A pile of vintage maps loosely stacked on top of one another.

Directed Independent Language Study

The Directed Independent Language Study Program offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to learn a language not taught at the University. We recommend one of three pathways for engaging in learning one of these languages. The Big 10 Academic Alliances offers for-credit classes in multiple languages; the Iowa City Public Library has a free platform with over 50 languages, including Pirate!; and the CLCL can potentially pair learners with native speakers for private lessons. Check out the list of language resources below and contact dwllc-clcl@uiowa.edu if interested in finding a tutor.

BTAA Course Share

This program allows students to take less commonly taught language courses offered at other Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions from a distance and for credit. Students register for shared language courses at the same time and in the same manner as regular courses. Grades and credits are reported on the student’s home university transcript. There are no additional fees. Shared courses can only be approved by our Division contact. For more information on this program, please contact ui-dwllc@uiowa.edu.

Mango Languages

With a public library card –from the Iowa City Public Library or often your hometown– you can access this free platform for learning languages Mango Languages is an interactive online resource providing audio tutorials to practice reading, listening, and speaking in over 70 different languages. Log in here with your ICPL card!

The word Welcome written on document paper in various world languages.

Independent Language Learning Resources

The CLCL maintains a page of resources for independent language learners. Here, you can find anything from dictionaries to online courses to cultural information for more than 70 languages.