F.L.A.C. Defined
History of F.L.A.C.
Registration & Contacts
French F.L.A.C. Course Offerings & Descriptions
Faculty from humanities, languages, and social sciences have redesigned selected courses in areas such as economics, history, religion and political science to allow you to do some of your coursework in Chinese, French, German, Norwegian, Russian or Spanish. Attached to each designated FLAC course is an optional foreign language component that counts as .25 credit. In the foreign language component, you read and discuss materials related to the core course, but you do so using the designated foreign language.
FLAC, then, helps you link your knowledge of a foreign language with your study of other disciplines.
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Given the variety of FLAC
courses, you may be able to bring together special interests you
have with your foreign language background to look at the world
with an awareness that goes beyond the time and place in which you
live.Since virtually
all FLAC courses fulfill certain GE requirements, you'll
add an extra dimension of integration to your undergraduate program. FLAC
courses also help you relate your on-campus learning with your study
abroad, so they're an ideal way to prepare before you go abroad
or to apply what you've learned abroad when you return to campus. Finally,
FLAC courses help you demonstrate your ability to use in
everyday life the language skills and cultural understanding that
are the basis of your foreign language requirement.
Interested? Read on. When you've successfully completed the fourth or fifth semester of college foreign language study (or its equivalent), you're eligible for the FLAC experience!
What Happens in
a Foreign Language Component?
FLAC courses
include two groups of students: those who do all work for the course
in English only, and those who choose to do the equivalent of half
their work in a foreign language. As a student enrolled in the foreign
language component, to earn the additional .25 credit, you meet
an extra hour each week to discuss your foreign language reading
assignments in that language.
- In the "paired instructor" model--known as the "St. Olaf model" because of the pioneering efforts of the St. Olaf FLAC Program, you'll meet with two professors. The foreign language professor is responsible for the foreign language component; the professor of the core course attends as a participant.
- In the "single instructor" model, the professor of the core course is also responsible for the foreign language component.
- In the "readings enriched" model, the professor of the core course leads discussion in English of materials you'll read in the foreign language.
What is the history of FLAC at St. Olaf?
FLAC at St. Olaf was initiated in 1989 with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities; continued support from the National Endowment allowed the program to develop foreign language components for additional courses in the humanities; a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education supported development of language components in the social and behavioral sciences and in math. Since its beginning, over 350 students from a variety of majors have participated in the FLAC program by taking at least one foreign language component; over 80 of these students have earned Applied Foreign Language Certification by successfully completing at least two components. During its grant stage, the St. Olaf program gained national recognition and acclaim for its innovation and challenge to students. Today, FLAC at St. Olaf is supported by an endowment established by the Virginia Ann Dekker Groot Family, in recognition of the program's successful contribution to international education at the College. The innovative design and teaching that characterize the program have made it a distinctive part of the College's curriculum, and a nationally acclaimed model for other colleges and universities who seek to educate students as global citizens.
How do I register?
The roster of FLAC courses varies from year-to-year. Check the back page of the St. Olaf College Class & Lab Schedule. The section, "Disciplinary Courses with Foreign Language Component," will show you all the possible options for the upcoming semester.
At your assigned registration time, sign up for both the core course and the accompanying "L" section. You'll notice that the core course carries 1.00 credit and the "L" section an additional .25. An example is: Religion 212, "Christian Theology in Historical Context" and Religion 212L, the accompanying foreign language component, which in this case is French. In some instances, the "L" section has a published meeting day and time. Those listed as "TBA" will be arranged at your first meeting of the core course.
How can FLAC help me now and in the future?-
Add depth to any major or concentration. Get
"hands-on" experience analyzing texts in the original language. Enhance
foreign language skills if you can't continue to enroll in full-credit
foreign language courses. Prepare
for study abroad with FLAC courses on campus.Link
your experiences abroad to advanced coursework when you return to
campus. Demonstrate
to prospective employers and graduate schools your ability to use
foreign language in communication, reading and research. FLAC
Certification: If you successfully complete two foreign language
components, your transcript will indicate that you have achieved
applied foreign language competency in fields outside of traditional
foreign language study.
Who do I contact? For more information, contact:
Karen Achberger (German) krach@stolaf.eduJolene Barjasteh (French) barjaste@stolaf.edu
Gwen Barnes-Karol (Spanish) barnesg@stolaf.edu
Jim May, Associate Dean (Classics) may@stolaf.edu
Dolores Peters (History) petersdo@stolaf.edu
Irina Walter (Russian) irina@stolaf.edu
Eric Lund (Religion) lund@stolaf.edu
