WORLD LANGUAGES
"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way."
– Frank Smith, Psycholinguist –
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Our multifaceted approach to World Language and Culture Studies empowers students to explore new places, traditions, and ways of life. Speaking a different language can be intimidating, and our skilled faculty use a strengths-based model to ensure that students feel comfortable to take risks as they not only practice reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening, but also encounter the food, music, dance, literature, history, geography, politics, and social systems of Spanish, French and Mandarin-speaking countries. Through this rich journey into different parts of the world, including Argentina, Mexico, Quebec, France, Haiti, Libya, Tunisia, China, Taiwan and Singapore, students expand their horizons - with a number of students going on to study abroad programs in college.
FLN327/328: Advanced Spanish 2 for Heritage Speakers
For students in grades 9-12, this course is designed for students who either grew up speaking Spanish with their families, or attended bilingual schools.
FLN111/112: French 1
Using a multimedia approach, students are introduced to various French-speaking cultures and learn basic communication through cooperative group activities and written assignments.
FLN621/622: Chinese 2
Focused on the customs and life of modern Chinese-speaking people, students learn to express themselves in Chinese, with opportunities to perform skits and experience holiday/festival celebrations.
World Languages Faculty
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John Kohler, Department Chair
Originally from San Francisco, John Kohler received his BA in Psychology with a minor in Latin American Studies from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. He went on to earn his MA in Education from the University of San Francisco, and his Hispanic Studies Certificate from the University of Barcelona. He has been teaching at O'Dowd since 2014, where he loves to open students' minds to all the Spanish-speaking world has to offer.
