An Open Lab for Foreign Language Practice

Did you know there is a place on campus to find Foreign Language software and other technological resources?

The Language Center in AA160 is the place to find drill and practice materials in Arabic, Classics, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. There are word processing programs in Spanish and French, software to practice writing in Chinese and Japanese and many other software applications to choose from. Need help with your instructor's Blackboard course? Our student tech assistants Lexi and Deni can help you. Want to practice pronunciation and word and sentence dictation? Try the Language Now series. Ask your instructor for tips on how you can best use your time in AA 160. 

See Our Brochure!

La Page de Laura, resources in French by Laura Franklin.

El Rincón de Margarita, resources in Spanish by Margarita Hodge.

Language Learning Strategies, a resource to help you succeed in foreign language studies.

Find your instructor's Web page here:

Ashley Bevilacqua Anglin, Assistant Professor of Italian
Elizabeth Bull, Associate Professor
John R. McElfresh, Associate Professor
Lawrence Rich, Associate Professor of Spanish
Volker K. Schmeissner, Associate Professor of German

Language Tutors

Did you know that you can get one hour per week free tutoring from native speakers in the language that you are studying? Simply visit AA148 and ask for a peer tutor. Tutors can work one-on-one or in study groups. To really maximize the peer tutor experience, why not meet for your session in AA160 during open lab hours? That way, your tutor can help with the authentic content of the websites that you use in the lab.

If you are a speaker of a foreign language, inquire in AA148 about how you can become a Foreign Language Peer Tutor. It is a rewarding part-time job and a way to contribute to the foreign language learning community.

International Studies

Did you know that the Humanities and Social Sciences Division has an Area Studies Program in a variety of international countries such as Chinese, Japanese and Latin American Studies? Find out more about this exciting program at this website:

MERLOT - Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching

MERLOT is a digital library that will help you find effective learning materials in whatever language you are studying. Simply type your language in the search field in the right top corner and go. (Example: You are in French; type French language.) You will find drills, tutorials, texts and multimedia modules in the language that you are studying!

The resources in MERLOT include: links to thousands of learning materials and sample assignments, which show how the materials could be used in the classroom. There are evaluations of the learning materials by other individual users and panels of faculty. There are also links to people with common interests in a discipline and in teaching and learning.

The Language Center
AA 160 Bisdorf Building
Alexandria Campus
Northern Virginia Community College
3001 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-5097

For information, contact lfranklin@nvcc.edu