Language Reading Program

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The mission of the Language Reading Program is to teach students from CUNY, other schools, and all walks of life to read texts in languages other than English, and to translate them into idiomatic English, so students can meet their graduate program language proficiency requirements and achieve their goals for personal or professional development.  Many graduate programs recognize success in LRP Level 1 and Level 2 courses as satisfying their language reading requirements.  For others, we are good preparation for the departmental exam. 

Level 1 courses assume no knowledge of the language. Grammar, syntax, idioms, and core vocabulary (determiners, prepositions, etc.) are covered intensively in order to proceed rapidly to the translation of scholarly texts. By the end of Level 1, students who succeed are able to translate scholarly texts with the aid of a dictionary, with some difficulty. Level I prepares students to begin to attempt literary or scholarly translations by providing the essential building blocks, but more extensive work for ease of translation or reading fluency occurs in Level 2. Attendance in level 1 courses is crucial to success, and significant out-of-class work will be required to achieve the intended level of competency.

Level 2 classes assume that the equivalent of Level 1 has been completed successfully.  In Level 2 courses we translate scholarly articles in the disciplines of the students; grammar and other basics are briefly reviewed as needed. Students are encouraged to develop glossaries in their fields and to build their lexical vocabularies.  By the end of Level 2, students who succeed are able to swiftly and accurately translate scholarly texts in their fields with the aid of a dictionary.

Most students require both Level 1 and Level 2 to become competent.