Language learning and exploring non-verbal communication are among the many ways Brock students can brush up their skills during the Spring and Summer Terms.

Students looking to unlock new opportunities and expand career options can take a variety of courses offered by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC), including an introductory course providing an overview of Mandarin Chinese.

In MAND IP00 — Mandarin Chinese I, beginners will build a strong foundation in the language, even if they have no prior knowledge.

Instructor Teresa Feng believes a personalized learning experience and small class size will make for an engaging and hands-on learning experience this spring.

“We’ll cover the basics of communicating with more than a billion people through the world’s most spoken language by focusing on conversation-style, grammar and relevant cultural customs,” says Feng, who is also the Manager, International Programs in the Goodman School of Business Graduate Programs Office.

First year classes in French (FREN 1F00 and FREN 1F90), Italian (ITAL 1P96 – Italian Culture and Civilization) and Spanish (SPAN 1P95 – Conquest and Colonization) offered by MLLC give students both the tools and the context to understand the interplay between language, culture and history.

For those fascinated by language itself, LING 1P94 – Introduction to General Linguistics I, offered by the Department of Applied Lingusitics, explores the nature and structure of language, including the relationships between sounds and words and how people convey meaning through words and sentences.

These insights are useful for language learners, students of literature and anyone interested in supporting discussions of language revitalization. Students considering careers in language teaching, literary studies, translation or speech-language pathology and audiology will find it particularly useful.

And for those who want to go beyond words to learn more about how people understand each other even when they aren’t speaking, COMM 2P96 – Nonverbal Communication can help students from many disciplines learn how to better understand and interact with others.

Offered by the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film, the course dives into how people decode the hidden language of nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone of voice, to helps students harness their own nonverbal communication — a particularly useful skill in professional settings.