Mission
The Language Institute strengthens the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a leader in language education and research by promoting:
- excellence in language teaching
- innovation in the design of effective language programs
- student success in reaching their professional and personal language learning goals
- research in second language acquisition (SLA) and related fields, and
- increased awareness of the value of linguistic diversity, and of language and intercultural learning for all.
In each of these areas, we strive to foster productive collaboration across campus and beyond, exemplifying the Wisconsin Idea.
The Language Institute is an initiative of the College of Letters & Science, with substantial support from The International Division.
The Language Institute:
- Serves as the administrative home to two interdisciplinary academic programs: the Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition and the undergraduate Russian Flagship Program
- Carries out research in areas such as language program design and student learning outcomes in postsecondary language education
- Hosts invited lectures by leading scholars in applied linguistics and SLA
- Provides pedagogical training and professional development for UW-Madison instructors of languages, literatures and cultures
- Hosts a website for undergraduate students and advisors on Languages at UW-Madison
- Offers pre-major and career advising for undergraduate students interested in language studies, and a new career development course (through African Cultural Studies), Lead with Languages: Putting Language Skills to Work
- Leads collaborative initiatives that raise awareness of linguistic diversity and bi/multilingualism such as UW Madison Languages, and initiatives that improve language education such as the Wisconsin Language Roadmap
- Spearheads outreach programs such as World Languages Day that help to connect Wisconsin K-12 students and teachers with UW-Madison expertise in languages, literatures and cultures
- Coordinates UW-Madison’s participation in inter-institutional initiatives such as the Language Collaboratory