Finding time to fit a foreign language requirement into an already busy schedule is a problem that many Ohio State students are forced to deal with.

Thanks to the AT&T Individualized Language Learning Center, there is another option. By offering students the choice of meeting individually with a language teacher whenever it is convenient, students are able to take segments of low-level language classes and meet their requirements.

“You don’t have to take all five hours but can take a few hours here and there,” said Justin Ehrenberg, program director of French individualized instruction. “It’s a nice add on to your regular schedule.”

Each credit hour a student takes within the program is called a module and consists of up to six appointments with individual instructors.

Students in the program complete a variety of tasks including oral examinations, written tests, workbook activities and other homework assignments. Program director Diane Birckbichler described the 15-minute appointments as “very intensive.”

The program has grown to offer eight different languages and is one of the longest-standing individualized programs in the country since its inception in 1976.

“It was sort of the tradition of the 1960s where we felt that students could make their own decisions and work on their own,” Birckbichler said. “(The Center) seemed to be a very natural outgrowth of that kind of philosophy.”

The most important benefit of the program is its flexibility. Students are able to schedule their appointments online and handpick the instructor of their choice.

“If a student has more time on a Tuesday at 6 p.m. they could complete some of their appointments then instead of always having to be available at 11 or 12 or something like that,” said Chad Schneider, assistant director of the center.

Students also benefit from the relationships they are able to build from individual instruction as opposed to the traditional classroom setting, Schneider said.

Regardless of how convenient the center may be, it is not for everyone.

“(The center) is good for students who are self-motivated and can learn very well at their own pace and on their own deadline,” Ehrenberg said. “But some students need more structure and they need to be in a classroom where they’re forced to be there on time and the material is presented to them.”

Increased standards are one of the responsibilities that come with the territory of students being in charge of their own course load. Students must obtain at least an 80 percent on each session or it must be repeated.

“It’s important to not only learn the material but that you learn it to a certain degree of confidence,” Birckbichler said.

Originally financed by Ameritech, the name was changed after AT&T initiated a series of corporate shake-ups.

Individualized course options are offered for Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Russian.

The AT&T Individualized Language Learning Center is located in 120 Hagerty Hall. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Andrew Kieta can be reached at [email protected].