Europe, Africa, and South America and an unofficial one in numerous linguistic islands in China and India. Why Portuguese? The astonishing richness of literature in Portuguese – everything from The Lusiads, the greatest epic poem of the European Renaissance, to the modern Brazilian novel.
Why Study Portuguese?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/rll/langinstruct/whyportuguese.html ]
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/rll/langinstruct/whyromance.html ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Punjabi
Punjabi is spoken by eighty million people in South Asia and other British Commonwealth countries. It is the language of the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs, the official language of the state of Punjab in India, and a language of mysticism and regional literature among Punjabi Muslims. The learning of Punjabi is important for an understanding of the cultures of South Asia.
Why Study Punjabi?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42045,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Quechua
Quechua, the language of the Inkas, is spoken today by millions of people in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It has a written literature that goes back to the sixteenth century. Quechua is offered as a regular course during the academic year at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and as an intensive summer course in Cuzco, Peru.
Quechua Program:
[ http://www.ii.umich.edu/lacs/quechua/index.htm ]
The Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies:
[ http://www.ii.umich.edu/lacs/ ]
Russian
Russian is a beautiful language spoken by more than 150 million people who produce some of the best literature, music, theater, and athletes. In the Slavic department you will study in smaller classes and in a community organized around tea-drinking and extra-curricular activities. You'll experience the exhilarating satisfaction of mastering a less commonly learned language, something that truly makes you unique.
Why Study Russian?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/UofM/Content/slavic/document/Joy.ppt ]
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Sanskrit
Sanskrit – in its Vedic dialects – dates to about 1500 BCE, and was the language of high culture and learning in India until the coming of the British. Many of the classical texts of Hinduism and Buddhism were composed in Sanskrit. Beginning and Second Year Sanskrit are offered in alternate years, and Readings in Sanskrit is offered whenever there are interested students.
Why Study Sanskrit?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42051,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Swedish
Swedish is easy to learn, with simple grammar and many cognates, and our courses are small. Swedish opens the world of Norse mythology, Bergman, and Pippi Longstocking. Also Volvo, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Saab, and Ericsson. Students have the opportunity to study in Uppsala and experience Scandinavia's progressive social climate. Danish and Norwegian are very similar to Swedish, so you get three languages for the price of one!
Why Swedish?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/scand/whystudy/ ]
Scandinavian Studies:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/scand/ ]
The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Tamil
Tamil is one of the two classical languages of India. It has a rich grammatical and literary heritage dating back to Third Century B.C. Tamil is spoken in southern India and in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, and Fiji, with a total of more than 65 million speakers. The study of Tamil language and literature serves as a gateway to Dravidian languages, society, history, culture, philosophy, arts, and religion.
Why Study Tamil?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42056,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Telugu
There are approximately 80 million speakers of Telugu, most of whom live in India.Telugu, together with Tamil (also taught at the University of Michigan), is one of the four literary Dravidian languages of Southern India. Its literary tradition stretches back to the eleventh century A.D. Telugu is not widely taught in the US. Among universities in the US, the enrollments at the University of Michigan have been among the highest.
Why Study Telugu?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42069,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Thai
Studying Thai provides the opportunity for students to master a beautiful language and learn about the culture of 70 million people. Students learn the unique and artistic alphabetical systems from the first day of class and are able to read, speak, and write about everyday things in less than one semester. When you speak Thai the food tastes better, the prices are cheaper, and the experience is much more memorable.
Why Study Thai?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22166_article_42074,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Tibetan
Tibetan is the language of six million Tibetan people, living at 10,000 feet on the Tibetan plateau, north of the Himalayan range. It is also the language of Tibetan Buddhism, which spreads from the Caspian Sea in the west to Mount Wu Tai in China in the east, from Mongolia in the north to Nepal in the south. The Tibetan language is a vast repository of Buddhist thought and practice.
Why Study Tibetan?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42078,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Turkish
Turkish is perhaps one of the easiest languages in the Middle East to learn. This, partly because of its use of the Latin alphabet, and partly because of its phonetic nature. It is the language of the culture that inherited the Ottoman Empire which survived over 600 years. Turkish, as an Altaic language, can easily open the path for other similar Altaic languages, some being specified as Turkic, spoken in some of the former Soviet States, today_s republics of Central Asia. The Turkish language can facilitate the outreach not only of the literature and history of the Ottomans but also the discovery of an actual big market of business partly due to its growing industry.
Turkish Studies at UM
[ http://www.umich.edu/~turkish/ ]
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Summer Language Institute
[ http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/sli/ ]
Ukrainian
Learn Ukrainian! One of the most musical languages in the world! The language of the second-largest country in Europe! Discover a 1,000-year-old culture. You will enjoy the beauty of the Ukrainian language as much as you'll enjoy the sparkling colors on Ukrainian embroidery and Easter eggs.
The Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/slavic/ ]
Urdu
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan and one of the national languages of India. In grammar and basic vocabulary, it is very close to Hindi, but it is written in the Arabic script. Together, Hindi and Urdu are spoken by over 240 million people, making Hindi-Urdu the language with the fourth largest number of speakers in the world. Learning the Arabic script helps one to learn Persian and Arabic and offers access to the wonders of Urdu literature.
Why Study Urdu?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22167_article_42083,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Uzbek
The Department of Near Eastern Studies:
[ http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/ ]
Vietnamese
Vietnamese is the language of modern Vietnam, a country of about 80 million speakers. With the lifting of the trade embargo and normalization of U.S.-Vietnamese relations, Vietnam is open to the free world market and offering good job opportunities to those who have a knowledge of its language and culture. Elementary Vietnamese provides a basic introduction to Vietnamese pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, with the emphasis placed on developing conversational skills on practical situations encountered in a Vietnamese environment. At the end of the first year, the students should be able to handle simple conversations in everyday topics and to read and write simple Vietnamese.
Why Study Vietnamese?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian_detail/0,2929,22166_article_42091,00.html ]
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/ ]
Yiddish
Who speaks Yiddish? Who reads it? Yiddish arose nearly a thousand years ago in Western Europe, flourished for centuries in Eastern Europe, and was brought to the U.S. and elsewhere by immigrants who built a rich cultural life with it. At Michigan, Yiddish is a vibrant language. We learn its idioms and grammar, read its literary treasures, and explore its centrality to modern Jewish life.
Why Study Yiddish?
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/judaic/html/yiddish_2_6_1.htm ]Yiddish Program:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/german/yiddish/ ]
Frankel Center for Judaic Studies:
[ https://www.lsa.umich.edu/judaic/ ]
