Language Programs
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures offers courses in the languages listed below. It also offers placement exams in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Hindi-Urdu, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Chinese Language
As one of the two most widely spoken languages in the world, Chinese has over one billion native speakers and a written history spanning more than 5,000 years. The standard […]
Filipino Language
Filipino (Tagalog), the national language of the Philippines, has approximately 75 to over 90 million speakers worldwide. There are 28–33 million native speakers and over 50 million second-language speakers in the Philippines, […]
Hindi-Urdu Language
We offer two years of Hindi (and Urdu) instruction covering elementary and intermediate levels. Spoken Hindi and Urdu are identical languages. First year elementary Hindi, with the Devnagri script, is […]
Indonesian Language
Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia, is the national language of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world. Standardized in the 20th century and adopted as a unifying national language […]
Japanese Language
Japanese is the native language of over 120 million people and serves as the national language of Japan—one of the world’s largest economies and a major contributor to global trade, […]
Korean Language
Korean is a native language of over 80 million people, the national language of Korea, the heritage language of diasporas in the US, China, Russia, Central Asia, and Latin America. […]
Placement Exams Information and FAQ
Fall 2025 Placement Exams registration is now closed. The Department of Asian Languages & Cultures hosts regularly scheduled placement exams during the Fall and Winter quarters only. It is *strongly suggested* […]
Sanskrit Language
We offer elementary and advanced instruction in Sanskrit, the language of ancient and classical India and of many of its central religious and literary texts, such as the Vedas, the […]
Thai Language
A language that is distinctly different in both culture and linguistic features. We offer three levels–Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced.
Vietnamese Language
Vietnamese, the official language of Vietnam, is spoken by over 90 million people and widely used across global diaspora communities, including one of the largest in California. At UCLA, Vietnamese […]