Bennett to offer Arabic, Chinese and Swahili Languages

Bennett College is offering three (3) critical and less commonly taught foreign language courses this spring. Along with students from Bennett and neighboring campuses, members of the Greensboro community are invited to register for classes in Arabic, Chinese or Swahili.

For spring semester 2015, classes begin on January 12 and are offered at the class times below:

• AB 102-01 Elementary Arabic II — MWF (10:00 – 10:50am)
• AB 102-02 Elementary Arabic II —TUES and THURS (5:30 – 6:45pm)
• CN 101-01 Elementary Chinese I — MW (11:00 – 12:15pm)
• CN 102-01 Elementary Chinese II — MW (5:30 – 6:45pm)
• KI 102-01 Elementary Swahili II — MWF (10:00 – 10:50am)
• KI 102-02 Elementary Swahili II — TUES and THUR (5:30 – 6:45pm)

Note: All courses are taught on campus in the Global Learning Center on Gorrell Street.

Participants will gain a greater command of the languages and cultures of these regions as the courses will be taught by visiting international instructors. Teaching Arabic through the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FTLA) Program is Mohammed Al-Hatimi from Saudi Arabia. Mandarin Chinese will be taught by Yun-Ju “Claire” Chen from Taiwan through the Alliance for Language Learning and Educational Exchange (ALLEX) program. Swahili will be taught by David Mshana from Tanzania through the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program.

According to Dr. Gwendolyn Bookman, director of the Center for Global Studies, the goal is to offer these opportunities as a way to assist area students gain the level of competency in the language and culture of these regions that will make them most competitive in the 21st Century and as a way to enrich the cultural education that is offered to members of the Greater Greensboro community.

“As we equip Bennett students to be 21st Century leaders and global thinkers, we are pleased to offer them exposure to the languages and cultures of strategic regions of the world that have been identified as important for global citizens to know,” said Dr. Bookman.

If you are interested in enrolling in these courses for Spring 2015, after January 5, please contact Dr. Bheki Langa, chair, Department of English and Foreign Languages, blanga@bennett.edu or Center for Global Studies, at gbookman@bennett.ed or at 366-517-2106 for further instructions.