UVU’s New Language Hub: “A Place Where You Belong”
UVU’s Language Hub, developed over two years, offers innovative language learning and career-boosting opportunities for the global job market
This school year sees the opening of a “21st century” language learning lab for UVU students: the Language Hub, located in LA 020. This new facility supports eight languages across 126 classes in UVU’s Department of Languages and Culture. More than just a learning center, its director James Krause calls it a “language community center” where different languages come together.
James Krause has 4 main goals for the Language Hub:
- Tutoring: The Language Hub helps hundreds of students each week with tutoring services. Nearly 20 student employees are specially trained to help students learning American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Russian. Students can book appointments online or in-person tutoring sessions here.
- Hosting community-building events: The hub hosts film festivals and cultural events with various campus departments. These events are mostly planned and run by students. The language hub is always looking for collaborative activities to engage UVU’s busy student body.
- Creative content production: Students can use the Language Hub’s professional recording studio to create their own podcasts, animations, culture reports, musical recordings, and more. Students can also rent equipment like greenscreens, mics, cameras, and lighting to produce a skill-enhancing project. Multiple audio-visual staff members are always available to help with these projects.
- Mentoring student employees: “The best relationships I have are with the students I work with,” James Krause says. The center leverages the skills these student employees already have and helps them grow.
As a whole, the Language Hub helps students move from learning to analyzing, creating and applying their knowledge. In the future, UVU students can look forward to a new podcast and to new events, such as International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21.
McKay is a sophomore at UVU currently studying Bioinformatics and Music. In his free time he enjoys hiking, camping, baking, and playing cello and piano.