The department of world languages and international studies at Morgan State University, the historically Black educational institution in Baltimore, has announced that is adding several new courses in foreign languages.
The courses are designed to provide practical foreign language training for students looking to enhance global opportunities and expand career choices across numerous industry verticals. Housed in Morgan’s James H. Gilliam, Jr. College of Liberal Arts, the department of foreign languages and international studies has offered foreign languages on campus for more than 40 years. At the start of this academic year, Morgan has seen a 60 percent increase in student interest in second language learning, with some classes currently at capacity.
The new course offering are in Mandarin Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Yoruba. The Yoruba language is primarily spoken in the African nations of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The department is also offering a new second-level course in Italian. According to Morgan State University, it is the only HBCU to offer courses in Italian. The new courses join Swahili, Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Latin as foreign language courses offered at the university.
“The department has created learning opportunities for our students that not only adds value to the academic community, but provides cultural knowledge and appreciation for global awareness,” said Xiaoli Gong, professor of Chinese language at Morgan. “With this type of preparation, our students can continue to gain valuable and tangible skills that are in alignment with our mission of producing scholars who are able to compete internationally.”
