To the Editor:
We refer to the article published last Thursday ("Program seeks to boost U. language offerings," Dec. 1). The headline gives the misconception that the Brown Language Society's new initiative, Brown Student Language Exchange, is trying to add to the languages offered at Brown, or worse, start our own classes.
We have explained to your journalist when she spoke to us that our programs are not meant to compete with or "boost" the University's language offerings. We only aim to facilitate a casual exchange in which members of the community can learn about each other's cultures and language in an informal setting. BSLE is an exploratory learning community that seeks to unite language lovers in co-academic settings. We aim to pique students' interests in languages and enrich Brown's linguistic community. It is not meant to be a rigorous program nor a crash course as suggested by the article.
Our programs do not in any way compare to academic courses in structure, rigor or value. The best way to learn a language at Brown remains taking a language class taught by the dedicated, experienced faculty we have at the University.
Amelia Friedman '14
Kai Herng Loh '14
