Language Resource Center

The Language Resource Center, aka the “Language Lab”, is a place where foreign language students can come and watch a good foreign film, pick up conversational skills, make voice recordings, and type a paper all in the same day. The LRC is located on the second floor of Mackinac Hall (D wing), in room D-2-221. The phone number is 331-2507, and lab assistants are always happy to take your call.In all lower-division classes (100- and 200-level), it is mandatory for students to spend at least 50 minutes per week studying in the LRC With all of the media resources available for student use, it will certainly be time well spent. The LRC is also a great place to visit with an hour or two free in between classes, just to see a movie or listen to our growing international music collection.

Film & Video Resources

The LRC provides the students with over 1500 feature-film and cultural video titles, in every language offered by the department. No matter what your taste in movies, you can find something to entertain you here, for free, all while improving your language and cultural skills.

Audio Resources

With most lower division language textbooks comes a collection of lab audio CDs for you to listen to, in order to maximize both your language acquisition and your final grade. The LRC runs an online media server, called eVideon, for you to complete the audio portion of your textbook/workbook homework. In addition to the media server, we also have every tape or CD from your textbooks filed in the LRC for your use, in case you lost your CDs or your book didn’t come with any, as is the case with many used books. If you want to do your audio-based work in your car, the arboretum, or even at home, we will gladly make copies of any discs for you–All we need is a blank CD and you’re ready to go!

Computing Resources

The LRC offers to the department’s students a departmental computer lab, reserved solely for foreign language homework, study, and research. We have a collection of educational CD-ROMs for students to develop their conversational skills, study Chinese characters, and do anything else that their language demands. If a student needs to write a paper in a foreign language, accents and special characters are easily accessible through the use of alternate keyboards, Chinese and Japanese typing aids, and the system character map program. In addition to these resources the LRC computers also have installed various other programs that may be useful to your language study, such as flash card creation, and beginner-level video or audio production.

Placement Tests

Placement tests are available to assist students with prior language study in finding a course at the appropriate level. Students with prior study in French, Russian, Spanish, or German who are continuing their language studies in the department should take a placement test to help choose which course to take. Placement tests are done on a walk-in basis, thus no appointments are necessary. Simply come to the LRC and ask to begin the your test. Tests usually take between 20-40 minutes to complete, and are fully computer-administered.Please note that the placement test available at the LRC is not related to the CLEP credit-by-examination test and does not award credit. It simply allows you to enroll in the class appropriate for your level, fulfilling the prerequisites required for that class.