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Course Requirements For 101, 102, 203 and 204 Level Courses

If you are taking a class at ORU in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Hebrew, or Spanish, you are required to spend a certain number of hours in the Language Lab & Cultural Center (LLCC) outside of class enriching your language-learning experience with non-textbook resources. The LLCC has hundreds of carefully-curated items available, including historical documentaries, authentically-sourced music, international publications, language-specific board games, and feature-length films both domestic and foreign. Professors and LLCC employees may also provide suggestions for online resources upon request. The following table provides a breakdown as to what activities are required for language courses. Please ask your instructor if he or she has specific requirements that vary from these. Also, some language faculty do not accept bonus hours, so please check with your instructor.

  Language 101/102/203/204 courses
1-3 hours* One to three hours should be spent in target language conversation with individuals proficient in the language you are studying. These can be lab assistants, students in higher levels of the same language, classmates, or other individuals proficient in that language.
*Your individual instructor will set the number of hours spent
2* hours Interactive: websites (Mango, Duolingo, etc.), CD-ROMs (Rosetta Stone), board games, read/listen: magazines, books, CDs, watch "Hollywood" movies in your language of study or cultural, language, or documentary DVDs
5 hours TOTAL

 

For each language and course, there are three staggered due dates over the course of the semester that must be met with the appropriate amount of time logged in the LLCC in order to receive full credit for this portion of your grade.


The completion of cultural hours is a self-guided process facilitated through more 10 computer stations and an online procedure for tracking time spent in the Language Lab & Cultural Center. Simply select your language of study from the navigation on the left-side menu, where you will be able to view the resources available for check-out from the LLCC office*. Once an item is found that meets your personal criteria, you may check it out for use within the LLCC using your ORU Eagle Card (student ID). Once you have an item or resource ready, you may start the hour tracker found on VISION. When you are ready to leave, please "end" your online session, which will notify your professor of the amount of time you spent in the Language Lab & Cultural Center.

*Books and magazines displayed in the Cultural Center are for use in the LLCC only and cannot be removed.

Sign In Instructions
You must log into VISION (using your Z number and PIN) in order to track your Cultural Center hours!
  • Log into the secure area in Vision (click here to go to Vision).
  • Select the tab Student Services and Financial Aid.
  • Select Language Lab Audio & Cultural Center Hours Tracker.
  • Select Start Session.
  • Select activity from scroll-down window and click Start.
  • You must log off of Vision to begin your Cultural Center activity. If you do leave the Vision window open, Vision will time-out your session at around the 20-30 minute mark.
  • After finishing your activity, re-enter Vision.
  • Follow steps 1 - 3.
  • Select End Session and enter the activity in the box provided (please be specific about what you have been doing).
  • Click the End button.
  • To review your previous sessions, select Show Summary from the LLCC Hours Tracker menu.
  • If you have any problems with the system, or if you forget to log out, ask for a slip from the office so that we man input your hours manually.

If you do not re-enter Vision and select End Session when you complete your activity, your time will be lost! Please remember to end your session.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

I need to watch a cultural DVD, but I don't know which one I want. Can someone in the office help me pick something?

Depending on the language of study, the coordinator or student employee on duty may be able to suggest an item, but since our employees have varying backgrounds regarding our materials they may not know exactly what you are looking for. Our resources are in the process of being catalogued with the ORU Library; you are welcome to try a search of some terms that interest you. Additionally, when looking through the list of cultural DVDs you can use the "Ctrl F" shortcut and type a search term. Descriptions from the back of all of the DVDs have been transcribed in the list.

I didn't bring a pair of headphones with me and I'd like to listen to a CD on the computer,
what do I do?

The Language Lab & Cultural Center has headphones available for check-out. Let the office staff know that you would like a pair when checking out your item.

I want to do my cultural hours together with some of my classmates, is that allowed?

Certainly! Each person must use the online hour tracker individually, but you are free to do group activities such as board games or movies together. There is a TV and chairs set up in the Cultural Center for this purpose. The office staff can also provide headphone splitters upon request.

I need help with my homework, is there anyone down here that is good with Spanish/French/etc?

Each of our office staff is available for tutoring in at least one language. Please see this page-link for the current tutoring schedule. Additionally, the LLCC maintains a selection of dictionaries, verb books, and textbooks for homework assistance that you are free to use during our open hours.

Can I do my homework in the Language Lab & Cultural Center and have it count for cultural hours?

Unfortunately, no. Your five hours is meant to be spent on enriching material that is not part of your instruction.

Can I complete an activity outside of class and have it count for cultural hours?

Not usually. However, you may ask your professor for special permission if you believe your activity was culturally relevant to your language study.

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