Language Study

The study of Asian languages is a critical component of ASCL. Majors are required to complete at least two courses beyond the three-course introductory sequence. We encourage all majors to continue language study beyond this requirement to increase their competency in the language they choose.  ASCL also offers a language minor for students who wish to focus exclusively on language acquisition.

ASCL currently offers on-campus language instruction in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. In the future, we hope to add Hindi/Urdu instruction, and also to enable students to study Southeast Asian languages through exchange programs.

Getting Started

We strongly encourage students considering the study of Asian languages to begin in the fall of their first year. The first courses of the three-course introductory language sequences are only offered in the fall quarter. Students who miss the fall-term offering of the first-term first-year language courses (i.e JAPN 001 or CHIN 001 or  KOR 001) will need to wait a year to start the first-year language sequence because the starting course in the sequence is only offered in the fall term.

Students with background in an Asian language who are planning to enroll in ASCL language courses or who wish to have part of the foreign language requirement waived must take a Dartmouth -administered placement test to determine their fluency level. Online placement tests for Chinese, Japanese and Korean are offered to incoming students online via Canvas. Students are able to self-enroll in the placement tests. For more information about placement tests and how to access them, please look at information posted on the New Student Orientation Canvas website for incoming students.

Students proficient in a language not taught at Dartmouth (such as Navajo or Swedish) may be able to obtain an exemption from part of the Language Requirement. They should contact: Language.Exemption@dartmouth.edu within the first two years to discuss a possible evaluation.

General information about the revised foreign language requirement for incoming students in the Class of 2026 and later is available here:

• https://www.dartmouth.edu/reg/registration/language_requirement_2026.html
• https://www.dartmouth.edu/reg/docs/new_language_requirement.pdf

Students of Chinese language can opt to live in the Chinese Language House Living Learning Community, which allows for close interaction on a daily basis with the live-in faculty member from Beijing Normal University. The primary language of communication is Chinese.

For further information, see the Living Learning Communities website:

https://students.dartmouth.edu/living-learning/communities/language-communities/chinese-language-house

This program is on a temporary hiatus since the start of the pandemic.

For further information, see the Living Learning Communities website:

https://students.dartmouth.edu/living-learning/communities/global-village/japanese-language-program

Students of Asian languages at Dartmouth have a number of options for LSA+, FSP, and exchange programs to study abroad in Asia. Please see the Foreign Study and Exchange Programs sections of our website for more information.

Foreign Study: https://ascl.dartmouth.edu/foreign-study/foreign-study-programs
Exchange Programs: https://ascl.dartmouth.edu/foreign-study/exchange-programs