Coursework at World Languages and Cultures (WLC) at American University taught in the target language provides solid language skills and depth of cultural understanding in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili. Instruction for individuals interested in teaching English to non-English speakers is provided through the TESOL Program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Master's programs offered include an MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies and an MA in TESOL.