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MIT student blogger Anthony R. '09

Language classes over IAP by Anthony R. '09

During our Independent Activities Period (IAP), essentially most of January — the intermediate period between winter break and the spring semester — numerous for-credit classes are on offer. The full first semester of several language classes is available in condensed form: three hours a day, five days a week, but the benefit is that you get an intensive immersion that allows you to take the second level during the spring semester! These classes are limited-enrollment and available by special lottery only.

http://web.mit.edu/fll/www/iap/

Classes are available in French, German, Italian, and Spanish during IAP, and it’s all included in your usual tuition for the spring. I was given a slot in the French 1 class and am pretty sure I’ll do it. I’m excited! I’ve always wanted to learn French.

11 responses to “Language classes over IAP”

  1. Catherine says:

    Ah, I would like to learn French. And German. Then I could read Nietzsche’s original text. But even after three years of high school Spanish I can only barely understand Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s quite disappointing. -__-;; Interesting picture. =P

  2. Justine says:

    “Arma virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris
    Italiam fato profugus Lavinaque venit
    litora– multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
    vi superum, saevae memorem Junonis ob iram,
    multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem
    inferretque deos Latio– genus unde Latinum
    Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae.
    Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso
    quidve dolens regina deum tot adire labores
    impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?”

    happy reading!

  3. Japanther says:

    Is it a bad sign that I know that is the Aeneas just from the first line?

  4. Carla says:

    catherine don’t worry about not understanding Gabriel Garcia Marquez, my native language is spanish and i live in a spanish speaking coutry, and have done so for all my life, and I also find Gabriel Garcia Marquez hard to understand… by the way so cool on the language clases…

  5. Kirsten says:

    I spent a year in the southeastern French countryside. You’ll love the language–the structure of it alone allows you to see the world in a different way. By the time you speak well you’ll have to tour the country by train, both TGV and TER. I’ve learned from so many interesting people on those trains because there was no language barrier…

  6. Sandy says:

    Is it a bad sign to be able to say exactly what the means, without actually translating it?

    We’ve only said those like about 500 times in Latin 4 this year.

  7. frenchie says:

    Bonne Chance ! c’est g

  8. Wenhao Sun says:

    Meh, je ne l’aime pas vraiment. Too many exceptions and arbitrary rules – not very mathematically precise. But I guess some people find a beauty in that. However, french does sound very soothing on the ears.

  9. Shannon says:

    Justine, why do you use Latin when Spanish es bastante mejor?

  10. Anthony says:

    Thanks for your comments, everyone. smile