The Language Instructional Services program organizes customized intensive courses and training events for private businesses, government agencies, and other parties with specific language skill needs. On-campus, on-site, and online programs are available.
The first step to setting up an LIS course with IU is to meet with the LIS coordinator iulw@iu.edu and agree on logistical details and content for your program. If IU can accommodate your needs, then your Coordinator will work with you on a contract and will set up your program. Key program elements include:
In addition to Language Instructional Services training, military personnel and contractors may be eligible for training under the auspices of the IU Language Training Center.
Courses are available on campus and online.
Courses can also be arranged at your facility depending on your needs, timing, and availability of instructors.
Discuss your needs and options with your IU LIS coordinator.
One-on-one sessions with language skills trainers and tutors are available and can be added to your course.
Courses are available in a range of levels of intensiveness, from 2 weeks to 8 and from 3 hours of class per day to 6.
The most typical option for advancing your personnel’s proficiency level is a course providing at least 100 hours of instruction. Common options are 4 weeks at 6 hours/day (120 hours of instruction), and 6 weeks at 4 hours/day (120 hours of instruction).
Do you plan to repeat your course periodically or do you envision a one-time course? Your coordinator can discuss the options and their implications.
Do you want your course to provide transferable university credit? Be aware that courses offering university credit must conform to Indiana University’s accreditation requirements. This will place limits on course content, dates, intensiveness, assessment requirements, etc. Your coordinator will walk you through the options.
If your course is in person on campus, do you want IU to arrange housing or do you prefer to arrange housing yourself? Depending on the timing of your course, IU may be able to offer on-campus housing, off-campus housing. Your coordinator will be able to discuss the options with you.
If your course is in person on campus, do you want to provide meal plans participants (useful for immersion programs)? Your coordinator will go over this with you.
Indiana offers intensive 8-week, 4-hour-day for-credit programs under the auspices of the Language Workshop for over 20 languages every summer. If dates and program parameters are in line with your needs, this can be a useful option.
Many organizations will prefer a faster-paced course and will not enroll their employees in the regular summer program but will request their own programs, timed to coincide with the Language Workshop. This allows their program to benefit from the full palette of extramural curricular activities for summer participants.
By default, LIS programs are standards- and proficiency based language courses that are geared to your participants' proficiency and content goals. Participants are expected to improve or sustain (regain) language and cultural proficiency in a specific language at a specific level.
Other goal structures are possible for some languages, for example courses aimed at helping participants develop language skills specific to a content area.
The Indiana University Language Instructional Services program provides flexible language and culture training at the state and national level to organizations with language needs that cannot be met by traditional university language courses.
To see if Indiana University’s Language Instructional Services program can help your organization with its language and culture training needs, contact the Indiana University Language Workshop at iulw@iu.edu.
