Skip Navigation

Center for World Languages

Summer Language Programs

Study Business Spanish in Lima, Peru

Study Business Chinese Language and Culture in Shanghai, China

UCLA and Los Angeles together offer a rich and culturally diverse landscape for the teaching and learning of languages. UCLA offers courses in more than 60 languages and dialects. Whatever language you study, you can use it in Los Angeles, where over 200 languages are spoken in its local ethnic communities.

In 2005, the Center for World Languages (CWL) was created within UCLA's International Institute. Its primary goals are to bring more coherence to existing language-related activities and to extend UCLA's presence, visibility, and capacity for innovation and instructional delivery.

At the core of the CWL are two highly-respected campus units, both of which have a lengthy history of collaboration and involvement in language-related projects. These are the UCLA Language Resource Center (LRC), founded in 1980 by Russell N. Campbell, and the university's Academic English unit, with a history reaching back to the early 1950's. The marriage of these two units has created a single point of contact for those seeking resources and programming related to language learning, teaching, and professional development.

Mission

  • Conduct research that increases understanding of language acquisition, teaching and assessment
  • Design, manage and evaluate language programs
  • Build partnerships that extend our expertise to academic institutions, government agencies and private organizations

The overriding goal of the Center is to continue the tradition of language innovation and professional development initiated by the LRC and to advocate for language learning and teaching, especially with regard to heritage and less commonly taught languages.

The Center also plays a key role in communicating the value and benefits of second language acquisition to the campus community and beyond. Ultimately, the success of the Center is measured by the extent to which new and exciting language-related activities are conceived and carried out and by the extent to which the campus, local communities, the State of California, and the Center's global partners benefit from its activities.