<p>^That’s completely ridiculous. The language departments here are indeed fairly small, and even intro language classes are capped at 18 or so students. Many are smaller than that, and they’re held in classrooms with discussion tables, not lecture halls. Yet at the same time, the departments are big enough that the courses offered are amazing. A quick glance at the course catalog would show this.</p>
<p>The students I know taking East Asian languages love it. Japanese is pretty popular, and most students only quit taking it when they have to because of other course requirements. The courses are fairly fast-paced as far as language classes go, but I see that as a benefit. I personally don’t like wasting time on elementary concepts when I’m learning a foreign language.</p>