Center for Language Studies
Since 1987, the Center for Language Studies has facilitated contacts and cooperation among faculty with teaching and research interests in second languages. Our mission is to strengthen language study at Brown University through promoting research, developing teaching techniques, courses, programs, and learning resources, and creating new curricular configurations. CLS supports the application of technologies in language learning, promotes the professional development of language faculty and graduate students, and forges collaborations at Brown and beyond. Members include teaching faculty from every language department on campus. CLS is the academic home for American Sign Language, Arabic, English for Internationals, Hindi/Urdu, and Modern Persian. The Center also offers a few language courses that are not for credit.
The Center for Language Studies serves as a clearinghouse for issues of second language learning at Brown. Each year we sponsor an array of events including roundtable discussions, workshops, lectures, colloquia and conferences. We coordinate an interdepartmental graduate seminar on the theory and practice of language teaching, orientation sessions for new TAs, workshops and conferences for language faculty, language placement testing, the Language Partners Program, and advising for self-study in less-commonly taught languages. CLS assists its members in applying for grants to conduct research into second language acquisition, to incorporate curricular innovations and creative teaching approaches, to develop innovative teaching materials, and to adapt existing and emerging technologies. The Center functions as the University liaison to the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning, which facilitates contacts between faculty at its member institutions, provides funds for projects, and convenes workshops and conferences on topics pertinent to the profession.