The MSU Community Language School provides language education programs for children, teens, and adults throughout the Greater Lansing area. Language teachers include both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as some faculty members. The language teachers are also aided by undergraduate student volunteers.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of alterations for the Community Language School. Classes were moved online, a transition aided by support from MSU’s Precollege Programming unit. With a lot of uncertainty for the pandemic, teachers came together to make sure their language classes were an engaging space for their students. They also needed to ensure that they kept their programming simple and accessible for students with unreliable Internet access. For their younger students, teachers focused on upholding three pillars of engagement: consistent contact, creating a safe and supportive environment, and facilitating peer-to-peer interaction.

"We wanted our programs to offer them the consistency and connection that they were all craving," Sandhya Shanker, Director of the Community Language School, said of the students in their language programs during the pandemic.

The Language School also typically hosts a series of cultural events, which had to be moved online. MSU Extension partnered with the Language School to host online culture events. These events were created with the goal of engaging participants beyond watching lecturers talk on a Zoom call. They featured cooking, craft, and movement sections to keep participants actively involved.

For Shanker, the pandemic provided an opportunity for innovation within their programs. “I think we have gone through a period of reinventing ourselves and trying to find these new ways of connecting with people and community,” Shanker said. “We are looking at old problems with new lenses and trying to figure out how to solve these problems.” Learn more about the MSU Community Language School on their website.