Program House Spotlight: Language House
By Kelly Kuehn, Student and Campus Life
Language House, a program house located in Toni Morrison Hall on North Campus, is an immersive community that helps students become comfortably fluent in a language. Different languages are offered each academic year, with 2024-2025's languages being Spanish, French, Mandarin, Korean, and Russian.
More than 40 Cornell undergraduate students call Language House their home at Cornell, including Branden Sattler ’26 and Justin Eburuoh ’27, who have lived in Language House since fall 2024. Sattler is in the French wing, while Eburuoh is in the Spanish wing. Both students chose to live in Language House to immerse themselves in a language they love while building a community of cultural explorers.
“I was excited to implement my French into different conversations,” Sattler said while recalling his first day in Language House. “I saw someone cutting out the flags of different countries, which I immediately recognized as the Francophone countries. I introduced myself to him, and he ended up being my Resident Language Fellow. From there, we had a good conversation and established a friendly relationship.”
Resident Language Fellows are live-in undergraduate or graduate student leaders who are native or heritage speakers of the languages selected for the academic year. They live in Language House with residents and connect with them by hosting events and activities that encourage residents to engage with one another in their language of choice, providing a low-stakes environment to develop language skills.
"That’s helped me regain some of my confidence in speaking Spanish,” Eburuoh said. “During our Horchata y Galletas event, I chatted with my Residential Language Fellow and suitemate fully in Spanish for about half an hour. I felt really comfortable throughout the conversation, and it was especially refreshing not having to feel the pressure of being graded for my fluency like in the Spanish classes I've taken at Cornell.”
Many of these events are held in Lounge 249, a central spot in Language House where residents gather to connect with one another.
“This has been the spot where I've gotten to know a lot of my peers and where I've experienced different cultures the community offers,” Eburuoh said. “Events like Dumpling Night and Pizza y Palomitas will remain ingrained in my memory as meaningful bonding and cultural appreciation moments with fellow residents.”
The cultural curiosity within Language House extends beyond its walls, inspiring residents to explore and connect with others in their academic and social lives.
“Learning about French culture inspired me to ask my French professor, who is from France, to elaborate on the differences between French and American everyday mannerisms,” Sattler said. “She was very appreciative of this curiosity in her home country.”
These enriching experiences in Language House have not only broadened Sattler’s and Eburuoh’s cultural perspectives, but also contributed to their personal growth and language development.
“Speaking in a foreign language allows you to pay attention to the words you use to express your ideas,” Sattler said. “I take this new mindset with me when I communicate with other people in English.”
Sattler and Eburuoh also recommend living in Language House to their fellow Cornellians, praising the community's welcoming environment and its emphasis on mutual cultural exchange.
“Living here has deepened my appreciation for the ethnic and cultural diversity that Cornell has to offer,” Eburuoh said.
Languages for the 2025-2026 academic year will be Spanish, French, Mandarin, Korean, and, for the first time, American Sign Language (ASL). If you have questions about the Program Houses at Cornell, contact the Housing Office at housing@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5368.