April Newsletter

Welcome to the Language & Culture Commons, aka the LCC! Happy April! 🌸

We hope you are having a wonderful week! This will be our last newsletter of the semester (be on the lookout for updates about our hours during Reading Days and Exams)! We – the Language & Culture Commons – are the central hub for language learning on campus. Here students access resources, attend cultural events, participate in tutoring, and more- in a welcoming environment that celebrates language learning and multiculturalism.

We have student consultants available to help you navigate resources, check out a textbook, and learn about events. Between us, we speak a plethora of languages- so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with us in another language!

We are located in the lower level of Ciruti in Room 6. As you enter Ciruti using either the building’s main door or back door next to Mail Services, follow the signs to reach us. Ciruti’s accessible entrance is located at the front of the building, facing Skinner Green.

The LCC is open:

German, also known as Deutsch, is a West Germanic language that serves as an official (or co-official) language in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. These six countries are referred to as the German Sprachraum, meaning the German language area. As a major world language, there are nearly 100 million native speakers and over 130 million total speakers as of 2024. German is an inflected language, with four cases for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives (nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative), and three genders (masculine, feminine, and neutral). Its vocabulary is largely derived from the ancient Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, partially derived from Greek and Latin, and little derived from French and Modern English. The English name “Germany” is taken from the Latin word Germania, adopted by Julius Caesar for people east of the Rhine river.

Russian, also known as Русский, is an East Slavic language belonging to the Indo-European family. It is the official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The language has over 210 million speakers worldwide, and is the most spoken native language in Europe and most spoken Slavic language overall. Furthermore, it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is written using a Cyrillic alphabet, distinguishing consonant phonemes with and without palatal secondary articulation. Nearly every consonant has a hard and soft counterpart, which is an important aspect of the language. Russia is the largest country in the world with a population of over 140 million, making it the most populated country in Europe and in the top 10 of most populous countries across the globe. The English name “Russia” first appeared in the 14th century, borrowing from Medieval Latin and used in the 11th century, as well as often in 12th-century British sources.

Event of the Month: International Karaoke Jam

Come join the Language & Culture Commons for an international karaoke night of music and good vibes in the Cochary Pub! You are invited to sing songs in any language and remember to bring your friends. Join us tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 15 at 7pm!

Ciruti Connect

The Ciruti Connect is a monthly bulletin that highlights events connected to Ciruti, Mount Holyoke’s Center for Foreign Languages. LCC events are often in these connections, but the Connect also includes events from Language Departments. Physical copies of the Connect can be found all over Ciruti. This is our last one for the Academic Year: be on the lookout for the Connect in September!

🌍 Can’t get enough of us? Come to our World Fair in Ciruti on May 1 for Pangy Day! 🌍

Connect With Us!

Instagram: @mtholyokelcc
Facebook: Facebook.com/mtholyokeLCC