The Culture and Language Studies (CLS) unit offers an array of choices for students - courses, minors, and diplomas. Enhance your degree with a minor in East Asian Studies or Studies in Islamic and Arab Cultures, or learn an additional language (e.g. introductory courses in American Sign Language, Arabic, and Mohawk; introductory and advances courses in Chinese, Japanese, Korean).
What minors does CLS offer?
Become globally connected with one of our minors. Adding a minor to your degree provides additional knowledge and skills. We offer four minors that focus on culture, language, applied linguistics, and religion.
Applied Language Studies (offered until Winter 2026)
Minor | Diploma | Courses
Applied Language Studies (APPLS) courses explore the variables that determine second language learning success. If you are interested in how people learn, teach, and assess second languages, and the linkages between language, culture and identity, APPLS courses are for you. These courses may even make you a more efficient second language learner.
East Asian Studies
Minor
|
Diploma
|
Courses
Enhance
your
knowledge
and
understanding
of
East
Asian
culture
and
language.
Our
East
Asian
Studies
(EAS)
courses
offer
you
the
opportunity
to
take
part
in
engaging,
interactive,
and
challenging
courses.
You’ll
build
your
skills
in
critical
thinking,
interpersonal
relations,
and
leadership
by
examining
real-world
issues.
Studies in Islamic and Arab Cultures
Minor
|
Diploma
|
Courses
Studies
in
Islamic
and
Arab
Cultures
offers
you
the
opportunity
to
explore
and
learn
about
the
diversity
of
Islam
and
Muslims
through
the
study
of
traditional
and
modern
Islamic
civilization
and
culture. Whether
your
interests
lie
in
literature,
language,
drama
and
visual
culture,
or
history,
our
program
has
much
to
offer
you. Our
courses
allow
you
to
bring
together
knowledge
gained
across
disciplines
and
learn
how
to
apply
it
to
their
own
research
and
in
real-life
contexts.
Religion, Culture, and Spirituality
Major* | Minor* | Courses
(*plans available through the RCS department)
Religion, Culture, and Spirituality (previously Religious Studies) is a flexible program that offers several plans for undergraduate students and includes a wide range of courses. Students are able to specialize in three main areas: World Religions; Christian Traditions; and Religion, Culture, and Society.
What language courses does CLS offer?
American Sign Language
Courses
Learn the basics of everyday communication. Topics include use of basic daily communication, exchanging information, fingerspelling, cardinal numbers, and giving simple directions.
Arabic
Diploma
|
Courses
Arabic
is
one
of
the
six
most
populous
languages
of
the
world,
native
tongue
of
over
300
million
people,
and
used
as
a
second
or
foreign
language
by
over
1.6
billion
people.
Our
courses offers
a
variety
of
options
for
students interested
in
learning
Arabic for
personal,
professional,
or
academic
reasons.
Chinese Language & Culture
Diploma
|
Courses
Focusing
on
Chinese
language,
the
courses
also
explore
Chinese
history,
literature,
religion,
political
and
economical
systems.
With
a
fully
immersive
teaching
environment
and
small
class
sizes
that
don't
exceed
30,
our
Chinese
courses
will
help
anyone
build
a
solid
language
base.
English for Multilingual Speakers (EMLS) (available through Renison until Winter 2026, changing to UW)
Diploma | Courses
If you are a University of Waterloo student whose first language is not English, you can register for EMLS courses. These classes focus on pronunciation, phonetics, presentation skills, reading and listening comprehension, undergraduate essay writing, and graduate thesis/article composition.
Japanese Language & Culture
Diploma
|
Courses
Build
a
solid
language
base
in
our
interactive
lectures.
The
small
tutorial
classes
will
help
to
develop
your
communication
skills
with
various
in-class
activities.
Korean Language & Culture
Diploma
|
Courses
Learn
the
language
from
the
bottom-up,
starting
with
the
alphabet
and
continuing
on
until
you're
able
to
listen,
speak,
read,
and
write.
Our
courses
are
based
on
the
philosophy
that
learning
Korean
should
be
"easy
to
understand
and
easy
to
acquire."
Mohawk Language (Kanien’kéha)
Courses (when available)
Learn Mohawk Language (Kanien’kéha). This is the University of Waterloo's first Indigenous language course. The course is offered through Culture and Language Studies, in collaboration with the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre at St. Paul’s University College and is intended for University of Waterloo students in any Faculty or discipline with minimal to no knowledge of Kanien’kéha.