Planning to work cross-culturally, at home or overseas? LACA is the crucial preparation you need.
A tailored, six-week course to equip you with all the skills essential to learning a new language and culture, LACA is a unique blend of state-of-the-art methodologies and linguistic and cultural integration, taught interactively by highly experienced cross-cultural workers.
"...the course is totally geared towards preparing us for life on the field.”
LACA student
The Language and Culture Acquisition course is taught in partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International.
The usual entry requirements for a Redcliffe College postgraduate level course apply. You will also need to be used to formal learning and to that extent a degree is useful, but not required, to take this course.
LACA also forms part of the initial training for those working with SIL International or can be taken as part of the MA in Field Linguistics or MA in Literacy Programme Development.
Course content
"Thank you for making LACA enjoyable, beneficial and fun. I know I will look back on this significant time with fond memories."
LACA student
Cultural anthropology: learn how to enter new cultures
Language cannot be separated from its cultural framework. You will learn how a new language is a door into a new cultural reality, a path into new and meaningful relationships which will help you see the world in a different way.
Learning methodologies: master the techniques that suit your learning style
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to language and culture learning. You will explore aspects of your personality and learning style to help you decide which methods and theoretical approaches will work best in your unique context.
Hands-on workshops: live practice sessions with mother-tongue speakers
Try out your skills in small group settings with native speakers of non-European languages, facilitated by our language-learning specialists. Practise listening, speaking, lesson-planning, tricks for mastering vocabulary… all in a fun, safe environment.
Articulatory phonetics: master the pronunciation of hard-to-learn sounds
Mastering the sounds of a new language helps build speaking confidence and eases entry into a language community. Enjoy interactive sessions which will train you to hear and correctly pronounce the full range of sounds used in the world’s languages.
Enriched by supplementary lectures and seminars on cross-cultural ethics, digital recording, language software and more.