A new course structure centered on multicultural perspectives helps students apply language skills to their real-world studies.
Apprende! Lernen! Manthánō! Learn! At BYU, students enjoy a wide variety of language classes that teach grammar, vocabulary, writing, and literature. And, beyond simply learning the mechanics behind language, students can enroll in CLAC (Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum) courses to not only strengthen their language skills but also apply them to different fields of study.
What is a CLAC Course?
CLAC is a nationwide program that provides students with opportunities to practice their language skills outside of traditional language classes, fostering learning driven by multilingual and multicultural perspectives. These types of classes are often included in a study abroad program, linking cultural and academic experiences for students in a host country. Students on a study abroad in Russia, for example, might take a CLAC course on Russian literature to complement other language classes.
CLAC courses can also be taught on campus either entirely or partially in a foreign language like Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, and Hmong. These classes differ from traditional language courses because the content is related to a specific subject or discipline, not just grammar and vocabulary. For instance, Spanish 323A, a medical interpretation course, helps students learn about medical practices using Spanish terminology.
In the most popular model, students enroll in large lecture courses taught in English; then they enroll in a linked language course that serves as a breakout session from the original class. For example, students who enroll in Anthropology 327, a course about the history and scattering of the Hmong people, have the option of enrolling in an additional one-credit course, Hmong 305, that takes a deeper look at Hmong language and culture.
Inside the Classroom
Kathryn Carpenter (Economics, ‘28) is currently enrolled in Anthropology 327 and Hmong 101 in preparation for a field study in Thailand this summer. “The 327 class is culture focused, so we read a lot of literature and academic writing on the history of the people . . . and then in the Hmong 101 class, I get to learn the language, so it kind of targets two different sides of the brain,” Carpenter explains.
She appreciates that these classes are more learning based than performance based, which allows her to cultivate a sense of community within her classroom and a love for the Hmong people. “I’ve developed a deep empathy for people who, two months ago, I didn’t even know existed,” Carpenter shares. “Developing a connection and better understanding of the world around us is something I would encourage everyone to do.”
Professors involved in the program see similar value in CLAC courses. Associate Professor Nate Kramer (Scandinavian 19th- and 20th-Century Literature), coordinator for Scandinavian studies, worked with Teaching Professor Scott Burt (Chemistry and Biochemistry) to create a new CLAC course during the winter 2026 semester. In Scandinavian 429, students focus on basic language acquisition through a study of vocabulary, structure, and meaning in Old Norse. This course can be taken in conjunction with Scandinavian 332, a course on the Vikings which studies sagas and runestones in translation. Those same texts are discussed in the 429 course, but in the original Old Norse.
The immersive experience of CLAC courses gives students a chance to better appreciate the language they’re studying in the context of its cultural backdrop. “When something is in your own language, sometimes you don’t pay close enough attention to it. Language learning forces us to slow down and to really grapple with something that we don’t understand,” Kramer says. This experience even allows students to contrast their own culture with the culture they’re studying. “A really important part of culture is cultural difference, and a CLAC course helps bridge those differences.”
Room to Grow
CLAC courses provide an interdisciplinary approach to language study, which Assistant Professor Ellen Knell, associate director of curriculum and instruction for CLS, says prepares students for global careers. “These courses are bringing a perspective and making students more aware, more marketable,” Knell says. “It’s really advantageous for our students.”
Mariah Nix, instructional programs coordinator for the Center for Language Studies, says, “BYU already has this atmosphere of language and this love of culture.” Through CLAC courses, Nix hopes to “help encourage that atmosphere even more.”
The CLS recently received an innovation grant that allows for the creation of more CLAC sections for various departments and professors who want to participate in the courses. Knell says she is glad to see the program grow because “it’s integrating culture and language, which is what the College of Humanities is all about.”
Learn more about CLAC courses here.