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Bridging Language Gaps for Law Enforcement

We recently hosted our second Spanish for Law Enforcement class at the Gallatin Police Department in partnership with our sister agency, the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center, thanks to funding from the TN Office of Criminal Justice Programs.

This intensive three-day course provided officers with essential Spanish-language skills for real-world situations, including traffic stops, arrests, domestic violence incidents, and medical emergencies. By equipping law enforcement with language skills, we’re enhancing safety, fostering community connections, and ensuring better outcomes in critical situations.

Vertical strips of Japanese calligraphy being hung on whiteboard by a teacher

Japanese Students Celebrate Kakizome

TLC hosted a free Kakizome recently for current and new Japanese students. Kakizome is a traditional Japanese New Year’s event where people write their hopes and wishes for the new year in Japanese script with a calligraphy brush. Each student was then invited to share their wishes for the New Year – in English or Japanese – with the rest of the group. In addition to Japanese classes from beginning to advanced, TLC also offers Japanese calligraphy classes for those with an interest.Guy standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

Girl standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

Girl standing with strip of calligraphy in front of a board covered in Japanese calligraphy

TLC Teaching Custom Spanish Class to Staff at Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee works to provide food to people facing hunger and to advance hunger solutions in Middle and West Tennessee. Recently, they approached TLC about a custom Spanish class for staff members. The 10-week class started early in September with 10 staff members participating.

Registration is Open for Fall Term!

Fall Enrollment is here!

Register before Sept. 26 for our Early Bird 10% discount (use code EARLYFA22 at checkout).

Find out what our current students already know – our classes are awesome! We hope you will join us.

Browse our classes or register. 

View classes by language.

View classes by day of the week. 

Drawing of the globe with conversation balloons containing greetings in multiple languages

Registration is Open for Summer 2022 World Language Classes

Join us for our summer term of language classes. Register before June 27 to get 10% with our early bird discount*! Use Use code EARLYSM22.

Classes begin the week of July 11 and run 9 weeks.

* Regular summer classes only
hand holding globe against sky

TLC to Offer Special, Shorter Language Classes for Summer at 15% Discount

If you want to jump start your language learning this summer and fit two terms into one season, or if vacations and other summer plans are making it hard for you to commit to a 9-week language class, we have a solution for you – our shorter, Summer Intensive Language Courses! As an added bonus, these classes will be discounted 15% off our regular prices. Get the same content and quality learning by meeting more often for a shorter number of weeks.

We are offering four Summer Intensive Language Courses, including three beginner courses in American Sign Language, French, and Japanese for Youth (ages 11-15) as well as an intermediate Spanish course. If you take one beginner Summer Intensive Language, you’ll be able to jump into a second-level class for the normal Summer Term, and the intermediate Spanish course will give students an opportunity to participate in structured conversations around a book the class will read together.

Here are the details for each course:

American Sign Language (ASL) Survivor 1 (Online)

June 20 – 30
Meets Mon. through Thurs. each week, 6-8:15 p.m. (CDT)
Discounted price: $275

REGISTER

 

French Survivor 1 (Online)

June 20-30
Meets Mon. through Thurs. each week, 6-8:15 p.m. (CDT)
Discounted price: $275

REGISTER

 

Spanish – Level Up Lecturas (Online)

June 21-July 1
Meets Tues. through Fri. 1st week and Mon. through Fri. 2nd week, 7-8 p.m. (CDT)
Discounted price: $160

REGISTER

 

Japanese for Youth Survivor 1 (In-Person)

June 2-30
Meets Tues. & Thurs. each week, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (CDT)
Discounted price: $245

REGISTER

We hope you will join us!

TLC is also offering our regular Summer Term of classes, which begin the week of July 11, 2022. You can take one of these intensives to jump start your learning – and register for the second level class for the regular term. Registration for these classes will open on June 6, 2022.

 

laptop screen showing Spanish text

Fifth Cohort of ‘Spanish for Educators’ Starts 10-Week Program

The fifth “Spanish for Educator’s 10-week course began on April 4 with 13 participants. The group are all Metro Nashville Public School teachers from either Glencliff High School or the schools that feed into Glencliff. The course was developed by TLC to help participants with little or no previous Spanish study to develop a cultural understanding and a basic repertoire of conversation skills to engage with Spanish speakers in their schools and local communities.

Woman and man posing in front of 880 Ranchera painted on the wall

Cara to Cara Radio Program Features TLC

Director of World Languages Brian Barnett was recently a guest of Cara to Cara radio program sponsored by the Hispanic Family Foundation (HFF).  For the Spring 2022 World Languages term, we are offering an in-person beginning Spanish class at HFF. Registration for Spring Term starts March 7 and classes begin the week of April 18.  TLC also offers English classes at HFF.

Watch the interview.

Excited woman doing a fist pump

Students Give TLC Excellent Marks in Satisfaction Survey

TLC is pleased to report that our students from our spring term ranked our language classes 4.91/5.00 in our end of term satisfaction survey. An amazing 93% ranked us a 5.00.

“I like the small size of the class; the balance of listening, speaking, and writing practice; and the teacher’s style and personality,” wrote one student.

“This class is always a highlight for me each week. It’s been a lot of fun spending time with other people at my language level so that we can interact with one another,” writes another student.

We are thrilled that we are meeting your language learning needs and appreciate everyone who submitted feedback. Thank you!

ESL to Go Mobile Classroom Vehicle

ESL to Go receives $10,000 grant from Dollar General Literacy Foundation

ESL to Go, a grant-funded program that is part of the Tennessee Language Center (TLC), has been able to provide free English classes to over 1,700 students in the Nashville area with the help of generous funders including the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. ESL to Go was recently awarded another year of funding from Dollar General.

ESL to Go was founded in hopes of helping refugees overcome barriers to attending classes, with transportation being at the top of the list. ESL to Go uses a “classroom on wheels” in the form of a Ford F-650 truck equipped to be a fully functioning classroom to take English classes to the areas where refugees live. ESL to Go also works closely with local refugee resettlement agencies, community organizations, apartment complexes, and churches who allow ESL to Go to use free classroom space, so TLC-trained teachers are able to meet with refugee students close to their homes.

Recently, ESL to Go has expanded class offerings to include virtual classes in order to continue helping students access classes during the time of social distancing.