<p>Are the programs good?
(I’m primarily considering a minor in Spanish, Chinese, or German.)</p>
<p>I was very impressed when I first read that they offered 39 languages, but it seems that the critical language program languages (most of these languages) are only offered on occasion as a mostly self-study class with biweekly review. This seems like a very ineffective way to learn a language at a large university. Are my conclusions right?</p>
<p>I’ve only taken a couple foreign language classes to fulfill my major, so I can’t really comment on the program as a whole. The instructors I had were fairly good if that means anything.</p>
<p>UA offers full programs in the languages you mentioned (Spanish, Chinese, German). Spanish is probably the best of these (at the grad level ranked around #31). </p>
<p>I think you misunderstand the Critical Languages Program. A full program of regular coursework is offered in Spanish, Chinese, and German. Of those languages, only Chinese is considered a critical language. Self-instructional courses are available for certain less commonly-taught and critical languages for which there is less demand. It is also possible to request self-instructional programs for additional languages. The headquarters for the national critical languages association is located at UA, and the association has developed instructional materials for several of those languages. Although these materials include Chinese, the Chinese courses offered at UA are taught in a traditional course format.
[Critical</a> Languages Program | The University of Arizona](<a href=“http://www.coh.arizona.edu/crit_lang/]Critical”>http://www.coh.arizona.edu/crit_lang/)</p>
<p>I am minoring in Arabic at the U of A. The instructors are mostly native speakers. The department seems to be really supportive to the students. We often get guest speakers who talk about study abroad opportunities (they’re abundant). There are clubs where you can mingle and talk with native speakers. Also, the people who take Arabic tend to be intelligent, culturally sophisticated and friendly.</p>
<p>I took a semester of Spanish, but it was sort of hit-or-miss. The students weren’t as bright, and the department was not as involved. It was 102 so that could have been a factor.</p>