Learning a second (or third!) language can be incredibly beneficial and rewarding. It will open you up to new experiences and perspectives, allow you to communicate with new people, help you when you travel, and can be a valuable job skill and resume builder.
At Oakton, we want to help you study and learn languages, and our Modern Language Department is committed to teaching culture as well as the four essential language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
If you're interested in studying languages in-depth and making it the focus of your college education, we offer an associate in arts (A.A.) degree with a modern languages pre-major.
If you have a background or some proficiency in a language you'd like to study, you should see the prerequisites before enrolling or discussing placement with the department chair and the instructor of that language. You can also apply for proficiency credits if you've studied a language before.
If you need assistance or tutoring in your language studies or are looking for conversation partners to put your new language skills to the test, you can visit Oakton's Language Lab.
We take pride in offering an unusually rich and varied array of languages for you to study.
Our pre-major is recommended for students who are considering completing a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Languages after transferring to a four-year institution. It is designed for students who have not decided upon a specific four-year college or university.
Want to really put your language skills to the test? As part of our Global Studies special program, you can study abroad in several locations including Peru, France, Spain, India and more. It's an amazing way for you to take your language skills to the next level while earning credits and seeing the world!
Learning a new language can be challenging. Sometimes a little extra assistance or simply having the opportunity to converse and practice your language skills can make the difference. You can find a variety of language learning resources in our Language Lab. Our Language Lab can get you technical help using our special language training equipment, get you access to our collection of books (including reserved textbooks) and software and offer help with specific problems.
Enrolling at Oakton College can save you thousands of dollars and help you earn more over the course of your career. Our tuition is among the lowest in the region, and we offer many ways to bring your costs down even more.
99 percent of Oakton students graduate without debt.
To help you get there, you can apply for a scholarship, which you don’t have to pay back. We award $12 million in scholarships annually. Financial Aid includes grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance that can reduce your costs of attending college.
We offer payment options that give you control over how you pay. Pay all at once or spread your payments over the course of the semester.
Learn more about your options for paying for your education
Meet our full-time faculty:
Camille Harrison,
Chair, Modern Languages
Distinguished Professor, Arabic & French
B.A. University of Meknes (Morocco)
M.A. University of Meknes (Morocco)
D.E.A. University of Montpellier (France)
Ph.D. Universite Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris 3 (France)
Languages: Arabic & French
harrison@oakton.edu
847.635.1851
Office: 2709, Des Plaines
Michael Kristiansen
Professor of Modern Languages
B.A. Texas Tech University
M.A. Texas Tech University
M.A. University of Arizona
Ph.D. University of Arizona
Language: Spanish
mkristia@oakton.edu
847.376.7288
Office: 2733, Des Plaines
Amy Zumfelde
Professor of Modern Languages
B.A. Bradley University
Ph.D. Northwestern University
Language: German
azumfeld@oakton.edu
847.376.7081
Office: 2604, Des Plaines
Meet our part-time faculty:
Keiko Anno
Lecturer
B.A. Meijigakuen University (Japan)
M.A. Pacific Western University
M.Ed National Louis University
Ph.D. Pacific Western University
Language: Japanese
kanno@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Elena Belova
Lecturer
M.A. Leningrad State Regional University (Russia)
Language: Russian
ebelova@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Guiller Bosqued
Lecturer
M.A. Zaragoza University (Spain)
Language: Spanish
gbosqued@oakton.edu
847.635.1910
Office: B206, Skokie
Brenda Carrillo
Lecturer
Language: Spanish
bcarrill@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Evelia Giraldo
Lecturer
B.A. Northeastern University
M.A. Northeastern University
Language: Spanish
egiraldo@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Iftikhar Haider
Lecturer
B.A.University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
M.A. University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
M. University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
M.A. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Languages: Hindi & Urdu
ihaider@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Ofice: 2430, Des Plaines
Rachel Kim
Lecturer
M.A. North Park University
Language: Korean
rkim@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Bernie Lewis
Lecturer
B.A. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.A. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.A. Middlebury College
Language: Spanish
blewis@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Xiaohua (Esther) Liu
Lecturer
B.A. Shaanzi Normal University (China)
M.A. University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Language: Chinese
zliu@oakton.edu
847.635.1910
Office: B206, Skokie
Aleksandra Majkowska-Smith
Lecturer
B.A. University of Warsaw, Poland
M.A. University of Warsaw, Poland
Language: Polish
amajkowska@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Edith Monroy
Lecturer
B.A. University of Illinois, Chicago
M.A. Loyola University, Chicago
Language: Spanish
emonroy@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Ela Moskovich
Lecturer
Sr. Teaching Certificate Governmental School of Teachers, Israel
B.A. Tel-Aviv University
M.A. Northeastern Illinois University
Language: Hebrew
emoskovich@oakton.edu
847.635.1910
Office: B206, Skokie
Shuko Namikawa
Lecturer
A.A. Hokusei Women's Junior College (Japan)
B.A. Coe College
M.A. Northeastern Illinois University
Language: Japanese
shuko@oakton.edu
847.635.1910
Office: B206, Skokie
Dorina Spiering
Lecturer
B.A. Northeastern University
M.A. Northwestern University
Certificate as Reading Specialist, National-Louis University
Language: Italian
dspierin@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
Alejandra Viti
Lecturer
B.A. University of Illinois, Chicago
M.A. University of Illinois, Chicago
M.A. Roosevelt University, Chicago.
Language: Spanish
aviti@oakton.edu
847.635.1950
Office: 2430, Des Plaines
