Skip to content

FILL for Super Less Commonly Taught Languages (Course info)

The UW LLC in partnership with the UW Department of Linguistics will be piloting a program beginning in fall quarter 2025 title, Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) for Super Less Commonly Taught Languages.

The Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) course is a unique learning opportunity to study a language that is not currently offered at UW. Students will work with a facilitator and language expert to design a learning plan for the quarter. Students will meet together with a facilitator once a week and separately with a language expert once a week. Through interdependent study with other learners, students will explore and develop their language and cultural competencies. 

IMPORTANT PROCESSES AND DETAILS

Registration is not a guarantee for enrollment.

The languages that will be offered will depend upon factors such as the availability of resources, language experts and demand from students.

How to Register

Step 1

Complete the pre-registration form.

Step 2

Once the languages are selected we will notify you and if your requested language can be offered, you will be provided with an add code and info on which course your should register for.

Course numbers are aligned with language proficiency levels.

https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines?resources=view

Ling 191-194 | Start at Novice and aim for Intermediate Low
Ling 291-294 | Start at Intermediate Low and aim for Intermediate High
Ling 391-394 | Start at Intermediate Mid Overall or higher and aim for Advanced

COURSE DESCRIPTION (A&H)

Uses the Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) method for acquiring languages not otherwise taught at the University of Washington. Emphasizes personal goal-setting, cultural competency, and communication through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Explores everyday language alongside cultural, historical, and artistic elements of the target language communities. Satisfying the foreign language graduation requirement requires separate proficiency testing outside of course completion.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILL FORMAT

The Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL) for Super Less Commonly Taught Languages (SLCTLs) course is a unique pilot program for highly motivated language learners to study languages that are rarely, if ever, taught and are not currently offered at UW in a traditional course format by one of the UW’s language programs.

This is an innovative format where students work with a facilitator and language expert to study the target language and culture. More about the FILL approach can be found here: 

Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning (FILL)

The FILL course focuses on everyday topics, such as daily routines and university life, as well as your specific target language learning goals. You also learn about history, art, and culture of the target language’s linguaphone world in an engaging and welcoming learning environment. 

No Prerequisites.

Teaching modality: 

1 course session per week in-person with the facilitator and other students for 2 hours.

1 course session per week in-person or virtual with the language expert for 1 hour.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIAL

The course materials are to be determined by the facilitator and language expert based on your target learning goals.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Course goals will differ from learner to learner and language to language. An initial exercise will be for the student to collaborate with the facilitator and language expert to establish appropriate and relevant learning targets. Based on the needs of the learners, by the end of the course, students will demonstrate the development skills in all modalities: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The goal is that all students have a successful learning experience. During the course, all students will develop their (degree of proficiency will vary based on the starting point of each learner):

  • communicative skills;
  • ability to interact with target language texts;
  • awareness and sensitivity of the target language’s cultures;
  • knowledge of some social and historical aspects of the target language linguaphone world;
  • knowledge of art and cultural aspects of the target language linguaphone world;

MORE INFO ABOUT THE COURSE

This is a course aimed at students who wish to attain linguistic and cultural competencies in languages that are rarely, if ever, taught at universities in the U.S. and are not currently being taught at UW.

In a communicative language class, students are expected to be active co-participants in their own learning. Students in a FILL course will take the lead in creating their schedule, with support and input from the facilitator. Once the course plan and schedule have been developed, the student will be expected to maintain progress as they would in a traditional language class context.

The content of this course and the way in which students’ work is assessed are based on the theoretical and pedagogical guidelines developed by ACTFL. 

The theoretical and pedagogical guidelines developed by ACTFL are summarized in the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL, 2015).

COMMUNICATION: Communicate effectively in more than one language.

CULTURES: Interact with cultural competence and understanding.

CONNECTIONS: Connect with other disciplines and acquire information.

COMPARISONS: Develop insight into the nature of language and culture.

COMMUNITIES: Participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world.

The activities and homework assignments that you will complete in class and the assessment tools with which work will be evaluated have been created to accomplish and reflect the instructional objectives described in the Standards. The content of class has also been designed to develop each student’s ability to communicate in three different modes—interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.

Sources:

ARTS & HUMANITIES CREDITS (A&H)

The 1st year sequence of FILL courses (at least 191, 192, and 193) must be successfully completed to be eligible for A&H credits. 2nd and 3rd year FILL courses are eligible for A&H.