Concordia Language Institute

Summer 2021 | Online Language Courses | Earn College Credit

Learning a language opens up a world of new personal and professional possibilities.

The Language Institute is a collaborative program offered through Concordia's Department of World Languages & Cultures in partnership with the Concordia Language Villages. This unique program gives students of all ages the opportunity to explore language interactively with others in a comfortable online learning environment. Courses are open to anyone (post high school) interested in exploring a new language. 

Students may choose from undergraduate college credit courses in over 10 different languages! A majority of our courses are for beginners with no previous experience. There are also intermediate and advance options available for those with previous language experience (see the schedule below for course options and dates).

All courses are taught by language instructors from Concordia College and the Concordia Language Villages in an online format. Most courses are taught in a synchronous format, but there are some hybrid and asynchronous options. Don’t worry, we feature the same best practices and ideals toward developing a sense of community through highly interactive discussions and activities in every course!

Summer 2021 Undergraduate Courses

Review our Language Self-Assessment Guide to understand your proficiency level and register for appropriate courses.

PRINT | Language Institute Overview

The courses below are designed to meet a variety of students' needs and interests:

• Individuals interested in a beginning language course with an experienced instructor and other students of the same level.

• Intermediate and advanced language learners looking for courses focused on relevant social topics and immersive experiences.

• NOTE: Current Concordia undergraduate students should register for the 4 credit version of these courses through Banner.

• NOTE: Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment.

Instruction Delivery Methods

Dakota Language Courses

The Dakota Language courses are organized by Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakičhiye, which works to maintain and revitalize the Dakota language on Dakota homelands. For more information, please visit www.dakhota.org.

Click on the course title to register!

IMPORTANT NOTE: In addition to completing your course registration, please complete the Dakota Language Prerequisite Form. This form provides instructors with useful information about your experience and interest in the Dakota language.

Meet the Program Director

Dr. Gay Rawson is a Professor and Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Concordia College. She has become a recognized expert on technology and its implementation in world language classrooms, receiving the ACTFL/Cengage Postsecondary Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Instruction Using Technology with IALLT in 2020. She shares this knowledge through publications, workshops, presentations, undergraduate and graduate courses. She is also involved in the First-Year Experience, Global Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies Programs, and directs the International Business program in France. Dr. Rawson is a certified expert in translation and interpretation and was a certified ACTFL AAPPL rater and OPI tester. She has presented internationally on technology, foreign language pedagogy, study abroad programs, business languages, literature, cross-cultural / intercultural communicative competence, and relationships between literature / medicine. She has led numerous study abroad programs in Cambodia, Cameroon, France, Germany, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Switzerland, and Vietnam. She was also program director for a US Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad curriculum development project to Cameroon, in which K-18 teachers developed classroom materials on culture, cinema, and commerce in Cameroon. She is the instructional lead for a STARTALK Chinese teacher-training program and has been involved with the Fargo Chinese STARTALK Teacher and Student programs since 2014. While she mostly teaches undergraduate and graduate French language and pedagogy courses, she has experience teaching across the spectrum, from pre-K- 18 and adult learners.