OLIVET, Mich. Olivet College has expanded its offering of foreign language courses for the 2005-06 academic year. Students can select introductory courses in four languages Arabic, French, German and Spanish.

According to Martha Perkins, Humanities Department chair, the decision to offer students more experiences in language and culture is an example of the colleges ongoing commitment to diversity.

There is a lot of interest especially in Arabic and I think there will continue to be because of our expanding global culture, said Perkins. Sixteen students are enrolled in the Arabic course this semester. Olivet is the only school in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to offer a course in Arabic.

French was offered for the first time in many years during the 2004-05 academic year. German is once again being offered at the college and Spanish has always been part of the curriculum. Currently, a Spanish minor is designed for students who are focusing on careers in K-12 education.

Students also have the option of taking language courses to receive required credit for the liberal arts core classes.

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