Salt Lake Community College students can use the power of language to make themselves more desirable employees and better citizens of the world.
SLCC offers a variety of different language courses, including American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German and Spanish. And while learning a new language can be harder for college students, there are advantages to being fluent in multiple languages.
Lin Chen, coordinator of the Center for Languages, says it is easier to learn a new language at a young age.
“The LAD [language acquisition device] embedded in the human brain is most effective between the ages of 2 and 13,” he explains. “A kid can learn a language he or she is exposed to without knowing he or she is learning it, and thus learn the language the most natural way.”
While it may be more difficult to master a new language as an adult, Chen believes students will benefit from learning other languages, especially in the world of business.
“[The advantages] are very obvious for [a] career or business,” Chen says. “[Learn a language] for understanding different culture and for diversity, and for broadening your view about the world.”
The Center for Languages, located in the Technology Building at Taylorsville Redwood Campus, provides tutoring for students who need help. Although the center offers a walk-in tutoring service, Chen advises students to make an appointment.
“We do encourage students to schedule [an] appointment online because our tutors are also SLCC students and they have their own schedules for classes as well,” he explains. “However, students can always walk in and check if a tutor is available, but there is no guarantee.”
While it may be more difficult to learn a new language now, SLCC students may find it worthwhile to take a language course before they enter the workforce.
Any students with questions about the Center for Languages can go online or contact Lin Chen for more information.
