Living Languages

The International House is a Living Learning Center dedicated to the fostering of an interest in foreign languages and foreign cultures. In addition, language clubs sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures offer a variety of activities throughout the year, many at the International House. Students living in the House have the best and easiest access to a variety of activities across a variety of languages.

Conversation tutors are also regularly available in the house for language practice and general conversation and information.

Students invited to live in the International House are a mix of majors and minors in one or more languages, students in International Studies, students planning to study abroad or returning from such study, and international students studying at the University of Memphis.

There and back again

The International House is intended to help students transition back into life at an American university and dealing with reverse culture shock by sharing their experiences with others who have made similar experiences in other countries, as well as with those looking forward to having such an experience themselves.

The International House is not restricted to any one language - in fact, we encourage an explosion of languages in the house, so that students can be exposed to further languages beyond their native language and their primary language of study.

The International House is more than a house and a meeting place - it is intended as a living, dynamic language laboratory, where students are given the opportunity to experiment with languages and cultures as far as their interests take them.

International House Course

All students living in the International House are encouraged to take this course (generally offered in the spring semester); the course is open to a limited number of other students as well.

LALI 4026: "International Social Etiquette" - This course is required for all students living in the International House, and open to a limited number of other students as well. Students may choose to count this 3-credit course as one of their electives towards fulfillment of the Humanities requirement. The course meets on Tuesdays in the International House, 4:45 to 7:45 pm.

Course Objective:The goal of this course is to promote an understanding of the culturally specific, as well as the culturally shared, aspects of social etiquette, concentrating on the traditions and social atmosphere surrounding meals. The course also seeks to develop a basic understanding of the interrelationship of food, culture, and cultural norms.

This community-building course draws on the expertise of a large number of faculty members of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and allows students to get to know not only professors in their language of study, but also professors of other languages.

Interested?

For more information,
contact the Director of the International House:
Dr. Robert Fagley
rmfagley@memphis.edu
Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures

University of Memphis
Jones Hall 108