The Language and Communication Department provides instruction in English, Spanish and Communications. Additionally the department operates the writing lab and the language lab and oversees adherence to ACBA writing and communication standards across the curriculum.
English classes at ACBA go beyond the composition classes usually offered at technical schools. We provide a broad introduction to the canon of western literature and by so doing, give students a deeper understanding behind historical cultures and artistic movements. For example carpentry student at a technical college might learn how to make a pointed-arch window. An ACBA student would have studied some medieval literature, recognizing the hierarchic nature of that society and therefore the verticality of its art. The student would also be able to connect that particular window to the Gothic Revival movement and could associate that movement with Romanticism thereby connecting Edgar Allan Poe to an exercise in joinery.
The study of a foreign language deepens ones understanding of their own language and provides an entirely new way to think about the world. In addition to being a valuable job skill, a foreign language can provide an entry into other cultures and offer a student additional avenues for study. At the moment, Spanish is the only language offered regularly. As the student body grows, ACBA anticipates adding additional languages.
The communication class at ACBA provides students with hands-on experience in traditional and non-traditional forms of communication. Beginning with classical rhetoric and formal public speaking, the class moves on to visual communications, mixed media and social media. Students build a communications portfolio during the semester and conclude the term with a final that includes one formal speech delivered from memory and one speech on a surprise topic improvised on the spot.
