The Language Training Centers is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO).
The University of Arizona (UArizona) is internationally renowned for research and teaching in second language acquisition and teaching and in globally aware language and culture studies. The University has a long history of partnering with DoD units for language training and houses multiple DLNSEO and Department of Education-funded centers and programs that support language and culture training for various types of learners.
The UArizona Language Training Center supports DoD personnel by providing high quality 1) language and culture training, and 2) pedagogical training/certification (“train the trainer” courses). Participants in our intensive language courses improve their language proficiency and advance their understanding of the target culture via outcomes-based courses offered in multiple modalities, including face-to-face, hybrid, and synchronous or asynchronous online. Courses are primarily 150-160 hour trainings in languages from North Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, at levels ranging from ILR 1+ to 3.
DoD personnel who complete our language-agnostic Foreign Language Instructor Certificate (FLIC) courses are well equipped to serve as Language Mentors, with a solid understanding of best practices for training and supporting lower-proficiency personnel engaged in language study.
Courses Offered:
| Languages/Other | Course Type | Course Pre-requisites | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other: Foreign Language Instructor Course | Asynchronous , Online | ILR 2+ | Online |
| Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) | Blended , Classroom , Online | ILR 1 | Tucson, AZ |
| Ukrainian | Online , Synchronous | ILR 1+ | Online, Zoom |
| Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic) | Classroom | ILR 2+ | Tucson, AZ |
| Spanish | Classroom | ILR 2+ | Tucson, AZ |
| Russian | Classroom | ILR 2 | Tucson, AZ |
| Persian (Farsi) | Online , Synchronous | ILR 2 | Online, Zoom |
| Russian | Classroom | ILR 2 | Tucson, AZ |
The UArizona LTC’s language courses offer a rigorous and innovative curriculum that supports higher-level language abilities by providing language and culture training to DoD personnel. The curriculum follows a proficiency-based approach, a communicative approach, and a task-based approach based on level-appropriate authentic materials on broad themes of relevance, and promotes multiple literacies. All students take entry and exit Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) exams.
UArizona LTC’s foreign language instructor certificates follow a curriculum based on constructive alignment theory, ensuring that all assessment tasks and criteria are directly related to course goals and content studied. Teaching methodologies for these courses are grounded in outcomes-based and cognitive approaches, as well as reflective practice. Courses provide students with the essential foundations in second language acquisition, language teaching methodologies, curriculum and materials development, classroom management, assessment techniques, and cultural awareness. To demonstrate learning of the content, students take unit quizzes and complete authentic assignments (e.g., writing a syllabus, developing lesson plans).