Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian Start in Mid-February; Intro to Spanish Planned for June in Port Jervis

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Through its non-credit Continuing and Professional Education department, SUNY Orange will offer 10-week non-credit foreign language classes in Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian starting in mid-February on the Middletown campus, as well as Introduction to Spanish in Port Jervis starting in June.

The College’s non-credit foreign language courses are designed for beginning learners, and focus on spoken language with discussions on culture, history and current events, as well as an introduction to written communication. The goal of the courses is to introduce languages for career, enrichment and travel. No prior knowledge is required.

Completion of the course can boost a resume and enhance travel experiences. But there is also a growing body of evidence that indicates learning a foreign language may provide health benefits as well. Studies show that learning another language helps improve memory, decision-making skills, and even helps build multitasking skills.

Classes include: Mandarin Chinese (begins Feb. 13, meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in Middletown); French (begins Feb. 14 and meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays in Middletown); and Italian (begins Feb, 15 and meets from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays in Middletown). Additionally, “Espanol para mi: Intro to Spanish” (begins June 5 and meets from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sarfatti Education Center in Port Jervis) will be available this summer.

To register, call the Continuing and Professional Education department at (845) 341-4890 or visit www.sunyorange.edu/ce.