The courses are designed to develop listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students are also introduced to the cultural aspects of the language taught. In addition to class time, all students attend weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant for small-group practice and review. Attendance and participation in these weekly sessions is part of the evaluation. The second half should be taken immediately after the first to maintain continuity.
Courses consist of four hours of class instruction and one hour of conversation per week.
Accelerated courses consist of eight hours of class instruction and two hours of conversation per week. The Department of Modern Languages helps its students to develop skills desired by employers, including communication skills such as reading, writing, understanding, and speaking a language in which business might be conducted. Students also develop thinking skills such as organizing and processing information, teamwork skills such as the ability to plan and make decisions with others, and the ability to work well with students from diverse backgrounds. All courses carry university transfer credit. All languages are offered at the New Westminster Campus and some languages are also offered at the David Lam Campus.