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Other languages at Carolina

The languages listed below may be available, but are not ones you can rely on for completing your Global Language requirement, because they fail to meet one or more of these criteria:

  • Courses through level 3. For some of these languages, the most that’s ever offered is one or two semesters/levels, so not enough to complete the Global Language requirement.
  • Regularly offered. Some of these are only offered irregularly or infrequently; others are still in the course catalog, but haven’t actually been offered in a long time and aren’t expected to be offered in the foreseeable future.
  • At UNC-CH. Some of these languages aren’t offered at Carolina but can be taken interinstitutionally at other nearby universities, remotely at other UNC-system institutions through the Language Exchange, or on Study Abroad. For some languages, there may be some courses offered at Carolina and others available elsewhere. In some cases it might be possible to complete through level 3 and use it for the Global Language requirement, but students should proceed with caution in any plan that depends on offerings at another institution, because we can’t control or predict whether those course offerings will continue to be available.

Each language is listed with the name of the department responsible for it.  For further questions beyond the information on this page, please contact the responsible department.

American Sign Language (ASL) (Division of Speech & Hearing Sciences). Two semesters of ASL are listed  as SPHS 401 (offered in fall 2024) and SPHS 402 (will probably be offered in spring 2025). More ASL courses can be taken interinstitutionally at UNC-Greensboro, so it might be possible to complete the Global Language requirement by taking level 3 at UNC-G.

Aramaic (Department of Religious Studies).  See RELI 410.

Akkadian (Department of Religious Studies). See RELI 411.

Basque/Euskera (Department of Romance Studies). Two semesters of Basque are sometimes offered under the course numbers SPAN 414 & 415, Languages of Spain I & II.  Basque will be offered next in 2025-26.

Catalan (Department of Romance Studies). Two semesters of Catalan are sometimes offered.  Catalan will be offered this year, not under the CATA 401 & 402 numbers in the catalog, but as SPAN 414 & 415, Languages of Spain I & II, with SPAN 414 in fall 2024 and SPAN 415 in spring 2025.

Cherokee (Department of American Studies). Five semesters of Cherokee (CHER 101, 102, 203, 204, 305) are in the catalog, but not currently being offered. The Department does not currently have a Cherokee instructor and does not anticipate offering Cherokee in the near future.

Chichewa (Department of African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies). Three semesters of Chichewa (CHWA 401, 402, 403) are in the catalog, but are not currently being offered.  The African Studies Center offers a brief (3-5 days) introductory Chichewa course to UNC faculty, staff, and students who will be traveling to Malawi as part of UNC Project–Malawi.

Coptic (Department of Religious Studies).  See RELI 413.

Galician (Department of Romance Studies). Two levels of Galician are sometimes offered under the course numbers SPAN 414 & 415, Languages of Spain I & II.  Galician will be offered next in 2026-27.

Gothic (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). There’s one semester of this in the catalog as GERM 517, but the course has not been offered in more than 20 years. It will only be offered in future if there is ever sufficient demand (enrollment of at least 10 students).

Guarani (Department of Romance Studies). Not offered in 2024-25, but may be offered in future under the course numbers SPAN 416 and SPAN 417, Languages of the Americas I & II.

Hebrew (Biblical) (Department of Religious Studies). Biblical Hebrew is taught at the introductory level as a two-semester sequence under the course numbers RELI 211 & RELI 212 (Classical Hebrew I & II: A Linguistic Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.) RELI 211 will be offered in fall 2023, and RELI 212 in spring 2024. If you have studied Hebrew before and have specific questions about the suitability of RELI 211/212 to your language level, contact Prof. Joseph Lam.  There’s also a 4-semester Biblical/Classical Hebrew sequence in the catalog (RELI 401, 402, 403, and 404) that could meet the Global Language requirement, but is not currently being offered.

Hungarian (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). Six semesters of Hungarian (HUNG 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406) are in the catalog, but not currently being offered.  The Department does not currently have a Hungarian instructor and does not anticipate offering Hungarian in the foreseeable future.

Lingala (Department of African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies). Four semesters of Lingala (LGLA 401, 402, 403, 404) are in the catalog, but are not currently being offered. The department does not expect to offer Lingala courses in the foreseeable future.

Macedonian (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). Six semesters of Macedonian  (MACD 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406) are in the catalog, but not currently being offered.  The Department does not currently have a Macedonian instructor and does not anticipate offering Macedonian in the foreseeable future.

Middle High German (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). GERM 614, Foundations in German Studies I, is offered every other year, for just one semester; the next anticipated offering will be spring 2025. This course is replacing GERM 502; the focus is on Middle High German as well as on medieval and early modern literature and also includes some readings in Early New High German.  A reading knowledge of modern German is needed for this course; exceptions should be approved by the instructor.

Old English (Department of English & Comparative Literature). See ENGL 620.

Old High German (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). There’s one semester of this in the catalog as GERM 508, but the course has only been offered once in more than 20 years. It will only be offered in future if there is ever sufficient demand (enrollment of at least 10 students).

Old Irish (Department of English & Comparative Literature). See ENGL 776 & ENGL 777.

Old Norse/Old Icelandic (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). Two semesters, GERM 514 and GERM 515, are offered very occasionally, only when the Department can anticipate sufficient demand (enrollment of at least 10 students).

Old Saxon (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures). There’s one semester of this in the catalog as GERM 511, but the course has not been offered in more than 20 years. It will only be offered in future if there is ever sufficient demand (enrollment of at least 10 students).

Syriac (Department of Religious Studies). See RELI 414.

Ugaritic (Department of Religious Studies). See RELI 412.

Ukrainian (Department of German & Slavic Languages & Literatures) Two semesters of Ukrainian  (UKRN  401 and 402) are in the catalog, but not currently being offered.  The Department does not currently have a Ukrainian instructor and does not anticipate offering Ukrainian in the foreseeable future.

Yoruba (Department of African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies). Currently students may take the first semester of Elementary Yoruba remotely through the UNC Language Exchange (it’s offered from Fayetteville State University as YORU 110), and YORU 402 (second semester of Elementary Yoruba) at UNC-CH in the spring. YORU 403 (Intermediate) will be offered in fall 2024. By starting via the Language Exchange, it may be possible to complete the Global Language requirement with Yoruba.

Yucatec Maya (Department of Linguistics/Department of Romance Studies). The one semester in the catalog (MAYA 401) is no longer regularly offered. But it is possible to study this language via a UNC-faculty-led summer study abroad program, UNC Yucatec Maya in Mexico. And a related course, LING 558, Ancient Mayan Hieroglyphs, is usually offered every spring.

Also, two semesters of Yucatec Maya will be offered this year under the course numbers SPAN 416 (fall 2024) and SPAN 417 (spring 2025), Languages of the Americas I & II.  A student who takes both these courses could then take level 3 in the UNC Yucatec Maya in Mexico program and thereby be able to use Yucatec Maya for the Global Language requirement.