Languages

The New School’s Languages program offers a variety of courses in languages and international studies, including American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, and Spanish, open to students across the university. Languages also offers undergraduate and graduate minors in Chinese Studies, French Studies, Japanese Studies, and Hispanic Studies.
Languages courses, offered on campus and online, are designed to help students communicate in a language as quickly as possible and to offer insight into the culture in which that language is spoken. Classes are kept small to ensure opportunities for all to participate in learning activities.
The study of languages is a crucial part of navigating national and global cultures and an invaluable asset for life in the 21st century. Knowledge of languages and international cultural literacy are often required for international jobs. Many advanced degree programs require knowledge of one or more languages.
Fluency in another language and its associated culture fosters success in a wide range of fields, including design, international relations, entrepreneurship, management, and academics. Courses offered through Languages at The New School also foster language competency for community engagement initiatives throughout New York City and beyond.
Undergraduate Minors
Matriculated undergraduate students whose programs permit minors can earn a minor in Chinese Studies, French Studies, Hispanic Studies, or Japanese Studies. Each undergraduate minor curriculum combines classes in reading, writing, speaking, and listening with courses that introduce the cultures associated with a language. Students complete four designated core language courses and two elective cultural courses, which may be taught in the target language or in English.
Graduate Minors
For graduate students, Languages offers the university-wide graduate minor in Language Studies, which offers students the possibility of choosing one of the following language studies areas: Chinese Studies, French Studies, Hispanic Studies, or Japanese Studies. The graduate minor is designed to offer students who already have proficiency in a language above the intermediate level the opportunity to pursue advanced-level proficiency in the language.
Study Abroad
One of the best ways to acquire proficiency in a new language is to study in a country where it is spoken. The New School offers a number of opportunities for undergraduates to study abroad.
- Arabic
  
  Arabic speakers are in demand in a wide range of professions. At The New School, Arabic is taught as a living language, with instruction in both Modern Standard Arabic (the language of formal discourse and correspondence, contemporary literature, and the mass media) and colloquial spoken Arabic (regional dialects used in everyday discourse and popular cultural media, such as music and movies). This innovative approach enables students both to communicate in Levantine Arabic (the language spoken in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine) and to read modern Arabic. Classes are offered at the introductory level.
  See Arabic language course offerings.
- Chinese (Mandarin)
  
  Mandarin Chinese is used by more than 800 million people in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States and around the world. People who can read, write, and converse in Mandarin Chinese are recruited for many fields and industries. The New School offers courses in Mandarin at the beginning through advanced level. There is also a minor in Chinese Studies.
  View Chinese language course offerings.
- French
  
  Spoken in France, several other European countries, and many regions in the Americas and Africa, French attracts a large number of second language learners. Many people study French to prepare for careers in art or art history, fashion, international affairs, or food studies. The New School offers courses in French at the beginning through the advanced level. There is also a minor in French Studies.
  View French language course offerings.
- German
  
  The German language is spoken in Germany, Austria, and other countries in Europe and the Americas. The reunification of Germany in 1990 revived interest in contemporary German culture, from the thriving art and music scenes of its epicenter in Berlin to notable innovations in architecture, design, and engineering. The New School offers introductory-level courses in German, including a reading course for graduate students, through the continuing education module.
  View German language course offerings.
- Italian
  
  The standard Italian language used today is based on the 14th-century writings of the poet Dante. Italian is a popular language of study among people interested in literature, art history, food studies, and fashion. The New School offers courses in Italian at the beginning through the advanced level.
  View Italian language course offerings.
- Japanese
  
  Japanese culture has become popular throughout the world because of the influence of Japanese technology, cuisine, and art forms such as anime, manga, harajuku, and ikebana. Many business professionals study Japanese language and culture. The New School offers courses in Japanese at the beginning through the advanced level. There is also a minor in Japanese Studies.
  View Japanese language course offerings.
- Korean
  
  Korean language and culture courses are offered to meet the growing interest in Asia and its diverse politics and culture. Northeast Asian countries, including the two Koreas on the Korean Peninsula, have garnered attention and importance given recent political and cultural developments. Korean popular culture in a wide range of genres, including pop music, cinema, and fashion, has become a global export. The New School offers courses in Korean at the introductory level.
  View Korean language course offerings.
- Latin
  
  Many people study Latin (history and language) as part of general study of classical languages and literature. Languages offers a selection of introductory-level courses reflecting contemporary approaches to Latin in relation to the history of modern languages.
  View Latin language course offerings.
- Portuguese (Brazilian)
  
  Beyond its home country in Europe, Portuguese is the language of millions of people in Brazil, Africa, and East Asia. The Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are among the world’s largest urban centers. Portuguese is studied by people interested in business but also by soccer fans, music and dance aficionados, and environmentalists. The New School offers introductory-level courses in Brazilian Portuguese through the continuing education module.
  View Portuguese language course offerings.
- Sign Language
  
  The visual language of the deaf is an expressive, versatile, comprehensive mode of communication. The New School offers introductory-level courses in American Sign Language, the system used in the United States and Canada, through the continuing education module.
  View American Sign Language course offerings.
- Spanish
  
  Spoken by millions throughout the world, Spanish is the second-most-commonly-spoken language in the United States. Many employers look for Spanish language proficiency when hiring or promoting. The study of Spanish is also motivated by an interest in history, literature, and the arts. The New School offers courses in Spanish at the beginning through the advanced level. There is also a minor in Hispanic Studies.
  View Spanish language course offerings.

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