A “less commonly taught” language doesn’t translate into an unimportant language, and Pitt’s Less-Commonly-Taught Languages Center is working daily to spread that message to students on campus.
LCTL, which is housed in the linguistics department, is home to 14 different languages, including Haitian Creole, Hindi, Irish, Persian/Farsi, Quechua, Swahili, Turkish and Swedish. Minors are offered in ten languages, and certificates are offered in two. Chris Matthews, a student worker in the center, said there is a widely spread misconception about the languages offered.
“People often think that a ‘less commonly taught’ language is one that is less commonly spoken, but that’s not the case,” Matthews, a junior linguistics and Italian double major and Quechua minor, said. “In fact, most of them are widely spoken and have vibrant cultures and traditions that are still being practiced to this day, and we want people to know about them.”
Marie Young, Pitt’s Irish professor, said many of the language programs also give students the ability to learn about other aspects of culture and life in these countries. Eight of the languages have additional three-credit courses which focus specifically on culture and traditions, and these courses are offered to all students even if they are not pursuing a LCTL minor.
“I introduced the culture classes as a way to expand students’ views of these countries outside of solely the language,” Young said. “You can feel and see the passion when students understand the historical significance a language has on society, and now there are culture courses offered for Irish, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Turkish, Quechua, Swahili and Swedish.”