Critical Languages studies are designed for those who have had a prior foreign language experience. Those who register for these courses, when offered, may register only with departmental approval. The courses in this program are independent study, self-instructional and tutor assisted. The students are required to meet bi-weekly with a native speaker tutor to practice. The emphasis of each course is on developing conversational skills. This program is very demanding and requires a high degree of self-motivation on the part of the student. Group participation is essential to the student's success. The mentors of this program are native speakers of the language.

Language offerings vary from term to term. Examples of past offerings include  Arabic, Chinese,  Japanese, Russian, Swahili, and Turkish. Future offerings may vary according to demand.

For more information concerning critical languages, please contact the chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Director of the Center for Critical Languages Dr. Craig Christy.